CAMRIS International is an international development and research firm that realizes innovative solutions to health and development challenges through high-quality, cost-effective program and research management services. With experience working in more than 80 countries, we combine our proven systems with today’s most effective, evidence-based best practices to improve the lives of people around the world.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contracted through CAMRIS International, partnered with IAP World Services Inc. (IAPWS), to recruit and hire qualified individuals for the following position:  Senior Evaluation Advisor

Application Deadline:   Open until Filled

INTRODUCTION The Bureau for Global Health (GH) is the USAID/Washington operating unit charged with providing technical support to improve the health of people in the developing world by expanding health services, including family planning/reproductive health and maternal/child health; strengthening health systems; and addressing HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, avian influenza and other public health threats. GH’s primary role in the health program area is to strengthen field operations, promote research and technical innovation, and provide leadership and training. Within GH, and its Office of Policy, Planning and Programs, the Strategy, Analysis, Outreach and Evaluation division (P3/SAEO) leads the GH review of strategic plans and coordinates their approval.  Additionally, the P3/SAEO division liaises with PPL/LER and State/F regarding Agency strategy, policy development and implementation.  P3/SAEO leads GH in program planning and performance monitoring. The P3/SAEO division facilitates periodic data collection, conducts analyses and provides written inputs for annual reports and other Agency performance reporting requirements. This P3/SAEO division serves as the primary GH resource for USAID evaluation policies and practices; oversees implementation of the GH evaluation plan and analyzes and disseminates evaluation findings, conclusions, recommendations and best practices as appropriate. P3/SAEO provides analyses for GH planning and portfolio reviews and supports planning efforts for GH and in GH technical offices.

As part of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) unit within GH, the Senior Evaluation Advisor will foster a culture of evaluation within the Bureau for Global Health and in the Field Missions. S/he will be expected to coordinate the development of a learning and evaluation agenda for GH and work closely with evaluation and research staff across the GH technical offices to implement this plan. This plan should re-enforce the priorities for each of the GH programmatic areas as well as the overall priorities for GH. The learning and evaluation agenda should also assist in operationalizing the agency-wide Evaluation Policy and other agency priorities.

Beyond the learning and evaluation agenda, the Senior Evaluation Advisor will provide technical assistance to the Field Missions broadly in the area of evaluation, from forming their own evaluation agendas to helping design methodology for a study to assisting in disseminating results. This may also involve facilitating south-to-south exchanges or learning across Field Missions. While many Missions have evaluation capacity in the Mission or in country, many are still requesting additional assistance. In this function, the Senior Evaluation Advisor will also serve as part of the project management team for GH’s centrally-managed evaluation projects.

Although leadership of the area of evaluation will be the Senior Evaluation Advisor’s primary role, s/he will be expected to support the larger M&E portfolio as appropriate. The evaluation work links closely with routine monitoring and other M&E activities, so it is critical that the Senior Evaluation Advisor work with the larger team to ensure all activities are strategically linked and support evidence-based decision making at all levels of the Global Health Initiative (GHI) and within GH.

Specifically, the Senior Evaluation Advisor will:

Develop and implement a learning and evaluation agenda for the Bureau for Global Health (40% LOE)

• Lead the development of an overall learning and evaluation agenda for the Bureau for Global Health that captures key questions and evidence gaps related to global health programming, as well as GH’s specific activities to advance this agenda.
• Develop and implement an annual action plan related to this learning agenda by working across GH offices, field missions, regional Bureaus, the Bureau for Policy Planning and Learning, and other relevant groups. Maintain an updated calendar of evaluation activities.
• Conduct analyses on the history and use of GH central project evaluations and develop a framework and operating procedures for aligning these evaluations with the overall GH learning and evaluation agenda.
• Facilitate the use of evaluation findings to inform organizational learning, programs and policies. Improve knowledge management practices around what evaluations are being conducted and what is being learned.
• Chair GH’s Evaluation Working Group that includes representation from each GH office and coordinate with other relevant cross-Bureau groups such as those dedicated to research, measurement, data and gender.
• Ensure alignment of GH evaluation practices with the Agency’s Evaluation Policy, ADS, and associated guidance. Prepare information for regular and ad hoc reporting on GH’s evaluation activities.
• Liaise with the Bureau for Policy Planning and Learning to identify new policies affecting health programs, communicate and advocate for health perspectives in Agency evaluation activities, and identify best practices emerging in other sectors that can be incorporated into the global health evaluation approaches.

Provide in-depth technical assistance for evaluation to field missions (30% LOE)

• Serve as a technical advisor to GH central projects that provide evaluation services to field missions. Advise on individual evaluation activities as well as advise on projects’ overall operations and approach. Identify gaps in central project support to evaluations and opportunities to strengthen this support.
• Serve on one or more Global Health country teams to provide in-depth technical assistance on monitoring, evaluation, research and learning to specific missions.

Build capacity of GH staff and partners to lead and implement high-quality evaluations (20% LOE)

• Foster a culture of learning and evaluation throughout GH and among GH partners. Identify areas of strength to leverage and opportunities for improvement. Identify and track metrics and milestones for strengthening GH staff capacity in evaluation.
• Provide regular and ad hoc presentations and trainings on relevant evaluation topics for GH and partners. Orient new staff and partners on USAID and external evaluation resources.
• Engage outside technical experts, interagency partners, and other donors for technical exchange and learning.
• Mentor and coach GH emerging leaders, junior and mid-level technical experts on evaluation.

Training and professional development (10% LOE)

• Keeping abreast of literature and latest developments in evaluation.
• Deepening knowledge of evaluation methodologies, tools and approaches.
• Participating in professional presentations and developing material for peer review.
• Participating in other professional continuing education and skills training.

Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming need and/or (b) the Technical Advisor’s own interests.

• Master’s degree in public health or related discipline. An advanced degree (PhD, ScD, EdD) in public health, social sciences, or education highly desirable.
• Minimum fifteen years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation with at least three years’ experience in an international/resource poor setting.
• Knowledge of and experience in the theories, principles, and methods of public health evaluation in the context of international development and their application in resource-poor settings.
• Ability to provide advice, guidance, and consultation to officials on the interpretation and application of completed evaluations in a constructive and diplomatic manner.
• Demonstrated familiarity with developments in the larger evaluation community.
• Demonstrated knowledge of statistical software packages.
• Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environments.
• Strong interpersonal communication and writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse teams and cross-culturally.
• High degree of good judgment, maturity, ingenuity and originality to interpret strategy, to analyze, develop and present work results, and to monitor and evaluate implementation of programs.
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• US Citizen required with the ability to obtain and hold a Secret security clearance.

This is an opportunity for employment or a contract, but we reserve the right to make no selection or award.

CAMRIS International and IAP World Services Inc. offer competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at https://careers-camris.icims.com.

CAMRIS and IAP are Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.