Senior Evaluation Methodologist

Washington D.C.

Organization: NDI - National Democratic Institute
Location: Washington D.C.
Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
- Monitoring and Evaluation
Closing Date: Closed

The Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning team is looking for a Senior Evaluation Methodologist to work as part of a small, DC-based technical team to support NDI worldwide. Under the guidance of the MEL director, the Senior Methodologist will provide technical advice and methodological guidance to NDI’s regional program staff and Consortia partners in designing, implementing and/or managing sound program evaluations and end-of-project reviews. The position will liaise with other institutional units and consortia partners to ensure that programs meet Democracy, Rights and Labor (DRL), National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID and other donor requirements for program evaluation, evidence-based decision-making and collaborative learning and adaptation. This position has some supervisory responsibilities of staff and consultants.

Your Purpose and Impact:

Work as part of the MEL team to build a body of evidence for a portfolio of complex democracy assistance programs
Lead/oversee the design and implementation of sound internal and external performance evaluations
Provide assistance to regional teams in developing evaluation SOWs, recruiting external consultants and reviewing the quality of external evaluation products.
Collaboratively design and implement joint baseline and midterm evaluations with regional teams and consortium partners
Coach program teams in end-of-project reviews and cumulative assessments of multi-year interventions
Design and implement survey and focus group research as well as impact evaluations using experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation designs
Work with the DMEL team and other relevant NDI stakeholders at design stage to ensure measurement strategies are in place for learning at various levels (project, regional, global, thematic, and portfolio/consortium levels)
Work with the Institutional database (IDB) team to ensure the data infrastructure serves evaluative learning needs and develop processes for systematic analysis of generated data.
Build NDI staff capacity in M&E across the Institute
Develop and implement key components of a MEL certification training program
Engage in and provide inputs on evaluation methodologies to M&E practice groups in DC and the field
Create/refine MEL tools, manuals and guidelines for rigorous qualitative and quantitative research and evaluations
Develop and update resources/systems for routine evaluation processes (evaluation SOWs, management of consultants, guidance for recruitment of research firms, etc.)
Promote evidence-based learning for programs, the institute and a consortium of democracy practitioners.
Design and implement evaluative learning events and processes for knowledge generation and documentation within the institute
Provide methodological guidance to evaluative practice groups within a consortium of leading democracy and human rights practitioners
Collaborate with academic researchers in the development and implementation of a research, evaluation and learning agenda
Management of a small team of research and evaluation staff

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s degree in social science and/or applied statistics, or related subject with training in field research methodologies required; Phd preferred
A minimum of nine (9) years of relevant work experience designing, managing, and implementing evaluations of domestic and/or international development programs.
A minimum of 3 years of team management experience, preferably managing technical research/ M&E staff
Advanced knowledge of mixed-methods ex post and ex ante research designs, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs (e.g, correlation, causal-comparison, propensity score match),research bias and mitigation strategies for both quantitative and qualitative program evaluation
Experience in designing baselines and midterm evaluations that collect comparative data for democracy, human rights, and/or governance projects in line with donor requirements
Experience in creating relevant metrics, qualitative and quantitative methods and instruments (surveys, semi-structured questionnaires, focus group protocols, key informant interviews etc) for monitoring and evaluating programs in challenging contexts. Experience designing mobile data collection approaches a plus
Advanced knowledge of the principles, processes and methods for statistically based survey research, including knowledge of sampling methods (simple random, stratified, systematic and cluster) and statistical weighting procedures
Experience in managing diverse assessments and evaluation teams in challenging context
Experience in leading evidence-based collaborative learning processes within an institutional setting a plus
Experience with programs and/or initiatives relevant to NDI’s work in elections, political parties, legislative affairs, technology for democracy, citizen participation and excluded groups (women, youth, minorities, disabled people) a plus
Familiarity with donor M&E requirements, including USAID, NED, DOS and non-federal donors
Living and working experience outside the U.S. in countries where NDI works
Demonstrated ability to use computer software (e.g., SAS, STATA, SPSS) for applied statistical analysis including: multiple regression analysis, matching and weighting, and regression discontinuity
Demonstrated ability to design and fully implement descriptive, normative and causal evaluations including: defining conceptually valid questions and lines of inquiry; identifying metrics and data needs; designing data collection and analysis methods and instruments; creating sampling strategies; and planning and budgeting for data collection in challenging contexts;
Demonstrated experience in rigorous qualitative and quantitative data collection, management, analysis, triangulation and visualization methods
Demonstrated ability to coordinate and/or oversee the implementation of baseline assessments and midterm evaluations with cross-disciplinary teams, including guiding regional staff in data collection and enumeration; data analysis and utilization, evaluation report writing, actionable recommendations, and dissemination of findings
Demonstrated ability to lead and facilitate groups in online and face to face learning fora for evidence-based learning
Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills and ability to draw evidence-based conclusions
Excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity to effectively interact with all levels of staff, US and foreign government personnel, members of donor organizations, funders, and policy makers
Ability to lead, inspire and motivate staff in the use of new concepts, tools and processes
Ability to provide hands-on guidance and technical assistance
Excellent oral and written communication skills to effectively present information and respond to questions
Capacity to work both independently and as a member of a team
Smooth multitasking among multiple responsibilities
Working knowledge of PC-based and Google word processing and spreadsheet applications
Foreign language ability applicable to one of the regions where NDI works; French or Arabic preferred.
Ability and willingness to travel up to 35% of time to regional locations, which may be remote and difficult to reach