Impact Evaluation Advisor, Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Closing Date: Sunday, 15 September 2013Impact Evaluation Advisor
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Background & Objective :
The overarching goal of the SERVIR program is to improve environmental management and resilience to climate change. With an eye toward this goal, the SERVIR program works to build the capacity of governments and other key stakeholders to integrate Earth observation information and geospatial technologies into development decision-making. More specifically, the SERVIR Program, which is a Spanish acronym for 'regional visualization and monitoring system,' provides a web-based geospatial platform for sharing, integrating, and mapping different kinds of information from different sources. It provides access, for example, to satellite imagery, geospatial data, and mapping applications related to flood forecasting, weather forecasting, fire forecasting, air quality monitoring, ocean chlorophyll monitoring, coral reef monitoring, snowmelt monitoring, fire monitoring, biodiversity assessments, land cover change, and post-disaster assessments.
The program is based in Bethesda, Maryland and supports SERVIR hubs operating in Nairobi, Panama, and Kathmandu with the overall objective to improve environmental management and resilience to climate change.
The activity is comprised of the following six tasks:

• Increase demand for SERVIR program tools and services;
• Evaluate impact of SERVIR program hub activities to address climate change;
• Implement SERVIR program outreach and communications activities;
• Develop SERVIR program hub sustainability plans;
• Assist USAID field missions with new SERVIR program hubs;
• Administer Grants under Contract program in support of SERVIR objectives.

The Impact Evaluation Advisor will provide technical assistance and oversight to Task 2 – assessing the impact of SERVIR program products on climate change and environmental decision-making.
In collaboration with task managers, h/she must lead and harmonize across tasks, the design and development of systematic assessments of the impact on decision-making of selected SERVIR program products and services in Mesoamerica, East Africa, and the Himalaya region.
Illustrative domains of inquiry may include:

• To what extend did the product/service design process build awareness and capacity of targeted users to work with the climate change mitigation or adaptation products and tools?
• How well were SERVIR program product/service users able to interpret, adapt and communicate information appropriately to their final clients or stakeholders (e.g., to other government bodies, resource managers, local communities, or the public that they serve)? Why?
• What was the economic value of the product or service to its user(s)?
• What were the impacts of the product/service in terms of building capabilities of users to make informed decisions about climate change mitigation activities, adaptation to climate change, and/or improved natural resource management?
• How might products/services be improved or strengthened to reach more users?

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Design and lead research projects to assess the impact of products on climate change and environmental decision-making. This will include at least three impact evaluation studies of SERVIR Demand's products and services. Results from these studies will help inform future product and service development.
• Provide overall support to project activities, specifically in developing all evaluation mechanisms and forums in close collaboration with the project's senior management team, USAID, and NASA.
• Provide quality assurance and oversight of evaluation protocols for baseline studies, impact assessments, and performance evaluations.
• Oversee systematic data collection, design and management of research projects conducted by SERVIR staff and consultants.
• Seek and manage workflow and relationships with consultants, researchers in academic and independent institutions regarding next-generation assessments, learning technologies, early reading and/or numeracy development, psychometrics, evaluation, and policy.
• Develop and launch an appropriate participatory evaluation framework and methodology for SERVIR, in collaboration with project performance monitoring efforts.
• Hire and manage consultants (international, TCN, HCNs) for additional support as needed, and provide quality assurance of work.
• Support the production of reports, position papers, and manuscripts for internal research purposes, external client review, and potential publication in peer-reviewed or refereed journals, in collaboration with SERVIR hubs, NASA, and USAID.
• Coordinate with DAI operations / administrative support teams to negotiate appropriate grants / sub contracts for evaluation support.
• Coordinate with SERVIR demand task leads to assure that evaluation efforts are coordinated and communicated in an effective manner.

The Impact Evaluation Advisor will report to the Chief-of-Party and oversee all of the Impact Evaluation functions of the project.
Qualifications:

• 5-7 years of progressive professional experience and demonstrated evaluation expertise using multiple methodologies and approaches to evaluate program performance, products and services.
• Master's Degree in social sciences or a similar discipline.
• Climate change, natural resource management, biodiversity subject matter experience preferred.
• Experience designing and implementing evaluations for international development programs.
• Exceptional communication and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to work well within a team and to work effectively with various stakeholders.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with all levels of staff, client, and public.
• Ability to travel up to 30%

Application deadline: September 15, 2013