1. Background

The integral functioning of Lesotho’s mountainous ecosystems is vital not only to the livelihoods and welfare of its people, but for the delivery of ecosystem services and global environmental benefits to a large part of Southern Africa. The mountainous Kingdom is the source of rivers that reach the Atlantic Ocean in the west and supply an increasing proportion of the water consumed in South Africa’s industrial heartland. Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Lesotho is therefore a vital ingredient of broader environmental wellbeing.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the local UNDP office and the Government of Lesotho will for the next five years (2009-2014) implement a project on “Capacity Building and Knowledge Management for Sustainable Land Management”. The premise is that Sustainable Land Management (SLM) provides a strong base for sustainable development in Lesotho while providing a range of global benefits to the region. In order to overcome identified  barriers and address the corresponding programmatic gaps, the specific objective of this project is that, supported by a knowledge management network, Lesotho is equipped at local and national levels with the techniques, approaches, capacity and strategy for  up-scaling successful SLM in support of national biodiversity conservation, food security and poverty reduction strategies. Three project outcomes are intended to achieve this objective:

1. Proven, strengthened, participatory, replicable models and techniques    that      successfully overcome current institutional and governance barriers to SLM are ready for national implementation.
2. Adequate local and national capacity for adapting and scaling up proven SLM models and techniques in place.
3. SLM Policy Enabling Environment - Enhanced awareness, dialogue, understanding and analysis of SLM best practice at resource user, community, local government, NGO and national government levels across the country, reflected in the relevant policies, strategies and programmes.

The project is nationally implemented by the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation (MFLR) as the Implementing Partner (IP). The IP  will be accountable to the Government of Lesotho  and the UNDP for the quality of project outcomes and the appropriate use of project resources, both when directly implementing project activities and when delegating others to do so. The pilot project area is in mountain area of Maseru district, and covers the Community Councils of Likalaneng, Nyakosoba, Makheka (Rapoleboea), Semonkong, Telle, Makolopetsane (Mokolometsane) and Ribaneng.

Outcome 1 of the project entails building viable SLM models for subsequent up-scaling across Lesotho, the project will focus on filling the resource governance gap between Community Councils and the truly local level of resource users. Both the GEF-funded MDTP and the now closed UNDP-GEF Montane Grasslands Project found support for the idea that user groups should be constituted and federated  into structures that would administer natural resource use on the ground, on behalf of Community Councils (and, in some cases, Principal Chiefs). Rangeland (grazing resource) users, medicinal plant collectors, gatherers of plants used for handicrafts, privately- or community-owned ecotourism enterprises and possibly fuel wood collectors could join together into a combined user group to which a Community Council would formally delegate certain resource management functions. If a Community Council promulgated by-laws on natural resource management, the user group could enforce them on its behalf. Properly constituted and capacitated, user groups could thus fill the gap between Community Councils and the detailed work of SLM on the ground.

The roots of the proposed model lie in the Grazing Associations developed by the Range Resources Management Department of MFLR on a limited scale in various mountain areas over the last 20 years. The challenge now is to adjust this concept to the new institutional framework, broaden it so that it embraces the sustainable management of all natural elements of the range resource complex, and develop it institutionally and strategically so that it is ready for application throughout the country in throughout the four-year life of the project.

A monitoring and evaluation system will be designed to assess the success of the Sustainable Land Management models developed. This will include conducting assessments, identifying best practices, implementing activities to test SLM models in Lesotho. It will also assist in designing and testing a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess outcome 1 (a part of the general M&E plan).  Monitor implementation of the Model, learn lessons and use to refine the model for wide-scale application in the rest of the project area.

2. Objective of the assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to design a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system for the four-year lifecycle of the project.

3. Organisational Relationships

The M&E consultant will be responsible in overall terms to the Implementing Partner and UNDP, under the daily supervision of the Project Manager , with the majority of tasks to be undertaken in collaboration with implementing partners, project staff and other stakeholders.

4. Scope of work

4.1 Revise the project’s logical framework in close collaboration with the project management team and implementing partners, to improve focus and promote effective implementation while retaining the overall goal, objectives, outcomes and impacts approved in the original project document.

4.2 Prepare, on the basis of revised and approved logframe, a detailed M&E framework for the project. This framework is to include performance indicators, and related targets, methodologies for measuring these, an M&E action plan with reporting frequencies, formats, responsibilities and procedures. The M&E framework should also describe the information management systems required to convert monitoring data to decision support information (aligned with the reality of the M&E systems of stakeholders), and provide for real feedback of lessons learned. It should also clearly demonstrate how the indicators (and monitoring framework) will measure the impacts approved by the GEF in the Project Document (particularly on global environmental benefits); and they should be differentiated by levels – those to be monitored by communities, at the districts, nationally etc.

4.3 Draw up terms of reference to initiate 4 baseline surveys, including methodology and sampling plan based on participatory rural appraisal approaches. The terms of reference of will focus on the SLM Enabling Environment (policy changes, availability of finance resources to address SLM at national level, functionality of SLM institutions etc.); social and economic indicators for households (diversification of incomes, reduction in poverty index, reduction in food vulnerability etc.); biological and livestock productivity (vegetation cover, livestock prices and weights); soil erosion index and percent change in soil carbon. The consultant is also expected to conduct the baseline study in the areas of the SLM Enabling Environment and social and economic indicators for households. The implementing partner has the technical expertise to conduct the other studies.

4.4Recommend suitable professional M&E training for the parties to be involved in the monitoring, including the communities, CBOs, relevant staff of the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation, etc.

4.5Review existing M&E systems in Lesotho and make recommendations for sustainability and full integration of the project into Government programmes.

4.6 Prepare an M&E system to be used by the Community Councils and resource user groups with simplified and achievable deliverables.

5. Qualifications and Experience Required

• At least a Masters Degree in a field related to sustainable rural development, or sub-contractees with a minimum of a masters degree;
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in developing M&E frameworks in community-based natural resource management projects;
• Proven experience with the logical frameworks and other strategic planning approaches, M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory);
• A solid understanding of rural development, joint management and gender issues;
• The consultant should have expertise in designing M&E solutions that address institutions, livestock productivity, biodiversity and socio-economics. Familiarity with TerrAfrica M&E measures is an advantage;
• Familiarity with and a supportive attitude towards strengthening local organisations and building local capacities for self-management;
• Computer skills.

6. Duration of Consultancy:

To achieve the tasks outlined above the consultant is expected to commit a total of 30 person-days to the consultancy, spread over the months of August and September 2010.

7. Remuneration and Application:

This will be an output-based consultancy that will be remunerated at UN rates negotiated between the consultant/firm and the UNDP.

Applications are sought from individuals or firms - with experience pertinent to this position. To apply for this position, please use the following website: http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=18183. Interested parties are expected to use the link provided to upload a copy of their Curriculum Vitae and answer the additional questions specified. The deadline for the receipt of applications is 12pm GMT 06^th August 2010.

Please do not submit applications through registry.ls@undp.org. Regrettably, only short-listed candidates can be notified.