Complementing the well-known work of IPA in the production and promotion of rigorous impact evaluations, the Right-Fit Evidence Unit is a fast-growing consulting team at IPA focused on helping organizations make better use of data and evidence themselves to learn and adapt their programs and increase their cost-effectiveness. The RFE Unit works in close collaboration with IPA’s sector programs, policy team, and country office teams.

If you are looking for a position which allows you to work closely with funders and implementers, to inform more effective policy making and to have an impact, this position is for you! IPA Ghana is seeking an Advisor in the Right-Fit Evidence Unit (Advisor, RFE) to support IPA Ghana’s provision of technical assistance to funders and implementation partners for improved use of data and evidence in the early childhood education system. A new RFE project has created this an exciting opportunity to contribute to evidence-based education system improvements within Education Evidence Labs, co-financing instruments and community-led education programs. The Advisor will be the learning partner for the education partners in Ghana, as well as potentially in Cote d’Ivoire. This will involve facilitating learning agenda development, providing technical assistance as well as leading country-level learning events to assess progress against key metrics and identify improvements to programming. The Advisor will also contribute to synthesis and learning activities across multiple countries, informing the major funder’s portfolio globally. The RFE Advisor will report to an RFE Manager and will work closely with the project team across and partners across Ghana, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Switzerland and the USA. This is a unique opportunity to balance country-focused expertise with engagement and learning globally. The role is open to both Ghanaian and international applicants. IPA Ghana will sponsor work permits/visas for international applicants, if hired. We also encourage those with the following profiles to apply as these skills and interests are a particularly strong fit: Management consultants with some international development experience who would be excited in a career shift to an entrepreneurial and impact-focused environment leveraging their skillset Education/early childhood development project managers who have experience managing large scale education programs in developing countries, particularly in collaboration with government partners, interested in a role that focuses on innovation/early piloting/large-scale monitoring and evaluation for quality assurance in education M&E practitioners who are interested in broadening their scope and impact in the field by advising organizations on state-of-the-art M&E practices Research professionals in international development who enjoy working closely with practitioners and are interested in broadening their scope to all the types of data and evidence that can inform decisions Irrespective of their background, RFE staff tend to learn through their work, and this position is a great fit for anyone with a growth-oriented mindset.

Responsibilities

• Professional deliverables: Own the preparation and presentation of various types of advisory and analytical deliverables, often in slides or well-structured and engaging reports, maintaining the highest standards of communication efficiency
• Provide technical assistance to implementing partners: Prepare/facilitate training sessions and host office hours to build and strengthen the capacity of implementing partners in MEL.
• Contribute to the monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) of all activities in the funder’s portfolio in Ghana (and possibly Côte d’Ivoire): Facilitate the development of a learning agenda and MEL framework, synthesize implementer data and possibly oversee the collection of primary data by IPA
• Facilitate data-driven workshops with key level stakeholders: Liaise with key funders and implementers, and academics to plan and facilitate capacity building workshops such as evidence sharing events and MEL-related workshops
• Workshop design and implementation: Design and facilitate various kinds of external MEL-related workshops, improving the capacity and ownership of partners around long-term MEL practices
• Project management: lead work planning and project management for the MEL technical assistance to ensure effective and timely implementation of our work. Contribute to financial management through strategic prioritization of activities within the given budget.
• Represent IPA Ghana in all engagements and cultivate existing and new stakeholder partnerships: Represent IPA Ghana in stakeholder meetings, host regular check-in meetings with key stakeholders (virtually and in-person in stakeholder offices), and actively seek new partnership opportunities with relevant stakeholders. This includes sourcing relevant contacts, arranging meetings, developing partnership collaboration concept notes/presentations, and any regular upkeep/communication required to move partnerships forward.
• Develop ideas for new IPA partnerships to support the use of right-fit evidence: Contribute to any relevant business development of future IPA and RFE partnerships by identifying and understanding open challenges for potential partner organizations (policy makers, implementers, funders) and working with an internal team to develop solutions that IPA could provide in partnership. Attend and contribute to business development meetings and prepare concept notes or proposals.

Qualifications

Required

Education and Experience:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in economics, public policy, education, early childhood development, international development, or related fields and;
• 2-5 years of relevant work experience, including experience in M&E, education policy/programming or program management, organizational performance/R&D/operational research, or experience in management consulting/other professional services. Exceptions may be made for excellent candidates who do not meet this criterion.

Technical Skills:

• Superior analytical and conceptual thinking skills
• Familiarity with statistics and data analysis (including strong command of Excel)
• Strong client-facing and presentation skills. Ability to present information in a structured and insightful way, both in writing and orally.

Stakeholder Management Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with partner organizations;
• Self-starter, entrepreneurial mindset, versatility, and ability to learn at a fast pace.

Project Management Skills:

• Project/budget management skills; attention to detail;
• Ability to manage and organize various work streams efficiently.

Other:

• Located in Ghana or willingness to relocate to Ghana;
• Willingness to travel within Ghana and possibly West Africa;
• Passion for making data-driven decisions a reality in the international development sector

Preferred

• Master’s degree in education, economics, public policy, social science, or a related field
• Experience working with NGOs or large government programming, particularly in early childhood development
• Experience living and working in developing countries, particularly Ghana or other countries in West Africa
• Familiarity with the concepts surrounding the Theory of Change and the core tools of M&E (both quantitative and qualitative research methods)
• Familiarity with key global education indicators, particularly for early childhood development
• Familiarity with the global literature in early childhood development
• Familiarity with SurveyCTO, Open Data Kit or similar survey software
• Ability to use Stata, R or similar statistical software
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials;
• Experience preparing high-quality narratives for donor/external stakeholders;
• Working proficiency in French is preferred but not required.