TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE LAND DRAINAGE
AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
1. TITLE: Evaluation of Land Drainage and Watershed Management Programme
2. BACKGROUND
Improving Public Sector efficiency through Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) lies high on the reform agenda of Government of Mauritius with its
focus on developing a culture of performance in the public sector and in its ambition to become a high
income nation by 2020. The program of reforms initiated through the setting up of an M&E unit at
the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED) will help to develop an M&E strategy
and framework, its linkages to the Programme Based Budget (PBB), the design of monitoring tools and
evaluations including piloting of evaluations and over time the institutionalisation of M&E.
As part of efforts to strengthen performance M&E, the conduct of a few pilot evaluations would prove
useful prior to defining a systematic approach to evaluation and a customised menu of evaluation
methodologies suitable for Mauritius. The following criteria have been considered in selecting the
programme for evaluation:
-
Fiscal impact - significant budget (as a % of Ministry Budget)
Social relevance - Direct impact on beneficiaries, and covers an important part of the
population
Strategic importance;
Innovative aspects, to draw lessons for future implementation by benchmarking with good
international practices.
Building on the progress achieved since the introduction of the PBB, UNDP supports government’s
efforts to improve public sector efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditure through the
Planning and Resource Management for Inclusive Growth project (2013-2016).
Further details on the background of the Land Drainage and Watershed Management Programme and
the institutional framework are given at Annex 1.
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The objectives of the evaluation are to:
(i) Analyse the different phases of drain projects, and identify gaps and weaknesses in the
implementation of projects, including the linkage of special concerns such as environmental
issues, amongst others; and
(ii) Build on from the existing studies and reports on drain system, and recent implementation of
drain works, with a view to ascertaining their efficiency, and effectiveness for continuation,
discontinuation, refining, and adoption in future work.
The assignment will cover the Land Drainage and Watershed Management projects undertaken from
2010 to 2014. For period 2010-2013, expenditure in the Budget was met under PBB Programmes 404
(Community-Based Infrastructure) and 405 (Land Drainage). As from 2014, the PBB makes provision
for a distinct programme Land Drainage and Watershed Management programme (Programme 405).
Page 1 of 8
Primary intended users and uses
i.
Policy makers :
 To improve financial, technical, institutional and social sustainability of the
programme
 To use evidence based results to decide how to extend and maintain the drainage
system in other parts of the island
ii.
Programme managers:
 To identify success factors and enhance its implementation as it is scaled up to other
parts of the island
 Obtain early warnings of operational bottlenecks
 To refine the Outcomes, Output, and indicators to make them as specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic and timely (SMART) as possible
This assignment will be funded by the UNDP.
4. SCOPE OF WORK
The consultants are expected to conduct an implementation evaluation to examine activities, outputs,
and outcomes, use of resources and causal links of the Land Drainage and Watershed programme.
The consultants will be required to work with/lead a small local team of public officers from relevant
Ministries, including providing formal and informal training.
The assessment would be based on the following: Are the projects being implemented according to the design and specifications?
 Are institutional arrangements and operational procedures appropriate (e.g. decision making on
priority areas) to ensure the timely delivery of quality products and services?
 Are there adequate systems (human resources, financial, management information, and so forth)
in place to support project operations?
 Identification of operational bottlenecks and establishment of a project monitoring framework to
track progress in implementation.
Specifically, the evaluation should address, but not limited to, the following issues:
i.
Policy reform
 How was Policy developed?
 What were the legal or institutional processes leading up to the reform?
 Have sustainability issues been addressed?
ii.
Procurement
 How was the procurement of the projects under the Land Drainage programme done?
Was it cost-effective and timely? Have the elements of economy, efficiency,
effectiveness been achieved on the procurement process? Were there any challenges
or complaints? How can it be maximized in the next stage of the programme?
iii.
Drainage Management Systems
 Is it done in a holistic and forward looking manner? Has the drainage system been
well designed?
