Consultant, Mid-term Review the North Africa Regional Integration at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Remote

Title: EOI – Mid-term of the North Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper -2020-2026 – RDGN

Location: Home based
Description: Consultancy to conduct the Mid-term review the North Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper -2020-2026.
Duration: Three months
Date of Commencement: Monday June 12, 2023
Consultant type: Individual Consultant
Job family: Other

The Complex

• The Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex (RDVP) is responsible for operational relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of the Bank Group’s operational programs and activities.
• It oversees all aspects of the regional directorates and operates across all regional member countries.

Hiring Department

• Located in the RDVP Complex, the North Africa Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery hub (RDGN) focuses at the regional level on the implementation of the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy and High 5s priorities, as well as thematic strategies and special initiatives.

The North Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper – 2020-2026:

• This North Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper (RISP-NA), covering the period 2020-2026, includes the following six Regional Member Countries (RMCs): Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. These countries make up the North Africa DirectorateGeneral (RDGN) of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
• All North African countries, with the exception of Egypt, are members of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). The Union, which was established on 17 February 1989 by the five Heads of State in Marrakech, has the main objective of promoting economic cooperation and adopting common policies and strategies at regional levelimin the following five countries: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia. The focus areas of the Union are political, economic and cultural. Egypt, Tunisia and Libya are members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In addition, all North African countries, except for Algeria, are members of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).
• Finally, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement has been signed by all North African countries and ratified by Algeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.
• The North Africa RISP is built around two pillars and a cross-cutting theme: (i) Integrating North Africa through the promotion of regional infrastructure connectivity, (ii) Enhancing inter and intra-regional trade and investment through private sector promotion, and (iii) Building the capacity of existing support structures and developing high-level policy dialogue based on a pragmatic vision of North Africa regional integration.
• This strategy is aligned with: (i) the development priorities of the North African countries, (ii) the operational priorities of the AU (Agenda 2063 and PIDA) and COMESA which has three member countries in North Africa (Egypt, Libya and Tunisia) and (iii) the High Five operational priorities of the Bank. Furthermore, the Bank will intensify dialogue with civil society and the private sector in the region to support its investments in the sub-region and in the rest of Africa, with the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Scope of Work

• The purpose of the mid-term review of the North Africa RISP is three-fold: 1) assess the relevance of the RISP 2020-2026 in the current regional context; 2) assess the state of implementation and progress towards achieving results; and 3) identify lessons, relevance of the strategy and areas that need to be adjusted in the RISP for the remaining period of the MTR.
• The following section outlines the main components of the Mid-term Review. The outline of the mid-term review report is provided in Annex I.
• The evolution of the context in North Africa since the effective date of the RISP
• (2020). This component will focus on the regional context in North Africa (political, economic, sectoral as well social and cross-cutting themes – climate change, gender etc.), the regional strategic framework, aid coordination mechanisms, bank positioning, and comparative advantage. Furthermore, the analysis should focus on the main weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and challenges in North Africa and how they will impact the implementation of the RISP for the remaining period. The effects of exogenous factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic need to be examined.
• RISP Implementation and progress towards results achievement – assess the implementation of the RISP; the RISP resources; progress towards achieving RISP results, its contribution to the High 5 priorities, and progress towards the principles of Paris, Busan and Accra; identify factors that contributed to and/or hindered results’ achievement; what worked and what did not work, and why; and propose adjustments (if any) to the North Africa RISP in order to maximize results’ achievement for the remaining period of the RISP.
• Regional portfolio performance review – conduct a portfolio review and analysis of all regional/multinational projects approved and ongoing since the North Africa RISP came into effect (May2020). The regional portfolio review will also examine national projects with a regional integration component, where possible.
• Lessons learned – identify lessons of what worked, what did not work and why based on the regional integration experience in the North Africa region, other regions as well as the experience of other MDBs.
• Remaining period of the RISP– this component will outline the details of the remaining period of the RISP in order to maximize results moving forward. The team will conduct an in-depth assessment of the design of the North Africa RISP and whether it has appropriately addressed the region’s development issues and constraints; examine to what extent the North Africa RISP continues to be relevant given the evolving context in North Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic etc.; and propose adjustments (if any) to the design of the RISP in light of this evolving context for the remaining period of the RISP. This component will also examine the expected results of the RISP, the indicative lending/non-lending program, policy dialogue, financial requirements and funding sources, potential risks that might arise during the NA RISP period and adequate mitigation measures, and implementation arrangements, monitoring and evaluation.

Key Activities of the Mid-term Review

• The mid-term review will include three phases: Inception, Data Collection and Analysis, and Reporting. Following are the key activities of the consultant for each phase.

