Deputy Team Leader/Evaluation and Trade Facilitation Specialist, Performance Evaluation of the SouthernAfrica Trade Hub and Assessment Survey of TradeFacilitationMeasures,South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia

Company Profile:

MSI is a Washington, DC metro area international development firm with a 35-year history of delivering development results across the world. We operate in some of the most challenging political and economic climates in the world, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Iraq. MSI currently employs 800 development experts in the fields of public sector management, monitoring and evaluation, governance and anti-corruption. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at

Project Summary:

MSI is currently seeking candidates to serve as short term roles as Local Researchers/ Logisticians in South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia. MSI anticipates that one Local/ Researcher/ Logistician candidate per country will be recruited to support the design and implementation of two distinct but related studies:

1) A final performance evaluation of the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Competitiveness Program (the “Southern Africa Trade Hub,” or SATH), and

2) An assessment survey for USAID on the costs and benefits of selected trade facilitation measures (TFMs) in the Southern Africa Region.

The primary purpose of the final performance evaluation is to gather and synthesize information regarding the SATH project’s performance to date and assess achievements versus expected results. The objective of the assessment survey is to provide guidance to USAID/Southern Africa in their oversight of future trade facilitation-related activities.

These research activities are undertaken through USAID’s E3 Analytics and Evaluation Project, for which MSI is the lead implementer. The focus of the E3 Analytics and Evaluation Project is the design and implementation of rigorous evaluations as well as analytic support for USAID project design efforts across E3 technical sectors.

**Please note: Only South African, Zambian, Malawian, and Namibian citizens are eligible for this position.**

Position Summary:

The successful candidate will have experience performing data collection and providing logistical support for international development program evaluations in one more of the countries where SATH activities are implemented: Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia. The successful candidate will also have some familiarity with one or more these technical sectors in the Southern Africa regions: trade facilitation, customs reforms, and economic integration.

Responsibilities:

  • Schedule interviews, and confirm appointment times, dates, and locations with potential

Respondents.

  • Make travel arrangements for field team before and during fieldwork including booking hotels,

identifying and arranging ground travel, and providing other logistical support.

  • Support data collection activities in a professional and consistent manner.
  • Carry structured survey interviews and semi-structured key informant interviews as directed by

Team Leader/ Deputy Team Leader.

  • Take notes during interviews and conduct structured observation of meetings, project sites, and

activities, in collaboration with other team members.

  • Provide detailed reporting of collected data in the format required by the Team Leader
  • Participate in team planning meetings and debrief team mates daily
  • Provide input to the analysis of the research team’s data.
  • Conduct follow up research as necessary and feasible.
  • Undertake other relevant tasks required for the successful completion of the assignment.

Qualifications:

  • At least a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or equivalent work experience in related field; Master’s

degree preferred.

  • At least five (5) years of experience participating in program evaluations or other field research using

qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.

  • Experience in note-taking during key informant interviews, group interviews or focus group discussions.
  • Experience in collecting data using structured survey questionnaires.
  • Experience in trade facilitation, economic integration, or customs reforms.
  • Excellent writing, reading, and speaking skills in English.
  • Proficiency in relevant local languages a plus.
  • Familiarity with USAID programs and an understanding of the USAID Evaluation Policy preferred.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

MSI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer.

To apply: Please visit our website,

Management Systems International
msiworldwide.com