Mid-level Evaluator Consultant - USAID (ROLCI)

EnCompass LLC is seeking a Mid-Level Evaluator consultant for a USAID Mid-Term Evaluation Of The  Activity "Rule Of Law And Culture Of Integrity" in Paraguay. The evaluation seeks to analyze the effectiveness of the Activity, referring to the institutional strengthening of Higher Education Institutions in research and/or technical analysis, to identify the expected and unexpected results achieved, why and how they were achieved, the processes followed and the limiting factors that may be affecting implementation. The evaluation will also analyze the contribution of research to improving the rule of law and will identify lessons learned to support learning and decision-making for future programming. The results of this evaluation will provide information for the design and updates of activities and projects, as appropriate.

The evaluation will apply a participatory approach of the different actors, according to the role they play in the Activity. It will include qualitative methods including in-depth interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders which will incorporate the opinions and perceptions of the various groups of actors identified. An online survey will also be applied to reach out to teachers and young professionals collect their perceptions

The duration of this consultancy will be no longer than 41days, between June and November 2022.

We are looking for a professional with proven experience participating in evaluation teams, use of mixed methods of data collection and analysis, and facilitation of participatory processes in virtual contexts.

Experience as a senior evaluator in evaluations of the Latin American educational sector, institutional strengthening and/or public sector reform, preferably in higher education, is highly desirable.

The consultant must be fluent in Spanish and have previous experience in Latin America. The consultant must have work authorization for the United States, Peru, Brazil, or Paraguay and with availability to travel to Paraguay as needed.

About the project

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning for Sustainability (MELS) is an Activity of the United Agency for International Development mission to Peru (USAID/Peru), implemented by EnCompass LLC and its partner, All In for Development.

MELS provides support to USAID/Peru and USAID/ Paraguay in the design and development of evaluations and studies to improve the use of evidence and learning for decision making (Component 1); strengthens the monitoring, evaluation and learning capacities of USAID partners and government institutions to consolidate their monitoring and evaluation systems (Components 2 and 3); and technically assists USAID and partners to improve collaboration, learning and knowledge management for sustainability (Component 4). This includes technical assistance to develop and use gender-transformative tools and resources to achieve gender integration and social inclusion in planning, monitoring and evaluation.

Responsibilities of the position

·       Participate in meetings with the USAID/Paraguay and MELS team to formulate the evaluation design.

·       From the perspective of his/her area of expertise Supports the evaluation design that includes the proposed methodology, the data collection instruments, and the fieldwork schedule.

·       Collects data according to the methodology (literature review, in-depth interviews, focus groups). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection is expected to take place virtually.

·       Conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders.

·       Conduct data coding and analysis.

·       Participate in meetings with the MELS team and USAID/Paraguay during data collection, as needed.

·       Validate the preliminary findings in a participatory meeting with the MELS team. USAID/Paraguay and other relevant stakeholders.

·       Contribute to a preliminary report following USAID standards.

·       Prepare and facilitate the validation workshop of lessons learned and co-creation of recommendations

·       Contribute to the report integrating comments and feedback received, which must be written in English, following USAID standards.

Position Requirements

Academic Qualifications

·       Professional with a master's degree in social sciences, political sciences, economic sciences, or other areas related to the subject of the call for proposals.

Experience and Skills

·       At least 6 years of experience in qualitative evaluations, preferably in Paraguay.

·       Experience in multi-actor evaluations in education, preferably in higher education, institutional   strengthening and/or public state reform is highly desirable.

·       Include titles and links to evaluation reports as team member

·       Experience in the use of mixed methods: design of data collection tools, data collection using virtual methods, data analysis and preparation of evaluation reports.

·       Experience in evaluation report writing

·       Fluency in Spanish (written and spoken).