Subject Matter Expert, Mid-Term Evaluation for the Continuity of Learning; Haiti Evaluation and Survey Services Plus (ESS+) Activity

**Note: this is a local position. Consultant must be based in Haiti, and if required, be willing to travel within Haiti for fieldwork.**

Introduction

Social Impact, Inc. (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity-building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as U.S. government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Project Objective

In August 2022, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded International Business Initiatives Corp. (IBI) the Evaluation Survey Services Plus (ESS+) contract to support USAID/Haiti and its partners with evaluations, survey and study support, capacity building and learning events, and in-country Third Party Monitoring. IBI partners with SI to implement the ESS+ Activity.

USAID/Haiti has engaged Haiti ESS+ to conduct a Mid-Term Evaluation for the Continuity of Learning (COL) Activity. The objective of the Activity is to improve foundational skills in reading, literacy, and social emotional learning by building and strengthening the capacity of teachers, schools, and communities with appropriate support for learners ages six through twelve (grades 1 through 4) to benefit from a resilient education system that delivers uninterrupted access to a safe, quality education.

The purpose of the evaluation is to understand what the activity was able to achieve during phase 1; to measure whether the adaptations made due to the dynamic context were implemented with fidelity; and to assess whether the adaptations made to the programming during phase 1 continue to move the project towards the expected results and objectives, and are appropriate to the Haitian context.

Position Description

Haiti ESS+ is seeking a subject matter expert consultant to support technical and management aspects of the COL mid-term evaluation. The subject matter expert serves as a member of the team. S/He will be expected to work closely with a team leader (TL), the local data collection firm, the Haiti ESS+ team as well as the SI headquarters project management team to ensure quality and timely deliverables. The evaluation level of effort is approximately 10 – 12 weeks (from 60 to 65 days), inclusive of two to three consecutive weeks (18 days) of data collection and analysis.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the team leader on strategic and operational planning, implement approved Evaluation Design, and ensure compliance with all USAID contractual reporting and financial requirements for the evaluation.
• Provide subject matter expertise in social emotional learning and literacy in early childhood education, distance learning and disrupted education (due to conflict, disaster or diseases), and apply this lens to evaluation design and all deliverables.
• Under the team leader’s guidance, lead the design and implementation of COL-related instruments, writing, and analysis.
• Conduct primarily qualitative data collection, ensuring data quality.
• Conduct analysis and review of data to SI data quality standards. Contextualize analysis and findings to the specific Haitian context.
• Participate in USAID meetings and internal evaluation team meetings.
• Collaborate with the SI headquarters and Haiti ESS+ staff with strategic and operational planning to implement the approved work plan.
• Support writing all deliverables associated with the evaluation including, but not limited, to the evaluation design (including tools) and the draft and final reports in conformity with SI and USAID regulations, and the Scope of Work.
• Manage all deadlines and record maintenance-including, but not limited to, collecting, and managing quantitative data and producing notes for all qualitative data collection events for delivery to USAID.
• Assist Haiti ESS+ in maintaining good working relationships with USAID, Government of Haiti counterparts, local organizations, and other program partners.

Qualifications

• At least eight (8)+ years of experience in evaluating education and early childhood projects/activities (preferably social emotional learning, literacy, distance learning, education in disrupted settings); USAID project implementation experience preferred.
• Must hold a master’s degree in education, social sciences, or other related fields.
• Experience conducting USAID education programs/activities and/or evaluations.
• Expertise in leading/evaluating education projects that provide in-class and/or distant learning opportunities during difficult time (socio-political instability), including resources for social-emotional learning and interactive literacy activities for first, second, third, and fourth grade students.
• Demonstrated experience leading education project/program aiming at improving quality of education systems, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Expertise in qualitative methods and ability to analyze monitoring data (basic descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis)
• Flexible, able to work well in a team setting, open-minded.
• Subject matter experience in/on Haiti.
• Proven leadership and organizational skills to successfully support the Team Leader.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience successfully interacting with host government officials, civil society partners, and other stakeholders.
• Fluency in English. Proficiency in written and spoken French. [Kreyol is highly desired].
• Excellent writing skills, including experience writing evaluation and/or assessment reports.