Job Description

Posted on June 29, 2021

Company background:
SoCha (a portmanteau of Social and Change) is an independent Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (ME&L) firm that provides bespoke solutions to social challenges. Since our inception in 2010, we have grown into a fully-fledged MEL services firm specializing in advancing innovative methodologies and changing the way donors find solutions to social problems.
Activity background:
USAID/Zambia has a diverse portfolio with programs in the following areas: Health (HIV/AIDS, Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning and Reproductive Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, Nutrition, Malaria, Tuberculosis); Education (basic education and early child development); Economic growth (Agriculture policy support, private sector, economic opportunity, energy, environment, global climate change, wildlife conservation, energy); and Democracy, Right and Governance (the rule of law and human rights, good governance, political environment, and consensus-building, civil society).USAID/Zambia’s new Performance Management Plan (PMP) is fully aligned to its new CDCS.
For the purpose of this activity, USAID/Zambia Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Platform (Z-MELP) is defined as an implementing mechanism that gives the mission access to technical and advisory services to design and carry out specialized multiple, third-party, MEL tasks including practices, processes, and requirements that support Program Cycle implementation.
Overview of the role:
The Senior Evaluator will ensure the coherent and high-quality integration of the following additional analysis components:
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA);
Outcome Harvesting (OH) and other qualitative data components, and
Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol (QuIP)
In addition to overseeing and implementing the components, the Senior Evaluator will build relevant capacity among the local team through learning-by-doing.
Responsibilities
To successfully meet the objectives outlined above, the Senior Evaluator will:
Review all relevant EDGE activity and evaluation documentation;
Provide oversight for QCA, OH, other qualitative data components;
Assess the value of QuIP for the evaluation and oversee component if deemed valuable;
Support co-creation of QCA model and instruments for relevant analysis components;
Deliver analysis for evaluation components and integrate local staff into the implementation of analysis components to allow for learning-by-doing;
Participate and present findings in client meetings and meetings with other stakeholders as needed;
Draft evaluation report sections for analysis component and ensure their coherent integration of into and support overall report, and
Provide senior-level technical evaluation guidance as needed.
A local team of enumerators will support the consultant for data collection and transcription.
Qualifications
An advanced degree;
A minimum of three years of experience of working on USAID-funded activities or directly with the Mission;
A minimum of seven years of experience in MEL working on international development programs;
Experience with USAID’s program cycle;
Extensive expertise in evaluations and at least two of the following disciplines: performance management/monitoring; data management; CLA; and knowledge
Familiar with ADS 201 MEL-related requirements, incl. latest revisions;
Experience in training and organizational capacity building, particularly in the disciplines above;
Experience designing or delivering utilization-focused performance or impact evaluations;
Experience with EMMPs;
An understanding of how to select optimal mixed methods during evaluation design;
English language proficiency, and
Fully paid-up member of Zambia Monitoring and Evaluation Association (ZAMEA);