Title: Evaluation Specialist

Team: USAID/Nigeria MEL Support Activity

Project: USAID/Nigeria: Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity

Location: Federal Capital Territory – Abuja, Nigeria

Reporting to: Assessment and Evaluation Advisor

Employment Type: Independent Contractor / Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA)

Period of Performance: August 2023 – February 2024

Number of Positions: 1

Background:

Navanti supports a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Support Activity program that assists USAID/Nigeria in advancing its broader organizational learning and development efforts. This program strengthens the Mission’s capacity and performance in programmatic monitoring, evaluation, learning, collaborating, and adapting. The MEL Support Activity closely aligns with USAID/Nigeria’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and provides a broad range of specialized technical assistance, training, data gathering and analysis, field-based monitoring, evaluations and assessments, facilitation of organizational learning and adaptation initiatives, and short-term technical assistance.

Performance Evaluation Objectives:

USAID/Nigeria has engaged the MEL Support Activity to conduct a final performance evaluation of the Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity. The primary purpose of this final performance evaluation is to determine whether the assistance provided by USAID/Nigeria through the Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity achieved the stated development objectives and to understand the lessons learned from this Activity in Nigeria.

It is intended to provide an independent examination of the overall progress and accomplishments of the Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity. The evaluation should:

1. provide a detailed picture of the major accomplishments and weaknesses of the Activity since its inception and determine how its successes can be sustained.
2. provide data on outcomes and achievements.
3. elucidate the lessons learned and include specific recommendations to USAID/Nigeria about how the Activity achievements and successes can be sustained and
4. highlight how interventions that produced those achievements and successes can be adopted and scaled by other FTF activities, partners, private sector firms, or by the Government of Nigeria (GON).

The estimated start date will be August 28, 2023. The evaluation is expected to last until February 2024, and the estimated LOE will be 34 days, maximum.

Candidates are advised to submit applications early.

Position Description:

Navanti is seeking an Evaluation Specialist who will be responsible for the overall design of data collection tools and procedures, lead training of research assistants, manage and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data collected from the field. Under the technical leadership of the MEL Support Activity, the Evaluation Specialist will be working alongside three other team members on the evaluation.

Locations:

• Benue State
• Cross River State
• Delta State
• Ebonyi State
• Kaduna State
• Kebbi State
• Niger State

Responsibilities:

The evaluation specialist must demonstrate experience in data analysis and presentation. S/he must demonstrate strong experience with data collection procedures, surveys, interview guides and analysis of data. The evaluation/data specialist is expected to:

• Design the data collection instruments and ensure it addresses all evaluation objectives.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Analyze data sets using statistical methods and relational databases.
• Support in preparing reports of research findings.
• Work with the team leader and other team members in planning, developing, coordinating, and administering research tools.
• Perform quality assurance reviews of both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Support the team leader in writing or editing technical reports and summaries of findings.
• Work with the team leader to perform desk review and identify additional information required for analysis.
• Work with the Team Leader and other team members in preparation and presentation of the In-brief and Out-brief to USAID/Nigeria and other stakeholders as requested.
• Support the team leader and other team members to develop the draft Evaluation report with support from the team members, taking into consideration feedback from the Out-brief presentation.
• Work collaboratively with team members throughout design, implementation, analysis, and report writing to complement each other's areas of expertise.

Qualifications:

The candidate is expected to have the following qualifications:

• A minimum of eight years of evaluating large agriculture and development programs, including baseline and mid-term studies of agriculture programs in Nigeria.
• Strong experience in designing qualitative and quantitative data collection tools.
• Advanced degree in statistics, mathematics, engineering, data science or related field.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• S/he must demonstrate strong experience with data collection procedures, surveys, and analysis of data using statistical analysis tools such as SPSS or STATA suitable for a varied audience.
• Previous experience as evaluation specialist in related evaluations, assessments, and research studies. USAID evaluation experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced graduate degree in Economics, Development studies, Demography/Population Studies, Sociology, Research, or related social science field.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.