Rai Matak Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan & Baseline Consultancy

Rai Matak Program Monitoring, Evaluation and
Learning Plan & Baseline Consultancy

CONTEXT

The Rai Matak Program is an exciting new program implemented in partnership with Ho Musan Ida Foundation, xpand Foundation, Oxfam and local organizations. It builds on the success Foundation Ho Musan Ida and xpand Foundation have had in establishing the WithOneSeed Community Forestry Program which is the first Gold Standard verified carbon forestry program in Timor Leste.

Working with subsistence farming communities to replant their forests thereby creating a carbon store to build local economies, deliver practical education and training in agroforestry and permaculture to create a more sustainable, equal and just world. The program aims to support replication of the WithOneSeed model in new locations with a number of local organisations. It will also support establishment of a Timor-Leste Carbon Foundation and promote Timor-Leste carbon to the world. This program and consultancy is funded by the European Union.

Oxfam is working in partnership with Foundation Ho Musan Ida based in Timor-Leste and the xpand Foundation based in Australia to develop and implement the Rai Matak project.  This consultancy is contracted under Oxfam. Project target areas include Baucau, Los Palos, Covalima and Liquica (TBC).

 

PURPOSE & APPROACH

As part of the Rai Matak Program program management, accountability, measurement of impact and supporting a culture of learning, the Rai Matak program needs to develop a Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan that will guide the program MEL for the life of the program. The MEL plan will clearly outline all MEL activities that the project will undertake to meet donor, organisational and program requirements and support learning, and develop any tools, database or any other items that sit under it to enable its implementation. In addition to this, the consultancy will also undertake baseline data collection for any required indicators as outlined in the program log frame. To do this work the program is looking for a consultant(s) to undertake this work.

The MEL plan, tools and baseline will be developed/undertaken in a participatory way involving Rai Matak Program team members – as designated by the Rai Matak steering committee.  A working group will be set up that the consultants will work closely with. Tools and approaches will also be tested and socialised with broader program staff, such as field staff. A key objective will be supporting key Rai Matak team members to be confident in understanding and implementing the MEL plan and tools, and training up broader program team members on use of tools and data collection, so that program staff can independently implement it in the future.

The MEL plan and tools and database and any other things developed as part of the consultancy will be simple and easy to access and enter data online and offline, implement by people in Timor-Leste and Australia, including with low internet connection, bilingual (English and Tetum), will be complimentary to existing systems and requirements that exist and not overly burdensome. The consultancy will include ensuring that the relevant members in the program team understand and are confident in implementing the MEL plan and all the components that sit under it. Approaches used in the MEL plan will be a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. For learning activities, to support adaptive program management, participatory approaches will be used that support program partners and staffs ownership, learning, partnership and adaptive management. Approaches will be inline with the program partnership principles.

KEY OUTPUTS

The Key outputs for this consultancy will be:

• A plan to undertake the consultancy.
• Workshops or equivalent activities with program team taskforce to develop the MEL plan, tools and database and baseline tools, including assessing if there is any other information that the taskforce team or steering committee would like the MEL plan to capture beyond what is outlined in program documents.
• Process/Activities to build capacity on and test and socialise the MEL plan, tools and database with relevant program staff.
• Simple assessment of suitable data collection and database online platform to be used for the program that is complimentary with existing systems. This includes looking at the suitability of apps already being used by partners, such as expanding the Tree02 app, click up or utilising Airtable or another suitable platform.
• A program MEL plan in Tetum and English.
• MEL tools for data collection and documentation in English and Tetum.
• An online database developed in English & Tetum utilising the online platform seen as most suitable.
• Learning processes and cycle documented and easy to follow in English and Tetum.
• Baseline survey and report.

All of the above outputs will be submitted first in draft to the Rai Matak steering committee, who will provide feedback prior to finalisation. Outputs will only be considered final with sign off from the Rai Matak steering committee.

TIMEFRAME

The consultancy will be undertaken as soon as possible.

It is envisaged that it will run over 2 months with additional time in late 2021 or early 2022 required to undertake the Baseline and right up the report for these results for the 4^th target area (most likely in Liquica) that will not be confirmed till this time.

LOCATION

Ideally it will need consultants based in Timor-Leste who are also able to undertake the baseline survey covering different project target areas, but we will be open to a consultancy group that are both in and out of country too.

BUDGET

An available budget of USD$26,000 is available for this work, it must include all costs including travel, accommodation, communication, consultancy fees, any costs for subscription to online platforms selected for the duration of the program, and any other related costs to undertake this work. It must also be inclusive of 10% Timor-Leste salary tax.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING

As an agency undertaking work both nationally and internationally and in humanitarian response, Oxfam in Timor-Leste takes its duty of care seriously to safeguard children and recognises that it must meet community expectations and the trust placed in its personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all consultants working for Oxfam Timor-Leste are required to comply with the Child Safeguarding Policy and Child Safeguarding Code of Conduct. 

CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS

• Extensive experience developing MEL plans, MEL tools and undertaking baseline surveys preferably in Timor-Leste
• Demonstrated experience in utilising quantitative and qualitative methodologies and participatory approaches.
• A proven track record in building capacity of program teams to independently implement MEL plans.
• Experience in MEL for agroforestry, livelihoods and/or resilience programming.
• Experience working in Timor-Leste and understanding of context preferred.    
• Professional proficiency in English & Tetum.
• Some or all members of the consultancy team based in Timor-Leste available to undertake the baseline survey and work with program team staff.
• Availability to undertake the work immediately will be highly valued.

To apply for this consultancy please submit:

• CV of all consultants that will be working on the consultancy. CVs should be no more than 4 pgs.
• Cover letter outlining how the consultants meet the above outlined requirements and availability to undertake the work.
• A proposed plan for the consultancy including budget, within the available budget specified in the TOR.
• An example of a MEL plan or relevant report that has been written solely by the consultants or lead consultant.

Applications can be submitted to annies@oxfam.org.au by the 9^th of August 2021.

To support development of the proposed plan the Program Log frame and targets can be requested to annies@oxfam.org.au .

For any questions related to the consultancy please contact annies@oxfam.org.au .

Only successful applicants will be contacted. 

Women and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Ho Musan Ida, xpand Foundation and Oxfam and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.