Landscape Assessment Lead, USAID/Laos Learn to Read Activity

Social Impact is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Project Objective:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Laos Country Office (LCO) has asked Social Impact (SI)’s USAID/LCO Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Support Activity to – as part of a mid-term evaluation of its Learn to Read (LTR) activity – conduct a landscape assessment of programming that supports pre-primary and emergent literacy in Laos. The objectives of this assessment will be to identify: key stakeholders in the field, programming and services that would complement the LTR program, and additional components or interventions that USAID LTR could invest in.

LTR is a five-year USAID-funded activity that began on August 15, 2018 and will end August 14, 2023. LTR’s goal is to improve reading skills for all children in pre-primary through second grade, with a particular focus on non-Lao-speaking children and children with disabilities. This will be achieved through providing supplemental materials (Result 1), teacher training and support (Result 2), and community engagement (Result 3) programming. LTR also supports and advocates for inclusive education across all three result areas. LTR is implemented by a consortium led by Save the Children. School and community-level activities take place in 16 districts in four provinces of Lao PDR and will reach an estimated minimum of 65,313 children upon completion. Programming is carried out in close partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and leading development partners with the aim of building system capacity to support children’s reading in the long-term and to strengthen the Lao education system with evidence-based approaches.

Position Description:

SI is seeking an individual to lead an integrated Landscape Assessment as an element of this mid-term evaluation. The Assessment Lead (AL) will report to the SI management team and will be expected to work in collaboration with the Team Lead for the overall MTE. The AL will be responsible for directing research activities with a team, as related to the landscape assessment, and ensuring the production and completion of the landscape assessment section of the final report in accordance with the scope of work and work plan timelines. The AL will guide the development of the desk review, direct data collection, conduct data analysis, coordinate technical inputs of team members, and lead the drafting and completion of a final report segment detailing the landscape findings, conclusions, and recommendations. The AL will ensure quality assurance and timeliness of all deliverables, including adherence to SI’s quality assurance standards. Following the completion of data collection and analysis, the AL will design and facilitate a presentation of findings to USAID and a lead a segment of a participatory workshop with the LTR implementing partner to obtain feedback and additional inputs, as well as to develop a set of joint recommendations for USAID funding.

The project will begin in early April 2021 and is projected to be completed in August 2021. Depending on the location of the evaluation team members, some data collection may be conducted remotely or only by local team members. Due to Covid-19 precautions, there is no international travel expected for this assignment. In-country team members will be expected to conduct in-person interviews. The AL is required for approximately 15 days of LOE with the bulk of the LOE occurring April through June.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct a desk review of relevant programming documents.
• Develop and finalize landscape assessment design and data collection tools, coordinating technical inputs from the team.
• Administer interviews (as needed) with stakeholders in Lao PDR as able and oversee the data collection of in-country team members (if not based in-country).
• Ensure quality work in all deliverables; implement SI quality assurance processes.
• Guide and oversee the development and finalization of project deliverables, including the final report and applicable presentations.
• Prepare and present the findings to USAID Learn to Read partners to validate the findings, obtain additional inputs, and develop joint recommendations.
• Develop and deliver a findings presentation for USAID LCRP, USAID Learn to Read Executive and Advisory Committees, and other relevant partners as appropriate for feedback.
• Work closely with SI HQ team and communicate in a timely and effective manner with all project personnel.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field and at least five years of experience leading landscape assessments or similar evaluations of early grade reading, teacher training, and inclusive education programs.
• Familiarity with Laos and/or regional experience, especially knowledge of reading programs operating in Laos is strongly preferred.
• Advanced quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, as well as strategic thinking and facilitation skills (experience with EGRA’s strongly preferred).
• Strong team management and interpersonal skills.
• Candidates based in Laos strongly encouraged to apply.
• Fluency in English required.