MEL Specialists – Building Evidence for Decision-Making (BE4D) Washington, D.C.

Activity Background

SoCha intends to submit a proposal for the USAID Building Evidence for Decision-Making (BE4D) activity. This activity will incentivize evidence use for decision-making via high-quality monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and collaboration, learning, and adaptive management (CLA) related services for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Democracy, Development, and Innovation (DDI), as well as other Operating Units (OUs) with whom DDI partners and which will have the option to buy-in to the delivery of services by BE4D on demand. This evidence may also be used by and benefit local actors and implementing partners. BE4D will operate from Washington, D.C.

The activity will achieve the overall purpose through the following objectives:

• Objective 1 – Design
• Objective 2 – Performance Monitoring for Learning and Adaptive Management
• Objective 3 – Evaluations and Other Analyses/Assessments for Learning and Adaptive Management
• Objective 4 – Training and Advising/Mentoring
• Objective 5 – Communications, Dissemination, Knowledge Management, and Organizational Learning
• Objective 6 – Collaborating, Learning, and Adaptive Management

Scope of Work

SoCha seeks experienced MEL Specialists to implement various work orders issued under BE4D on demand from USAID. Qualified MEL Specialists will be rapidly mobilized to fill key roles on work orders. Candidates will be included in SoCha’s consultant database and called on for work orders relevant to their skills and experience.

MEL Specialists experienced in the following areas are invited to submit their CVs:

• Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)
  • Coordinating with stakeholders
  • Hosting learning events for international development partners
  • Building institutional capacity and memory
  • Incentivizing learning and sharing
  • Facilitating learning events
• Program Design
  • Creating theories of change, logic models and results frameworks for new projects
  • Reviewing existing / draft theories of change and associated logic models/results frameworks to ensure clarity and correctness
• Performance Monitoring, including:
  • Developing and/or reviewing performance monitoring plans / AMELPs
  • Designing and optimizing quantitative and qualitative indicators for international development projects
  • Reviewing Indicators, setting targets and tracking progress against these
• Evaluations
  • Designing or conducting performance or impact evaluations
  • Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods
  • Applying evaluation results to inform future programming
• Implementation Science
  • Scientific study of methods and strategies that facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practice and research into regular use by practitioners and policymakers.
  • Implementation science seeks to systematically close the gap between what we know and what we do (often referred to as the know-do gap) by identifying and addressing the barriers that slow or halt the uptake of proven interventions and evidence-based practices
• Capacity Building in MEL
  • Training monitoring and evaluation (M&E) professionals
  • Coaching and mentoring local organizations in M&E methodologies

MEL Specialists with additional technical expertise and experience in the following subject areas are invited to submit their CVs:

• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Inclusive development — an equitable development approach built on the understanding that every individual and community, of all diverse identities and experiences, is instrumental in the transformation of their own societies. Their engagement throughout the development process leads to better outcomes
• Climate change
• Education
• Private sector engagement
• Conservation
• Energy
• Land and resource governance.

Minimum qualifications and experience

• An advanced degree in a relevant field such as monitoring and evaluation, social science, or international affairs;
• Senior level: 8+ years’ experience in MEL/CLA areas such as program design, performance monitoring, evaluation, and implementation science;
• Mid Level: 5+ years’ experience in MEL/CLA areas such as program design, performance monitoring, evaluation, and implementation science;
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work effectively in a team environment;
• Prior experience working with USAID preferred (including on USAID-funded work);
• Demonstrated excellent written and spoken English language skills.

Location

Washington DC, USA.

How to apply

To apply, please upload your CV via the following link: https://jobs.socha.net/mel-specialists-be4d-washington/05/03/2023/
Applications close on May 15th, 2023. Application review will be on a rolling basis.