 Has new investment in drains been effective in terms of mitigating risks in flood prone
areas?
Page 2 of 8



Has project management been effective in terms of projects delivered on schedule and
to the required standard?
Whether the drainage system ensures the capture of surface water run- off?
Have recommendations from the numerous drainage studies being systematically
evaluated and instituted (or evaluated and decisions to institute not been
undertaken)?
iv.
Revised Institutional Arrangements (with the setting up of the Land Drainage Agency)
 Are the new institutional arrangements effective and do they bring together all
relevant stakeholders?
 Has an effective monitoring system been put in place to manage service standards
(incl. norms and guidelines in respect of drains)?
 Does it clearly define responsibility of each delivery unit and hold them accountable?
v.
Whether any tracking/monitoring system was put in place to look at the progress of the
projects? If so, what are its relevance, frequency and quality of monitoring?
vi.
User satisfaction (on inhabitants’ quality of life after drains have been constructed in high
risk areas)
5. EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES
a) Inception Report – The Report outlines the work plan of the assignment, elaborating on the
terms of reference by describing how the evaluation will be carried out, refining and
specifying the expectations; methodology; roles and responsibilities, and timeframe. The
inception Report should also present an outline of the Final Report;
b) Organise a workshop on mission findings – (i) to disseminate the preliminary findings; (ii) to
have consultations with the Stakeholders; and (iii) to
share the
findings/observations/recommendations of the assignment, and to propose the way
forward;
c) Recommend an appropriate Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Framework to be adopted by
the Government of Mauritius (NDU) to further implement and manage drain works in a
structured approach;
d) Provide training to relevant officials with a view to develop capacity locally to operate the
proposed M&E framework (including evaluation planning, methodology and tools); and
e) Final Evaluation Report on the implementation of the programme with specific and action
plan recommendations, including timeframe, and a Performance Improvement Plan
The Performance Improvement Plan should look at the following aspects namely:i.
Value for Money, efficiency, level of service and performance measures
ii.
Processes and Tools
iii.
Controls and management of risks
iv.
Technical capability of technical personnel.
Follow up actions should be developed in consultation with local counterparts to ensure that the
recommendations are translated into actions within reasonable timeframe to achieve the desired
outcome in the most economic manner.
All deliverables are to be submitted in three (3) hard copies and two (2) soft copies on CD-ROM.
6. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
A briefing session will be held with UNDP, NDU and MoFED at start of the assignment. A Steering
Committee, co-chaired by NDU and MoFED, and comprising UNDP, NDRRMC, RDA, Local Authorities
and other relevant stakeholders will be set up to guide and oversee the evaluation. The consultants
Page 3 of 8
will be based at the NDU which will provide office space and other logistical arrangements, where
required.
7. DURATION OF WORK
Senior evaluator (international expert): 25 days (20 working days of mission in Mauritius and 5 homebased days for mission preparation and report finalisation) in a period starting from 3 November 2014
and ending on 27 January 2015.
Environment specialist (national expert): 30 working days (in Mauritius) in a period starting from 3
November 2014 to 27 January 2015.
8. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Functional Competencies
 Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills;
 Excellent organizational skills;
 Strong oral and written communication skills - use of simple and clear language;
 Demonstrated ability to work in a team (strong task management and team leading
competencies);
 Ability to work under pressure and in a politically sensitive environment;
 Demonstrated cultural sensitiveness and sound judgment;
Corporate Competencies
 Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards
 Creative and innovative
 Sound analytic capacities
 Ability to address complex concepts and to gather written materials in a clear, concise and
meaningful manner with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
 Highly organized, able to effectively develop and manage projects, ensuring that deadlines are
met
Qualifications and Experience
This assignment will require two Senior Experts:
(i) One Senior Evaluator with Engineering background
(ii) One Environment Specialist having experience in flood management and land drainage
system.
