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Evaluation Coordinator for Mid-term Performance Evaluation of the Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Activity (IPSC)
Evaluation Coordinator
Mid-term Performance Evaluation of the Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Activity (IPSC)
USAID Learns
Hanoi, Vietnam
Apply here
https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=39&rid=4481
Note: This post is open to the local candidates only.
About Social Impact
Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity-building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.
Project Objective
SI is implementing the USAID/Vietnam Learns Contract (USAID Learns). The scope of the five-year activity is to support USAID/Vietnam staff and partners to implement more efficient, effective, and transparent programs by improving: (1) USAID and Implementing Partner (IP) capacity to achieve expected results; (2) USAID’s understanding and tracking of project/activity performance; and (3) collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA).
Background
IPSC (the Activity) is expected to help the Government of Vietnam (GVN) harness the entrepreneurial spirit of Vietnam’s small and growing businesses (SGBs) to facilitate a dynamic, Vietnam-led private sector transformation into one that can compete globally and provide increased equal opportunity for all, including disadvantaged women and ethnic minorities. The Activity is to contribute for USAID’s overall Vietnam Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) Development Objective #1 (DO1): Economic Competitiveness Increased.
The Activity also supports building the capacity of local market actors and promoting social inclusion, and adopting measures consistent with USAID’s Digital Strategy. The Activity also supports the Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative. Lastly, the Activity is consistent with USAID’s Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Policy to leverage and engage the private sector to contribute to its own success.
To achieve these objectives, IPSC implements four interrelated components with interventions to be performed to meet each of the objectives of the Activity as follows:
- Objective 1. Building business management capacity of SGBs, including those led by vulnerable populations.
- Objective 2. Improving efficiency and productivity by promoting innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable business models;
- Objective 3. Enhancing business enabling environment for a broad-based inclusive economy;
- Objective 4. Strengthening business-to-business (B2B) and cross-sectoral linkages.
Purpose and Use of Evaluation
Since the activity launch, IPSC has tested and adapted many strategies and approaches to skill building and creating an improved enabling environment for SGBs. As IPSC reaches the midpoint of its implementation, USAID/Vietnam is commissioning a midterm performance evaluation to:
- Review the delivery of IPSC’s interventions and its coordination with the GVN, while taking account of the wider implementation context and noting key gaps in the approach.
- Assess the Activity’s progress against its objectives and whether IPSC is on or off track to achieve these objectives by the end of implementation.
- Make actionable recommendations for the remainder of IPSC implementation enhancing the likelihood of sustainable impact on SGB and PE performance in Vietnam.
- Capture any wider lessons that may be applicable to similar activities in Vietnam.
The Mission and IPSC will use the evaluation to guide implementation for the second half of IPSC and inform more strategic USAID investment in the future. Evaluation findings and recommendations will be shared and discussed with the Mission, IPSC, the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED - MPI), and other relevant partners.
USAID and IPSC are key users of the evaluation findings. This includes OGEG, PRO, Front Office, as well as IPSC, to inform the rest of the Activity implementation and additional USAID programming in this area. AED and MPI are also users of the evaluation findings, aiming to strengthen coordination and partnership, and to encourage commitment to changes in IPSC implementation where recommended.
Position Description
USAID Learns seeks a consultant to act as an Evaluation Coordinator to support this assignment. The Coordinator will work with the Team Leader and a Private Sector Development Expert to conduct the evaluation. Members of the USAID Learns team will provide support to the evaluation team. Logistical coordination and interpretation, as well as scheduling, will be managed by the USAID Learns Research Team in conjunction with USAID/Vietnam and IPSC.
Evaluation Questions
The evaluation will respond to the following questions:
Assessing IPSC implementation performance against its objectives
1. What are the results to date of IPSC interventions?
- To what extent have IPSC support packages and facilitation of business linkages built the capacity of SGBs? To what extent have these interventions helped SGBs to increase revenue, access new markets, apply new business models, and introduce improved business management practices?
- How relevant is IPSC’s work supporting PEs to GVN priorities and the original Activity scope? Is the definition of PEs clear and commonly understood? How could the process for selecting, assessing, and action planning with PEs be improved? To what extent are the interventions supporting PE growth and development?
- To what extent is IPSC technical assistance (e.g. supporting business support organizations, business service providers, business networking, and technical innovation) contributing to strengthening business development services? Which aspects are most promising?
- How have IPSC’s interventions contributed to GVN agencies improving their policy making on SGB competitiveness?
Reviewing Activity coordination and co-management
2. How has IPSC worked with GVN and other stakeholders to deliver the Activity? How could coordination, information sharing, and the process for approvals be made more efficient?
Adapting IPSC interventions to achieve sustainable impact
3. In light of progress made, how should IPSC adapt its interventions in the latter part of implementation in order to achieve its objectives?
- Are IPSC’s expected results achievable in the remaining time of the activity?
- What should be scaled up or scaled down?
- How should the IPSC theory of change or work plan be adjusted based on these recommendations?
Answers to all above evaluation questions will discuss the relevant contextual and other factors enabling or hindering progress. Where possible, the evaluation team will also explore the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) dimensions of the answers to these questions to understand differential impacts and design implications.
