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Title  

External Evaluation of TRAFFIC International DfID-funded project (for China and Cameroon)

Reference     (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors   Terrestrial / Aquatic Ecology & Conservation
Location   England (East Anglia) - UK
Type   Temporary / Contract / Seasonal
Status   Full Time
Level   Senior Level
Deadline   03/10/2016
Company Name   TRAFFIC International
Contact Name  
Telephone   01223 277427
Fax   01223 277237
Email   caroline.knightley@traffic.org
Website   Further Details / Applications
Also Listing:
Description  

Location: Home-based
Reporting to: Programme Coordinator, TRAFFIC International
Duration: 18 Months (until May 2018)
Starting date: 1 November 2016
Value: 25,000 GBP
Payments: 25% on contract signature; 25% following first project meeting and satisfactory delivery of evaluation findings; 30% on delivery of interim evaluation report; 20% on delivery of final evaluation report

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature.
Contractor:
TRAFFIC International under the framework of the DfID-funded project: “Reinforcing Chinese government and industry action to reduce illegal timber in supply chains originating from Cameroon”.

Project background:
The DfID-funded project started on October 1, 2015 and is expected to end on March 31, 2018. The project is led by TRAFFIC International working through national offices in Cameroon and China (the latter administered through the TRAFFIC regional office in Hong Kong). The project has been designed to achieve increased compliance with timber harvest and trade controls along the supply chain from Cameroon, working in synergy with an IIED-WWF and other DfID-funded projects, to China and the European Union.  It will harness the growing interest within China’s government and private sector to demonstrate compliance with timber trade controls and reinforce the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) and related processes for timber in Cameroon.  Project outputs combine delivery of training tools and materials, strengthening of China’s public and private timber procurement policies and standards and piloting of collaborative approaches to supply chain management.

Target countries
China and Cameroon

Final beneficiaries &/or target groups
NON-STATE ACTORS
1. Community-based organizations (target) and forest-dependent commmunities (beneficiary)
2. Workers and operators along the wood value chain (beneficiary)
3. Other civil society organizations concerned with forest governance and trade (target)
4. Trade associations in Cameroon and China (target)
5. EU-timber consumers (beneficiary)

STATE ACTORS
1. Government departments and agencies in the project countries (target and beneficiary)
2. Public procurement organization in China (target and beneficiary)
3. EU authorities competent for regulating trade (beneficiary)
 


Implementation of the current project is overseen by TRAFFIC International’s Global Timber Programme Lead, managed by an experienced Programme Co-ordinator, and under the Supervision of a Senior Programme Director.  A dedicated project administrator has been assigned and a project-specific operations manual and tools to facilitate financial and technical reporting have been developed.  Principal implementing partners are TRAFFIC offices in Cameroon and Hong Kong/China whose local expertise means they are well placed to engage with local collaborators and stakeholders.  TRAFFIC in Cameroon is hosted by IUCN.  TRAFFIC in Hong Kong and China is hosted by WWF.

Scope of contract:
Project monitoring and evaluation are essential elements of project management with an aim to assist in decision making for efficient and effective project implementation. The internal evaluation and monitoring of this project is an ongoing process that is facilitated by the TRAFFIC implementation and administrative teams. The external project evaluation will complement the project management efforts and provide objective input on the project processes, project outputs and the overall project impact against the contractual obligations to the donor, including as these relate to cross-cutting issues including aspects of the work and impacts in relation to gender. The tasks of the external evaluator include the following:

•    To create an evaluation and monitoring framework that will assess project implementation against contractual objectives and will inform establishment of effective mechanisms of quality control.
•    To liaise with the Programme Coordinator on project implementation issues and quality of project outputs against contractual obligations and timeframe. Of key importance are cross-cutting issues of value for money (effectiveness, efficiency and economy) and gender (impacts; implementation: focus, themes and process; and organization and delivery).
•    To monitor project implementation through: the monitoring framework devised; review of products and reporting materials; interviews of partners/major stakeholders; observation in partnership meetings
•    To produce an interim evaluation report in April 2017 and a final evaluation report in April 2018.

Suggested workplan:
The evaluator will develop a monitoring and evaluation framework based on the project’s logical framework and operational plan. Following discussions with project management the evaluator will finalise the framework and use it as the main tool for project evaluation and monitoring.

Information for the monitoring and evaluation framework will be provided through the contractual documents (Grant Agreement, project proposal), the developed and draft project products, participation to partnership meetings and group calls, communication with the project leader and project partners. Brief surveys of major project stakeholders and participants of project events will be considered.

Two evaluation reports should be formally submitted by the external evaluator, one in April 2017 that will cover Y2 implementation and one in April 2018 that will cover Y3 implementation plus a critical review of project outcomes. Drafts of both reports should be submitted to the project management at least two weeks before final report submission for feedback and comments. The structure of the evaluation reports will be proposed by the external project evaluator and discussed with the project management.

Expected outcomes - deliverables:
The overall role of the external project evaluator is to objectively monitor and evaluate project management and project coordination; project planning; project implementation and quality of outputs; and impacts (where possible) based on contractual obligations.

The external evaluator will participate in project events with an aim to gain hands-on experience of project partnership dynamics. Participation in at least two project meetings in China and Cameroon is expected. A presentation to the project team of evaluation findings up to the time of the project meetings will be required.

The external project evaluator is expected to deliver two Project Evaluation reports (April 2017 and April 2018). Exact deadlines for these reports will be provided by the project management.

Outcomes – Deliverables    Indicative  Days (tbc)
1.    Finalisation of monitoring and evaluation framework    7
2.    Participation in 2 project meetings. Presentation of evaluation findings to project partnership; interviews of core staff of project partnership; conduct brief surveys of project stakeholders as appropriate    
12
3.    Participate to partnership skype calls, monitor partnership communication via email, liaise with project leader and project partners     7
4.    Develop 2 project Evaluation Reports (interim and final)    
24

Expressions of interest in this work should be submitted to Caroline Knightley (caroline.knightley@traffic.org) at TRAFFIC International by 3rd October 2016, and feature the following:
•    Curriculum Vitae
•    Cover letter, providing a clear, succinct summary of relevant experience
•    Examples of previous work relevant to the scope of work and deliverables indicated above
Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be conducted in mid-October 2016.

This project is funded with UK aid from the UK government


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