Required qualifications and skills:
Senior Evaluator
 A post graduate degree in Engineering with ability to interpret hydrograph data, and appraise
hydraulic designs
 Proven experience of evaluation work and techniques in the public sector
 Demonstrated work experience in flood control and management, surface water run-off capture,
and land drainage and watershed management and/or Public Infrastructure Management
 Strong research, analytical and writing skills
Environment Specialist
 A post graduate degree in Environmental Engineering.
 Demonstrated work experience in flood control and management, surface water run-off capture,
and land drainage and watershed management and/or Public Infrastructure Management
 Knowledge of evaluation techniques
 Strong analytical and writing skills
The Senior Evaluator will act as Team Leader and will lead the evaluation team, also composed of
MoFED and NDU officials.
Page 4 of 8
Language:


Excellent spoken and written English required;
Spoken French would be an asset.
9. SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS
Financial proposals must be “all inclusive” and expressed in a lump-sum for the total duration of the
contract. The term “All inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living
allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are
already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal.
Payment will be made based upon successful completion of the deliverables as per terms below:
 20% upon submission of the inception report (expected by end November 2014)
 30% upon presentation of preliminary findings through a workshop and submission of the draft
mission report (expected by end December 2014)
 50% upon submission and approval of the final mission report (expected by end January 2015)
10. RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF PROPOSALS
Interested offerors must submit the following documentations, in accordance with the scope of work,
expected outputs and deliverables mentioned herein:
1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template
provided by UNDP;
2.
A detailed technical proposal that includes the following:
 Personal CV or P11 (as per template provided), indicating all past experience from similar
projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at
least three (3) professional references
 A brief methodology note on how the contractor will approach and complete the assignment
3.
A financial proposal indicating the total cost in USD, lump sum, supported by a breakdown of
costs, as per template provided.
11. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFER


A Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted
70%, and the price offer will be weighted 30%;
The key criteria for rating the qualification and methodology, together with their equivalent
percentage weight, will be as follows:
All submissions will be assessed against the following criteria:
Technical evaluation
Education background
Demonstrated work experience in flood control and management,
surface water run-off capture, land drainage and watershed
management and/or Public Infrastructure Management
Experience and knowledge of evaluation techniques
Research, analytical and writing skills
Total technical score
Senior
Evaluator
10%
20%
Environment
Specialist
10%
35%
30%
15%
10%
10%
70%
70%
30%
30%
30%
30%
Financial evaluation
Value for money
Total financial score
Page 5 of 8
12. APPROVAL
These TOR are approved by:
Signature
Name and Designation Emmanuel BOR, UNDP Technical Adviser
Date of Signing
Page 6 of 8
Annex 1 – Additional Information on TOR
Background on Land Drainage and Watershed Management Programme
The Land Drainage and Watershed Management programme is implemented by the National
Development Unit (NDU). It has high social relevance given the impact of flooding on the people living
in the affected areas. Over the previous years, this Programme has had a high budgetary demand due
to numerous flooding cases reported around the Island. With the recurring flooding cases being
reported around the island, the NDU is resorting to technical support and assistance from experts in
the related field to identify, plan, and execute drain works with a view to mitigating further flooding
in identified prone areas.
According to our Programme Based Budgeting (PBB) framework, the proposed outcome of this
Programme is to have a well maintained and clean drainage system supporting a safe living
environment. The Outcome Indicator (PBB Indicator) is “Percentage of identified flood prone areas
equipped with a drain system to mitigate flooding risks”. Other relevant indicators regarding
improvement of drain systems in identified flood prone areas are:
(i)
Percentage of drain network maintained/ cleaned; and
(ii)
Percentage of drain projects completed in identified flood prone areas
To assist it in executing drain construction in a sustainable manner, the NDU has resorted to several
consultancy studies to guide it on priority areas for the creation of appropriate infrastructure to
mitigate flooding. Recent studies commissioned by the NDU are as follows:
S/N
1
Organisation
World Bank
2
UNDP
3
GIBBS
4
Desai
&
Associates Ltd
Mega
Design
Consultancy
Engineers
5
6
7
Servansingh Jadav
&
Partners
Consultancy
Engineers
Lux
Consult
(Mauritius)
Assignment
Antonaropoulos & Associates, together
with G. Karavokyris & Partners, Future
Water, and Desai and Associates, Land
Drainage and Watershed Management
Study.
