Consultancy: International Team Leader for the Midterm Performance Evaluation of the Esho Shikhi (Come and Learn) USAID Upoma Activity

Position Description

EnCompass LLC seeks an international Team Leader with extensive experience evaluating education projects to conduct the evaluation and lead a team of local subject matter specialists.

EnCompass is implementing the four-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bangladesh Upoma Activity, providing a range of analytical and advisory services in support of USAID’s design, performance monitoring, evaluation, and operational learning and adapting efforts. Under Upoma, EnCompass has been tasked to conduct a Midterm Performance Evaluation of the USAID funded the Esho Shikhi (Come and Learn) Activity.

The objective of Esho Shikhi is to improve the learning outcomes of Bangladeshi children in crisis-affected and marginalized communities by improving access to quality education. The activity accomplishes its objectives through interventions in the following result areas:

Result 1: Learning opportunities increased.

Result 2: Enhanced teaching quality and teaching-learning materials to improve the quality of education.

Result 3: National, district, upazila, and community personnel and officials’ ability to plan, manage, and oversee quality education improved.

Result 4: School communities’ ability to mitigate and manage the effects of shocks and stressors on education access and quality improved.

The following Evaluation Learning Questions (LQs) will be answered through a gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) lens:

• LQ1. What is the project progress against its set objectives and result areas?
• LQ2. How are the four result areas of the activity complementing and coordinating with one another to achieve activity objectives?
• LQ3. How well are the contractor’s partnerships with its subcontractors functioning and contributing to successful outcomes across results areas and overall project objectives?
• LQ4. How has the contractor’s partnership with MoPME and DPE impacted the progress of the activity?
• LQ5. What are the major challenges/bottlenecks, both internally and externally, to achieving activity objectives?
• LQ6. What are the major lessons learned and how can they inform future programming?
• LQ7. What else does the project need to do to amplify its interventions for sustainable solutions?

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Essential functions:

Administration:

• Lead the evaluation team comprising the following local staff: a local Teacher Professional Development Specialist, a local Education Research Specialist, two local researchers, and a Field Coordinator.
• Develop an Inception Plan, including methodology, tools, and a timeline to execute the evaluation and answer the LQs.
• Review relevant secondary data, both to inform the Inception Report as well as the final report, integrating secondary data to answer the learning questions.
• Collect primary data through various means, such as interviews and focus groups, and stakeholder surveys, ensuring data quality and integrity.
• Act as the principal point of contact for USAID’s Activity Manager, providing regular updates on the progress of the evaluation. Conduct an in-brief meeting with USAID on arrival to Bangladesh and an out-brief meeting with USAID upon completion of primary data collection, prior to departure from Bangladesh.
• Manage the team’s primary data collection efforts, ensuring methods are ethical and thorough.
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and synthesis of primary and secondary data.
• Prepare the draft and final version of the evaluation report

Deliverables and Timing**:**

• Inception report including work plan, detailed methodology, data collection tools, lists of KIIs and FGDs, outline of the final report presenting the proposed structure of the report, and timeline.
• In-brief meeting with USAID Activity Manager upon arrival in Bangladesh.
• Conduct any additional meetings with USAID, if needed.
• Regular progress reports/updates to USAID Activity Manager.
• Out-brief meeting with USAID at the end of field work/data collection to share preliminary findings and recommendations.
• A draft version of the evaluation report, not to exceed 35 pages (excluding Executive Summary and annexes)
• Detailed notes or transcripts in English from the KIIs and FGDs.
• Data sets of any quantitative data collected through stakeholder surveys.
• A PowerPoint presentation on findings and practical, actionable recommendations
• Facilitate a co-creation workshop with USAID to discuss findings and recommendations.
• A final version of the evaluation report, incorporating feedback from USAID from the co-creation workshop.

Period of Performance and Level of Effort (LOE):

The LOE for the Team Leader is approximately up to 60 days. The period of performance is from on or about July 1 – December 30, 2024.

Travel: The position requires travel by the Team Leader to Bangladesh.

Position Requirements

Qualifications

Academic Qualifications

• An advanced degree in international development, education, gender issues, or related field is required.

Experience and Skills

• A minimum of 15 years of experience conducting evaluations, studies, or assessments.
• Should have conducted at least three studies at the national level in a developing country for primary education programs, preferably on teacher professional development or early grade reading in one or more comparable countries in South Asia.
• Demonstrated experience conducting studies focused on gender equality and/or social inclusion.
• Prior experience conducting studies in Bangladesh is preferred.
• Proven track record leading evaluations, with expertise in application of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Previous recent experience successfully leading at least one USAID evaluation.
• Excellent communication skills in English are required.
• Fluency in Bengali is not required but preferred.
• Demonstrable experience in project management and team leadership within multi-cultural settings.