Citizens Observation / Participation (Research and Technical) Expert - Election Portfolio Performance Evaluation at Navanti Group

Navanti provides timely and insightful data and analysis that shapes programming and empowers local voices, bringing their concerns, ideas, and knowledge to a broader audience. Its systems inform high quality interventions in rapidly evolving, conflict affected environments, employing an approach to contextual, nuanced data that uncovers and engages local actors and opportunities in need of support, resources and training – to create sustainable and transformative solutions that impact their communities. Navanti offers near-real time understanding of local dynamics, enabling an anticipatory programmatic capacity that takes advantage of near horizon change.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Citizens Observation / Participation (Research and Technical) Expert - Election Portfolio Performance Evaluation

Location: Nigeria
Department: Programs
Team: USAID/Nigeria MEL Support Activity
Project: Election Portfolio Performance Evaluation USAID / Nigeria
Reporting to: Assessment and Evaluation Advisor
Employment Type: Independent Contractor / Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA)
Period of Performance: October 2023 - May 2024

Background

• Navanti supports a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Support Activity program that assists USAID/Nigeria in advancing its broader organizational learning and development efforts.
• This program strengthens the Mission’s capacity and performance in programmatic monitoring, evaluation, learning, collaborating, and adapting.
• The MEL Support Activity closely aligns with USAID/Nigeria’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and provides a broad range of specialized technical assistance, training, data gathering and analysis, field-based monitoring, evaluations and assessments, facilitation of organizational learning and adaptation initiatives, and short-term technical assistance.

Performance Evaluation Objectives

• USAID/Nigeria has engaged the MEL Support Activity to conduct a performance evaluation of the election portfolio. The purpose of the performance evaluation under DO3 IR 3.3 (Enhanced Credibility of Elections) is two-fold:
  • To assess the extent to which the Sustaining Electoral Engagement for Democracy (SEED) and Responsive Political Party Program (RPPP) activities contributed to enhancing the credibility of elections
  • To inform activity design for future election-related activities
• This evaluation will be used primarily by USAID Nigeria’s Peace and Democratic Governance (PDG) team to inform activity design for future election-related activities. However, PDG will share the evaluation report with the broader USAID audiences, including USAID/Washington to help agencies better understand the electoral context of Nigeria and, most importantly, the efficacy of support to political parties, voter education via radio, and other channels.
• The estimated start date will be November 13, 2023. The evaluation is expected to last until May 2024, and the estimated LOE will be 52 days, maximum.

Position Description

• We are seeking a Citizens Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert to provide a detailed context analysis of the citizens' group election observation efforts in Nigeria and its efficacy in engendering credibility and integrity of electoral outcomes.
• The expert is also expected to have experience working with vulnerable people and persons with disabilities - drawing experience from them around the Nigeria electoral process.
• Under the technical leadership of the MEL Support Activity, the Citizens' Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert will work alongside four evaluation team members.

Locations

• Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
• Adamawa State
• Anambra State
• Bauchi State
• Bayelsa State
• Benue State
• Ebonyi State
• Ekiti State
• Osun State
• Kaduna State
• Sokoto State

Responsibilities:
The Citizens' Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert is expected to:

• Conduct desk review of the portfolio and on citizen’s participation in Nigeria's election and democracy process for the understanding of the evaluation.
• Coordinate with the team leader and other team members to develop an evaluation work plan, identify key stakeholders, and conduct interviews.
• Work with the team leader to perform desk review and identify additional information about Nigeria's electoral processes required for analysis.
• Work with the evaluation specialist to design the data collection instruments and ensure it addresses all evaluation objectives.
• Work with the team leader in planning, developing, coordinating, and administering research tools.
• Perform quality assurance reviews of both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Interpret and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
• Work with the team leader and other team members in preparing reports.
• Support the team leader in writing or editing technical reports and summaries of findings.
• Work with the Team Leader in preparation and presentation of the In-brief and Out-brief to USAID/Nigeria and other stakeholders as requested.
• Support the team leader to develop the draft Evaluation report with support from the team members, taking into consideration feedback from the Out-brief presentation.
• Work with the team leader to respond to USAID comments on the draft report, incorporate USAID/Nigeria staff comments into the final version of the report, and finalize the report.
• Work collaboratively with team members throughout design, implementation, analysis, and report writing to complement each other's areas of expertise.

Qualifications
The candidate is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Advanced Postgraduate Degree in Political Science, International Relations, or a related field
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience conducting and deploying election observation methodologies, documenting lessons and innovative approaches to election observation
• Contextual experience working in the Nigerian civil society or political science sector, and engagement with citizens and vulnerable people is required.
• Excellent research, written and verbal communication
• Previous experience as an election and/or governance specialist on election/governance evaluations, assessments, and research studies.
• Understanding of USAID evaluation experience is strongly preferred.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.