CSP Mid-term review Consultant

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JOB TITLE: CSP Mid-term review Consultant 
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Short term consultant (International- Level II)
UNIT/DIVISION: Bhutan CO
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Thimphu, Bhutan
DURATION: 45 days (CST WAE)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The Mid-term Review is a WFP Country Office-driven participatory exercise to assess the performance of a Country Strategic Plan (CSP). It has an objective of mainly internal learning for the areas of implementation and results and is intended to inform operational decision-making and adjustments to on-going programmes. The main outputs are a report, including recommendations, and an action plan oriented to facilitate the achievement of expected results.

[Information on specific CSP, outcomes and activities]

After several decades of economic growth, the Kingdom of Bhutan graduated from the category of least-developed country in December 2023. However, despite sustained progress towards its  Sustainable Development Goal targets for zero hunger, the country faces a triple burden of malnutrition, with micronutrient deficiencies, undernutrition and overnutrition disproportionately affecting poor people. Diets characterized by a dependency on staple and processed foods reflect food preferences and problems with the accessibility and affordability of nutritious food.

Although agriculture is a critical contributor to the national economy, engagement in farming is closely correlated with poverty. Agriculture continues to operate at a subsistence level with low 
productivity, high post-harvest losses and low earnings. The outmigration of men and young people from rural areas has led to an increase in the disproportionate labour burden faced by women smallholder farmers. Climate change, natural hazards and structural weaknesses in agricultural markets compound these inequalities, creating barriers to Bhutan’s attainment of its Sustainable Development Goal objectives.

Under this country strategic plan for 2024–2028, WFP will strengthen and support the Government’s efforts to deliver equitable and inclusive economic growth and advance human capital development. All WFP activities will continue to operate with and through its partners in the Government. A prominent feature of the country strategic plan will be the expansion of WFP’s capacity strengthening efforts for government institutions and the engagement of private sector partners, with a focus on gender issues. Key contributions will include the expansion of investments in and capacities for resilient food systems, the integration of nutrition considerations into social protection programmes such as school feeding, and the strengthening of systems for emergency preparedness and response.

This overall ambition of the country strategic plan will be realized through the achievement of two country strategic plan outcomes:

Outcome 1: Rural populations in Bhutan, particularly women smallholder farmers, young people and persons with disabilities, achieve climate-resilient livelihoods and increased 
food security and nutrition by 2030

Activity 1: Provide technical assistance to national and local government institutions with the aim of strengthening the capacity of farmer-based organizations to manage climate shocks and introduce innovative risk management solutions for climate resilient and nutritious food production.

Activity 2: Provide technical assistance to national and local government institutions with the aim of strengthening the capacities of producer groups, small-scale agro-enterprises and other value chain actors that empower women and young people in targeted value chains.

Outcome 2: The citizens of Bhutan, particularly vulnerable population groups, benefit from enhanced human capital and a food system that is resilient to climate and other crises and 
shocks by 2030

Activity 3: Provide technical assistance to government and other stakeholders aimed at improving social protection provision, including by linking national school feeding programmes to farmers and suppliers, in order to facilitate the consumption of safe, healthy and nutrient-dense diets.

Activity 4: Provide technical assistance, including in relation to social behaviour change, in support of government and private sector efforts to promote fortified food products, and ensure that all school feeding programme beneficiaries and the public consume safe, healthy and nutrient-dense diets.

Activity 5: Provide technical assistance and innovative solutions to government institutions for the expansion of people-centred disaster risk reduction programmes that integrate nutrition considerations and foster preparedness for and effective response to shocks and stressors.

Scope of Review Period
The Mid-Term Review (MTR) will assess the implementation of the Bhutan Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2024–2028, covering the period from January 2024 to June 2026 (or latest available data at the time of the review). The review will focus on progress achieved during the first half of the CSP cycle, while also considering early indications of emerging results, implementation trends, and 
forward-looking adjustments required for the remaining implementation period.

Under the supervision of the Head, Food System and Resilience unit and technical guidance from the monitoring team, facilitate the process of the Mid-term Review in line with the established terms of reference (ToR).

Review Approach

The MTR is a country office-driven exercise that aims to assess the performance of the CSP by focusing on the extent to which the country office is on course to achieve its desired results, review implementation efforts and identify key areas of strategic learning and adjustment. In determining the scope of the mid-term review, coherence with a developmental evaluation as well as programme- specific evidence generation exercises has been considered to maximise coverage and

complementarity.

The MTR provides an opportunity to reflect on WFP’s progress and to adjust its direction and activities as appropriate. In this context, the Review will focus on assessing the results and effectiveness of CSP implementation.

• Under the results component, the MTR will look retrospectively at the performance of the CSP and assess the extent to which the planned outputs, outcomes, and cross-cutting targets for the review period were met.

• Implementation analysis will support learning and reflection by the WFP country office about the constraints and enablers that affected implementation and influenced progress towards the results. The MTR will also assess the WFP operations and provide a situation analysis to frame the emerging CSP context and WFP role.

