Project name: Conservation and Restoration of the Globally Significant Biodiversity of the Tisza River Floodplain (Tisza-biodiversity project)
The Goal of this Project is biodiversity friendly, sustainable development of the Tisza floodplain. The Project Immediate Objective is to establish biodiversity friendly, integrated, holistic floodplain management (IHFM) as dominant development paradigm in the Upper Tisza floodplain. Four Intermediate Outcomes contribute to this. First, the Project shall establish a sustainable regional mechanism (the Platform ) to support local Initiatives and provide them with a direct communication channel to national decision-makers. Second, with support from the Project, the Platform shall develop tools for supporting IHFM. Third, each Local Initiative shall develop an Action Plan, and the Project shall contribute to their implementation. Finally, the IHFM pro-biodiversity approach shall be mainstreamed into the national programs, such as the Improved Vasarhelyi Plan (VTT) and the National Agri-Environmental Program (NAEP) and policies.
The project shall mainstream biodiversity conservation into floodplain management across the Tisza River Floodplain in Hungary. The project shall significantly improve floodplain and landscape management of 1,600 km2 through activities carried out within pilot sites, while moderately influencing an estimated area of 9,400 km2 (about 20% of the Great Hungarian Plain) applying supportive policy environment and institutional capacity at national level. The local stakeholder cooperation shall be improved to establish the Tisza Platform, the aim of which is to improve the common understanding of biodiversity values of the Tisza valley and the complex needs of measures to protect and improve them. To support local initiatives technical and financial support shall be provided for small scale initiatives which fulfill the criteria established by the Tisza Platform.
Expected main results: - The Regional Platform and the Upper Tisza Floodplain Technical Support Office (TFTO) providing demand-driven coordination and technical support to local initiatives and implementing region-wide activities.
- Comprehensive guidelines defining the characteristics of the ‘model’ approach to IHFM, agreed to by local Initiatives.
- At each of the seven Local Initiative sites, biodiversity, land, water and habitats are managed in an integrated, holistic manner that is supportive to socio-economic development with the assistance of the Micro Grants for Biodiversity Programme (MGBP).
- Changes in the policy and the implementation of the VTT and NAEP to integrate biodiversity concerns, feeding into related EU policy and decision-making.
The implementation of the UNDP/GEF Project “Conservation and Restoration of the Globally Significant Biodiversity of the Tisza River Floodplain (Tisza Biodiversity Project)” began in October 2005 right after project document signature in September 2007. Project activities finished in December 2008.
The total project budget is US$ 2,718,300. The allocated resources are: Government: US$ 1,237,200. Other (in-kind): Local initiatives - US$ 497,900; National institutions and NGOs - US$ 14,200. GEF financing - US$ 944,000.
The Executing Agency for the project is the Ministry for Environment and Water. The Implementing Agency is the Hortobágy National Park Directorate (HNPD).
The large state budget deficit in Hungary caused cutting of governmental programs necessary for reaching project goals (New Vasarhelyi Plan, Agri-environmental Programme). Governmental policies put less emphasis on sustainable flood-control and rural development which would be essential for BD-friendly farming in the Tisza region. These policies can be influenced at low effectiveness by NGOs this time. The area affected by biodiversity friendly floodplain management can not reach the targeted order of magnitude before the 2009 launch of new agri-environmental payments.
The Project was only be able to lay down the foundation of land-use change in 1,600 km2 of the Tisza Region, while moderately influencing an estimated area of 9,400 km2. It may not be realistically expected, that land-use change will be executed in such a large area before 2009, only smaller parts of the region will change their land-use. These parts can be expected to be found foremost at project Local Initiatives, thanks to the Micro Grant Fund, information dissemination activities and involvement of local actors.
However, civic action, bottom-up organization of local-actors, forming a network that may push decision-makers to ensure the possibilities and the framework for BD-friendly farming seem to be the only tools to reach the original Project Objective, though in a long-term, beyond the end of project execution.
OBJECTIVES OF THE FINAL EVALUATION
In accordance with UNDP/GEF M&E policies and procedures, all regular and medium-sized projects supported by the GEF should undergo a final evaluation upon completion of implementation.
Final evaluations are intended to assess the relevance, performance and success of the project. It looks at early signs of potential impact and sustainability of results, including the contribution to capacity development and the achievement of global environmental goals. It will also identify/document lessons learned and make recommendations that might improve design and implementation of other UNDP/GEF projects.
This evaluation is to be undertaken taking into consideration the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation policy (http://thegef.org/MonitoringandEvaluation/MEPoliciesProcedures/mepoliciesprocedures.html) and the UNDP/GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (http://www.undp.org/gef/05/monitoring/policies.html).
This Final Evaluation is initiated by UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre as the GEF Implementing Agency for this project and it aims to provide managers (at the level of regulatory bodies of the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, and UNDP/GEF) with a comprehensive overall assessment of the project and with a strategy for replicating the results. It also provides the basis for learning and accountability for managers and stakeholders.
The purpose of the Evaluation is:
- To assess overall performance against the Project objectives as set out in Project Document and other related documents
- To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the Project
- To critically analyze the implementation and management arrangements of the Project
- To assess the sustainability of the Project’s interventions.
- To list and document initial lessons concerning Project design, implementation and management
- To assess Project relevance to national priorities.
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EVALUATION TEAM – QUALITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
A team of independent experts will conduct the evaluation. The evaluators selected should not have participated in the project preparation and/or implementation and should not have conflict of interest with project related activities.
The evaluation team will be composed of one International Consultant or Team Leader and one National Consultant. The consultants shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects. Former cooperation with GEF is an advantage.
Team Qualities:
- Recent experience with result-based management evaluation methodologies;
- Experience applying participatory monitoring approaches;
- Experience applying SMART indicators and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios;
- Recent knowledge of the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy;
- Recent knowledge of UNDP’s results-based evaluation policies and procedures
- Competence in Adaptive Management, as applied to conservation or natural resource management projects;
- Recognized expertise in the management and sustainable use of wetlands in temperate ecosystems;
- Familiarity with protected area policies and management structures in Hungary;
- Demonstrable analytical skills;
Specifically, the international expert (team leader) will perform the following tasks:
- Lead and manage the evaluation mission;
- Design the detailed evaluation scope and methodology (including the methods for data collection and analysis);
- Decide the division of labor within the evaluation team;
- Conduct an analysis of the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy (as per the scope of the evaluation described above);
- Draft related parts of the evaluation report; and
- Finalize the whole evaluation report.
The National Consultant will provide input in reviewing all project documentation, especially if available only in Hungarian, and will provide the International Consultant with a compilation of information prior to the evaluation mission. Specifically, the national expert will perform tasks with a focus on:
- Review documents;
- Prepare a list of the outputs achieved under project;
- Organize the mission programme and provide translation/interpretation when necessary;
- Participate in the design of the evaluation methodology;
- Conduct an analysis of the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy (as per the scope of the evaluation described above);
- Draft related parts of the evaluation report;
- Assist Team leader in finalizing document through incorporating suggestions received on draft related to his/her assigned sections.
The evaluation will be undertaken in-line with GEF principles :
- Independence
- Impartiality
- Transparency
- Disclosure
- Ethical
- Partnership
- Competencies and Capacities
- Credibility
- Utility
Individual consultants are invited to submit applications together with their CV for these positions. Joint proposals from two independent evaluators are welcome. Or alternatively, proposals will be accepted from recognized consulting firms to field a complete team with the required expertise within the evaluation budget.
If individual evaluators are selected, UNDP will appoint one Team Leader. The Team Leader will have overall responsibility for the delivery and quality of the evaluation products. Team roles and responsibilities will be reflected in the individual contracts. If a proposal is accepted from a consulting firm, the firm will be held responsible for the delivery and quality of the evaluation products and therefore has responsibility for team management arrangements. |
