Team Leader (Evaluation) -- Civil Society and Media

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About Us:Bixal is a consulting company based in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Background The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Learning for Development Activity is a 5-year award led by Bixal Solutions, Inc. that provides USAID/Nepal with technical and advisory services in planning, designing, conducting, and learning from the monitoring and evaluation of the Mission’s strategies, projects, and activities in an efficient manner. USAID Learning for Development supports USAID/Nepal by providing services including a) learning and knowledge management; b) evaluations, study and other studies; c) performance monitoring technical support; d) capacity building; and e) development outreach and communications support. Purpose USAID Learning for Development seeks to hire a Team Lead evaluation consultant to lead and conduct a Midterm performance evaluation of USAID’s Civil Society and Media (CSM) program in Nepal. The purpose of this midterm evaluation of the CSM project is to determine whether the activity is on track to accomplish its intended goals and objectives focusing on its interventions and approaches to reach nascent local organizations and marginalized communities and recommend course corrections if this is not the case and/or if adjustments. The evaluation will also assess the degree to which there is evidence of sustainability of project results. The evaluation should provide actionable insights to strengthen the remainder of the current CSM program as well as provide insights on the current challenges of the civic space. Findings for the evaluation will be used to strengthen current CSM activities, plan for future activities, and provide evidence of good practices to the broader civil society in Nepal. By leveraging lessons learned and best practices, the evaluation endeavors to strengthen the current program and ultimately provide support to independent civil society and media led by and for women, youth and marginalized (WYM) communities in Nepal so they can reach their full capacity by advancing public interest, fundamental freedoms, and accountability.

Knowledge and Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience leading and/or evaluating development activities for USAID or other donor agencies, preferably with experience in South or South East Asia.
• Prior experience of leading similar evaluations or assessments required, preferably in Asia
• Demonstrated knowledge of Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) transitions
• Prior technical experience with the function and operation of civil society and media and their advocacy work, empowerment of nascent organizations, capacity development and sustainability
• Demonstrated skills in facilitating participatory processes to interpret and develop recommendations from research
• Strong communication skills, management, and writing skills required
• The ideal candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Master's or PhD in a related fiel

Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and leadership for the team consultants, ensuring all expertise is incorporated into the project design, implementation, and deliverables.
• Develop a project timeline and oversee direction and time management.
• Review USAID CSM activity documents and other relevant documents.
• Draft an inception report detailing the evaluation design and work plan, including the evaluation tools, methodology and schedule for data collection.
• Prepare data collection tools – including translation - and schedule to ensure a smooth deployment of data collection.
• Conduct FGDs and KIIs with relevant stakeholders, program participants, Local Government contact points and USAID staff, which requires travel to field locations.
• Conduct field data collection and observations.
• Prepare a preliminary finding report and presentation.
• Draft a consolidated evaluation report and deliver a presentation of the overall evaluation to the mission.
• Coordinate with the USAID Learning for Development team to ensure high-quality products.
• Attending regular check-in meetings with the USAID Learning for Development team.