Through this assessment, the MTR will provide action-oriented recommendations at both operational and strategic levels to enhance the future achievement of results. The timing of the MTR ensures that the review findings will complement a concurrent Decentralized Evaluation and in turn feed into the CSP’s End Evaluation (CSPE) and consequently, the formulation of Bhutan’s new CSP.

Review Scope

The results of Bhutan’s CSP Activities under all Strategic Outcomes (SOs) will be reviewed by the MTR in line with corporate requirements that establish the review of CSP results as a mandatory component of MTRs.

The MTR’s implementation analysis will review the Royal Government of Bhutan’s coherence of WFP support. This will lead to a clear identification of how WFP’s programming should best respond to achieving of the government’s 13th FYP. Examples of technical areas to be covered by the review include Food Systems, Resilience Building, Nutrition, National Emergency Preparedness and Response systems and the strengthening of shock-responsive social protection; school nutrition, SBCC and rice fortification; WFP support to help farmers adapt to climate change; and improvements to national monitoring and evaluation systems. Close collaboration with government, donors and partners should be advocated.

Expected outcomes from the MTR should capture reflections from WFP internal stakeholders as well as its Government, Donor and Agency partners. Collectively, they should help:

• Determine whether the CSP activities and transfer modalities and their subsequent outputs and outcomes are achieving the desired results and reaching targets.

• Build a comprehensive understanding of the institutional arrangements (e.g. for country capacity strengthening and technical assistance) that operate between WFP and the Royal Government of Bhutan.

• Review donor contributions and funding modalities with Government and WFP, their financial and programmatic implications for the CSP, and how these might be streamlined.

• Identify areas of good practice, gaps and risks associated with WFP’s programmatic and policy support to counterpart ministries.

• Review and map lessons as to the current and potential improvements of WFP partnership arrangements of other UN agencies in relation to Government priorities.

Data Availability and Evidence Base

The MTR will be informed by a combination of existing documentation, monitoring data, and stakeholder consultations. Key sources of evidence expected to be available include:

• CSP (2024–2028) document, results framework, and Theory of Change

• Annual Country Reports (ACRs), Standard Project Reports (SPRs), and corporate monitoring outputs

• Activity-level monitoring data (COMET), output and outcome indicators

• Relevant decentralized evaluations and thematic studies

• Government policy documents, including the 13th Five-Year Plan and sector strategies

• Programme reports (food systems, school feeding, nutrition, DRR, SBCC, etc.)

• Partnership and donor-related documentation

• Emergency Preparedness and Response Assessments

Known or potential data limitations may include:

• Limited availability of outcome-level data for recently initiated interventions

• Gaps in disaggregated data (gender, age, disability)

• Variability in data quality across implementing partners or sectors

• Emerging programme areas where monitoring systems are still being established

These considerations should guide a pragmatic and adaptive review approach while ensuring transparency in the use of evidence and interpretation of findings.

MTR Questions

The MTR focuses on results and implementation. Collectively, the questions aim at highlighting the key lessons from the performance of the CSP’s operational components over the last two years. These should be tailored to directly inform operational decision-making as well as future strategic decision-making for WFP’s current and future CSPs.

Results questions will determine whether the CSP activities and subsequent outputs, outcomes and cross-cutting results under SO1 and SO2 are achieving the desired results and reaching targets, and whether processes are in place to adequately monitor and work jointly with partners to achieve Zero Hunger. Implementation questions will focus on extent to which WFP activities were prioritized effectively, well-integrated across the WFP portfolio and with its partners and implemented to high quality standards.

Below are the three key mandatory questions and their respective sub-questions to select when designing the MTR. Additional questions or sub-questions would be incorporated based on the specific contextual requirements of the CO.

1. What is the continued relevance of the CSP?

1.1 Is the CSP and its Theory/ies Of Change (if there is one), still addressing the needs of men, women, boys, and girls in all their diversity effectively?

1.2. How well has the CO adapted, or is ready to adapt, to changes in the CSP environment?

1.3. What are, if any, the adjustments needed to keep the CSP relevant?

1.4 To what extent is the CSP aligned with Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2024–2029) priorities and evolving national policies?

1.5 How relevant is WFP’s strategic positioning in supporting institutional capacity strengthening of key government counterparts?

1.6 To what extent does the CSP respond to emerging food systems, nutrition, and resilience challenges in Bhutan’s evolving context?

2. Is the CSP efficient?

2.1. Are resources being used efficiently?

2.2. Where are the bottlenecks in programme delivery or implementation of activities and cross-cutting commitments?

2.3. Are activities being implemented timely?

2.4. What can be done to streamline processes?

2.5. How efficient are current donor funding modalities in supporting CSP implementation, including predictability, flexibility, and alignment with national systems?

2.6. How effective and efficient are partnership arrangements (government, UN agencies, private sector, CSOs) in delivering integrated results?

2.7. To what extent are programme components (food systems, nutrition, social protection, DRR, SBCC) well-integrated and mutually reinforcing?

