MSI Mid-Term Performance Evaluation Team Member Job in Kenya

Mid-Term Performance Evaluation Team Member
 

Financial Inclusion for Rural Microenterpises, Kenya

Company Profile:  MSI is a Washington, D.C.-based international development firm providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. Since its 1981 founding, MSI has grown in size and technical scope, now implementing and managing more than 70 projects worldwide. 

More than 30 are long-term, many in conflict-prone or fragile states that include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Today, our range of technical expertise includes analytical and field projects in democracy and governance, economic growth, strategic planning, organizational capacity building, health and the justice sector. 

MSI focuses on helping our local partners foster progress, manage change and improve the effectiveness of development assistance. 

We expanded our global footprint in 2008 by becoming part of Coffey, a leading geoscience, international development and project management firm, and a publicly traded company on the Australian Stock Exchange. 

Alongside Coffey, MSI has corporate offices in 17 countries. Together, MSI and Coffey employ more than 1,400 professionals worldwide. 

For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.

Project/Proposal Summary: 
 

FIRM is an $18-million five-year project (three-year base period, plus two option years) that commenced on January 1, 2011. 

The project is into its third year of implementation. Recently, ABEO exercised the first option year under the contract. 

The goal of the project is to expand access to affordable and convenient financial services to underserved groups in Kenya, particularly in rural areas. It is a flagship project under the Feed the Future Initiative in Kenya. In addition to agriculture sector, FIRM also supports increased financial intermediation in energy, water, health, education and other sectors. 

To achieve its goal, FIRM works in partnership with and supports a wide variety of commercial actors in the financial services industry, Government of Kenya agencies and stakeholders, associations, donors, business service providers and consultants.

Position Summary:
 

Under this task order, MSI’s Team Leader shall conduct a mid-term Performance Evaluation of the FIRM program.  

Findings and recommendations will inform USAID and other stakeholders on what has worked, what has not worked and why.  

Recommendations will also shape FIRM’s approach, management, and practices for the remaining timeframe of the project.  

The period of performance of this task order will start from August 1, 2013.  

The evaluation will take place in Nairobi, Western and Rift Valley regions, where the program has been operating. 

Responsibilities:
 

The main objective of this mid-term evaluation is to assess the performance of the FIRM Project. 

The specific objectives are:

• To assess the effectiveness of the project in achieving its goal and objectives. Specifically, identify what is working well and what is not working well.
• To inform USAID’s decision on whether to exercise the second option year under the contract.
• To provide recommendations in regards to FIRM’s approach, management, and practices with the view of maximizing the impact in the remaining timeframe of the project.

Qualifications:

• Masters in International Development, Economics, Political Science, Statistics or related social science field preferred.
• At least four years of relevant experience
• Evaluation experience, including the selection of data collection methods on a question-specific basis and development of a detailed data analysis plan.
• Expert knowledge and experience in agriculture financial service models focused on Small and Medium Enterprises, Value Chain etc.
• Knowledge of financial service models for projects in clean and renewable energy is a preferred but not required
• Field experience with
• Quantitative survey research including design of a surveys, development of structured and semi-structured interview and/or observation instruments, by hand and using mid-size survey aids such as EPI Info from CDC; sample size determination for specific confidence levels and confidence intervals; selection and use of other survey data (and other large data set) entry and analysis software (SPSS or alternative).
• Qualitative Survey research experience, Structured or semi-structured group interviews and/or focus groups, including the creation of written instruments and transcripts for same; content analysis and other techniques for coding and transforming group/open-ended data into analyzed information; qualitative data analysis software (NVIVO or alternative) and/or case study documentation experience; transformation of qualitative data into a quantitative form that can be merged with other quantitative data in a mixed methods analysis.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. 

No phone calls, please.

To apply, please visit our website: www.msiworldwide.com