Team Leader, Program Evaluation of the Measuring Impact II (MI2) Contract

Background: USAID’s Biodiversity Policy seeks to make the Agency’s investments in conservation and integrated programs more effective, while recognizing that good development relies on conservation. Measuring Impact II’s (MI2) goal is to enhance the effectiveness and impact of USAID biodiversity conservation and integrated programs. MI2’s initiatives aim to strengthen the adoption of adaptive management to enable and encourage adaptive management in Agency business processes, increase capacity and motivation of key Agency stakeholders, and reinforce the use and value of evidence and learning. MI2 does this through providing facilitation and support, including support for enhanced utilization of evidence, and learning throughout the full activity design lifecycle.

MI2 is the primary tool for the USAID Biodiversity Division to affect the quality of biodiversity activity design, implementation, and overall conservation practice at the Agency. For that reason, it is important to learn if MI2 is an effective means to achieve greater conservation and improve the effectiveness of USAID conservation practice. In FY2020, there was a Stakeholder Needs Assessment conducted to assess the needs of USAID technical staff who conduct biodiversity conservation programming, as well as a Biodiversity Programming Practices survey, the findings from which are reported in the MI2 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Performance Indicator Report.

Project Description: The objectives of this assignment are to conduct a performance evaluation of USAID’s Measuring Impact II. The Program Evaluation of USAID’s MI2 is managed under the Integrated Natural Resource Management (IN RM) Task Order (TO). The INRM TO provides on-demand support services and technical assistance for USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Offices, and is managed by the Center for Environment, Energy, and Infrastructure (EEI) in the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI). INRM supports integrated analysis and programming across development sectors. By using a multi-sectoral lens, INRM seeks to strengthen the impacts of USAID’s core environmental programming by recognizing synergies, adopting best practices, and building broader constituencies for integrated programming. The activity is designed to help USAID operating units achieve higher impact environment programming and to support the uptake of principles and approaches outlined in the Agency’s Environmental and Natural Resource Management Framework .

Position Description: DAI is seeking an individual to fulfill the role of the Evaluation Team Leader (TL) for the Program Evaluation of USAID’s MI2. The TL will manage and oversee the research team and all client deliverables. In addition, the TL is responsible for coordinating research activities and ensuring the production and completion of the final reports in accordance with the scope of work and work plan timelines. The TL will guide the development of the desk review, lead data collection and compilation, conduct rigorous qualitative data analysis, coordinate technical inputs of team members, and lead the drafting and completion of the final report. The TL will ensure quality assurance and timeliness of all deliverables, including adherence to DAI’s quality assurance standards. The project will begin as early as June 2021 and is projected to last through December 2021. All work on the program evaluation is expected to be conducted remotely.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a research team, including a senior evaluation expert and mid-level evaluation expert
• In collaboration with research team, lead design and implementation of the MI2 program evaluation, including disseminating findings, conclusions, and recommendations to USAID.
• Maintain clear and regular communication with the research team and INRM support staff, and inform the INRM team of any risks, problems, or challenges in a timely manner.
• Lead the development and finalization of project deliverables, including the inception report with a detailed work plan, presentations including in and out briefs with the Mission, and draft and final performance evaluation and assessment reports.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in International Development, Evaluation, Natural Resources Management, Conservation, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of twelve years of experience with a master’s degree designing and executing similar projects, research or evaluation, or eight years of experience with a PhD.
• Experience specialized in adaptive management.
• Extensive expertise in either in research design, mixed-methods evaluations, designing data collection tools and analysis.
• Experience working with USAID, ideally in a Team Leader capacity for an evaluation or assessment.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills.