1. Scope and evaluation criteria

The starting point of the ER mission is the report from the ER of PATSPO from December 2021 and the related Management Response Matrix (MRM), which was agreed upon by EFD, RNE and PATSPO/ICRAF, and includes all the recommendations from the ER and institutions/organizations responsible for their implementation. Based on these two documents and PATSPO II Project Document (PD) and the PATSPO II work plans from 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-2025 and 2025, and the PATSPO II progress reports 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, the ER mission shall make a brief assessment if the findings, conclusions and recommendations from the ER Report 2022 related to efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, possible impact, stakeholder collaboration, sustainability and risk management are still valid and relevant by the end of 2025 following the Norad Development Cooperation Manual, 2005. The consultants will assess to what extent the specific recommendations in the ER Report 2022 have been followed and implemented during the period 2023-2025. In addition, the consultants will also assess the project’s contribution to the Ethiopia Green Growth Strategy and how a possible phase of follow-up could potentially contribute more.

For the detailed description of these elements (efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, possible impact, stakeholder collaboration, sustainability and risk management), reference is made to the ER Report 2023. The review team will assess and update these elements and further assess the contribution of PATSPO II in Ethiopia’s large scale restoration activities, e.g. based on calculations on the percentage contribution of seeds sourced from the supported RTSCs and FRC-CEC and if possible, how big a part of these seeds are used in raising seedlings for Governments Green Legacy Initiative

The results from the brief/updated assessment of PATSPO II’s achievement 2022 - 2025 will form the first output from the ER mission.

The second output will be an assessment of the relevance and needs for a phase of follow-up. The assessment shall be based on recommendation in the ER Report 2022 and the assessment of the achievements of PATSPO II. The ER will further describe major activities to be undertaken by a possible phase of follow-up and any adjustments of the implementation modality which may be needed.

2. Implementation of the review and reporting

Sources of information and methodology to be employed:

The ER team will obtain information from:

• · Written materials: i) the ER Report 2022, the Annual Work Plans 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-2025 and 2025, and the Progress Reports 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
  
• Other documents available for the ER Mission 2025: Programme Documents for PATSPO I and II, Grant Agreement, policy/strategy documents for PATSPO I and II, Annual Work Plans, Annual Progress Reports, Agreed Minutes of Annual Meetings, Technical Project Reports and background documents from GOE, and other available documents/reports (see the MTR Report 2020, the ER Report 2022 for lists of documents, as well as the PATSPO II home page: https://worldagroforestry.org/project/provision-adequate-tree-seed-portfolio-ethiopia-patspo-ii-phase-2).
  
• Meetings with RNE, EFD, Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE), Amhara Forest Enterprise (AFE), Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BOANR) in Tigray, Addis Ababa University (AAU) and other selected institutions/organizations at central and regional level as decided by the ER team, and the PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF Office in Addis Ababa.
  
• At regional level the Tree Seed Centres will be consulted.
  
• If possible, selected beneficiaries of tree seeds needs will also be consulted.
  

The ER is facilitated by the PATSPO/CIFOR-ICRAF office in Addis Ababa and implemented in close coordination with EFD and RNE in Addis Ababa. The ICRAF office in Addis Ababa is also acting as resource office for the ER team.

In general, the approach and methodology will be:

• Conduct a desk review
  
• Collect primary data through meetings.
  
• Field visit to RTSCs and selected field implementation sites.
  

Additional PATSPO documents and reports for the ER

I addition to the documents/information used by the ER 2022 and listed in the ER Report 2022, the ER Mission will pay particular attention to the following documents/ information:

• MTR Report from February 2020 and ER Report December 2022.
  
• Management Response Matrix (MRM) from the MTR February 2020 and ER December 2022
  
• AWPs 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-2025, and 2025.
  
• APR 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25
  

PATSPO homepage: https://worldagroforestry.org/project/provision-adequate-tree-seed-portfolio-ethiopia-patspo-ii-phase-2

3. Time Frame and Schedule

The ER will be implemented by one international consultant and one Ethiopian consultant. Each consultant will spend 15 working days (three weeks).

The review is planned to be implemented in October 2025, following this tentative schedule:

Time (October 2025), - number of working days

2 days for each consultant

Task: Desk review and preparation for meetings/visits in Addis Ababa by the Ethiopian consultant

4 days for each consultant

Task: Visits to RNE, EFD, PATSPO II Office, and selected PATSPO II stakeholders in Addis Ababa and field sites. Write an inception report.

5 days for each consultant

Task: Write draft ER Report and submit to RNE, EFD, and PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF.

1 day for each consultant

Task: Meeting with RNE, EFD, and PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF for discussion of draft ER report and receiving inputs for finalizing the report.

3 days for each consultant

Task: Prepare the final ER Report based on comments from RNE, EFC, and PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF after the meeting.

4. Deliverables

• Inception report
  
• ER report in draft and final versions.
  

The reports will be written in English and made available to the PATSPO II’s legal and implementing partners.

5. Reporting

Description of required format of the ER Report:

• The Inception Report shall give a short general description on how the consultants will implement the review and include a time schedule for the review (meetings, visits, draft reports, etc.) and be of max 2-3 pages.
  
• The ER Report shall include an introduction summary with main conclusions and recommendations.
  
• The report shall be in English language and follow the structure of the review topics in the TOR and instructions from EFD, RNE, and PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF.
  
• The report shall be submitted in electronic form using Word and Excel software. The final report shall be submitted both as Word and PDF files.
  
• The final report shall be of a maximum of 10-15 pages and attached annexes of a maximum of 10 pages.
  
  

6. Follow-up on the ER Report

The RNE, EFD, and PATSPO II/CIFOR-ICRAF will use the ER Report as input for defining the contents of a project document for a possible phase of follow-up.