Senior Evaluation Expert in Education sts

Job Description

SRD Center is seeking a highly qualified Team Leader / Senior Evaluation Expert to lead the final evaluation of a multi-year education sector system-strengthening programme in Jordan.

The assignment will assess programme performance, achievements, challenges, sustainability, institutionalization, and lessons learned, with particular attention to education sector planning and policy, monitoring and evaluation, evidence-based decision-making, education data systems, institutional capacity development, governance, coordination, gender equality and inclusion, education financing, and crisis-sensitive planning.

The evaluation will apply a mixed-method, theory-based and utilization-focused approach involving desk review, stakeholder consultations, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, qualitative and quantitative analysis, triangulation, and preparation of evaluation reports and presentations.

The Team Leader will have overall responsibility for the technical quality of the evaluation and will lead the evaluation methodology, fieldwork, analysis, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and coordination of the evaluation team.

Tasks

The Team Leader will be responsible for:

• Providing overall technical leadership and management of the evaluation.
• Leading the development and refinement of the evaluation methodology and approach.
• Reviewing programme documents, strategies, results frameworks, monitoring data, previous evaluations, studies, and relevant policy documents.
• Leading preparation of the inception report, including the evaluation matrix, reconstructed Theory of Change, stakeholder mapping, sampling approach, data collection tools, and detailed workplan.
• Supervising and coordinating the work of the evaluation team.
• Allocating responsibilities among team members and ensuring consistency across all evaluation activities.
• Leading key informant interviews, focus group discussions, stakeholder consultations, and other data collection activities.
• Leading the in-country and field component of the evaluation.
• Assessing programme relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
• Assessing institutional and system-level changes resulting from the programme.
• Examining the sustainability and institutionalization of programme-supported reforms, systems, tools, processes, and capacities.
• Applying data triangulation and appropriate qualitative and quantitative analytical methods.
• Applying advanced evaluation approaches, where appropriate, including contribution analysis and/or outcome harvesting.
• Identifying achievements, challenges, unintended results, good practices, and lessons learned.
• Developing strategic, prioritized, practical, and actionable recommendations.
• Leading presentations of preliminary and final evaluation findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Leading preparation of the draft and final evaluation reports and recommendations matrix.
• Ensuring that comments and feedback received during the review process are appropriately addressed.
• Ensuring compliance with recognized evaluation quality standards and ethical principles.
• Ensuring integration of gender equality, inclusion, human rights, confidentiality, cultural sensitivity, and “do no harm” principles throughout the evaluation.
• Ensuring timely and high-quality completion of all deliverables.

Qualifications

The successful candidate should have:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in Education, Social Sciences, International Development, Public Policy, Evaluation, or another relevant discipline.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in programme evaluation, research, or analytical studies, preferably within the education sector.
• Proven experience serving as Team Leader for at least two programme or project evaluations.
• Demonstrated experience conducting evaluations for governments, international organizations, development partners, or similar institutions.
• Strong knowledge of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience with advanced evaluation approaches such as contribution analysis, outcome harvesting, theory-based evaluation, or similar approaches.
• Strong expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- education sector planning and policy; - monitoring and evaluation; - education statistics and data systems; - EMIS and digital transformation; - education financing and budgeting; - institutional capacity development; - governance and partnership coordination; - gender equality and inclusion; - crisis-sensitive education planning.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and report-writing skills.
• Excellent command of English.
• Willingness and ability to undertake travel and fieldwork within Jordan as required.
• Knowledge of international evaluation norms, standards, ethics, human rights, gender equality, and evaluation quality assurance is highly desirable.
• Previous experience in Jordan and/or the Middle East region is an advantage.

Candidates must be independent from the programme being evaluated and should disclose any previous involvement that could represent an actual or perceived conflict of interest.