Team Leader, NASA Climate Change Mitigation Study
Company Profile:
MSI is an internationaldevelopmentfirm in the Washington, D.C., metro area with a 30-year history of helping to deliver results across the developing world. In 2008, we became part of Coffey International Limited. Since that time, we have greatly expanded our ability to respond seamlessly and flexibly to client needs with Coffey's international development offices in the United Kingdom and Australia. We operate in some of the mostchallenging political and economic climatesin the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and South Sudan. MSI currently employs 800 development experts in the fields of public sector management, monitoring and evaluation, governance, and anticorruption.For more information on MSI, please visit our website at
Proposal Summary:
The anticipated evaluation will evaluate the impacts, costs and benefits of a joint USAID/NASA project that has used NASA satellite technology to improve flood warning in Bangladesh. The primary focus of the study is on valuing the quantitative benefits of the improvement in warning time for floods and requires significant expertise in econometrics.
Position Summary:
The Team Leader will be the chief party responsibility for technical rigor, study design, data quality oversight and data collection instrument development for the anticipated evaluation. S/he will work closely with MSI home office for purposes of coordination and team management.
Responsibilities:
- Design and operationalize sound evaluation methods in order to answer the anticipated evaluation’s research questions:
- What are the impacts of the Bangladesh JASON-2 product in flood forecasting?
- What is the value (costs, benefits) of the JASON-2 product (in terms of the value of the data in the flood model to societal benefits and JASON-2’s return on investment)?
- How are the benefits from the JASON-2 product distributed across the differing groups (users, stakeholders, scientists)?
- How does the JASON-2 product impact scientific and technical capacity in the region?
- Develop data collection instruments and a field work plan in consultation with local context providers and support from other team members.
- Utilize econometric expertise to investigate value for money, return on investment and costs/benefits of the JASON-2 product.
- Utilize econometric expertise to model decision making processes for product usage among policy makers and environmental planners in Bangladesh, utilizing other team members as appropriate.
- Provide data collection quality oversight
- Create and execute a sound data analysis plan combining qualitative and quantitative methods, utilizing other team members as appropriate.
- Oversee the drafting and completion of a final report clearly articulating findings and conclusions based around the research questions. Recommendations, if appropriate, will also be sought for NASA’s planned expansion of the JASON-2 product.
- Present findings, conclusions and recommendations as requested to NASA and SERVIR program stakeholders and at conferences.
Qualifications:
- At least 10 years’ experience in econometric modeling and conducting cost/benefit assessments, preferably in the context of disaster risk management and/or climate change mitigation.
- Experience conducting research on developing countries.
- A master’s level degree stressing applied research is required, Ph.D. preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in leading research teams is a must, including the development of survey research instruments.
- Demonstrated experience in conducting or facilitating interviews with key informants, groups and households is required.
- Familiarity with Bangladesh, or climate change issues effecting South Asia more generally, is a plus.
- Familiarity with NASA’s applied sciences teams, the SERVIR program, or GIS software’s use in climate policy is a plus.
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