Inception Phase – at the inception phase, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

• Carry out a review the relevant Bank documents and databases and a scan of the literature. Documents to be reviewed include, but are not limited to: the North Africa Regional Integration Strategy Paper, Country Strategy Papers of North
• African Regional Member Countries, project documentation (e.g., approval documentation, appraisal reports, mid-term evaluation reports, Project Completion Reports etc.), Bank’s Regional Integration Strategy Framework (2018 – 2025), other relevant strategy and policy documents; previous evaluations carried out by the Bank, evaluations carried out by other organizations (Multilateral; and Bilateral organizations); CPIA assessments; reports on the region etc.
• Review the list of regional/multinational projects
• Conduct key informant interviews/focus groups with key stakeholders including but not limited to: RECs (UMA, COMESA), government officials and other stakeholders (e.g., private sector, civil society).
• Fine-tune the issues/questionsto be addressed and develop the MTR methodology
• Submit a draft Inception Report and make any required adjustments/revisions based on comments from the Task Manager
• Prepare interview guides and data abstraction templates and, develop coding schemes
• Finalize the Inception report, including data collection tools based on comments from the Task Manager.

Data Collection and Analysis Phase – at the data collection/Analysis phase, the consultany will implement the approved Inception Report:

• Conduct an in-depth document review and literature review
• Conduct a portfolio analysis of regional/multinational projects in the North Africa region
• Carry-out a virtual data collection mission. Carry-out interviews with the different stakeholder groups, including but not limited to: Bank management, field offices Executive Directors and/or their Advisors, RECs (UMA, COMESA), Government Officials, other stakeholders representing beneficiaries (e.g. civil society) and, other donors and MDBs.
• Analyze data collected from the various data sources based and aggregate assessments
• Reporting Phase – at this phase, the consultant will draft the workshop report and synthesis report:
• Submit draft synthesis report and make any required adjustments/revisions based on comments from the Task Manager, Peer-reviewers, the Regional Team, and, Management.
• Submit final synthesis report.
• Make presentations, as required

Key Deliverables
Following are the deliverables to be delivered by the consultant based on an agreed timeline:

• Inception report– an Inception Report which will include Background, Scope and Objective of the MTR, Issues and Questions, Data Collection Methods, sampling strategy, Issues-Indicator Matrix
• MTR report –draft and final, a complete report including executive summary, introduction, context, findings, conclusions, key lessons, and recommendations as well as applicable annexes (Annex I includes the MTR report outline).

Management and Quality Assurance:

• The MTR will be overseen by RDRI/RDGN/ECCE management and will be presented to the Bank’s Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE).
• The MTR will be task managed by the Regional Integration Coordinator (RIC). The Regional Programme Officer (RPO) will work with the RIC to oversee the regional portfolio review. The review will be carried out by an individual consultant with the right mix of skills and experience. The RIC will guide the consultant throughout the review process; ensure that they have the necessary information to carry out the assignment and; facilitate meetings with Bank staff and management, as required.
• It is expected that the consultant would provide regular updates on progress to the Task Manager (through written progress reports and verbal briefings, as required).
• This will ensure clear communications between the consultant and the Bank and
• will help solve any issues that may arise during the project.
• The Mid-term review report will undergo an internal peer-review as well as a regional team review. The feedback provided by the Peer-reviewers and the regional team will be used to refine the final draft of the MTR report as required.
• It is expected that at the end of the assignment, the consultant will provide the Task Manager with all of the raw data, project assessments, working papers, databases/coded data and, any other documentation used during the assignment.

Resources, Consultant Profile and Timeline

• Exact resource requirements of the MTR will be finalized following the hiring of the consultant through a competitive bidding process. To provide an indication of the magnitude of the level of effort, it is estimated that 50 person days of consultancy services would be required to complete this MTR. The following table outlines an estimated breakdown of the level of effort per phase.

Reporting:

• The position will report Regional Integration Coordinator, RDGN/RDRI

Duration:

• The Consultancy service shall commence on June 12, 2023 for a period of three (3) months ending September 30, 2023.

Location:

• Home based. Data collection mission will be carried out virtually.

Qualifications
The Consultant shall have the following qualifications, expertise and competencies:

• At least a Master’s Degree in Economics, Development; Economics, Public Policy, International Development, International Relations/Diplomacy or any other relevant subject field. A PhD would be preferred.
• At least 10 years of experience working with international organizations and bilateral or multilateral donor agencies;
• Extensive experience in regional integration/multinational donor-funded projects
• Knowledge and understanding of international and country-level implementation of aid effectiveness agenda;
• Extensive knowledge and experience in strategic programmatic work; REC engagement and regional support initiatives in developing countries;
• Extensive knowledge of the AfDB operations, mandate, strategies, policies, frameworks, procedures, and programme management;
• Previous experience in carrying out mid-term and post-term reviews and assessments of Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) and Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISPs) and monitoring and evaluation of programs. Experience with MidTerm Reviews of CSPs/RISPs within the AfDB would be an added advantage;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French; and

Evaluation of Offers and Performance

• Individual Consultants are invited to indicate their interest in providing the abovedescribed services.
• The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Rules and Procedure for the Selection of Corporate Consultants. Interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist.
• Interested consultants should provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to undertake the assignment (CV, reference to similar services, experience in similar assignments, etc.).
• The consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria based on their updated resume.

Fees & Payments:

• The applicant should submit their financial proposal consisting of their professional fees.
• The consultant shall meet the cost of any insurance and medical examination, or treatment required by him/her in the course of performing the Services.

Application Closing Date
30th May, 2023.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Expressions of Interest to: [email protected] ; [email protected] specifically mentioning the job title as the subject of the mail.