Consultancy
Services
for
the
Development of an Inundation, Flooding
and Landslide National Risk Profile, Maps,
Strategy Framework and Action Plans for
Disaster Risk Management for the
Republic of Mauritius
Study of Land Drainage System of the
island of Mauritius – 326 sites of flood
prone areas identified
Assessment of existing drain system in
Port-Louis
(a) Design of flood mitigating measures
in Canal Dayot and Pailles (SVICC
region)
(b) Design of flood mitigating measures in
Coromandel region
(a) Study of flood prone areas in
Pamplemousses region
(b) Study of flood prone areas in Bois
Cheri, La Flora and Grand Bois
Design of River Training works in Vallée
des Prètres region
Page 7 of 8
Period
2014
Remarks
Study
report
completed
2012
Study
completed for
Ministry
of
Environment
and SD
April 2003
2013
Works already
executed
on
main issues
Ongoing
2013
Ongoing
2014
Ongoing
2013
Report
submitted
Report
submitted
Ongoing
2014
2013
8
GIBB (Mauritius) Design of the flood rehabilitation works 2013
Ltd
under Emergency in the region of PortLouis
Ongoing
Additionally, the following reports issued in the recent years, also addressed the concerns on the land
drainage system:
(i)
Domah Report, 2008;
(ii)
Internal Control Report, 2014; and
(iii)
National Audit Reports
Challenges and obligations
In view of climate change, the country is experiencing unusually high intensity of rain during the rainy
period. The rain downpour tends to exceed 100 mm index of rainfall giving rise to severe flooding
with water finding its way in dwellings, causing damage to personal effects and property and resulting
to a situation of anxiety and trauma among the population particularly where there is tragic death of
victims. Overflowing of canals and rivers during flooding have disastrous consequences on agriculture,
on roads and on the economy in general. The drain systems constructed previously are not of
adequate dimension to contain the present volume of water flow after heavy rain. Besides through
lack of maintenance the drain systems have degenerated.
With growth and development there is tendency for land subdivision and property development with
no proper provision for drain reticulation, paving the way for new emerging residential zones devoid
of drain network.
In the context of the Monitoring and Evaluation exercise it will be an opportunity to determine the
efficiency of drain projects, the extent to which they can cope with present-day flooding problem and
the necessity for comprehensive integrated approach to address problem of land drainage and
flooding in general.
Measures under Implementation
National Land Drainage Committee
A National Land Drainage Framework Committee (NLDFC) was set up on 24 May 2013 to coordinate
actions between stakeholders like the Ministry of Environment, Road Development Authority (RDA),
Local Authorities, Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Housing and Lands, Water Resources
Unit with regards to the design and implementation of drain projects around the Island. The NLDFC is
chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the NDU and the NDU provides secretariat facilities.
Land Drainage Agency
In the Budget Speech 2014 the setting up of a Land Drainage Agency to take over responsibility for
design implementation of drain projects/maintenance of drains has been announced.
A Land Drainage Agency (LDA) has been set up administratively under the aegis of the National
Development Unit in Year 2014 to oversee and coordinate the construction, maintenance and cleaning
of the drainage system around the Island, and to identify and implement structural solutions to
flooding problems.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre
A National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre (NDRRMC), operating under the aegis of
the Prime Minister’s Office, has been set up in October 2013 to oversee disaster management
activities at National level and the outer islands, and act as the main institution for Mauritius for the
planning, organising, coordinating and monitoring of disaster risk reduction and management
activities. Both the NLDFC and the LDA operate in consultation with the NDRRMC to make sure that
flooding risks and emergency cases are attended to harmoniously, and in a structured approach.
Page 8 of 8