Sudan: International Terminal Evaluation for Project: Strengthening targeted capacities for improved decision making and main streaming of global environmental obligations

May 2, 2022 | United Nations Development Programme
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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations organization tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.

In accordance with UNDP and GEF M&E policies and procedures, all full- and medium-sized UNDP-supported GEF-financed projects are required to undergo a Terminal Evaluation (TE) at the end of the project. This Terms of Reference (ToR) sets out the expectations for the TE of the medium-sized project titled: “Strengthening targeted capacities for improved decision making and mainstreaming of global environmental obligations”. The project started in 2018 and is ending Dec 2022. The TE process must follow the guidance outlined in the document ‘Guidance For Conducting Terminal Evaluations of UNDP-Supported, GEF-Financed Projects’ ( Guidance for Terminal Evaluations of UNDP-supported GEF-financed Projects ).

Project Background and Context

The goal of this project is to strengthen Sudan’s ability to achieve environmentally sound and sustainable development that also protects the global environment as defined by the three Rio Conventions.The immediate objective of this project is to strengthen targeted national capacities to deliver and sustain global environmental outcomes within the framework of sustainable development priorities.This will be achieved through five project components, within which activities to strengthen systemic, institutional, and individual capacities will be organized largely through learning-by-doing exercises and demonstrations.

At the end of the project, activities will have resulted in a set of improved capacities to meet and sustain Rio Convention objectives.This project will have strengthened and helped institutionalize commitments under the Rio Conventions by ensuring a flow of assistance and information between the local, national and global level.

The expected outcome of the project is that Sudan will be able to achieve global environmental benefits at a lower transactional cost as well as being able to respond faster and more appropriately to conservation needs.To this end, Sudan is expected to: a) improve access to best practices and best available knowledge, including innovative research; b) improve coordination, collaboration, and delegation of responsibilities among key agencies and other important organizations; c) enhance institutional and technical capacities; d) improve awareness of global environmental values; and e) update the NCSA to reflect post 2015-SDGs.While the expected outcomes of the project from a GEF perspective are improved capacities to meet and sustain global environmental priorities, the expected outcomes from a national socio-economic development perspective are improved capacities to plan and make decisions that will meet and sustain sustainable development priorities.The project will achieve this by mainstreaming global environment into planning and decision-making process (i.e., integrating environmental-development best practices that reflect global environmental priorities and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals).

This project will be implemented through five linked project components:

  1. Strengthened policy and legal instruments
  2. Enhanced capacities to mainstream, develop, and apply policies and legislative frameworks for the cost-effective implementation of the three Rio Conventions
  3. Setting up and early implementation of an environmental management information system for improved monitoring and assessment of global environmental impacts and trends
  4. Improved environmental attitudes and values for the global environment
  5. Updated National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) document

The project will assist the Government of Sudan to achieve the national priorities as set out in its National Strategic Plan (2007- 2031), which takes into account the national policies, strategies and comprehensive plans, including the Twenty-Five-Year National Strategy (2002-2027), the Five Year Plan (2012-2016), the Five Year Programme for Economic Reform (2015-2019).In particular, the Twenty-Five-Year National Strategy contains an Environment and Physical Development Strategy that consists of 20 goals that align with the CCCD project. These goals range from strengthening human capabilities and developing administrative systems, strengthening bilateral relations between the ministry and its counterparts institutions, local, regional and international organizations and professional and scientific societies, and activating laws and regulations.

This project is also in line with Sudan’s UNDAF (2018-2021) (Government of Sudan; United Nations Country Team, 2017). The UNDAF incorporates the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, national development priorities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNDAF aims to increase accountability, governance, and institutional capacities at both the federal and state level. This project is most closely aligned with two UNDAF Outcomes, namely:

  • Outcome 2: “By 2021, people’s resilience to consequences of climate change, environmental stresses and natural hazards is enhanced through strengthened institutions, policies, plans and programmes”, and
  • Outcome 4: “By 2021, national, state and local institutions are more effective to carry out their mandates including strengthened normative frameworks that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensure effective service delivery.”

Another important set of national priorities are outlined in Sudan’s Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which is the framework and the road map for the elaboration and implementation of the full PRSP.The PRSP works to achieve the MDGs as the medium-term development targets for Sudan.Along with other national priorities, the PRSP identified the following needs for addressing serious environmental challenges:

  • Increasing public awareness and ensuring  community participation to change behaviors regarding the environment
  • Integrating environmental concerns into all development policies, planning and activities at   all levels
  • Strengthening the institutional and technical capacities for environmental management
  • Enhancing cross-sectoral institutional coordination on environmental issues
  • Increasing the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations

While the point of entry for GEF funding is the global environment, the relevance of the project to national socio-economic development will be its contribution to strengthening the institutional sustainability of Sudan’s development pursuits in ways that are more environmentally friendly and resilient to the impacts of climate change. The project will make these connections through its strategy to mainstream obligations under the Rio Conventions into national development and sectoral planning framework and supporting capacities.

This project will serve as an important mechanism to implement capacity development recommendations of the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) that was prepared in 2008 even though many of these would have been addressed to a certain extent by subsequent capacity development projects. Notwithstanding, this project is intended to make an important contribution to reconciling the most recent capacity development recommendations that emerged from other national assessments and communications under the three Rio Conventions, namely the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC).

COVID-19 had largely affected Sudan causing deaths and had negatively restricted movements. As well, COVID had also impact on the implementation of the project/ programme/outcome that will be  evaluated.

TE Purpose

The TE will assess the achievement of project results against what was expected to be achieved and draw lessons that can both improve the sustainability of benefits from this project, and aid in the overall enhancement of UNDP programming. The TE report promotes accountability and transparency and assesses the extent of project accomplishments. Both UNDP and the implementing partner will benefit form the results of the evaluation. The TE will be conducted at this time as the project is approaching its operational closure date by the end of 2022.

The Scope and objectives of the TE should detail and include: aspects of the project to be covered by the TE such as the time frame and the primary issues of concern to users that the TE needs to address.  The TE will also address issues relate directly to the questions in the evaluation matrix regarding the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability etc. of the project.

It is to be noted that project was very much affected by COVID and its restrictions since the bulk of its interventions were dependent on interactions amongst institutions ad individuals. A large set of capacity development workshops and event had to be delayed because of COVID.

For full details about the study, requirements, qualifications, and submissions, please review the TOR and Offerors Letter at the links below: