Consultancy – Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS) Pilot Programme Assessment, for 40 working days, Lusaka, Zambia

Job Number: 527873 | Vacancy Link

Locations: Africa: Zambia

Work Type : Consultancy

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country’s children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

In response to the combination these threats involve the Programme supports national efforts to improve service delivery in the key areas of: child health and nutrition and HIV and AIDS, quality basic education, water, sanitation and hygiene education, child protection and social policy, advocacy and communication.

To find out more about UNICEF’s work in Zambia, please visit https://www.unicef.org/zambia/.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Consultancy: To conduct an assessment of the piloting of the Use of the Zambia Integrated Social Protection Information System (ZISPIS) under the Social Cash Transfer (SCT) and Food Security Pack (FSP) of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS).

JUSTIFICATION:

As UNICEF is supporting the design and implementation of the pilot, rigorous external review is required, and the assessment cannot be conducted by regular UNICEF or Ministry staff.

Following the piloting of ZISPIS in 17 selected districts, a full assessment of the pilot programme is key to having external and independent insight into the performance of the programme, lessons learned for future programmes and assessment of the scalability of ZISPIS beyond the pilot. The findings of this assessment will feed into the enhancement of the ZISPIS system functionalities; improvement of the user guides, updating of SCT and FSP operational manuals and will also contribute to enhanced understanding of the required financial, operational and technical capacity for the sustainable management of the system within GRZ.

OBJECTIVES/TARGET:

The overall objective of this pilot assessment is to assess the extent to which the design and piloting of ZISPIS has contributed to solving the challenges associated with effective and efficient implementation of SCT and FSP as documented in previous reviews of the programs that recommended adoption of an integrated Management Information System (MIS) and e-voucher approach to SCT and FSP implementation respectively.

The aims of this study are to critically examine the impact of Management Information System (ZISPIS) on the overall performance of the programme. The objectives of the study include:

To determine if ZISPIS policies or practices, processes, alignment to SCT and FISP implementation, objectives and internal controls are adequate.

To document and analyze operational issues affecting performance and conduct of key stakeholders under the SCT and FSP following the introduction of the ZISPIS (building on documentation from routine monitoring).

To evaluate the effectiveness and cost efficiency of the various operational modalities (cash transfer mechanisms, beneficiary authentication mechanisms, input distribution mechanisms, etc.) for transferring beneficiary entitlements under SCT and FSP.

To evaluate whether ZISPIS application provides users with timely, accurate, consistent, complete and relevant information for informed decision making on the programme.

To assess the contribution of ZISPIS in aligning SCT and FSP implementation to an integrated MIS and an e-voucher modality respectively and the policy objectives of the program.

To determine the value for money of the ZISPIS on the programme implementation and decision making by conducting a cost-benefit analysis of the ZISPIS payment mechanism

This assessment is commissioned by UNICEF on behalf of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in collaboration with the Cooperating Partners (FAO, the World Bank, WFP) who are supporting the ZISPIS pilot.

Description of the assignment (Scope, CRITERIA, QUESTIONS, METHODOLOGY, AND QUESTIONS)

To meet the objectives and targets listed in Section 3, the consultant will undertake the assessment guided by the following:

Assessment Scope:

The scope of the assessment will be centered at the district level where the ZISPIS pilot is being implemented with national, provincial, and Community level stakeholders. Of the 17 pilot districts, an agreed number of districts selected based on an agreed criterion of representation will be identified and visited in consultation with the assessment consultant, the Ministry and cooperating partners. At the national level, various stakeholders will be met for key informant interviews.

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria are effectiveness, efficiency, value for money, gender, and equity.

Questions

Did the introduction and implementation of ZISPIS improve the operational performance of the SCT and the FSP, when compared against the non-integrated information management system?

Was the ZISPIS relevant and effective?

Did the SCT and FSP delivery systems interventions under the ZISPIS perform and integrate well with existing government systems; Are these interventions sustainable?

Was the ZISPIS implementation gender sensitive and based on equity principles?

Was the ZISPIS administration, governance, planning; budgeting and coordination (including reporting; coordination among stakeholders) efficient?

Did the introduction of the ZISPIS improve value for money?

4.4 Methodology

The Consultant will conduct primary and secondary data collection and review. This will include the review relevant programme documents and past assessments. Consequently, mixed data collection should be undertaken. A quantitative portion by way of cost effectiveness and expenditure analysis. In terms of qualitative data collection, the consultant is expected to conduct Key Informant Interviews with Implementers/Stakeholders and in-depth and Focus Group Discussions with beneficiaries. Following the analysis of data collected the consultant will present at a validation meeting, where findings will be refined and finalized. The table below highlights the expectations from the qualitative and quantitative analyses.

