Performance Monitoring System Design, Testing and Implementation

Terms of Reference

Summary:

Organization: Mercy Corps, Ethiopia
Task: Develop Performance Monitoring System for Regional Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia
Duration: 8-10 weeks, starting from 16 May 2011
To apply: Please submit proposal to mali@et.mercycorps.org by 1 May 2011

1. BACKGROUND

Mercy Corps - Ethiopia is implementing selected capacity building activities in the Somali Regional State (SRS) under USAID's "Regional/Municipal Services Strengthening (RMSS) Project". The RMSS project will enhance, support and strengthen regional services in the Somali Region, specifically by developing the capacity of the Regional Bureau of Finance and Economic Development (BoFED) to lead and manage a strategic planning and monitoring process that will track progress and document results for key economic and social development activities.

To that end, Mercy Corps-Ethiopia will be working closely with BoFED to develop a performance monitoring system, which will enable BoFED to analyze and monitor the progress of implementing bureaus relative to the priority development objectives stated in the SRS Five Year Strategic Plan. To assure full coverage for all implementing agencies, the proposed performance monitoring system must include both procedures for on-site monitoring at selected bureaus, zones and woredas as well as standardized periodic reporting of progress and results by all implementing agencies.

The proposed performance monitoring system will be a manual system, but capable of being efficiently integrated into a planned automated data base management system that is being designed under other consultancies.

Therefore, to improve the capacity of BoFED to focus on the highest priority development objectives and concentrate its limited resources on the performance of selected implementing agencies, a summary of the Five Year Strategic Plan has been prepared. It identifies the key development objectives and performance indicators for the nine development sectors. This is the foundation for the design and implementation of the strategic monitoring system.

2. GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Based on the overall intention of the project to strengthen the capacity of BoFED, Mercy Corps intends to recruit a consultant to design and facilitate the implementation of a performance monitoring system to enable BoFED managers and senior staff to carry out their oversight responsibilities, make sound decisions concerting the allocation of budgetary resources, and set effective priorities, including holding agencies accountable for achieving planned reults.

2.1 Specific Objectives

The professional consultant will

- Develop a performance monitoring system that will enable BoFED to effectively monitor the performance of implementing agencies in accordance with development objectives and key indicators.

- Prepare all forms, procedures, performance standards, checklists, guidelines, etc. (i.e., a tool kit) in a manner which assures ease of use by BoFED and which items are also understandable and accepted by other users. The total tool kit of forms, procedures, etc. will be used by BoFED staff to record and document activities and indicators specific to each implementing agency and for these implementing agencies to report progress and results to BoFED according to a set schedule.

- Conduct trainining for BoFED staff on how to implement the performance monitoring system

- Provide coaching to develop the skills of BoFEd staff to proactively oversee the performance of development activities in accordance with the developed systems, tools and standards of the performance monitoring system.

3. Tasks

All work should be done in consultation / coordination with BoFED staff, recognizing that the over-riding objectives of the consultancy are to create ownership of the designed system by BoFED management and staff and to facilitate the smooth integration of the designed system into the work of the institution. The consultant will complete the following tasks:

Develop an understanding of the current situation

1. Review summaries of the Five Year Strategic Plan and become intimately familiar with the development objectives, critical planned results and key performance indicators (KPI) contained therein.
2. Review the Five Year Strategic Plan for the Somali Regional State (SRS)in its entirety.
a. Identify implementing agencies responsible for achieving the planned results in each of the nine development sectors. Prepare a "map" identifying the responsible agency for each critical planned result and KPI.
3. Conduct a half day briefing for BoFED senior staff as well as Mercy Corps and USAID representatives.

Conduct on-site field assessments of the capacity of selected bureaus to generate the data required for BoFED to monitor progress and verify results

1. With BoFED staff, meet with responsible personnel from those implementing agencies whose development objectives and planned results are deemed most critical to the achievement of the Region's development goals. The objective of these meetings is to assess their capacity to collect and report reliable data concerning progress and results according to the agreed indicators.
2. Advise BoFED on the best course of action needed to improve the reliability of the data including assistance to the implementing agency to either modify the statements of planned results or change the KPI.
3. With BoFED, finalize the list of KPIs based on the reality check and assessment conducted under step 2 above.

Review, document, and assess all existing "monitoring and evaluation", "auditing", "reporting", or similar procedures used by BoFED to monitor the performance of implementing agencies.

