23rd February, 2021
Request for Expressions of Interest
“Impact assessment of Governance for Development support to Public Administration in the Government of Timor-Leste”
(Team of two positions – Team Leader/Evaluation Specialist, and National Governance Specialist)
Expressions of Interest
The Governance for Development Program (GfD) seeks expressions of interest from consultants, companies, or institutions to undertake a high quality of the assessment of the impact of the Governance for Development program’s support to Public Administration in the Government of Timor-Leste. Expressions of interest must include details of both a Team Leader and National Governance Specialist, as described below.
Objectives of the Assessment
The purpose of the assessment is to determine the impact of GfD assistance to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and in line Ministries and Autonomous Agencies served by the Commission. The Commission has been provided with support by GfD to undertake human resources management legislation, policy and procedure development and implementation. The impact assessment covers the period of the Second CSC Mandate, May 2015 to May 2020. The assessment is expected to:
- provide accountability by examining the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of GfD assistance to public administration in Timor-Leste to identify whether this has made a difference to the ability of the civil service to perform its functions.
- document key lessons learned about approaches and models utilised, to enable improvements in current programs and inform the focus of future assistance, with an emphasis on capacity building of organisations, teams and individuals.
Please copy paste this link to access the Terms of Reference detailing responsibilities and selection criteria: https://www.cardno.com/media/7000/gfd182-tor-public-administration-impact-assessment-long-version-final.pdf
About the Team The Assessment Team will carry out the following tasks, in collaboration with a CSC researcher nominated by the President of the CSC:
Team Leader/Evaluation Specialist - Ensure that the impact evaluation is implemented and delivered as per the Schedule.
- Manage relationships and roles between team members to meet objectives.
- Finalise the document review, methodology, Key Assessment Questions and Key Informant Interview (KII) lists.
- Participate in/lead individual and group KIIs as appropriate, through means of remote technology.
- Prepare a brief Public Administration Reform Political Economy Analysis.
- Provide specialist M&E advice.
- Provide mentoring and guidance to team members (National Governance Specialist and CSC Researcher) to build skills and to conduct the assessment.
- Liaise with DFAT Dili, GfD and the CSC on assessment and operational requirements.
- Co-draft the presentation, workshop materials and final report including recommendations, and present/facilitate in collaboration with the National Governance Specialist.
The Team Leader will hold a postgraduate degree in M&E, public administration, HRM or other relevant field, will have at least five years’ experience in M&E activities, and at least three years are in government strengthening programs in development settings. They will have an understanding of the political and social context of Timor-Leste, a high level of skills in mentoring program partners, and excellent report writing skills. Previous experience working in Timor-Leste would be an advantage. If located outside of Timor-Leste, the Team Leader will provide inputs remotely.
National Governance Specialist - Organise and conduct one on one and small group KIIs to assess impact.
- Take notes, synthesise findings and identify themes, including illustrative case studies and examples.
- Liaise with Team Leader and CSC researcher to conduct the assessment, respond to emerging issues and ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Co-draft the presentation, workshop materials and final report including recommendations.
- Co-facilitate the presentation, in cooperation with the Team Leader and CSC researcher.
- Facilitate the stakeholder workshop.
The National Governance Specialist will have a degree in HRM, M&E, Public Administration, policy or a related area, and at least three years’ experience working in governance. They will have demonstrated ability to organise, conduct and record investigative interviews, skills in training and facilitation, and a demonstrated high level of verbal and written English. Previous experience in conducting program reviews would be an advantage. This position will be based in Dili.
Deliverables - Impact assessment plan, including document review and CSC capacity building plan as annexures.
- Preliminary findings presentation
- Stakeholder workshop
- Draft report
- Final report
- Summary report
About the Program As the Australian Government’s primary governance program in Timor-Leste, GfD is engaged in supporting evidence-based decision making in the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) to improve the systems, policies and laws that underpin economic development and strengthen service delivery. The program was designed during 2011-2013, commenced with an interim phase in 2013, followed by Phase 1 (2014-2017) and Phase 2 (2017-2021). The program is led by the Australian Embassy in Dili, with implementation support from managing contractor, Cardno Emerging Markets.
The core work under GfD is with central agencies to improve policy development and systems that are most important to economic management and service delivery. The key agencies that GfD supports are:
- Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), including the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (UPMA)
- Ministry for the Coordination of Economic Affairs (MCAE)
- Ministry of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM)
- Civil Service Commission (CSC)
- Selected Line Ministries and Autonomous Agencies (eg AACTL, TIC Timor)
The current program will end in June 2021, with the design process for a successor program being undertaken during 2020. The assessment will inform the public administration reform priorities under GfD2.
How to Apply? We welcome your interest in joining the Cardno GfD team. Click the "apply" button to submit your application online with the relevant reference number by Sunday 17 March 2021, 23:55pm.
Email your proposal with the reference
“GfD182 – Impact assessment of Governance for Development support to Public Administration in the Government of Timor-Leste” in the subject line to recruitment@gfd.tl.
Your proposal must contain the following:
Technical proposal - CVs of the Team Leader and National Specialist positions, which demonstrate how they meet the respective selection criteria for the role, including qualifications, expertise and relevant experience (2 pages max each)
- An outline of how you would approach the work, the challenges you anticipate, and how you would address these, including your approach to building the capacity of the CSC in relation to the conduct of impact assessments (3 pages max)
- Two referees for each specialist who can comment on similar work that the specialists have undertaken.
Financial Proposal - Anticipated costs including proposed number of days and daily rate for each specialist (aligned to the DFAT Adviser Remuneration Framework for the Team Leader and reflecting local advisory rates for the National Specialist) and any anticipated out of pocket costs, noting that travel is not to be costed in the proposal.
- Confirmation of the contracting arrangements - as two individual Short-Term Advisers, or as a company.
Contact For any enquiries about this position, please contact recruitment@gfd.tl quoting "“GfD182 – Impact assessment of Governance for Development support to Public Administration in the Government of Timor-Leste”in the email subject line.
About Cardno We are a global provider of integrated professional services which enrich the physical and social environment for the communities in which we live and work. Our team of multidisciplinary specialists has more than 70 years’ experience in designing, developing and delivering sustainable projects and community advancement programs.
Cardno is committed to Safety and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), Child Protection and bribery prevention. We want to engage with the right people to deliver our client programs. As part of our approach you will be subjected to formal background screening, criminal record checks, employment verification, and periodic compliance checks. All Cardno staff receive safety, compliance and safeguards training and are responsible for contributing to a safer working culture.
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