NGO JOBS

Short Term Consultant Needed Immediately

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

Background

The IRC protection program is implementing an UNHCR-funded project that provides information, referrals and training to the Nuba Mountain urban refugee population in Juba, South Sudan. The goal of the project is to strengthen services available for persons with specific needs (PSNs), while also supporting the refugee community to better manage and assist themselves.

Currently, the IRC is visiting urban refugee households in wider Juba to identify PSNs and to enhance the understanding of protection concerns facing the larger Nuba Mountain community. The IRC will soon establish an information and counseling center in Juba to receive refugee clients and when necessary, refer them for appropriate services from project partners ACROSS and UNHCR. Identified PSNs will receive support from the IRC and partners.

Under this project, the IRC will develop two (2) linked databases to manage the identified PSNs caseload while also registering data collected from household questionnaires and client intake at the information and counseling center. The PSN database will be technically compatible with and linked to UNHCR’s proGres database, while all other data from the household questionnaires and client intake would be entered and registered in a separate database developed using Microsoft Access.

The IRC is seeking a consultant for 14 working days to design and set up the two (2) databases in collaboration with UNHCR and the IRC protection manager, and to train the IRC protection team on use and maintenance of the databases.

Scope of Work

Working closely with UNHCR’s in-country database team, the consultant will develop a PSN database that uses proGres tables, coding and software that will be directly connected to proGres through a mobile server provided by UNHCR.

The data tables in the Microsoft Access database will be based on the household survey’s questions and designed for maximum ease in terms of data entry. The Access database will also allow for tracking of referrals and case follow up for clients. Data entered into the PSN database will automatically be entered into the Access PSN section but the Access data will not automatically update in the PSN database and will be shared with UNHCR on a yet-to-be agreed upon basis.

Ten (10) working days will be devoted to database design and set up.

Once the databases are designed and set up, the consultant will train IRC protection monitors in partnership with UNHCR on data entry, report generation and database management over a four (4) day period.

Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following to the IRC:

Two (2) linked databases as described aboveFour day training on the databases, with manuals and schedule shared prior to the training

Desired Experience

5-7 years experience in database design and set up, specifically databases related to case managementVBA access development, Transact SQL scripting , MS SQL 2005 ,C# is a plus.Experience working with proGres and/or developing a database linked to proGres requiredDemonstrated training experience in a cross-cultural environment requiredProven comprehension of human rights and protection issuesAbility to work under pressure and without daily supervision

Education Expert (Short term)Islamabad, Pakistan

Project SummaryIn June 2011, Management Systems International (MSI) was awarded the Independent Monitoring and Evaluation Contract (IMEC). Under IMEC, MSI will support verification, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting for USAID/Pakistan’s entire portfolio of projects. The goal is to assess whether USAID resources are well-spent and achieving desired results and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration of programs, regardless of the implementation mechanism.Position SummaryThe Education Expert will be part of a five person M&E Project team to conduct an evaluation of the Fulbright Student Program.The purpose of this evaluation is to:• Improve the performance of the Fulbright Student Program;• Maximize the program’s contributions to the U.S. Government’s strategic objectives; and• Help USAID enhance the impact of its higher education interventions by prioritizing and balancing the portfolio of activities.

This is a short-term consultancy assignment based in Islamabad with travel required for fieldwork throughout Pakistan. Reporting to the team leader, the consultant will be contracted for up to 40 days on an intermittent basis from October 29, 2012 to February 28, 2013.** Please note that this is a local position based in Islamabad.Only local citizens are eligible to apply **

ResponsibilitiesThe consultant will undertake the following tasks:• Review relevant documents to answer evaluation questions and identify information gaps;• Participate in designing instruments for Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), group discussions, and sample surveys;• Conduct onsite KIIs of the following stakeholders: a) Fulbright scholarship alumni; b) employers of Fulbright scholarship alumni; c) USEFP officials; d) USAID officials; and e) HEC officials;• Conduct group discussions of Fulbright scholarship alumni;• Participate in the data analysis;• Write sections of the evaluation report; and• Undertake other tasks required for the successful completion of the evaluation.

Qualifications• Advanced degree in education, sociology, psychology, or economics and fifteen years of experience in researching educational issues in Pakistan;
• Technical knowledge of and experience in university budgetary processes;• Technical knowledge of and experience in evaluating student scholarship programs;
• Strong knowledge of processes and institutions involved in administering financial assistance in educational institutions; and• Experience of working in evaluation team.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

Project/Proposal Summary:

MSI is implementing the Iraq Administrative Reform Project - Tarabot. The Tarabot project works to improve the functions of the Government of Iraq’s public institutions in order to improve services delivery processes through better governance and resource management approaches. It is scheduled to run through 2015.

The National Policy Management (NPM) component is responsible for building policy design, implementation and analysis capacity in the highest national executive offices and in key ministries and in all provinces. A critical element is the establishment of an inclusive national policy development process that systematically consults with stakeholders representing business, academia, and civil society.

The NPM component works to strengthen and develop the administration and management of the new Office of Policy Development (OPD) of the Prime Minister. This includes training OPD staff in the policy making process as well as providing technical assistance on policy issues to OPD advisors who are working on social, political and economic problems. The project also provides technical training in policy development to advisors of the President, the ministries and provincial councils and works to educate the private sector, NGOs, universities, think tanks and media outlets about their role in the policy development process.

Position Summary:

MSI seeks to build a cadre of Senior Advisors in public policy who will deploy to Baghdad for short term assignments to provide technical expertise to the project and to the Government of Iraq (GoI). Individual advisors will be well versed in a particular policy sub field with considerable experience working in a governing entity designing and implementing public policy. Public policy subfields may include working with legislative bodies, federal government agencies, economic advisors, environmental regulators, or health and agricultural departments. The Senior Advisor will deliver workshops and trainings to Iraqi public policy practitioners in the Office of Policy Development as well as to public policy advisors to the offices of the President, the ministries and provincial councils. He/she or she will liaise with counterparts in GoI and will provide council and assistance in all stages of the public policy development process.

MSI anticipates that individual advisors might make multiple short trips (3+ weeks) over a span of months. The Senior Advisor will report to the Deputy Chief of Party of National Policy Management, her/his supervisor.

This is a short term consultancy based in Baghdad, Iraq.

Responsibilities:

•· Deliver workshops on all aspects of the public policy development process to selected advisors of the President, Prime Minister, ministries, Parliament, and provincial councils;•· Provide technical assistance on drafting policy papers on policy issues developed by the offices of the President, Prime Minister, ministries, and provincial councils;•· Assist in setting up new policy offices in provinces, and in the Parliament;•· Provide capacity building in policy development to the staff of the new policy offices in Parliament, provincial councils, and selected ministries;•· Assist in developing Strategic Plans for new policy offices in provinces, Parliament and in central ministries;•· Develop SOPs for new policy offices in provinces, Parliament and selected ministries;•· Review and update the SOPs and Strategic Plan of the offices of the President and Prime Minister;•· Liaise with the advisor of policy communication and outreach;•· Liaise with the advisor for policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation;•· Liaise with the advisors working on regulatory reform;•· Liaise with the other components of the Tarabot project;•· Provide guidance and assistance on the websites of the Prime Minister’s Office of Policy Development, the President’s Bureau of Public Policy, and the policy units in ministries;•· Deliver written reports, study guides, technical materials, etc on all work conducted while on assignment to the Tarabot project in accordance with project style guides;•· Any other tasks requested by the Deputy Chief of Party of National Policy Management.

Qualifications: •· Must hold a post-graduate degree; a doctoral degree in public policy, public administration, political science, social sciences, government affairs, economics or a law degree is preferred;•· Must have expertise in at least one area of public policy – economic, social, legislative, environmental, health, energy, agricultural, or other;•· Experience as a policy practitioner at the state or federal level is highly preferred;•· Prior experience consulting with policy makers is very helpful;•· Knowledge of Arabic language is helpful.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.