3. Is the CSP effective?

3.1 Is the CO meeting CSP targets (at the output, outcome, and cross-cutting level) as planned?

3.2 What is driving success or hindering progress?

3.3 How can results be improved for the rest of the CSP cycle to men, women, boys, and girls in all their diversity?

3.4 How is coordination within the CO/Sub-offices enabling or hindering CSP results?

3.5 How is coordination with external stakeholders enabling or hindering CSP results?

3.6. To what extent has WFP contributed to strengthening institutional capacities (systems, policies, human resources) of government partners?

3.7. How effective are partnership models in delivering sustainable and scalable results?

3.8. To what extent are programme interventions integrated across sectors and contributing to systemic food systems transformation?

3.9. What progress has been made in aligning programme results with 13th FYP targets and indicators?

In addressing the review questions the MTR consultant is expected to review intersectional questions in order to identify formative recommendations for WFP’s role in enabling the Royal Government to address Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, disability, age and protection.

The MTR consultant should also identify and assess the MTR limitations in addressing the Review questions and to identify potential solutions to deal with any limitations identified. To this end, the MTR consultant should explicitly consider: a) data availability (e.g. needs assessments and monitoring data); b) data reliability; c) the adequacy of proxy indicators used to identify needs or to monitor progress; and/or d) access to relevant stakeholders and their coverage.

In cases where no possible mitigating actions can be identified, the consultant should provide a clear statement on the status and determine whether there is a need to modify the scope of the assignment or implications regarding the utility of the final MTR report.

Review Process and Governance

The MTR will be conducted through a structured and participatory process, comprising the following phases:

Phase 1: Inception

• Desk review of key documents

• Stakeholder mapping

• Development of inception report, including methodology, tools, and detailed workplan

• Validation of scope and approach with the Country Office

Phase 2: Data Collection

• Key informant interviews (government, donors, UN, private sector)

• Focus group discussions and field visits (as feasible)

• Collection and triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data

Phase 3: Analysis and Validation

• Synthesis and analysis of findings

• Internal debrief with WFP Country Office

• Validation workshop with key stakeholders to discuss preliminary findings

Phase 4: Reporting and Action Planning

• Draft MTR report submission

• Incorporation of feedback

• Facilitation of a Management Response and Action Plan, ensuring recommendations are translated into clear, time-bound actions

Governance and Roles

• Country Office Focal Point: The Head of the Food Systems and Resilience Unit (or designated focal point) will coordinate the review process, ensure access to data and stakeholders, and provide technical oversight.

• MTR Reference Group (optional but recommended): A small group of internal and external stakeholders (e.g., programme, M&E, government counterparts) will provide strategic guidance, review key deliverables, and support validation of findings.

• Consultant Role: The consultant will lead the review independently, ensuring methodological rigor, impartiality, and quality of outputs.

Validation and Use of Findings

The MTR findings will be formally validated through a stakeholder workshop and internal review processes. Following finalization of the report:

• A Management Response Matrix will be developed

• Recommendations will be prioritized and translated into an Action Plan with clear responsibilities and timelines

Findings will inform ongoing CSP adjustments, the Decentralized Evaluation, and the design of the next CSP.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaboration with the review team: Work in close collaboration with internal WFP staff and external partners to strengthen data/information quality, accuracy and consistency to build credible evidence

• Provide periodic and constructive technical feedback to the monitoring team.

• Document review: Gather information and conduct qualitative/quantitative data analysis (desk review, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)).

• Field visits: Coordinate with programme and monitoring teams to prepare field site visit schedules, if required.

• Stakeholder consultation: Facilitate workshop with key stakeholders (organizing workshop activities, developing questions, mapping findings and discussions), as required.

• Dissemination of findings: Hold debriefing meetings with management and key stakeholders at the end of the mission with initial findings.

• Reporting: Produce and finalize a Mid-term Review Report with key findings and recommendations

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

The key outputs of the consultants are expected to be:

• Mid-term review report and Management Response/Action Plan:

- Short, analytical and action-oriented report, outlining key findings and recommendations

- Action plan for the Country Office

• Planning documents:

-Detailed work plan, including methodology and data collection tools

• Synthesis report

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University degree in Sociology, Social Development, Development Economics or    Performance Management or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• 6-10 years experience in humanitarian/development field.

• Previous experience working with WFP, conducting reviews, evaluations or monitoring exercises.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrated skills in project management in general and managing processes.

• Demonstrated advanced skills in analysis, listening, influencing and management of stakeholder relationships.

• Ability to engage diverse internal and external stakeholders proactively.

• Understanding of the country/regional context.

• Technical knowledge in Food Systems, Resilience, Emergency Preparedness and Response and Development Programmes in general.

• Knowledge of monitoring and performance management concepts and principles.

• Demonstrated skills integrating gender, protection and inclusion issues (for example Indigenous Peoples, disability, etc.) in assessments, reviews, monitoring and evaluations across the [targeted focal areas].

• Familiarity with humanitarian/development planning and implementation systems and institutional roles.

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Languages: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station's language, if different.

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