Evaluation Expert Consultant - Zambia

Job Description

Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire an Evaluation Expert Consultant to conduct a midline performance evaluation of the Local Impact Governance Activity (“Local Impact”) in Zambia, contracted by SoCha and implemented by the USAID/Zambia Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Platform (Z-MELP). The Midline Performance Evaluation will aid SoCha in assessing the performance of the USAID Local Impact Activity to date and inform any mid-course corrective actions and adaptive management that can help to strengthen performance and address identified shortcomings. The Evaluation Expert Consultant will provide an additional layer of quality control to the evaluation, including through the review of the evaluation inception report, data collection tools, and data analysis plan. This individual will also provide a quality check on field notes, and the FCR matrix, and will provide an initial critical review and edit of the evaluation report.

The purpose of the Local Impact Governance Activity is to help the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) build up a sub-national system of governance for devolved service delivery that is more responsive to citizen needs. By supporting the transformation of sub-national governance to be more responsive to citizen needs, Local Impact engages national and sub-national authorities to expand the capabilities of district-level governance bodies to deliver sustainable development outcomes, increase effective citizen and private sector involvement in development planning and monitoring, and improve public financial management (PFM) and domestic revenue generation.

This will be a part-time consultant position based in Zambia. This position will be contingent on contract award and funding and will be open to both expatriates and Zambian citizens.
The evaluation is estimated to begin in January 2024 and end in June 2024.

Essential Job Duties:

The position’s responsibilities will include:

• Provide technical leadership and quality when conducting the assessment evaluation;
• Provide an additional layer of quality control to the evaluation, including through the review of the evaluation inception report, data collection tools, and data analysis plan;
• Provide a quality check on field notes, and the FCR matrix, and will provide an initial critical review and edit of the evaluation report.
  
  
  

Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree (or higher) and 5 years relevant work experience, or relevant work experience of 7 years instead of an advanced degree;
• Expertise in decentralization, sub-national/local governance, local government financing, and service delivery, as well as local government-private sector linkage-building preferred;
• Strong background in leading/supporting USAID evaluations and will be equipped with the skills to ensure that all evaluation outputs are compliant with USAID ADS requirements;
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders, and team members;
• Professional fluency in English (both spoken and written) is required.
• This position is open to both expatriates and Zambian citizens.
  
  
  

Reporting:

• This position reports to the Team Lead and DI home office.
  
  
  

Application Process:

Interested applicants MUST submit a cover letter and CV. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will be filled as soon as a qualified candidate is identified. DI will only contact candidates of interest.

About the Organization

DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 80+ countries.

DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.