Evaluation and Research Specialist

Job Details

Description

Job Summary

The International Republican Institute (IRI) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization and a world leader in promoting democracy and advancing freedom. The E&R Specialist will be one of the technical and project management leads on thematic and impact evaluations of IRI projects. These evaluations will assess program theory, strategy and efficacy. The E&R Specialist will also contribute to efforts to disseminate lessons learned from these evaluations internally to Regional Divisions and externally to the DRG community.

This position will be located in IRI’s Center for Global Impact, which cultivates innovative, informed programming and provides resources, tools and support to IRI staff to advance democracy worldwide. Within the Center, the Evidence and Learning Practice provides technical expertise on IRI’s monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning efforts.

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day-to-day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks, include:

Excellence – We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom – We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect – We believe in trust, empathy and empowering people. Teamwork – We believe in diversity, inclusion and the power of global collaboration. Transparency – We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability – We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success.

Position Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in political science, international relations or related field required; MA preferred.
• 3-5 years professional experience in the international development sector, preferably with a background monitoring, evaluation, research and learning.
• Demonstrated understanding of the program theory-based approach to program design, monitoring and evaluation.
• Experience with outcome and impact evaluations strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data analysis software – such as SPSS, STATA, R, NVivo, or Dedoose – preferred.
• Experience working with U.S. Government-funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes preferred.
• Experience with program management, project implementation and/or budget oversight.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Exceptional ability to operate under strict deadlines, while managing multiple priorities.
• Willingness and ability to travel to challenging environments.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

Evaluation Design and Management – 65%

• Lead and contribute to thematic and impact evaluations of IRI projects, including designing evaluation methodologies, workplans, sampling strategies and data collection tools, collecting and analyzing data, and writing evaluation reports.
• Collaborate with IRI program staff to identify and scope the most appropriate cases for thematic evaluation series.
• Create resources and tools that provide evidence-based guidance to IRI program staff and the DRG community for purposes of designing, implementing, and evaluating programs.
• Support Regional Division consultations, such as business development opportunities, proposal writing and brainstorming around thematic or impact evaluation related topics.
• Travel as needed for data collection or other evaluation-related purposes.
• Foster and contribute to an inclusive, equitable workplace that embraces diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Display cultural and gender sensitivity, engage with colleagues and partners in a respectful, welcoming manner and demonstrate integrity by modeling IRI’s values.
• Work with other members of the Evidence and Learning Practice (ELP) to complete projects, achieve organizational goals, and advance IRI’s Learning Agenda and related efforts.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Project Management – 25%

• Develop and monitor work plans related to project implementation and special projects.
• Establish, maintain, and develop productive working relationships with relevant stakeholders, including DC and field-based staff, academic partners, and funders.
• Draft and review quarterly, final and other reports for funders.
• Monitor and ensure proper tracking of budgets and program expenditures to ensure that IRI projects remain within budget allocations. Lead regular team budget analysis discussions.
• Maintain an understanding of funder and IRI policies and procedures related to grant and project implementation and compliance.

External Engagement with Democracy, Human Rights and Governance and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Fields – 10%

• Keep apprised of research in the academic and practitioner/policy communities relevant to democracy and governance work.
• Prepare external communications on IRI’s evaluation findings and methodologies (e.g., blog posts, articles, presentations, etc.).