Terms of Reference

Title: Consultant: Project Management & Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Training
Project: Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL)
Purpose of Assignment: Design and deliver a three (3) day training to strengthen the capacity of selected five (5) local authorities in project planning, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, expenditure management, and reporting to guide the implementation of their service improvement initiatives.
Duration: 1 month (June/July 2024)
Level of Effort: 12 working days (Maximum)

Financial: Commensurate to Local Rates for Assignment and Expertise
Reporting to: National Project Coordinator, PMI-WILL Project
1.    BACKGROUND

The Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) is a $27,610,160 project with a financial contribution of $26 million from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and $1,610,160 of in-kind contributions from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). PMI-WILL is designed to bring about enhanced enjoyment of rights for women and girls in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Zambia. To bring about this ultimate outcome, the project is working towards actualizing the following intermediate and immediate outcomes:

Intermediate outcome 1000: Increased participation by women, particularly those from marginalised groups, as leaders and decision-makers in local governance.

Immediate outcome 1100: Increased capacity of women from marginalised groups to run for local elected office;

Immediate outcome 1200: Increased capacity of women in local government administration to perform their duties effectively;

Immediate outcome 1300: Increased capacity of the network of women elected officials to support women leadership and participation in decision-making in local governance.

Intermediate outcome 2000: Increased capacity of local authorities to deliver inclusive, gender responsive municipal services.

Immediate outcome 2100: Increased capacity of local authorities to deliver inclusive, gender responsive municipal services;

Immediate outcome 2200: Increased capacity of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) to create an enabling environment for inclusive, gender responsive local governance and municipal service delivery.

FCM has been engaging with a network of stakeholders in each partner country and benefit from the contributions of Canadian municipal volunteers. Key interlocutors in each country include the relevant government authorities, Local Government Associations (LGAs), local authorities, political parties, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that work directly on gender or women’s affairs, social inclusion and good governance.

In Zambia, PMI-WILL project is being implemented in partnership with the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ). Key project partners in the country include the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Gender Division under Cabinet Office, selected Local Authorities, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs).

Local authorities are constitutionally mandated to play a crucial role in the country’s national development and governance processes. Through provision of municipal services such as clean drinking water, sanitation, public health and local economic development, local authorities have significant impact on the quality of life of women, children and other marginalized groups. By being more inclusive and gender-responsive, local authorities are better able to reach out to and serve marginalised individuals and groups and to respond to the needs of women and girls as distinct from those of men and boys. Inclusive, gender-responsive local governance entails the substantive representation of women and marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities (PWD) and young people in decision-making.

PMI-WILL will increase the effectiveness of selected five (5) local authorities ( Chifunabuli, Kafue, Kasama, Lunte and Nakonde Councils) in delivering inclusive, gender responsive services by developing their capacity to work in a more inclusive and gender-responsive manner and through strengthening the capacity of Ward Development Committees (WDCs) and community-based organizations to engage in local governance processes. The project will support each local authority, in collaboration with service users and community-based organizations, especially women’s groups, to assess its services, develop municipal service delivery improvement plans and pilot initiatives that make priority services more responsive to the needs of women and marginalised groups. Participating local authorities and the successful service delivery initiatives will serve as models of inclusive, gender-responsive governance and service delivery that can be shared with, and replicated by, other local authorities in the country. Inclusive, gender responsive municipal services and local governance processes will contribute towards an enabling environment for enhanced enjoyment of rights for women and girls from marginalised groups.

LGAZ involvement in supporting, assessing, and documenting innovative service delivery initiatives is key to support knowledge sharing, replication, and sustainability of good practices.

2.    PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE OF ASSIGNMENT

The consultant is expected to design and deliver a 3-day training on project planning, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. This will be an in-person training intended to strengthen the capacities of participating five (5) local authorities to plan and deliver quality municipal services in a manner that is inclusive and gender responsive.

