About QED:
The QED Group, LLC is a full-service international development firm that provides practical solutions to social problems through sound analysis, proven management techniques, and creative implementation. We focus our efforts on two core practice areas: Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Management. We work with U.S. agencies and overseas governments, international donors, private-sector clients, and PVOs/NGOs in more than 80 countries around the world. Key clients include USAID, the U.S. Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
About USAID Project:
The USAID/Uganda Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning project (Learning Contract) is the five-year organizational program support vehicle through which USAID/Uganda will pursue realizing its development objectives within the complicated and shifting Ugandan development context. The purpose of the Learning Contract is to provide monitoring, evaluation and learning support services and build capacity of USAID/Uganda to implement USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting methodology to strengthen the implementation of USAID/Uganda’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy and enhance USAID’s organizational effectiveness.
USAID Uganda is developing its next CDCS, which attempts to emphasize partnership, contextualization and integration. CDCS 2.0 will require intrinsic mechanisms that continuously feed analytics and research into the program cycle in order to enhance the contextualization of the results framework and improve development results. The Learning Contract will provide research ideas, synthesize available studies, produce literature reviews and initiate studies that can serve as basis for decisions in the Mission. As part of this effort, the Learning Contract will also find relevant data, analyze it and present it to the Mission.
Job Summary: The Researcher will provide the Mission with timely, relevant research related to the CDCS, analyze data, conduct desk reviews and write reports. The researcher is also expected to look at data emerging from current USAID databases and work with the M&E Director to identify trends and suggest areas of further inquiry . The researcher will also keep the Learning Contract and the Mission updated regarding new relevant research findings and research agendas in Uganda. The Researcher is also expected to network with those Ugandan and East African research communities relevant to the CDCS. The position will furthermore require close cooperation with the topic specific M&E Specialists in the Learning Contract for Health, Governance, Education and Youth and Economic growth.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
· Provide the Mission with syntheses, research, literature reviews and other knowledge products that are fed into the CDCS 2.0 implementation;
· Develop research agendas on cross-cutting development themes;
· Develop research design scopes of work relevant to various research questions and link them to appropriate methodologies across the quantitative, mixed, qualitative and participatory spectrum.
· The incumbent will overseer and steer the development of Learning Contract initiated cross-cutting studies and analytical pieces;
· Facilitate coordination meetings of both internal actors as well as external partners around research topics;
· Provide the Mission with material to the KM platforms;
· Coordinate and ensure alignment with other Learning Contract activities and team members;
· Work in liaison with the M&E Director to analyze data and identify trends and areas of further inquiry;
· Perform any other tasks, as assigned.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The ideal candidate for the USAID Learning Researcher vacancy should hold a degree in social science research, international development, or related field.
· Broad understanding of development with two to three years prior experience working in development, program management, and/or community improvement, preferably in a field context;
· Demonstrated survey and research design experience
· Broad knowledge and understanding of rigorous research methods, including statistics, ethnography and comparative methods.
· Understanding of how research relates to Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
· Excellent written and oral communication skills, project management skills/experience and a highly collaborative self-starter, who is willing to take initiative and work with little supervision, while synthesizing diverse views into a shared vision and broad engagement;
· Ability to thrive and maintain sensitivity in diverse and challenging work environments;
NB: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. We are also an equal opportunity employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested Candidates who meet the above criteria should send their CV, Cover letter and Bio Data Form, download here, expressing interest to qed.recruitment.me.specialist@gmail.com with the subject line as “ATTN: Researcher.”
Deadline: Friday, 15th January, 2016 by 5:00 pm