Program Evaluation Consultant (COVID-19 Response)

Job Description

Vital Strategies has formed a COVID-19 Incident Management System to control and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus in vulnerable low- and middle-income countries and the United States. Our work in the US is focused on strengthening the technical, policy and operational capacity of city and county health departments to effectively control COVID with an emphasis on vulnerable communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. We are working with a small number of model jurisdictions to demonstrate innovation and document and disseminate best practices.

Overall Role:

The Program Evaluation Consultant will be a member of the Vital Strategies / Resolve to Save Lives US COVID-19 Response Team and will be embedded in a local county or city health department to support the health department’s COVID response efforts. The focus of the position will be on supporting monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of COVID-19 prevention and control activities. Though primarily operating as an embedded team member of the local health jurisdiction, the consultant will maintain a close partnership with Vital Strategies/Resolve to Save Lives US COVID-19 Response cross-functional team of epidemiologists, evaluators, and program consultants for knowledge sharing and to ensure consistency of methods and recommendations. Following are the jurisdictions that may require a Program Evaluation Consultant: Franklin County, OH; Forsyth County, NC; Wake County, NC; North Carolina State; Marion County, IN.

This is a full-time, 12-month contract with the consultant working remotely and aligned with US Eastern Time Zone business hours. Once it is possible to work on-site, the consultant will be expected to spend considerable time at the appointed jurisdiction.

Main responsibilities:

In close collaboration with local health department staff, provide support within the health department to:

• Use the CDC evaluation framework for public health programs as a basis for program monitoring and evaluation activities
• Support the health department in identifying and creating metrics and tools for measuring the performance and impact of COVID-19 prevention interventions, testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine, infection prevention and control, and other interventions and approaches to COVID control
  • Compile existing metrics from various sources and create additional metrics, as needed
• Support the health department in planning and implementing rapid-cycle processes for monitoring and evaluating COVID prevention and control activities in the jurisdiction
• Support the health department in analyzing monitoring and evaluation data, tracking objectives, monitoring trends in performance, and developing reports for various audiences
• Identify implementation science objectives and design and implement targeted projects with the health department
• Identify and collaborate with health department and external stakeholders to ensure that monitoring and evaluation activities and reports meet their needs
• Produce high quality reports and briefs
• Other duties as assigned

Required competencies and qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in public health or other relevant field with 10 or more years of experience
• Experience and expertise in public health program evaluation
• Demonstrated analytical skills
• Ability to work in fast paced environment with multi-disciplinary team and deliver against tight deadlines
• Experience in government and public health practice strongly preferred
• Experience providing technical consultation and support
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively