Equal Access International (EAI) – a non‐governmental organization (NGO) based in Washington, D.C. – partners with communities around the world to co‐create sustainable solutions utilizing community engagement and participatory media and technology. With funding from bi‐laterals, multi‐laterals, foundations, and individual donors, EAI has a 20‐year track record implementing social change projects across Africa and Asia.
OVERVIEW: Equal Access International (EAI) seeks an individual (not firm) for a short-term consultancy to create comprehensive and innovative MERL systems, tools, staff capacities, and practices. EAI is now operating in 15 countries through complex peacebuilding, P/CVE, governance, women’s empowerment, participatory media, ICT4D, and youth development projects. We seek a consultant with experience designing and implementing monitoring & evaluation (M&E) systems, tools, and capacity building efforts that can strengthen the evidence base behind our work, including research, complexity-aware M&E (C-AM&E) systems, creating a learning agenda, and streamlined data management to better capture knowledge, attitude, and behavior outcomes that result from our programming.
OBJECTIVES/DELIVERABLES:
● Conduct an assessment of existing organizational MERL systems, processes, tools, and products, beginning with an in-depth assessment of several key EAI projects funded by the US Government and with a particular focus on assessing and strengthening EAI’s theories of change (TOC)
● Review and provide feedback on specific MERL deliverables, including evaluation and research designs, monitoring systems, outcome harvesting reports, and/or policies and procedures developed by field teams, as assigned
● Lead remote TOC development and MERL workshops with EAI field teams, as assigned, with an emphasis on C-AM&E, reporting, success story writing, and qualitative tool development and analysis
● Conduct one-on-one interviews with members of select EAI country teams to understand: 1) M&E tools employed; 2) M&E data collected to-date; proposals for how to improve our M&E systems moving forward; 4) what they see as reasonable and realistic in terms of data collection and analysis
● Work with EAI’s senior program staff to develop a comprehensive database that aggregates data collected at the country level against global indicators of success (while the MERL system should be robust it should also be adjusted to reflect capacity levels of country teams)
● Conduct a remote assessment of select projects’ MERL processes and data collected and propose actionable MERL systems that focus on outcomes (and use outcome harvesting)
● Work closely with EAI’s senior program staff to prepare and present an overarching strategy for developing a comprehensive MERL system based on industry best practices, organizational capacity, and EAI’s technical areas
● Support design of a global system for identifying, documenting, and communicating lessons learned across all EAI country programs
● Provide advice to HQ program teams on specific projects, including M&E design for business development
● Support relevant EAI deliverables, including but not limited to, M&E plan, work plans, and other technical documents and reports
The revised MERL systems developed by the Consultant will likely include the following elements:
● Evidence-based TOCs at the core of every project
● Easy-to-use tools, surveys, and processes for iterative outcome harvesting and storytelling in all projects
● Support in the design and project-level Results Frameworks (with relevant indicators and targets) that effectively and efficiently test the Theories of Change
● Quantitative and qualitative methods that capture and assess project results (evaluation) in the context of the Theories of Change
● Creation of systems and processes to analyze project results across countries and regions on a monthly basis in order to make more generalizable conclusions regarding outcomes and outputs
● Recommendations for data visualization tools [GF8] and systems
● Support in the design of user-friendly reports using infographics, charts, maps, and other elements to strengthen information sharing and thought leadership
● Application of new knowledge to inform the next generation of programming; and
● Partnerships with implementing, research, MERL, and donor organizations to provide consulting services in the above areas
EXPERTISE:
● Experience in international development, particularly in the areas of SBCC, media, peacebuilding, P/CVE, gender, participatory research, civic engagement and/or governance
● Strong knowledge of current social-science literature in peacebuilding and governance
● Academic training and professional experience in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including production of reports and articles based on such research
● Experience conducting training sessions and with data management
● Familiarity with Complexity-Aware M&E tools and approaches, including Developmental Evaluation, Outcome Harvesting, and Most Significant Change
● Significant experience designing and managing media/communications for development programs
● Familiarity with Smartsheet, SPSS and/or other research and M&E software programs
TIMELINE:
4 months (with option to renew)
How to apply
To apply, please send your CV/daily rate, and indicate your MERL experience to: [email protected] with “MERL Consultant” in the subject line of the email. The deadline for submitting an application is December 31, 2020.
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