Senior Evaluation Specialist, Nigeria MEL at EnCompass

Location: Abuja, with travel throughout the country.

Job Description

• EnCompass seeks Evaluation Specialist candidates at multiple levels for an anticipated United States Agency for International Development (USAID) monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) program in Nigeria
• This anticipated 5 year project will provide USAID / Nigeria with a central platform for the procurement of support services that will strengthen, support, and facilitate USAID’s capacity for utilizing MEL approaches that will improve development outcomes and strengthen the capacity of USAID / Nigeria’s strategic partners
• It is also anticipated that this project will seek to improve USAID’s ability to monitor and track the performance of their in-country portfolio, along with the Mission’s ability to collaborate, learn, and adapt (CLA) across this portfolio
• The program will also provide support to USAID / Nigeria and implementing partners on performance monitoring, data verification, evaluations, organizational learning and capacity building, and knowledge management
• The (Senior) Evaluation Specialist should possess expertise designing and executing quantitative and qualitative data collection and analytical methods to support evaluation design and implementation, ideally in complex environments
• S/he will lead the design and implementation of performance and impact evaluations, as well as all assessment activities, along with the required analysis therefrom
• The (Senior) Evaluation Specialist will finalize evaluation reports and facilitate presentations and briefings to disseminate learning among project stakeholders
• S/he may be responsible for leading and/or directing evaluation teams and conducting field research.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• The (Senior) Evaluation Specialist will have had prior experience as Team Lead for evaluations in Nigeria and/or within the region, as well as experience managing a portfolio of simultaneous evaluative activities and management experience ensuring quality of evaluation team members and subcontracting partners.
• S/he will lead the design and implementation of performance and impact evaluations, as well as all assessment activities, along with the resulting required analysis therefrom, as well as manage the dissemination of learning from these evaluation and assessment activities
• The (Senior) Evaluation Specialist will ensure that evaluation team members recruited are of a high caliber and possess the required technical expertise
• S/he will work with the Chief of Party and other team members to ensure that learning from evaluations and assessments are shared and fully utilized to speed innovation and improve impact and investments of USAID’s work in country.

Essential functions include:

• Lead/manage evaluation, analysis, and assessment activities, including coordination and oversight of local partners engaged in these activities
• Design quantitative and/or qualitative data collection and analytical methods and tools to support evaluation design and implementation
• Liaise with the Chief of Party to inform the design of each study/evaluative activity and support quality assurance activities throughout each study, including the review of milestone deliverables and final reports prior to submission to USAID.
• Support the selection and engagement of local partners and experts for activities, and support team development, training, and execution of activities.
• Employ strong collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) practices throughout the work, with an understanding of the USAID Program Cycle.

Qualifications

• A graduate Degree in a Social Science, Organizational Development, Development Studies or a related field highly preferred
• Minimum of six (6) years of demonstrated experience leading complex portfolios of evaluative and learning activities for improved development outcomes

Experience and Skills:

• Experience designing and implementing various types of mixed-methods evaluations (impact, performance, meta, etc.), analyses, and assessments required
• Significant data analysis skills including command of statistics, sampling methodologies, statistical analysis software, and data validation techniques
• Extensive experience drafting and finalizing evaluation reports
• Experience applying systems thinking in evaluation design, participatory data collection methods and protocols, and facilitating participatory data validation and analysis exercises
• Experience in designing and training on Theory of change / logical frameworks
• Experience building evaluative and learning capacities of USAID staff, implementing partners, and government counterparts highly preferred
• Experience managing complex relationships with a variety of stakeholders
• Strong familiarity with USAID’s Evaluation Policy and CLA practices
• Understanding of knowledge management as it relates to USAID programs an asset
• Ability to work with host-country governments at different levels
• Strong communication, supervision, and management skills required
• Working knowledge of and experience with USG-funded program management, policies, regulations and procedures
• Previous work experience in Nigeria required
• Familiarity with USAID/Nigeria Mission is preferred
• Superior skills in written and verbal English required
• Proficiency in local language(s) greatly preferred.