Mid-Term Evaluation of Sudan BRIDGE/Winrock Program

Job Description

Mid-Term Evaluation of Sudan BRIDGE/Winrock Program

Company Profile: Management Systems International (MSI) is a global international development firm based in Washington, D.C. providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. Today, it has over 100 projects under management worldwide and its technical expertise has been expanded to include implementation of a range of analytical and field projects in democracy and governance, economic growth, organizational capacity building, education, and natural resource management. At the beginning of 2008, MSI joined Coffey International, Ltd., a global multi-disciplinary professional services organization with offices in 20 countries around the world. MSI became a part of Coffey International Development (Coffey ID), one of seven divisions which comprise the Coffey Group. Together, we aspire to create extraordinary outcomes for our clients, our staff and the communities in which we work. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at .

Project/Proposal Summary:

MSI was awarded a three-year contract with USAID/Sudan on a project named SUPPORT (Services Under Program and Project Offices for Results Tracking), and tasked with the responsibility of executing functions normally associated with USAID’s Program and Communications offices. As a part of the SUPPORT project, MSI is currently establishing an office compound suitable for USAID and partner meetings in Southern Sudan, hiring technical and support staff and facilitating VIP visits. For more information on our Sudan project (Services Under Program and Project Offices for Results Tracking – SUPPORT) please follow this link: .

Position Summary: MSI is seeking two consultants, one of whom will act as Team Leader, to assess the effectiveness of USAID’s BRIDGE/Winrock program since 2009 with evaluation questions focusing on project design, implementation, and impact to date. This will be a formative mid-term evaluation, one-half the way through the three-year project. Its principle purpose will be to provide information to help the Implementing Partners and USAID modify implementation to improve potential impact and review project design and assumptions to determine if they remain valid. Two sets of design issues in this regard are (1) the approach to increasing government capacity, given realities on the ground; and (2) the consortium approach and the integrated nature of the program. BRIDGE/Winrock utilizes a multi-partner consortium structure to implementing an integrated program in the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBG), Unity and Warrap (the BRIDGE/Winrock Target Region). Projected level of effort for the Team Leader and Evaluation Team Member is 34 and 31 days respectively, starting in early August and continuing through the month and possibly into early September.

Responsibilities:

• · A Team Planning Meeting (TPM) will be held upon arrival in Juba to agree on how team members will work together, how they will interact with the client and other stakeholders, and to develop an evaluation plan and finalize a Travel Schedule. All team members should be present for the TPM and for initial briefings and discussions with USAID’s Economic Growth Office and other Mission officers, as well as the Implementing Partner (IP) and Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS).
• · A Work Plan and travel program for the in-country visit as well as the subsequent report writing period will be submitted to USAID for approval during the first few days of work in Juba. The Work Plan will also include a schedule for periodic MSI and USAID progress reports and possible submissions of specific work products, as determined by the parties.
• · At a minimum the team will need to travel to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, and Unity states; some transportation will be arranged prior to departure.
• · During the TPM the team will finalize the methodology to be used and adapt the analytic instruments to be employed.
• · Approximately four days prior to departure the Team will present to USAID, IP’s, and the GoSS an out-briefing, with succinct supporting documents. The Draft Evaluation Report will be submitted prior to the External Evaluators’ departure from Juba.
• · The Mission and the IP will each submit its comments on the draft report within ten work days of receipt the draft report. The Draft Final Report will be submitted to USAID ten work days after the Team Leader’s receipt of USAID’s and the IP’s final written comments on the draft.
• · Consultants will be in Sudan the entire duration of the evaluation’s in-country component (six-day work weeks are authorized), including the TPM, a debriefing, and submission of a draft report to MSI’s COP or AME prior to departure from Sudan. In addition to travel days, additional days are provided for the External Evaluators to complete reading and processing all background information prior to departure for Sudan. Additional days are provided to finalize the report.
• · Qualifications:
• · Strong skills in evaluation, assessment, and analysis of USAID projects;
• · Extensive experience working in East Africa, Sudan, and/or similar post conflict environments;
• · Facilitation experience, experience leading participatory evaluations, or at least evaluations where evaluation teams include critical stakeholders as active participants; and
• · Experience arranging meetings, setting up travel schedules for field visits, reporting on meeting outcomes, and generally managing the logistics of the evaluation (although significant logistical assistance will be provided by the SUPPORT team in Juba).
• · Experience in implementing or evaluating: local governance; managing remote field projects; education; community-based projects; agriculture/food security; and water/sanitation.

This is a short-term position starting in early August and continuing through to the end of August or early September. Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

To apply, please visit our website: .