Structured data collection tools will be administered to obtain perceptions, of the following stakeholders involved in the implementation of SCT and FSP: GRZ staff (MCDSS, Auditor General, Ministry of Finance) at national, provincial, district and field level[1] ZISPIS registered PSPs involved in SCT and FSP. This includes PPMs ZISPIS registered suppliers, agro-dealers and warehouse managers Cooperating partners involved in SCT and FSP Focus group discussions with sampled beneficiaries on SCT and FSP and have received their entitlements through the ZISPIS. Selection of beneficiaries to participate will take into consideration district, program enrolled on, gender, disability status, authentication methodology used under ZISPIS, payment mechanism used, and e-voucher methodology used as well as relevant targeting categories used in systems (child-headed household, old age, disability, female-headed, severe disability). This will enable the review to obtain perceptions and experiences in the SCT and FSP process using ZISPIS. Within the urban module, beneficiaries will also be sampled from the various payment gateways used (i.e. GEWEL and Zoona TILT gateways) Structured Technical Working Group (TWG) review meetings conducted at national level

Analysis of transaction files and records on the ZISPIS to assess effectiveness and efficiency in undertaking key SCT and FSP processes. The key areas of focus are: Beneficiary registration & eligible beneficiary list management SCT budgeting and funds management Rural and urban payment mechanism payment processing FSP e-voucher and DIS input management processes FSP beneficiary input redemption and tracking processes FSP beneficiary choices and input access processes SCT and FSP transactions reconciliation processes

Gender and Human Rights, including child rights

The consultant is expected to consider the Human Rights Based Approach in the assessment and assess the programme using human rights based, including child rights and gender rights criteria. The efficacy of the new system to reach child-headed households, female-headed households and households with members with severe disabilities, who are beneficiaries of the SCT programme is one of the key objectives of the assessment.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical aspects of the assessment which include, among others, data collection from human subjects and their consent should be covered in detail in the technical proposal. UNICEF has a set of ethical principles, and checklist regarding research and evaluations which must be upheld. The assessment team will come into contact with human objects which may include children and should take precautions to protect the rights and wellbeing of any children.

TASKS, DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME:

TASKS, DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME:

Tasks	Expected outputs	Days
1. Document Review	Inception Report detailing work plan, timeframe and methodology and instruments/tools for draft data (qualitative and quantitative) collection to be used.	10 days
2. Stakeholder/Key Informant Interviews and Field Visit including participant observation in the implementation of the pilot during payment cycles	Draft Assessment Report	20 days
3. Presentation of the Draft Assessment Report to the ZISPIS Stakeholders	Presentation at Validation Meeting	2 days
4. Final Assessment report after validation during the ZISPIS Stakeholder Meeting, incorporating other presentations made at the ZISPIS Stakeholder meeting (if any) and comments from internal and external quality assurance	Final Report (details below)	8 days
		40 days

Document Review (10 days)

The Consultant will examine relevant documents, including programme design documents, all relevant plans and reports (technical and financial assistance reports), minutes of meetings and consider previous evaluations and research conducted.

An inception report summarizing the key findings of the document review and outlining an approach and methodology for the in-country activities, including KII and FGD guides, shall be produced and shared with the assessment in advance of the interviews and the validation meeting.

Stakeholder/Key Informant Interviews and Field Visits (20 Days)

The Consultant will interview relevant implementers of the ZISPIS, Cooperating Partners, Civil Society, and Beneficiaries to collect feedback. The consultant will visit at least two districts to interview relevant local stakeholders (community, District and provincial level).

Presentation at ZISPIS Stakeholder Meeting (2 days)

The Consultant will present a draft report which includes the inception report on the document review, findings from the stakeholder/key informant interviews and provide recommendations for future possible Joint programmes.

Finalization of Report (8 days)

After the meeting, the consultant will finalize the report, incorporating feedback from the validation and other reports/presentations (if any) made to the meeting by other stakeholders as well as comments provided by internal and external quality assurance. As the review processes take time, the 8 days will likely be split into multiple steps between reviews, which are expected to stretch over six weeks.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The expected structure of the inception report and the final desk review report is outlined below:

Cover page

Executive Summary

Acronyms

Description of the ZISPIS and related project document

Purpose, scope and objectives of review

Methodology

Specific findings regarding

Performance of the ZISPIS implementation against the Programme Document

Review of the performance, effectiveness and sustainability of interventions under ZISPIS

Efficiency of the programme administration, governance and coordination

Analysis of expenditure/cost efficiency and effectiveness and sustainability of the ZISPIS interventions

Conclusions

Overall Recommendations to improve the performance and relevance of future ZISPIS

Specific Recommendations regarding administration, governance, cost efficiency and coordination

Specific Recommendations regarding the intervention programming context and required alignments

The Consultant is required to append the following items to both reports:

Terms of Reference

Data collection instruments

List of documents/publications reviewed and cited

Lessons learnt

The Consultant is required to further append the following items to the final desk review report reports:

List of meetings/consultations/field visits attended

List of persons or organisations interviewed

Any further information the Consultant deems appropriate can also be added.