The evaluation team will review and finalize these questions in collaboration with the Mission prior to finalizing the evaluation design.
Methodology
The evaluation will employ a primarily qualitative approach, supplemented by a secondary desk review and review of quantitative data provided by the activity. Data will be triangulated from different sources including secondary data from a desk review, available assessment studies, reports, and primary data collected from site visits. If recommended by the Evaluation Team, a mini survey might be conducted to better triangulate the information collected.
USAID expects that, at a minimum, the evaluation team will:
- Upon award, familiarize themselves with documentation about the IPSC activity. USAID will ensure that this documentation is available to the team prior to the commencement of the work.
- Review and assess the existing performance and effectiveness information or data.
- Meet and interview activity beneficiaries, partners, and Government of Vietnam counterparts at appropriate levels.
- Interview USAID staff and a representative number of experts working with IPSC.
The evaluation team will conduct a desk review of available literature including Activity documents, particularly data from the Activity’s results framework and MEL system. The evaluation team will also look at sectoral assessments and other analysis that were used to determine interventions. The desk review will include at a minimum:
- Material related to IPSC and similar USAID investments in Vietnam.
- Material related to the activity: Annual and Quarterly Reports, Annual Work Plans, MEL Plans, sector assessments, trip reports, performance reports, and gender analysis reports.
- Miscellaneous thematic reports from other sources and projects by other donors.
- National policy and strategy documents related to private sector development.
The contractor will submit the preliminary evaluation design in response to this SOW for review by USAID. The activity’s Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will approve the finalized evaluation design two weeks or more prior to the team’s arrival in the country.
The evaluation design matrix should include a methods and data analysis plan for each evaluation question. The evaluation team, in collaboration with USAID, will finalize the evaluation methods before fieldwork begins.
Deliverables and Timelines
The evaluation is set to commence in June until December 2023. The evaluation inception will tentatively take place June/July, allowing for implementation (e.g., data collection) to begin August. Regular check-ins must be held with USAID Vietnam and IPSC to ensure that findings are able to inform IPSC work plan development for the upcoming fiscal year. Preliminary results are expected in September 2023, and the final report should be approved by December 2023. An indicative list of deliverables and its corresponding timelines is set out in the table below.
Deliverable | Involved stakeholders | Purpose | Tentative Timeline |
Kick-off Meeting with USAID | USAID, USAID Learns, IPSC |
| June 2023 |
Desk Review | USAID Learns, USAID and USAID IPs |
| June/July 2023 |
Inception Report | USAID, USAID Learns | - Elaboration on the methodology and approach to the evaluation; including
- Presentation of the workplan for the qualitative and quantitative studies, including the list of planned interviewees and proposed selection criteria and/or sampling plan; - Estimation of the known limitations to the evaluation design. | June/July 2023 |
Inbrief | USAID, USAID Learns, IPSC, GVN |
| July 2023 |
Data collection | USAID, USAID Learns |
| August - September 2023 |
Preliminary Analysis Matrix | USAID Learns |
| September 2023 |
Validation Event | USAID, USAID Learns, IPSC, GVN |
| October 2023 |
Draft Report | USAID, IPSC, and USAID Learns |
| October - November 2023 |
Out-brief Meeting | USAID, USAID Learns |
| November 2023 |
Utilization Event | USAID, USAID Learns, IPSC, GVN |
| December 2023 |
Final Report | USAID, USAID Learns, IPSC, GVN
|
| December 2023 |
Timelines: June – December 2023
Level of effort (LOE): up to 40 days
Responsibilities
- Perform desk review and identify additional information required for analysis
- Support the Team Leader's lead efforts in evaluation design, methodology, and data collection instruments.
- Coordinate the evaluation activities, including meetings, interviews, note taking
- Provide logistics support for evaluation activities, including interviews, meetings, group discussion, fieldwork, and events
- Contribute to data collection as required by the Team Leader
- Support ongoing analysis of data collected, particularly secondary data
- Support the preparation and presentation of the key findings and recommendations to USAID
- Write assigned sections of the draft evaluation report in coordination with team members, taking into consideration feedback from the preliminary findings presentation
- Work collaboratively with team members throughout design, implementation, analysis, and report writing to complement each other's areas of expertise
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree, with preference for degree relevant to research, business administration, public policy, international development, or another related field?
- Five years of experience supporting or conducting program evaluations or research
- Experience coordinating qualitative research studies, particularly managing logistics for data collection
- Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to take detailed notes?
- Ability to work independently to meet deadlines and adhere to high quality standards?
- Fluency in Vietnamese and in-depth knowledge of the operating environment in Vietnam required?
- Working proficiency in English.
- The candidate must be Vietnamese and reside in Vietnam
- No relations with IPSC or Deloitte Consulting LLP or other interests that may compromise the Evaluation Coordinator’s actual or apparent impartiality.
The closing date for application: May 14, 2023. Selection and interviews will be performed constantly and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
To apply, please merge both your CV and a cover letter into one pdf file and submit it through the online portal.
To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website:http://www.socialimpact.com
SI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls, no visits.