Program Associate, Strategic Impact Evaluation and Learning at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Position Summary

The Strategic Impact Evaluation and Learning (SIEL) program of the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is a six-year learning partnership between FCDO’s Evaluation Unit, IPA, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). SIEL aims to:

• Establish a robust evidence base to understand 'what works', including long-term impacts
• Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of FCDO’s interventions and policies in strategic priority areas
• Equip FCDO staff with the necessary skills to deploy and leverage impact evaluations to optimize value for money

Responsibilities
40%
Support the coordination of SIEL’s research fund focusing on humanitarian assistance, conflict and fragility, growth, and climate and nature

• Coordinate the regular competitive funding process, including drafting the calls for proposals, communicating with FCDO and research teams, managing the proposal review process, and supervising the development of grant agreements
• Track the status of grants and projects in SIEL’s portfolio, through the detailed review of grant deliverables and regular communication with research teams
• Liaise internally with relevant IPA teams such as research support, programs, grants, legal, finance, and global operations

Support grant reporting to donor

• Participate in the first review and filtering of research studies that will go onto the competitive fund review board

30%
Project development

• Support the Program Lead in project development activities, including but not limited to, conducting outreach and providing support to FCDO teams to develop proposals and coordinating matchmaking with researchers
• Liaise with FCDO teams, IPA and J-PAL Country Offices, external and internal researchers, and implementing organizations in order to support them in project development efforts

20%
Communications and policy outreach

• Support SIEL’s Research Uptake Lead and Program Lead in organizing and preparing materials for dissemination activities
• Support other dissemination activities as needed, such as keeping IPA’s website up to date with project summaries and planning and presenting at events
• Supporti SIEL’s Capacity Strengthening Lead in organizing and preparing materials for training sessions and other capacity strengthening activities

10%
General program administration

• Support financial monitoring and administration
• Contribute to the implementation of IPA’s diversity, equality, and inclusion strategy, including tracking SIEL’s progress against organizational metrics

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, political science, public policy, or related fields
• At least 2 years of work experience in project and/or research management, research fund management, and/or research dissemination
• Demonstrated project management skills, including attention to operational and research detail, and ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively and clearly with internal and external stakeholders using cogent, precise, non-technical language
• Ability to present information in a structured and insightful way, both in writing and orally
• Flexibility, self-motivation, willingness to learn, and a team-oriented attitude

Preferred

• Master’s degree in economics, political science, public policy, or related fields
• Knowledge of impact evaluation methodologies
• Knowledge of topics related to humanitarian assistance, climate and nature, growth, or conflict and fragility
• Experience writing evidence synthesis, research summaries, and policy briefs
• Proficiency in Excel and CRM software, like Salesforce