1. With BoFED staff, collect all forms and procedures used for both intensive, on-site field monitoring and desk/remote monitoring of agency performance. Verify, validate and assure that the current procedures have been collected.
2. Develop and propose criteria to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the current "system" and conduct in-house briefings for BoFED staff. The intention is to adapt and modify as much of the current procedure as possible for use in the new performance monitoring system.
3. Obtain approval from BoFED about the "retained" elements of the existing system.

Design and test a prototype system/conceptual design of the tool kit for the performance management system consisting of both revised/adapted and new tools.

1. Prepare the tool kit of forms and procedures to be used for performance monitoring. It will include all forms to be used by BoFED staff for intensive, onsite monitoring as well as for reporting.
2. With BoFED staff, test all forms and procedures in not less than 15 sites, including a cross section of bureaus, zones, woredas, and selected municipalities.
3. Prepare a summary evaluation report of the field test and modify all forms and procedures, as may be required.

Prepare a performance monitoring system implementation plan and schedule, assigning responsibilities to BoFED staff based on guidance from the Head of BoFED.

1. Develop an implementation plan and schedule to integrate the proposed performance monitoring plan with other management systems and procedures. The plan will include the tool kit of recommended forms and procedures as well as a proposed approach and schedule for future monitoring (including the frequency of monitoring based on identified priorities),
2. Present the recommended implementation plan and schedule, including all examples of correspondence and other procedural methodologies by which BoFED will project its authority for performance monitoring to the Head of BoFED, BoFED senior managers, heads of selected bureaus, Mercy Corps and USAID.
3. Based on feedback (to be obtained in not more than 5 days from the date of the presentation) finalize the performance monitoring system.
4. Organize a two-day training workshop on the developed performance monitoring system for all BoFED personnel. The intent of the workshop is to allow all staff to be fully aware of the transition of BoFED to an integrated finance and performance management agency.

Prepare detailed operating manuals for the performance monitoring system and turn these over to BoFED.

4. DELIVERABLES

1. A complete and comprehensive manual system for performance monitoring, including all aspects of the tool kit plus other documents to be used by BoFED to communicate internally with implementing agencies and then to inform the President and Council of the rate of progress associated with each development objective and KPI.
2. Training programs (power point of key staff on performance preferred) to build skills for the implementation of the performance monitoring system. These power point presentations will be used by BoFED in the future to maintain the skill levels of all staff, including new employees.
3. An implementation plan and schedule for the roll out of the new performance monitoring system
4. Other recommendations as may be useful, including guidance on how to integrate the manual system with the planned computerized data base management system.

5. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

The design and implantation of a functioning performance monitoring system will require technical experience and expertise, not an academic/theoretical approach. Accordingly, Mercy Corps will give priority to practitioners who can demonstrate both a solid track record of past accomplishments plus a clear grasp of the work to be done.

Mercy Corps assumes that no single practitioner will possess all the skills needed to meet the project's objectives. Therefore a firm or consortium is expected to represent the best approach to successful implementation. Bidders are encouraged to seek expertise both inside and outside the country and to propose a team that has the requisite skills.

The consultant team should reflect both academic qualifications and actual experience. It is assumed that academic preparation in one of the following fields will be represented: performance management, social sciences, development management or similar. The team should also reflect at least 10 years of progressively more challenging experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems with a strong emphasis on public sector performance monitoring and results based management.

Public sector experience, either in Ethiopia, Horn of Africa or on the African continent, is required. Clear evidence of successful past performance, supported by references and recommendation from prior clients, is expected. Among the skills sought are:

- Experience of applying performance management in the settings of regional government development strategies,
- Strong expertise and experience in crafting performance management plans, setting systems and training and workshops;
- Extensive experiences working with federal, regional or local governments
- Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing with a wide range of people
- Fluent English communication skills: orally and report writing.
-Fluency in Somali should be represented on the team

6. COMMENCEMENT AND DURATION OF PROJECT

The total duration of the assignment is expected to last 8-10 weeks starting from 16 May 2011. All works/tasks will be scheduled in accordance with the availability of BoFED

7. PAYMENT

Terms and payment schedules to be discussed with the selected consultants. Bidders should present a full profile of their previous work as well as a complete budget breakdown for the mentioned work upon submission of their proposal.

Submission Due Date

All submissions to be turned into below address by May 1, 2011

mali@et.mercycorps.org