More specifically, the objectives of this consultancy are to:

(i) Develop clear, concise training materials that explain various aspects of project planning and management, including but not limited to:

• Project cycle,
• Project Break Down Structure (WBS),
• Work plan, with realistic targets and performance indicators.
• Gantt Chart,
• Stakeholder engagement

(ii) Develop training modules and deliver in-person training on monitoring and evaluation, and reporting in line with PMI-WILL processes and practices. These will include clear explanations of how to apply project management functions and principles in the implementation of service delivery initiatives at the local level.
(iii) Create and distribute pre-training and post training assessments to gauge participant understanding of the material presented.
(iv) In line with PMI-WILL project objectives, ensure training materials and training approach is gender responsive and inclusive.
(v) Prepare a training report (inclusive of recommendations on the appropriate next steps to support local authorities in the implementation of their service initiatives).

3.    KEY DELIVERABLES

The main deliverables are:

(i) A training module on “gendered and inclusive approach to project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting”, with training materials and reference documents included.

(ii) An inception report.

(iii) A 3-day training, targeting 20 members of staff, based on the  approved training module.

(iv)  Support to local governments in preparing for their service initiatives implementation.

(v)  Final training report (including pre and post training evaluations).

4.    LEVEL OF EFFORT

a)   Inception meeting with Inclusive Local Government Advisor (0.5 day);
b)   Development of  training module and materials (2 days);
c)   Workshop facilitation (3 days);
d)   Check-in sessions to adjust the training module based feedback from the training (1 day);
e)   Prepare and submit a full training report, with pre-and post-training evaluations (review period included) (3 days);
f)  Meet with Canadian municipal volunteers, to obtain additional insights based on international best practices. (2 days)
g)  Debrief meeting with Inclusive Local Government Advisor (0.5 day)
Total (maximum) : 12 working days

5.    QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE

Interested individual consultants or lead consultants should possess:

(i)  Advanced qualification (Master’s degree or higher) in Project Planning and Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, Development Studies, Development Planning, Community Development, or other relevant discipline. An undergraduate qualification in combination with five (5) additional years of post-qualifying work experience may also be accepted.

(ii)  Minimum 5 years’ experience, working in project management, monitoring and evaluation, community development and stakeholder inclusion.

(iii)  Proven experience in building capacities of diverse groups using adult teaching and participatory methods.

( iv)  Positive working relations with local authorities and local government associations.

(v)  Demonstrated experience on developing gender and social inclusion training models is a plus.

(vi)  An affiliate member of a relevant professional association.

6.    EVALUATION CRITERIA

Candidates will be evaluated based on the technical and financial criteria that combines the following aspects:

(i) Professional qualification of a lead consultant (15 points);

(ii) Demonstrated professional experience (25 points);

(iii) Evidence of successful delivery of a similar assignment (30 points),

(iv)  A tentative work plan and methodology (20 points);

(v)  Daily consultancy fee in local currency (10 points).

7.    FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

Applicants are required to indicate only their daily consultancy fee (in Zambian Kwacha and inclusive of Withholding Tax) and the number of days (duration) anticipated to complete the assignment. Please note that logistics related to the assignment including printing, travel and accommodation expenses do not need to be costed as these are covered by the project.

8.    PROPOSAL CONTENT

Applicants are required to submit a proposal (not more than 6 pages excluding Curriculum Vitae) highlighting the following:

(i) Relevant professional work experience.

(ii) A list of successful similar consultancy assignments.

(iii) A tentative work plan and approach.

(iv) Anticipated daily consultancy fee withholding tax inclusive

v)  List of people who will work on the assignment (if working as a team) with their CVs. Kindly note that any change in the composition of the consulting team is subject to approval by LGAZ.

9.    SUBMISSION

Proposals should be addressed to the

National Project Coordinator, Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership Project, Local Government Association of Zambia, Lusaka.

And submitted in PDF format by e-mail to:

info@lgazambia.org.zm  & copy stanley.chanda@lgazambia.org.zm  by close of business on Friday, 17th May 2024.

Please indicate “Project Management” in the email subject line.