All draft and final outputs, including supporting documents, analytical reports and raw data should be provided in electronic version compatible with Word for Windows.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The individual contractor will be contracted by UNICEF and report directly to the Chief, Social Policy and Research.

PROJECT Management

The Consultant will work with relevant Government line Ministries, participating UN agencies and cooperating partners, as well as other intervention stakeholders, including beneficiaries. To ensure quality and accountability, the consultant will report to the UNICEF Zambia Chief Social Policy and Research

LOCATION AND DURATION

The assignment is expected to commence as soon as possible for a duration of 40 working days. This consultancy is both home based (desk review and write-up of final report) and on-site in Zambia (stakeholder interviews, presentation at the workshop) which will require at least 2 weeks time in the field.

The presentation of the inception report shall be made to a ZISPIS Stakeholder Workshop in Lusaka at which we will require the Consultant to be a key participant to present and engage in the validation, adding context/findings not included in the presentation as the need may arise.

Payment schedule

The payment schedule will be as follows:

Payment	Conditions
Inception report based on the document review	50%
Final Assessment Report reviewed and accepted by the supervisor	50%

 In the case of unsatisfactory quality of reports, payments will be withheld until quality has been assured. If the quality of work is not addressed, the contract will be terminated.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

The consultant will be expected to possess the following core qualifications:

Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Social/Public Policy Management, Economics or related social Protection graduate qualifications.

A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in designing, implementing and managing social protection programmes, preferably in Africa, including at least 5 years specifically in evaluation of SP programmes.

Demonstrated expertise and capability in technical assessment of social protection delivery systems, related national policies and knowledge of government operational framework.

Proven experience with logical framework approaches and other strategic planning approaches, M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory), information analysis and report writing.

Understanding of the development context in Zambia will be an advantage

Excellent communication and interview skills.

Excellent report writing skills.

Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines, through a proven track record.

EVALUATION PROCESS AND METHODS

Based on the evaluation criteria below, profiles will be solicited and reviewed to create a shortlist of possible consultants for this assignment. These consultants will be ranked according to following criteria:

Item	Evaluation Criteria	Evaluation Criteria
1	Master’s degree in Social Protection, Public Policy Management, Economics or related social science graduate qualifications	15
2	A minimum of 8 years of professional experience, specifically in evaluating international development initiatives in social protection, preferably in Africa	25
3	Demonstrated expertise and capability in technical assessment of social protection delivery systems, related national policies and knowledge of government operational framework.	20
4	Proven experience with logical framework approaches and other strategic planning approaches, M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory), information analysis and report writing.	15
5	Knowledge and experience of evaluation of government-to-government programmes.	15
6	Excellent communication and interview skills. Excellent report writing skills. Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines	10
		100

Any other information

NOTE: Outputs delivered by the consultant or individual contractor as part of the contract with UNICEF remain the sole right of UNICEF. This includes text, graphics, logos, images, icons and all other outputs. The consultant or individual contractor may not reproduce, alter, modify, create derivative works, distribute or publicly display the content without the express authorization of UNICEF.

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

This assignment does not entail any access to UNICEF equipment, property or other services not detailed above. UNICEF will refund, directly to the Consultant, the return flight ticket (economy class) and DSA, at Zambian standard rate, for the in-country travel.

POLICY BOTH PARTIES SHOULD BE AWARE OF

Under the consultancy agreements, a month is defined as 21 working days, and fees are prorated accordingly. Consultants are not paid for weekends or public holidays.

Consultants are not entitled to payment of overtime.  All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.

No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or contractor.

No consultant may travel without a signed contract and authorization to travel prior to the commencement of the journey to the duty station.

Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

Consultant will be required to sign the health statement for consultants/individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, including Medical Evacuation.

The Form ‘Designation, change or revocation of beneficiary’ must be completed by the consultant.

For every Child, you demonstrate¦

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date Sun Dec 01 2019 22:55:00 GMT+0100 (Afr. centrale Ouest)