Creative Associates International
Overview
Creative Associates International Inc. is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, DC, the firm has a field presence in 30 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The firm has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Creative is implementing the USAID/OTI Central America Regional Initiative (CARI) Program in El Salvador. The program seeks to build networks between and among civil society organizations and community-level actors, strengthen community resilience to crime and economic hardship, and pilot social behavior change strategies to mitigate gender-based violence in the public transportation sector.
Consultant will provide specialized technical assistance in social sciences research to develop under the Rapid Community Assessment Methodology: a rapid diagnosis to measure and apply the concept of collective efficacy, especially in its dimensions of informal social control and social trust, in following communities in El Salvador:
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Santa Ana: Lomas de Tecana and Caserío Camones in.
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San Salvador: Chancala in Mejicanos and Valle Verde 1 and 2 in Apopa.
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San Miguel: La Presita 1 and Miraflores.
The goal is to identify what are the positive impacts of collective efficacy in the communities intervened by the CARI Program in El Salvador and determine how to increase it based on the changes in the current country context (State of Emergency).
Responsibilities
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Coordinate activities with CARI El Salvador San Salvador team and local stakeholders in the communities.
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Carry out meetings with partner organizations and community-based partners to coordinate visits to communities and interviews with local leaders and key informants.
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Develop a proposal research methodology and preliminary instruments.
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Piloting and calibration of the instrument and respective adjustments and modifications to the instrument.
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Incorporate adjustments to the methodological proposal with respect to validation.
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Carry out Visits and interviews in selected communities of San Salvador, San Miguel, Santa Ana.
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Data entry, analysis and data cleaning.
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Preparation of descriptive report.
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Methodological guidelines for conducting workshops based on the Dynamic Systems Methodology.
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Carry out workshops based on the Dynamic Systems Methodology
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Modeling the collective efficacy of the communities in the face of the significant change of context produced by the implementation of the State of Emergency.
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Triangulation of findings
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Preparation and delivery of a report with findings for each of the six communities.
Deliverables
Report 1 – Workplan:
Proposal for a work plan that includes the work methodology to be carried out and the research instruments for the development of rapid diagnosis
Report 2 – Progress Report:
Report on qualitative and quantitative data collection on collective efficacy and its relationship with the state of emergency in the six selected communities.
Report 3 – Methodology to carry out socialization workshops:
Report on workshops to disseminate the results of the measurement of collective efficacy and the development of dynamic models of community collective efficacy and its positive impacts in six selected communities considering the context of a state of emergency.
Report 4 – Models of collective efficacy of communities:
Guide methodologies for partner organizations to measure and increase collective effectiveness in communities.
Report 5 – Final report:
Final report by community that reflects the measurement of collective efficacy and community social intervention that reflects a model of dynamic systems of collective efficacy and its impacts in the selected communities. This final report must include the proposal by each of the six communities that participate in the diagnosis. Additionally, the results of the triangulation of results by communities are required.
Qualifications
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Researcher specialized in social sciences with master’s and/or doctorate degrees, bilingual (English & Spanish).
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More than 10 years of experience on research and social intervention in communities and collective efficacy, preferably with experience in interventions in El Salvador.
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Demonstrate knowledge and management of advanced quantitative and qualitative research techniques, as well as the corresponding software (SPSS, Stata, Atlas.ti, Stella Architect, etc.) and triangulation procedures.
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High level of soft skills related to collaborative leadership, creative and systemic thinking, public presentation, and efficient work under pressure with delivery of products within limited deadlines.
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