Position: Mid-term Performance Evaluation Field Research Specialist (multiple positions)
Location: Mexico with travel to Honduras and/or El Salvador
Position Status: Short-term Consultant
Apply by: January 21, 2024
About LINC
LINC is a mission-driven US-based small business committed to supporting local organizations leading their own development. We do this by implementing programs and delivering consulting and training in the areas of systems thinking, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL), capacity-strengthening, and collective action. The recipient of USAID’s Small Business of the Year award in 2017, we are a team of reflective and passionate development professionals. Our country experience spans Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. For more information on LINC, please visit www.linclocal.org.
In Mexico, LINC is implementing the USAID Monitoring and Evaluation Support for Adaptation (MESA) Activity (2022-2027), which is designed to strengthen the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) systems and capacity of the USAID/Mexico Mission and its implementing partners through assistance with designing and carrying out monitoring; evaluations, assessments, and studies; and collaboration and capacity building for the USAID/Mexico mission and its implementing partners.
Position Description
LINC is seeking multiple consultants to take on the role of Field Research Specialist for the performance evaluation of a donor funded regional program seeking to address the root causes of irregular migration in northern Central America. The program to be evaluated is a collaboration between two international donors seeking to understand if their agricultural and workforce development efforts are more effective in combination than separately. The two donors also expect to learn from one another through their collaboration. The evaluation will investigate both the collaboration itself and the results of their work.
The Field Research Specialists will work with the Team Lead, LINC and MESA staff, and other evaluation team members providing field research, data analysis, and subject matter expertise. The Field Research Specialists will focus primarily on the design and implementation of data collection and analysis related to agriculture, workforce development, and/or trilateral cooperation. The Field Research Specialists will also participate in team workshops to identify and refine findings, conclusions, and recommendations, will draft sections of the evaluation report, and will participate in presentations to the client(s).
This is a short-term consultancy position contingent upon donor approval of the position and candidates.
Responsibilities
- Plan and lead the implementation of field research required for this assignment, with particular focus on agriculture, workforce development, and/or trilateral cooperation.
- Design and test the data collection instruments, and ensure an adaptive approach throughout the field work.
- Ensure a do no harm and participant-focused approach is followed throughout the research, engaging where appropriate with local stakeholders.
- Design and carry out interviews and focus groups with participants of agricultural or workforce development projects, coordinating with the field research team.
- Coordinate with the Evaluation Team Lead, other Field Research Specialists, MESA staff, USAID/Mexico, and implementing partners to organize the field work.
- Support data analysis,
inparticularly in areas of expertise. - Participate in team workshops to identify findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Draft sections of the evaluation report and presentations to the client(s).
- Provide technical expertise on agriculture, workforce development, and/or trilateral cooperation to the evaluation team to ensure findings and recommendations are relevant, accurate, and actionable, and ensure all terminology used throughout the evaluation is appropriate.
Skills and Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of demonstrated relevant field research experience with significant focus on one or more of the key technical themes: agriculture, workforce development, youth, and/or trilateral cooperation.
- Experience conducting interviews, focus groups, surveys, and secondary data collection, in particular with social program participants.
- Experience working in Mexico and Central America.
- Fluency in spoken and written Spanish required, knowledge of English also desired.
- Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Proven written and verbal communications skills.
Application Instructions
Please send your resume/CV and daily rate to mesajobs@linclocal.org with the subject line “Mid-Term Performance Evaluation Field Research”. All applications will be reviewed, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. LINC LLC is an equal opportunity employer.