Consultant for External Evaluation: "Working Out a People's Framework in Monitoring the Public Administration Reform Process in Vietnam'

I. Background
The PAR Master Programme in Vietnam (2001-2010) has done a mission in building up the foundation for a further reform of public administration system in Vietnam. One-stop-shop (OSS) has been deployed in more than 80% of the provinces, in all 4 departments, 49 different laws have been developed and approved to proceed on the PAR initiatives, decentralization of power to the provincial, district and commune levels has been welcomed and continued in all provinces and people to facilitate a responsive governance.
However, analysis/reviews have shown that there are gaps in the mechanism for inclusion people’s feedbacks and establishing a monitoring process that would make it more people friendly system by creating a space for people’s participation through CSO Initiatives which is engrossed within the 4 key components of the reform including (i) institutional reform; (ii) organizational structure reform; (iii) renovation and improvement of the quality of cadres and civil servants; and (iv) public finance reform.
In response to the call for proposals on “Special contribution to strengthening civil society’s involvement in facilitating good governance” from Danish Embassy dated 25 April 2007, ActionAid Vietnam and its local partners developed “Working out a people’s framework in monitoring the Public Administration Reform Process in Vietnam – the pilot Case”.

The project aims at:
- Supporting people to exercise their rights to information;
- Piloting a model on People’s framework in monitoring the progress of Vietnam Public Administration Reform – based on experience and successful establishment of community based institutions at local levels;
- Strengthening quality of people’s council’s representation and working methods to ensure transparency, accountability and effectiveness.
The project has officially been implemented since March 2008 in five districts of four provinces, including Loc Ha and Can Loc - Ha Tinh; Muong Cha - Dien Bien, Tam Duong – Lai Chau and Eakar – Dak Lak. AAV’s local partners consist of Dien Bien Center for Community Development (CCD), Pro-Poor Development Center (PPC), Ha Tinh Center for Community Development (HCCD), Project Management Unit in Tam Duong, Lai Chau and Project Management Unit in Eakar, Dak Lak. Together with AAV, Center for Cooperation Human Resource Development (C&D) plays the role as technical assistance to the project.
By end of 2010, the project was accepted to extend its timeline to 30 April 2011 to sustain its results achieved in three years of implementation.

Main results of the project include:
15 information kiosks has been formed and operated. Such information kiosks have internet connected computers, community development and public administration reform data as well as books and news papers accessible to local people.
The project cooperated with Markcom and the Ministry of Home Affairs in developing and running information gate 19001715 on communal public administrative procedures accessible to people by telephone. The information gate was also supplemented Ede language apart from Kinh, Thai and H’Mong and help ethnic minority people easily get access.
More than 200 self-governance groups, after being formed, regularly maintaining their information sharing and mutual learning activities through regular group meetings. Beside, they have initiated more group activities to strengthen mutual support and solidarity, contributing to the local socio-economic and cultural development under the guidance of the Grassroots Democracy.
Contests on PAR and laws were also organised in each project area. The contest was supported and recognised by local people and local government in encouraging local people to learn about legislation and public administrative procedures.
The activities of public service assessment, budget analysis, social audit contributed to provision of information to people and giving their feedback on service quality.
In Lai Chau, the project supported to the People’s committee of Binh Lu Commune in setting up an FM transmission system to provide necessary information to local people.
All key activities of the project have been recorded and broadcasting on mass media in each locality.
To help the project team to compile the results of all project activities and have an subjective evaluation of project’s  achievements, AAV is seeking consulting service for the assignment of External Evaluation of the project ‘Working out a people’s framework in monitoring the public administration reform process in Vietnam’.

II/. Objective
The overall objective of this assignment is to generally assess all of the project activities. More specifically, the evaluation will:
Assess whether the project activities achieved the project objectives or not;
Identify to what extent and how the project activities have contributed to achieving the initial objectives; especially in terms of the project impacts and effects;
Assess whether and how the positive impacts of the project will be maintained after the project’s end;
Define whether and how the project activities and outputs contribute to development goal (in terms of cultural - social and economic development)  in project areas;

III/. Scope of work
1) Reviewing the project documents and related materials;
2) Conducting field evaluation in the five project districts in Ha Tinh, Dak Lak, Lai Chau and Dien Bien, this will include:
Conducting interview, discussions with key informants of related government and other project stakeholders;
Developing  case studies;
3) Consulting with the implementing agency in the whole process of evaluation;
4) Developing evaluation report;

IV/. Expected outputs
The output of the assessment will be a report with the following perspectives to be highlighted as focal points:
Stressing on the cost – benefit of all project activities by conducting cost – benefit analysis to check the efficiency of the project;
The sustainability of the project;
Analyzing the outcomes – objectives of the project to identify the effectiveness of the project;
All recommendations to help the implementing agency get improved in implementing other similar projects;
All deliverables should be provided to the implementing agency in hard and soft copies (three each) in both English and Vietnamese.

V/. Suggested methodology
Interested consultants should submit proposals on how to carry out the activities mentioned above in the most effective and efficient manner clarifying the general approach and methodology. The methodology should concentrate on how to collect both qualitative and quantitative data and information. Below are some aspects that the consultants should consider in developing the methodology:
Identification and review of key documents;
Due to the short time frame, the methodology should incorporate PRA method and other appropriate techniques and deliver adequate information within the expected one month period of the assignment.

VI/. Qualifications of the Consultant
The Consultants will be selected based upon their qualifications, competences and experiences suiting with the scope and area of this assignment. The consultants should have in-depth knowledge and experience of carrying out the project post-evaluation in the areas of public administration reform and development of Grassroots Democratic Act in Vietnam and include at least one senior consultant with more than 10 years of experience in relevant field.

VII/. Timing
The process is expected to start in the last week of April 2011 over a period of one month.
The selected consultants are expected to submit the final report by the last week of May 2011.

VIII. Contact person
Interested consultants are requested to submit their proposals in English by 25th April 2011, to:
Nguyen Hoai Nam – Project Officer
ActionAid International Vietnam
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 84-4-39439866/Ext 132
Mobile: 0912 268 198