Country: India
Closing date: 29 Dec 2017
Senior WASH Evaluation Specialist: Ex-post Evaluation of USAID/India’s Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE-D) Activity
Social Impact (SI) is a Washington, DC-area international development management consulting firm. SI’s mission is to improve the effectiveness of international development programs in improving people’s lives. We provide a full range of management consulting, technical assistance, and training services to strengthen international development programs, organizations, and policies. We provide services globally in the areas of monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, project and program design, organizational capacity building, and gender and social analysis. SI services cross-cut all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. SI’s clients include US government agencies such as USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the US Department of State, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and non-profits.
Project Objectives:
Social Impact is a sub-contractor to ECODIT on the Water Communications and Knowledge Management (CKM) Project, a five-year task order under the Water and Development IDIQ (WADI) supporting the work of USAID’s Water Office in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3/W). A key SI role in the CKM project is to conduct a series of performance evaluations of closed USAID-funded water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects to further USAID’s understanding of the extent to which the achievements of their WASH activities have been sustained, and reasons why these outcomes and activities have or have not been sustained. This position will be hired by ECODIT and managed by SI’s CKM M&E Specialist.
USAID funded the Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion- Debt and Infrastructure (FIRE-D) activity in India from 1994-2011. It was implemented by TCG International and Community Consulting International. The activity aimed to increase the participation of city governments, the private sector, and community organizations in the implementation and delivery of water and sanitation infrastructure and services while improving the ability of city and state governments to mobilize resources and increase their revenue. To achieve this, FIRE-D used an iterative process to identify problem areas and their underlying causes, and then to pilot approaches to the planning, design, and financing of urban infrastructure. The most successful projects were then expanded to state and national levels through policy reforms.
This performance evaluation will examine the long-term sustainability of FIRE-D’s approach, including its efforts to improve the policy environment; advise cities on reforms to governance and financial management of water and sanitation infrastructure; help cities leverage new mechanisms to finance infrastructure such as municipal credit ratings, municipal bonds, Urban Infrastructure Funds, and improvements in own-source revenue collection; and provide policy and training support.
Position Description:
Working together with a Social Impact M&E Specialist and Senior Technical Advisor, the Senior WASH Evaluation Specialist will be expected to lead design and implementation of evaluation activities pertaining to FIRE-D activities. The Senior Specialist will also be expected to contribute substantial technical and local knowledge into design and logistical planning of other evaluation components. The Senior Specialist will directly carry out qualitative interviews with state and local government officials, utility managers, implementers, and USAID. He/she will conduct preliminary qualitative data coding and analysis immediately after data collection and will contribute heavily to report writing.
The Specialist will be expected to conduct data collection for up to five weeks in February-March 2018 across India. This assignment requires approximately 25 days of labor between the end of December/January and May 2018.
**Please note: Preference is for a local Indian expert; however, international experts with considerable India experience may be considered.
Responsibilities:
Prior to field work, add technically and contextually relevant expertise to data collection instruments and interviewee targets
Participate in and lead portions of three-day evaluation methods training, piloting, and planning session for the evaluation team prior to fieldwork
Lead a team in conducting field research, including conducting qualitative interviews with key stakeholders
Support evaluation team with logistical planning and guidance as needed to schedule key interviews and manage completion
Conduct preliminary data analysis or provide direction and technical oversight to other team members contributing toward analysis. Data will be in the form of qualitative notes, transcripts, and utility reports.
Write sections of the evaluation report and provide substantial technical and editorial support to the full report
Participate in client and stakeholder communication, presentations, and interfacing with program implementers.
Qualifications:
At least 10 years of demonstrated experience designing and conducting program evaluation or research in the WASH sector
At least 5 years of evaluation or implementation experience specifically in the area of urban water and sanitation in India, or a similar context
Must have very strong, extensive demonstrated experience implementing or evaluating urban water and sanitation utilities in India. Strong knowledge of the India WASH policy, governance, and finance environment is a must.
Prior experience working in the WASH sector in India is a must
Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative data collection
Master’s degree or PhD required, with strong preference for degree relevant to public policy, public finance, public health, or another WASH-related field
English and Hindi fluency required
Proficiency with MS Office Suite programs required
USAID experience is a plus
Candidates are not eligible if they were involved in implementation of the program being evaluated (FIRE-D), or other WASH projects implemented by FIRE-D implementers.
Come join our energetic and innovative team! We offer you the opportunity to play a leading role in the growth of our company, work as part of a creative and committed team, and make a difference in the well-being of our world.
To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com
SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.
How to apply:
Application: https://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=1&rid=1856