The USAID/Egypt Mission has contracted The QED Group doing business as Q2 Impact to implement the Learning Activity. This is a five-year activity that will provide monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) support services and build the capacity of USAID/Egypt and implementing partner staff. Specifically, the purpose of the Learning Activity is to provide performance management, monitoring, evaluation, assessments and research and learning support services and build capacity of USAID/Egypt to implement USAID’s Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) methodology to strengthen the implementation of USAID/Egypt’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and enhance USAID’s organizational effectiveness.

The Learning Activity is recruiting an M&E Specialist to assist USAID/Egypt in assessing and learning from its efforts on localization in order to plan for future activity design. USAID defines localization as the set of internal reforms, actions, and behavior changes that USAID undertakes to ensure the work puts local actors in the lead, strengthens local systems, and is responsive to local communities.

This consultancy will require an estimated 40 level of effort days from February2024 to September2024. Work is expected to be done in-person and remotely.

Responsibilities:

The M&E Specialist responsibilities will include:

• Conduct a desk review including exploring USAID global localization tools and programs

• Review of past evaluations, end of activity reports, annual performance reports of selected activities to summarize main approaches, experiences and lessons learned from past and current localization efforts in Egypt.

• Review of USAID/Egypt reporting on sustainability and local ownership PPR key issues narratives.

• Review of other USAID Missions efforts on localization (as available)

• Performing a categorization exercise clustering Activities on a localization scale.

• Organize and facilitate learning event with stakeholders (including preparation, presentations and exercises, and dry-runs)

• Conduct sense-making KIIs and FGDs (including preparation and logistics)

• Prepare comprehensive reports summarizing findings and recommendations

Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in development, political science, social research, social sciences and/or other related field.

• Proven record of a minimum of 10 years’ experience in working on strategic planning and multistakeholder engagement with development partners, including bilateral and multilateral organizations.

• Fluency (written and spoken) in English is required.

• Demonstrated experience in carrying out qualitative and quantitative research.

• Strong skills and knowledge on multi-stakeholder engagement, donor relations, strategic planning, and program evaluations.

• Strong presentation, communication and writing skills in English is required.

• Prior experience with multilateral and bilateral organizations is considered an asset