Team Leader/Evaluation Specialist

Team Leader/Evaluation Specialist, Performance Evaluation of Southern Africa Trade Hub and Assessment Survey of Trade Facilitation Measures,Washington, DC

Company Profile:

Management Systems International (MSI) is an international development firm in the Washington, D.C., metro area with a 30-year history of helping to deliver results across the developing world. In 2008, we became part of Coffey International Limited. Since that time, we have greatly expanded our ability to respond seamlessly and flexibly to client needs with Coffey's international development offices in the United Kingdom and Australia. We operate in some of the most challenging political and economic climates in the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and South Sudan. MSI currently employs 800 development experts in the fields of public sector management, monitoring and evaluation, governance, and anticorruption. For more information on MSI, please visit our website atwww.msiworldwide.com.

Project Summary:

MSI is currently seeking an Team Leader/Evaluation Specialist to design and implement two related studies: a final performance evaluation of the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Competitiveness Program (the “Southern Africa Trade Hub,” or SATH), and an assessment survey for USAID on the costs and benefits of selected trade facilitation measures in the Southern Africa Region. The primary purpose of the final performance evaluation is to gather and synthesize information regarding the SATH project's performance to date and assess achievements versus expected results. The objective of the assessment survey is to provide guidance to USAID/Southern Africa in their oversight of future trade facilitation-related activities.

These research activities are undertaken through USAID's E3 Analytics and Evaluation Project, for which MSI is the lead implementer. The focus of the E3 Analytics and Evaluation Project is the design and implementation of rigorous evaluations as well as analytic support for USAID project design efforts across E3 technical sectors.

Position Summary:

The successful candidate will have experience designing and implementing mixed methods evaluations of international development programs in a team leader capacity for USAID or donor agencies, ideally in one more of the countries where SATH activities are implemented: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia.

Period of Performance:

The performance evaluation activities are expected to begin immediately (November 2015) and conclude around March of 2016. The assessment survey activities will have a similar timeline but may extend into the middle of 2016.

Responsibilities:

Lead the design and implementation of the final performance evaluation of SATH and the assessment survey on the cost/benefits of trade facilitation measures in the Southern Africa Region.
Participate in the identification and selection of assessment and evaluation team members
Supervise other evaluation and assessment team members in carrying out the required design, research and analysis.
Ensure that evaluation and assessment team processes and products meet the requirements and quality standards of MSI and USAID.
Consult with the Project team, USAID staff, and other relevant stakeholders to define the scope of the review and other key considerations to ensure it aligns with USAID's objectives.
Conduct desk research and provide inputs to inform the design documents and methodologies of the performance evaluation and survey assessment.
Lead the drafting and finalization of the evaluation and assessment design documents including: data collection instruments, data collection and analysis plans, work plans, sampling plans, and other relevant sections of the design document.
Carry out research and analysis based on the approved methodology for the review; this may include reviewing and analyzing secondary documents, conducting key informant interviews in person or by phone, and supervising data collection in one or more of the countries where SATH is implemented and other approaches to collect and analyze data.
Lead the drafting and finalization of the draft and final reports for the final performance evaluation and survey assessment; including responding to comments from MSI project team and the client.
Participate in presentations to USAID regarding findings and recommendations from the review.

Qualifications:

Must have a minimum of Master's Degree in International Trade Law, Economics, or any other closely related field of study. Proven knowledge of applied economic analysis.
Proven project management and leadership experience.
At least 5 years' experience in performance evaluation of donor funded projects in Africa;
Sound knowledge of regional integration particularly in Southern Africa.
Familiarity with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), and the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU).
Sound knowledge of USAID programs and an understanding of the USAID Evaluation Policy.
Native or near-native fluency in English including speaking, writing, and reading.
Excellent analytical and report writing skills, as well as proven experience in administering surveys.