With an objective to support on the implementation of federalism in Nepal, the Government of Nepal introduced a flagship programme of Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme (2019-2024). Following an initial period of delivery and agreement by GoN, Provinces, stakeholders, and Development Partners that Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme remained necessary and relevant, a decision was taken to extend Provincial and Local Governance Support Programme, with changes necessary to make the programme more effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of Provincial Local Governments (PLG).

The Provincial and Local Governance Strengthening Programme (PLGSP) 2024-2029 is the national framework programme of the Government of Nepal (GoN) to build institutional, organizational, and individual capacity at all levels of government, with special focus on the provincial and local levels. It aims to attain functional, sustainable, inclusive, and accountable provincial and local governance. Following an initial period of delivery (2019-2023), and agreed by the GoN, Provinces, Development Partners, and other stakeholders, PLGSP will continue for the next five years, with necessary changes to make the programme more effective, efficient, and responsive to the emerging needs of PLGs in advancing federalism in Nepal.

An extensive stakeholder engagement, consultations and re-programming process was undertaken between July 2023 and June 2024 that resulting in a substantial revision in the PLGSP Programme Document (ProDoc). This reprogrammed ProDoc outlines how re-programmed PLGSP emphasizes building the capacity and capability of PLGs’ to deliver on the institutional and individual capacities for advancing federalism in Nepal over the next 5 years. The ProDoc has focused on three outcomes for Federal, Provincial and LG level impacts, each with three related outputs. Three outcomes include: Outcome 1: Federal level government institutions and inter-governmental mechanisms are fully functional in support of federal governance as per the Constitution; Outcome 2: Provincial governments have efficient, effective, inclusive, and accountable institutions and organizations; Outcome 3: Local governments have capacity for Good Governance and for delivering inclusive basic services to all people. Furthermore, there are 9 outputs against the outcome mentioned. Four cross-cutting thematic streams: (i) Inclusive federalism acts, regulations, policies, and strategies; (ii) Collaboration within and across federal institutions and governments, and civic engagement; (iii) Supportive systems and tools for PLG inclusive federalism capacity; (iv) capacity development and transformation (applied to all 3 levels) have also been defined and articulated well. The programme considers the broad principles and approaches including focus on federal devolution, transparency, and accountability, embedding transformative gender and diversity/inclusion agenda, human rights based and participatory approach, devolved, contextual and flexible programme design and implementation and adaptive programming. Further, unpacking structural barriers in political institutions, promoting ownership and trust in provincial and local government system and changing power dynamics in government institutions addressing intersectionality are the expected pathways for Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) transformation in the programme. Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) is the executing agency of the GoN for PLGSP in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Provincial and Local Governments.

UNDP as the partner of PLGSP and Technical Assistance (TA) provider, has been working with the MoFAGA on the implementation of PLGSP since its inception. The TA component of the programme has also been revised accordingly to facilitate the transformation in the behaviours of the authorities towards federalism for inclusive service delivery, it is fully aligned with revised PLGSP incorporating learnings from the earlier TA engagement. The intent of the revised TA is to leverage UNDP’s technical expertise and facilitation role to support positive transformations that enable implementation of federalism in Nepal, ultimately contributing to more inclusive and effective delivery of inclusive services by PLGs to their people especially for the most marginalized and women.

To this effect, TA will support PLGs for their institutional and organizational capacities. The TA support to federal government will help develop and implement necessary laws and policies to strengthen inter-governmental relationships thereby supporting cooperative federalism. To attain the sustainable achievement described above, TA has been categorized into Implementation Support TA (ISTA) and Transformational TA. ISTA focuses more on supporting the governments in the implementation of PLGs thereby building their institutional and individual capacities. Whereas Transformational TA focuses more on supporting behavioural transformation through research and analysis as well as providing high level expertise as needed. Overall, the TA staff (ISTA and Transformational TA) works together in close coordination with each other in overall guidance of respective government and UNDP Country Office.

• Update on the monitoring and evaluation framework of the programme.
• Develop annual monitoring plan and ensure the effective accomplishment of the deliverables set in the results frameworks.
• Develop result framework based on the multi-year work plan of the programme.
• Formulate the checklist and framework to periodically review the programme activities at federal, provincial and local levels.
• Based on the framework, develop simple user category wise monitoring format and its guideline.
• Provide necessary guidance to the Monitoring, Learning and Reporting Analyst based in the Provincial Programme Support Unit (PPSU) in monitoring the programme implementation at the provincial and local levels.
• Prepare, in coordination with the Federal Governance Specialist, consolidated progress reports of programme to be submitted to the Federal Coordination Committee (FCC), National Steering Committee (NSC) and the development partners.
• Support in organizing joint visits of the Government of Nepal and development partners.
• Monitor the risk and update the risk log of the programme and suggest mitigation measures.
• Provide inputs to the programme in relation programme scope and results of the programme including, outputs and their indicators.
• Periodically monitor the progress made in the joint financing arrangement of the programme and brief the National Programme Director (NPD)/ National Programme Manager (NPM), and Federal Governance Specialist.
• Assist in gathering the information for the mid-term and final evaluation of the programme and work as a focal person.

Strengthening the capacity on M & E at the programme level the Monitoring and Reporting:

• Support in developing a capacity development plan of the provincial and local government authorities on monitoring and evaluation.
• Conduct training/orientation and induction to the concerned government stakeholders.
• Coordinate the functions of the Monitoring, Learning & Reporting Analysts working at the PPSUs. Provide needed guidance and support to them on a regular basis.
• Develop a user’s guide on M & E and conduct induction/orientation to the NPD/NPM, Provincial Programme Director (PPD), Provincial Programme Manager (PPM) and all the TA staff.
• Conduct M&E need identification survey among the stakeholders and identify M&E capacity gaps.
• Develop appropriate training package in consultation with PRTA and organize capacity building training to minimize M&E capacity gaps.

Ensure that Programme activities carried out by the federal agencies and the provincial governments are coordinated to   achieve the PLGSP outputs and outcomes:

• Periodically review the programme activities across the provinces and vertically between the federal government and provincial governments.
• Ensure that the activities are aligned with the PLGSP outputs and their indicators and create synergy in achieving the results.
• Support in organize review meetings with the provincial governments to document and progress, lessons and good practices.
• Organize joint field visits to the provincial and local governments, as required.
• Develop necessary framework to conduct impact/outcome assessment on the progress.

Provide oversight and coordination of all monitoring and evaluation activities:

• Oversee the M&E programme activities in accordance with the M&E plan and approved programme indicators.
• Oversee and be responsible for development of quality Performance Framework for the programme jointly with partners and M&E team.
• Provide input in development of sub-recipients’ work plans with relevant project indicators.
• Development and introduction of effective M&E tools, procedures and templates for sub-recipients’ work plans monitoring, including gathering, processing and analysis of data on sub-recipients’ performance (including outcome & impact level).
• Conduct the baseline studies/survey to inform the M & E plan to make it more result centric.
• Ensure development and implementation of recommendations on gathering, processing and analysis of data, considering innovative approaches and tools.
• Introduce a system to gather, analyze and report on the progress made against the annual and multi-year results.
• Design, coordinate and manage research activities and timely sharing of the findings with partners.
• Develop monitoring/site visits plans within the programme framework and coordinate implementation of site visits, providing quality reports on the results of visits.

Support on the evaluation of the programme and ensure effective reporting on the planned results:

• Support to prepare Terms of Reference (ToR) for any programme activity review or evaluation.
• Support to prepare Request for Proposal (RFP) to invite potential evaluator/bidders as directed by the Public Procurement Act of Nepal.
• Support to document all the relevant documents for the evaluation, third party monitoring and review team.
• Coordinate and ensure the responsibility on the quality of routine reporting of the project progress according to national procedures and requirements.
• Quarterly analysis of the data on programme indicators’ realization, quality of services, summarizing of reports on programme realization for concrete periods of time to present to FCC/NSC.
• Triangulation of qualitative, quantitative and impact level data.
• Prepare the quarterly, mid-year and annual progress report of the programme in coordination with provincial and federal units of the programme.
• Work with NPD / NPM to provide inputs on implementation challenges and provide support to resolving obstacles and bottlenecks.

Ensure strengthening GESI work through project interventions:

• Provide advice and guidance on strengthening gender & social inclusion initiatives in the M&E programme plan and implementation process.
• Facilitate in designing tools and indicators to mapping GESI issues through M&E systems.
• Ensure the reports generate GESI desegregated data and information which can be accessed by the respective programme teams.

Other:

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
• Strictly comply with the policies, strategies, code of conduct, guidelines on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
• Strict compliance with the rules, regulations and policies of Government and UNDP related to ethics and integrity.