Training Evaluation and Impact Assessment Consultancy — Swaziland Local Government Project (SLGP)

Swaziland Local

Government Project (SLGP) Terms of Reference for

Training Evaluation and Impact Assessment Consultancy • Background The Government of Swaziland (GoS)

received a loan of 26.9 million U.S. Dollars from the World Bank to finance the

implementation of the Swaziland Local Government Project (SLGP). To this loan

amount, the GoS is contributing USD 4million to support project management

activities. The SLGP became effective on

the 12th March2012 and is comprised of the following components: • Component

1 (Tinkhundla Infrastructure and Capacity Building Support) which consists of two sub-components:

Component 1(a) provides performance-based funding for small-scale

infrastructure within selected Tinkhundla local governments; Component 1(b) provides

capacity-building support to Tinkhundla government structures. • Component

2 (Urban Infrastructure Grants and Capacity Building Support) whichconsists of Component 2(a):

performance-based infrastructure grants to finance capital investments in local

roads, and Component 2(b): capacity building support to urban local governments

to provide and sustain local services. • Component

3 (Project Management and Technical Assistance) supports establishment and operational costs of the Project

Support Team (PST), strengthening capacity of urban and rural local governments

in overall local government management and systems, strengthening financial

capacity of urban local governments through the delivery of advisory services,

carrying-out performance assessments and related reviews, and strengthening the

local government monitoring systems of the Ministry of Housing and Urban

Development and the Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development. The Project development objective

is to assist the Government of Swaziland develop institutionally strengthened

rural local governments (Tinkhundla) and urban local governments. Lead implementation of the project

is the responsibility of Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD),

which oversee the project through the Project Support Team (PST). General oversight of the project is provided

by a Project Steering Committee (PSC). The PST comprises six officers, led by the Project Coordinator who is

responsible for Component 2. The Deputy

Project Coordinator is responsible for management of Component 1, while a

Technical Assistance Coordinator is responsible for Component 3. A Procurement

Specialist, Project Financial Management Officer, and Environmental and Social

Safeguards Officer complete the team. Implementation of sub-component

1(a) grant-funded sub-projects is led by the Microprojects Programme on behalf

of participating Tinkhundla, while implementation of local road worksfinanced

by the performance-based incentive grants under sub-component 2(a) isthe

responsibility of the Urban Local Governments (ULGs). Capacity Building Support

to the local Governments is respectively provided through two four-person

Mobile Capacity Building Teams contracted under components 1b and 2b of the

project. • Objective The objective of this

assignment is to conduct an assessment of the effectiveness of the two mobile

teams; the rural capacity building mobile team (RCBMT) and urban capacity

building mobile team (UCBMT) employed under the project to respectively provide

capacity building to Tinkhundla and the Urban Local Governments (ULGs). The assignment also

seeks to determine the project's impact on such issues as local government

planning and budgeting, financial management, audits, and asset management with

the ultimate goal of using the findings to inform mid-term review of the

project • Scope of Services The consultant will be required,

through the process of research and analysis, consultation and application of

their own expertise, to undertake a training evaluation study entailing

assessment of the effectiveness of the two mobile capacity building teams

(RCBMT and UCBMT) in terms of developing and implementing training plans and

programmes for the local governments in the key project focal areas of municipal

management and planning (Local administration and planning); finance and

financial management; public participation and accountability; and technical,

procurement, asset development and management. The consultant will also be

required to conduct an assessment of how the project has impacted on local

government planning and budgeting, financial management, audits, and asset

management and produce a report on findings for presentation to stakeholders

and for use during mid-term review to guide decision making. The assignment is expected to be

undertaken in the following stages: • Inception Report: Upon engagement, the consultant is

expected to prepare an inception report defining the approach and methodology

to be used in undertaking the assignment as well as the schedule of activities

to be undertaken in executing the assignment. The inception report will be distributed

to stakeholders for discussion and adoption in a workshop/meeting arrangement. • Field appraisals The consultant is also expected to

conduct a wide consultation of project stakeholders in the local governments

(Tinkhundla and ULGs), mobile teams (UCBMT and RCBMT), Microprojects Programme

(MPP), Project Support Team (PST), Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

(MHUD) and Ministry of Tinkhundla Administration and Development (MTAD) with a

view to gathering the requisite data to inform the study findings. • Report Writing and Presentation to Stakeholders Subsequent to stakeholder

consultations, the consultant is expected to present his/her findingsin a

report to be circulated to stakeholders for comment and discussion/adoption during

a workshop/meeting. • Outputs andDeliverables The consultancy outputs are shown in

the following table: |

Output |

Details / content |

Duration |

Inception Report |

•

Progress

to date (Background study). •

Initial

findings from research and consultations •

Evidence

of site inspections •

Detailed

approach, methodology and work plan. |

5 days (after commencement of

contract) |

Workshop/meeting |

One-day workshop to

discuss inception report |

1 day |

Draft Assessment

report |

•

Consultation

of mobile teams to gather such training information as training plans and

training materials and extent of their implementation. •

Visit

to each LG to evaluate effectiveness of implemented training programmes in

the key focal project areas. •

Documentation

of findings |

22 days |

Workshop/meeting |

One-day workshop to

discuss draft final report |

1 day |

Final assessment

report |

Incorporating

stakeholder comments |

1 days |

Total |

30 days The deliverablesabove shall be submitted in the

following formats: • Reports: three hard copies and electronic

version readable in commonly used formats (MS Office, PDF etc.) • Consultant's Qualification and Experience The consultant will be fully

qualified and professionally registered in his/her field, with a minimum of 10 years'

experience in local government / finance / administration or any other related

field and proficiency or an understanding of local government capacity building

in the areas of administration, financial management, public participation and

accountability as well as procurement, project planning and management and

asset management. He/she should have a

minimum first degree in Public administration / Finance or a related field and

extensive consultancy experience. Specific experience with Swaziland localgovernments will be an added

advantage. • Duration and Estimated Level of Input The study is expected to last for 30 days and the

level of input expected is 30 person-days. • Facilities

Provided by the Client The SLGP Project support Team will provide assistance

to a non-resident consultant in obtaining the necessary permits and visas for

the consultant to carry out its project-related activities in Swaziland, and

will assist in arranging initial meetings with interested and affected parties. The client will provide the two workshop venues and

meals for an estimated attendance of 30 at each workshop.