Evaluation Specialist at Educate!

Performance Objectives

Research and Evaluation Design

• Support design of evaluation and research projects to answer pressing program and policy questions, working closely with our product teams to ensure that evaluation and research projects meet the needs of the intended user
• Ensure selection of best evaluation methodology (qualitative and quantitative) to answer learning objectives of each evaluation
• Support measurement and tool design to ensure evaluation and research measures target outcomes including teacher pedagogy adoption and quality, student-level soft and hard skills, and economic and life outcomes.
• Ensure research adheres to best practices for delivering high quality, fit-for-purpose research

Research and Evaluation Management

• Plan and manage research and evaluation projects, including evaluations run internally and with external consultants.
• Manage testing of measurement tools for reliability and validity
• Ensure that research and evaluation projects are well-planned and coordinated with other team priorities, and that projects proceed on time with course corrections as needed
• Collaborate with evaluation team to ensure all research and evaluation projects adhere to best practices for delivering high quality, fit-for-purpose research
• Manage large and small data collection, including hiring, training, and supervising teams of enumerators for qualitative and quantitative evaluations
• Ensure data collected is high quality, minimizing errors, following best practices in research ethics, and providing reliable measurement of key outcomes
• Collaborate with Performance Metrics and Product teams programs to integrate monitoring data into evaluations

Analysis and Interpretation

• Clean and prepare survey data for analysis
• Conduct quantitative data analysis, including summarizing descriptive statistics of Educate!’s primary outcomes of interest 
• Conduct statistical analysis of rapid impact assessment data using a variety of identification strategies to estimate the impact of Educate!’s programs on primary outcomes of interest (youth skills, economic activity, savings and income)
• Write well-documented, reproducible analysis code for data cleaning, descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and any other analysis required
• Conduct qualitative research and analysis as needed, tailoring the analysis approach and methodology to the evaluation objectives
• Summarize and interpret data to create clear, actionable recommendations for product teams, using the data to piece together an evidence-based narrative about how youth experience Educate!’s programs

Evidence Use and Results Dissemination

• Summarize research findings to facilitate action by internal and external stakeholders, including Educate!'s Product and Program Implementation teams, as well as government partners and funders
• Advise product strategy teams to incorporate learnings from each evaluation into product strategy and learning agenda and organization-wide theory of change
• Stay up to date with literature on youth skill development, sharing evidence with product teams and understanding where Educate! fits into the landscape
• Support Director of M&E and Technical Evaluation Lead to position Educate! as a thought leader in youth skills programming, evidence generation, and measurement

Qualifications

• Master's degree in economics, education, or other social science with coursework in econometrics, quantitative and qualitative research methods PLUS
• 5+ years of professional experience (in addition to education) in conducting research analysis, conducting research, analyzing data, and working with large datasets
• Experience working with large data sets and on impact evaluations, especially randomized evaluations. 
• Experience with evaluations of education, skills, or labor market interventions, is highly preferred. 
• Experience developing and testing skills measurement tools.
• Strong research and analytical skills, including ability to quickly digest and analyze a diverse range of information and data collected from varied sources
• High proficiency in STATA or alternative statistical software 
• Excellent at summarizing complex research for a policy or practitioner audience, proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, data visualization software (Tableau, etc.)
• Self-starter, well-organized and, diligent with great attention to detail and passion for extracting as much information as possible out of a dataset while maintaining a commitment to rigor
• Collaborative team player
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Willing to travel frequently and/or for significant time periods within East Africa (the role can be based in, Kigali, Nairobi or Kampala, with up to 25% - 50% of time spent outside of the main duty station)
• Fits our Five Cultural Tenets (see What is Educate! About? below); Learn more about Educate! culture here