Position Description:

SI is seeking a full-time Evaluation Specialist who will be responsible for managing and coordinating evaluations under USAID/Somalia as well as any requested assessments, surveys, or special studies. This position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Evaluation Specialist will serve as a core team member on a full-time basis throughout the four-year period of performance. Furthermore, the position will report to ELMI’s Evaluation Lead and work closely with the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP), Monitoring Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Advisor, and SI’s headquarters’ technical and program management support staff.

**Please Note: This is a local position. Only Kenyan and Somali citizens will be eligible to apply.**

Responsibilities:

• Manage, coordinate, and support evaluation, analyses and assessments throughout the life of the activity.
• Oversee the design of evaluation methodologies and development of data collection tools and protocols for all planned evaluations, assessments, and special studies.
• Lead the development and implementation of effective data quality assurance approaches and techniques.
• Work with USAID and ELMI leadership to establish which evaluation questions and key outcome of interest will be addressed in evaluation and assessments supported by ELMI.
• Support the design, quality development and production of all evaluation reports and any assessments, population-based surveys and studies including the testing of the development hypotheses, where feasible.
• Support the recruitment of short- and long-term evaluation team members ensuring candidates are of a high caliber and possess the required technical expertise.
• Conduct security assessments as necessary in coordination with field staff and SI’s partners to detail risks associated with the site visits and considerations to note during site visit planning and logistics.
• Work with evaluation teams to ensure adequate site visit planning, including logistics, security, and approvals. This will include finalizing the logistics for travel to the field locations for data collection, including security assessments, field work plans and final logistical arrangements with field teams and IPs.
• Manage evaluation and assessment workplans, timelines, budgets, and consultant teams to ensure timely and quality deliverables.
• Provide quality assurance on evaluations by ensuring respondent consent, daily check-ins and flash reports with field teams, and working with staff to have them follow data quality control guidelines.
• Provide oversight to evaluation teams as they engage in qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Work with COP, DCOP, and MEL Advisor, ensuring that evaluation information is shared and fully utilized through knowledge sharing and strategic learning processes to speed innovation and improve upon and bring new innovations to the Mission’s programmatic work in country.
• Lead communications with and engage USAID, government partners, implementers, and stakeholders for collaborative inputs in the design, implementation, and utilizing research findings and recommendations and seeking feedback and approvals when required.
• Provide support and technical expertise to overall management of the project to ensure that the project meets all its performance and reporting requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of five years professional work experience in the design, management, and implementation of evaluations, analyses, and assessments.
• Proven skills in evaluation design, methods, quantitative and qualitative methodologies and analysis.
• Ability to organize, manage, prioritize, and follow through on multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
• Good data analysis skills including good command of statistics, sampling methodologies, and statistical analysis software such as SPSS, STATA, Epi Info, among others.
• Extensive experience drafting and finalizing evaluation reports.
• Previous experience supporting USAID-funded contracts desired.
• Proven experience supporting evaluation teams.
• Computer literate and possess superior oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Experience working in Somalia is highly desired.