lead e VAluatorInternational City/County Management Association (ICMA)

The Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project is an award of the Philippines Mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The period of performance is five years, from July 27, 2015 to July 26, 2020, but has been extended by USAID until late 2021. The SURGE Project is an activity in support of USAID/Philippines’ Cities Development Initiative (CDI). The CDI adopts a “whole‐of‐Mission” approach that engages a strategic array of USAID activities with the primary goal of promoting broad‐based and inclusive growth of cities outside of Metro Manila that can serve as engines of economic growth.
 
SURGE envisions that second-tier cities will become economically thriving and resilient growth centers outside the urban core of Manila. Toward this goal, SURGE has three major outcomes:
 
1.            Local capacity in inclusive and resilient urban development improved;
2.            Environment for local economic development improved; and
3.            Connectivity and access between urban and rural areas improved.
 
The SURGE Project interfaces with a diverse group of public, private sector, and civil society organizations. The primary counterparts for the program are the city governments of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, and Zamboanga, at the local level, and selected government agencies at the national level.
 
As the project nears its conclusion, an independent evaluation is necessary to gain an objective view of project implementation; the results so far in terms of outcomes and, if feasible, impacts; learnings; and the mechanisms for sustainability.
 
SURGE is seeking qualified and dedicated candidates for the position:
 
LEAD EVALUATOR  
(Short-Term Engagement/ 45 days)
 
JOB PURPOSE
SURGE will commission such evaluation through the hiring of a team of individual consultants led by a Lead Evaluator and up to two Associate Evaluators. Together, the consultants shall lead the process of capturing the significant changes experienced by various stakeholders of SURGE and the contribution of SURGE interventions in bringing these changes about.
 
The Lead Evaluator will lead and coordinate the conduct of a mixed-method summative evaluation for the SURGE Project that employs Outcome Harvesting. They will be the point of contact between the evaluation team and evaluation stakeholders, and be responsible for developing the overall design, overseeing the work and quality of outputs of the other evaluation team members, writing and finalizing the reports, upholding quality and integrity in the evaluation process, and synthesizing findings such that they can be translated into relevant and actionable knowledge products for results-based M&E and management. 
 
SCOPE OF WORK
The Lead Evaluator is expected to:
 
1.       1.    Prepare the Inception Report with the proposed evaluation design and corresponding work schedule;
2.    Design the Evaluation (using Outcome Harvesting as a method);
3.    Review the outcomes found in project documentation;
4.    Conduct data collection to identify additional outcomes by engaging with various stakeholders and team members;
5.    Craft high-quality outcome descriptions that provide detail, relay the outcome’s significance, and articulate SURGE’s contribution to the outcome;
6.    Substantiate outcome descriptions; this may involve determining a sample and facilitating the process with a team of independent substantiators;
7.    Analyze and interpret the outcomes;
8.    Support the use of findings;
9.    Produce analytical and well-evidenced reports based on the evaluation process; and
10.  As lead and point of contact, represent the evaluation team and ensure the quality and timeliness of outputs.
 
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
·         Advanced degree in social sciences, development management, economics, or related disciplines
·         Minimum eight (8) years’ experience in research, M&E, and/or evaluation of local and international development projects
·         Experience in at least three (3) evaluations, and have led or managed at least two (2) completed evaluations on development programs/projects of comparable scope (e.g., implemented through/with international development organizations; implementation areas/partners; timeline; project cost)
·         In-depth understanding on local development and government systems in the Philippines, and a solid background on local economic development and/or urban planning and development (requisite); as well as other policy or program areas such as WASH, democratic governance, connectivity, value chain development, or other related themes (preferred)
·         Excellent writing and communication skills
·         Fluent in English and Filipino
·         Independence from the parties involved
 
See attached Terms of Reference for further details.
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