VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Organization: Social Impact
Position: Agriculture Sector Specialist
Knowledge-Based Integrated Sustainable Agriculture in Nepal (KISAN) II Activity, Nepal
Social Impact 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:
Social Impact is conducting a midterm performance evaluation of USAID/Nepal’s Knowledge-based Integrated Sustainable Agriculture in Nepal (KISAN II) project, implemented by Winrock International.
Since 2017, Winrock International has implemented the Knowledge-Based Integrated Sustainable Agriculture in Nepal (KISAN) II activity. This activity addresses four areas: (I) Improve the productivity of selected agricultural market systems; (II) strengthen the competitiveness, resilience, and inclusiveness of selected agricultural market systems; (III) strengthen the enabling environment of selected agricultural market systems; (IV) increase ability of vulnerable communities to act on business opportunities within selected market systems; and (V) apply collaboration, learning, and adaptation to market systems development.
The purpose of this midterm performance evaluation is to assess USAID/Nepal’s efforts to strengthen the performance of the selected agriculture market systems against performance indicators and targets. The evaluation will examine efforts to strengthen key market actors’ roles in delivering services in the selected agriculture value chains and also examine the effectiveness on creating an enabling policy environment for private sector engagement in agriculture. The findings from the evaluation will be used to determine whether the activity is on the right track and to generate recommendations for further improvement and adaptation during the remaining years. The evaluation is also expected to contribute to the mission’s ongoing and future activities by generating evidence of good practices. The evaluation will be conducted April through August 2020, with anticipated data collection in program sites over a period of three to four weeks in May and June.
Position Description:
SI is seeking an Agriculture Sector Specialist to provide technical support to the Mid-Term Performance Evaluation of the KISAN II Activity including: Making recommendations to improve the Activity’s performance for the remainder of the performance period, assisting the team to triangulate information, observing trends and gaps, developing recommendations, and providing lessons learned to USAID/Nepal in designing and managing programs.
Responsibilities:
• Provide technical guidance and strategic support to the evaluation team leader.
• Assist in the process of drafting and finalizing the evaluation design, data collection instruments, data analysis plan, data collection plan, workplan, data collection tools, briefing(s), and the evaluation report.
• Assist in crafting briefing(s) and drafting the PowerPoint presentation and evaluation report.
• Coordinate with SI’s HQ team throughout the evaluation.
Qualifications:
• A master’s degree in business, agricultural economics, agronomy or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of experience evaluating and/or managing agriculture and food security programs.
• Experience strengthening and building the capacity of private sector stakeholders in the agriculture sector.
• Prior experience leading, or serving as a senior technical expert, in agriculture sector evaluations and assessments for USAID or other donor entities.
• Extensive experience engaging constructively and effectively with USG and senior host country counterparts and government officials.
• Familiarity with USAID evaluation policy [USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) Chapter 201].
• In-depth knowledge of the Nepali development context and related issues.
• Strong experience in conducting evaluation or research studies.
• Oral and written fluency in English.
