Strategy and Process Evaluation Specialist, TAP-EG - Dexis Consulting Group

About the Position 

USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) seeks to conduct the third Food Aid and Food Security Assessment (FAFSA-3) review of the qualitative and quantitative information available from a variety of resilience food security activity (RFSA) stakeholders and in documentation and evaluations of RFSA activities during the period from 2016 to 2021. The aim of the FAFSA-3 review is to document the overall achievements of USAID's RFSA activities to identify what has been successful, what has been less successful, and what might need to be changed to make them more effective and better fit to context and aligned with BHA's Mission and ER4 Strategic framework. This includes assessing the approaches adopted and results achieved in the principal technical sectors and thematic areas identified by the FFP 2016-2025 Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy as central to responding to the challenge posed by hunger and identifying promising practices, innovations, lessons learned, strengths, weaknesses, and constraints to achieving results. While technical review is emphasized, FAFSA-3 will also assess the extent to which the objectives, approaches, planning, and management changes proposed in the Second Food Aid and Food Security Assessment (FAFSA-2) and the FFP 2016-2025 Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy were adopted and how these changes influenced the program. The review will include recommendations for future program directions in light of assessment findings and changes in the legislative, organizational, policy, and development environment. In-country assessment will take place in up to five RFSA priority regions and countries where RFSA programs have been implemented.  

Dexis is seeking a Strategy and Process Evaluation Specialist consultant to provide support under the Technical Assistance Project for Economic Growth (TAP-EG). Under TAP-EG, Dexis is supporting the third Food Aid and Food Security Assessment (FAFSA-3) review of the qualitative and quantitative information available from a variety of resilience food security activity (RFSA) stakeholders and in documentation and evaluations of RFSA activities during the period from 2016 to 2021. The Consultant will review "sequencing, layering and integrating" aspects of RFSA programs being under the FAFSA-3 review. This includes assessing how BHA programming has leveraged with other USAID interventions, how sustainability planning was included (or not included) into programming, programmatic approaches undertaken in different scenarios, how different USAID programs including BHA programs were co-located and capitalized on each other in resilience focus zones, among others. 

Responsibilities 

The Strategy and Process Evaluation Specialist consultant will work as a member of a multi-member team of experts focusing on different aspects of the FAFSA-3. Tasks for the Strategy and Process Evaluation Specialist include, but are not limited to: 

• Lead the review of BHA program portfolio between 2016 and 2021 with a process-oriented lens, reviewing the sequencing, layering, and integration of BHA programs during the FAFSA-3 review period.
• Review, in collaboration with the FAFSA-3 team and with USAID stakeholders, BHA's programmatic approaches, particularly as they relate to sustainability planning, prioritization, leveraging with other USAID programs and other USG agency programs, and other areas as indicated by the BHA Activity Manager during initial kickoff meetings.
• Review, in collaboration with the FAFSA-3 team and with USAID stakeholders, BHA's programmatic approaches (such as the use of theories of change, joint design, refine and implement (R&I), sustainability planning and extensions) and analyze the benefits, advantages, and challenges of adopting them in RFSA design and implementation).
• Review and analyze RFSAs and other USG investments co-located or otherwise linked in resilience focus zones to study how they have been of mutual benefit in prioritizing, and/or sequencing, layering or integrating interventions, realizing outcomes and strengthening resilience and the potential for sustained impact.
• Evaluate program portfolio's adherence to stated short- and long-term BHA strategies.
• Assess efficiency and effectiveness of BHA process and strategy implementation modalities and identify areas of strength and improvement, coming up with concrete recommendations for BHA's consideration.
• Provide relevant expertise on various tasks as requested by the Team Leader, and/or by the BHA Activity Manager.
• Evaluate program portfolio's adherence to stated short- and long-term BHA strategies.
• Produce deliverables, working in close collaboration with the Team Leader
• Participate in field data collection, take notes, and analyze relevant data
• Attend all meetings, presentations, and briefings with USAID counterparts.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field 
• Master's degree in social sciences, organizational development, or business administration is preferred 
• Have a minimum of fifteen (15) years of specialized experience in the field of strategy or organizational development, preferably related to RFSA/BHA programming 
• Intimate familiarity with BHA strategies, policies, and procedures. 
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.   
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. 
• Extensive knowledge of skills development and capacity building strategies 
• Exceptional interpersonal, as well as written and verbal communication skills 
• Excellent leadership and collaboration skills 
• Superb analytical and time-management skills