Advisor; Right-Fit Evidence Unit at IPA | May 2024

Requisition ID: 1657

Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

Position Summary

IPA’s Right-Fit Evidence Unit (RFE) is currently looking for an experienced and dedicated Advisor. In this role, you will play a crucial part in providing evidence- and data-driven Monitoring, Learning, and Evaluation (MEL) advice to implementers and funders to inform more effective policy-making and to have an impact across RFE’s current active portfolio. As an Advisor, you will report to an RFE Manager. The role is open to candidates in countries where IPA has a country office except the United States, and applicants from the global South are highly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Technical capability strengthening 60%

●    Collaborate with partners through project teams to develop and strengthen their Theories of Change (ToCs) and plans for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL).

●    Offer continuous technical guidance, coaching, and training to partners on various aspects of MEL, including data collection methods, survey instrument creation, data management, analysis, and evidence-based decision-making.

●    Prepare and present advisory and analytical deliverables, ensuring clear and efficient communication while maintaining high standards of quality.

●    Detailed quality checks on deliverables 

●    Manage portions of project workplans and administration (such as note-taking, file storage, etc.)  

Stakeholder Engagement and Partner Management 20%

●    Establish and maintain strong relationships with key external stakeholders, including direct interaction with leadership staff from partner organizations.

●    Successfully collaborate across IPA teams, including with country offices, policy, and research teams.

●    Accompany and provide feedback on data collection design and implementation as needed, such as coaching partners on prototyping activities in the field or designing action-oriented process evaluations 

New Project Design Support 20%

●    Contribute to the development of new RFE engagements by participating in scoping meetings, designing methodologies, and crafting concept notes or proposal documents.

●    Contribute to IPA impact potential through proactive reflection on lessons learned to suggest systematic improvements in current and future engagements

Qualifications

Required

●    2-5 years of relevant work experience, which includes, for example, work in MEL, data analysis and management, consulting and project management, and research and development

●    Superior analytical, quantitative, and conceptual thinking skills

●    Entrepreneurial self-starter mindset, highly adaptable, and versatile, with strong multi-tasking skills

●    Ability to travel up to 20% of your time

●    English language fluency

●    Passion for making data-driven decisions a reality in the international development sector. 

●    A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (Master’s preferred) in economics, statistics, public policy, international development, social science, or related fields. 

Preferred

●    Experience living and working in developing countries.

●    Prior experience in consultancy or provision of similar professional services 

Reports to

RFE Manager

Deadline to Apply

June 6th, 2024

Location

This role is open to the following offices: Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

About IPA 

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide. 

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) 

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager