Evaluation Specialist - USAID/Somalia ELMI

Country: Kenya

Organization: Social Impact

Closing date: 31 Oct 2023

Evaluation Specialist

USAID/Somalia ELMI

Social Impact (SI) is a Washington, DC-area international development management consulting firm. SI’s mission is to create dramatic improvements in the performance of organizations and programs working to enhance the social and economic well-being of people around the world. We provide a full range of management consulting, technical assistance, and training services to strengthen international development programs, organizations, and policies. We provide services globally in the areas of monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, project and program design, organizational capacity building, and gender and social analysis. SI services cross-cut all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. SI’s clients include US government agencies such as USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the US Department of State, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and non-profits.

Project Objective:

The USAID/Somalia Evaluation, Learning, and Monitoring Initiative (ELMI) project operates under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for the provision of Monitoring, Verification, and Reporting (MV&R) activities. Through Task Order 2 under the IDIQ, Social Impact will serve as a third-party evaluator to conduct performance evaluations of USAID implementing partners and their activities and implement a portfolio monitoring system for the Mission’s Development Objective (DO) 1 on countering violent extremism (CVE) in Somalia. The period of performance for ELMI Task Order 2 is expected to be four years.

Position Description:

SI is seeking a full-time Evaluation Specialist who will be responsible for managing and coordinating evaluations under USAID/Somalia as well as any requested assessments, surveys, or special studies. This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Evaluation Specialist will serve as a core team member on a full-time basis throughout the four-year period of performance. Furthermore, the position will report to ELMI’s Evaluation Lead and work closely with the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Monitoring Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Advisor, and SI’s headquarters’ technical and program management support staff.

**Please Note: This is a local position. Only Kenyan and Somali citizens will be eligible to apply.**

Responsibilities:

• Manage, coordinate, and support evaluation, analyses and assessments throughout the life of the activity.


• Oversee the design of evaluation methodologies and development of data collection tools and protocols for all planned evaluations, assessments, and special studies.


• Lead the development and implementation of effective data quality assurance approaches and techniques.


• Work with USAID and ELMI leadership to establish which evaluation questions and key outcome of interest will be addressed in evaluation and assessments supported by ELMI.


• Support the design, quality development and production of all evaluation reports and any assessments, population-based surveys and studies including the testing of the development hypotheses, where feasible.


• Support the recruitment of short- and long-term evaluation team members ensuring candidates are of a high caliber and possess the required technical expertise.


• Conduct security assessments as necessary in coordination with field staff and SI’s partners to detail risks associated with the site visits and considerations to note during site visit planning and logistics.


• Work with evaluation teams to ensure adequate site visit planning, including logistics, security, and approvals. This will include finalizing the logistics for travel to the field locations for data collection, including security assessments, field work plans and final logistical arrangements with field teams and IPs.


• Manage evaluation and assessment workplans, timelines, budgets, and consultant teams to ensure timely and quality deliverables.


• Provide quality assurance on evaluations by ensuring respondent consent, daily check-ins and flash reports with field teams, and working with staff to have them follow data quality control guidelines.


• Provide oversight to evaluation teams as they engage in qualitative and quantitative analysis.


• Work with COP, DCOP, and MEL Advisor, ensuring that evaluation information is shared and fully utilized through knowledge sharing and strategic learning processes to speed innovation and improve upon and bring new innovations to the Mission’s programmatic work in country.


• Lead communications with and engage USAID, government partners, implementers, and stakeholders for collaborative inputs in the design, implementation, and utilizing research findings and recommendations and seeking feedback and approvals when required.


• Provide support and technical expertise to overall management of the project to ensure that the project meets all its performance and reporting requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.


• Minimum of five years professional work experience in the design, management, and implementation of evaluations, analyses, and assessments.


• Proven skills in evaluation design, methods, quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analysis.


• Ability to organize, manage, prioritize, and follow through on multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.


• Good data analysis skills including good command of statistics, sampling methodologies, and statistical analysis software such as SPSS, STATA, Epi Info, among others.


• Extensive experience drafting and finalizing evaluation reports.


• Previous experience supporting USAID-funded contracts desired.


• Proven experience supporting evaluation teams.


• Computer literate and possess superior oral and written communication skills.


• Fluency in written and spoken English.


• Experience working in Somalia is highly desired.

Come join our energetic and innovative team! We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, work as part of a creative and committed team, and make a difference in the well-being of our world.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability ,or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.

How to apply

Please submit your application through SI's Career Center linked here.