Job Description

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits. 

For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved – and is committed to continuing to improve – economies, societies and most importantly, people’s lives. 

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status. 

Project Overview and Role:

The Feed the Future Malawi Agriculture Diversification Activity (“AgDiv”) is the flagship USAID agricultural development project for Malawi. AgDiv seeks to sustainably reduce poverty in Malawi by helping farmers diversify their crop production. AgDiv has five Outcome components: 1) improve farm productivity and income; 2) improve resilience to shocks and stressors for households and the agricultural sector; 3) improve nutrition; 4) empower women in agriculture; and 5) improve coordination of development assistance in the sector. To achieve these Outcomes, AgDiv uses a market systems strategy that involves implementing a large range of interventions targeted to different system levels, including individuals, communities, firms, and government. 

AgDiv believes that high quality measurement and documentation of impact is critical for learning and accountability. AgDiv is employing a number of monitoring and evaluation tools to support these goals, including utilizing theory-based evaluation, developing cost-benefit models for key interventions and promoted technologies, and collecting survey data from different beneficiary groups, including high frequency data. AgDiv has several impact evaluations underway. However, it is important to AgDiv that its evaluation activities fully capture the breadth of the program impact across different interventions, including capturing market systems changes.

To ensure that AgDiv’s monitoring and evaluation activities are capturing impact as completely as possible, with methods that are credible, actionable, and generate learning of value to the larger development community, AgDiv seeks to contract an Evaluation Consultant with experience in a broad range of evaluation methods and tools to review AgDiv’s data and learning to date, identify any gaps, and provide recommendations for addressing those gaps. The Evaluation Consultant will also provide support for documenting learning, and for developing a narrative capturing program impact. The consultant will be expected to work with project staff while bringing a fresh, objective perspective to project impact evaluation. 

The Evaluation Consultant will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive review of AgDiv impact evaluation activities, with the primary objective of ensuring that activities fully capture project impact in Malawi at all levels of the agricultural system. The Evaluation Consultant will produce deliverables organizing and documenting learning, as well as providing recommendations and support for filling gaps in impact evaluation, and developing a strategy for learning dissemination. The anticipated LOE for this position is 4-5 days/month for the period August 1, 2020-August 1, 2021. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Review theory of change documents and develop a complete integrated theory of change linking all individual AgDiv interventions to high level project objectives and systems change.
• Identify key impact evaluation learning needs, based on the theory of change and project key learning questions.
• Conduct a review of AgDiv impact evaluation data collection to date, and identify data or impact evaluation activity gaps.
• Work with AgDiv monitoring and evaluation experts to develop plans for research, evaluation and data collection activities to address key gaps.
• Compile data, research findings, and lessons learned into formats for both internal and external consumption. This may include:
  • Developing a database of AgDiv monitoring and evaluation data and documents
  • Creating dashboards or data visualizations
  • Drafting reports or briefs
• Develop a framework for a narrative that comprehensively captures program impact.
• Work with AgDiv communications team to create recommendations for dissemination of learning from AgDiv impact evaluation activities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation of development programs.
• Fluency in English.
• Ability to meet regularly with AgDiv staff in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Expertise in a broad range of evaluation approaches and methods, including theory-based monitoring and evaluation and rigorous impact evaluation methods. Experience with market systems evaluation or evaluation of large complex projects highly desired.

• Experience developing theories of change, results frameworks, and evaluation plans for development programs.
• Ability to develop dashboards, graphics, and visualizations that clearly communicate complex ideas.
• Excellent English writing skills and ability to create professional, formatted documents.
• Very good interpersonal skills, including strong teamwork and collaboration skills, responsive communication style, and ability to work closely with AgDiv staff members.
• Organizational skills, including the ability to set and adhere to a work plan and meet deadlines.

Application Procedure

CV/Resume with three traceable referees, of whom one must be recent employer.
Cover letter providing details as to how your skills and experience match the tasks of the position.
One example of a graph, chart or other visualization you have developed, with a 50-100 word paragraph describing the visualization and the key takeaways it communicates.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.