Team Leader - Drug Revolving Fund Activity Evaluation at Navanti

Team: USAID/Nigeria MEL Support Activity

Project: USAID /Nigeria Health Population and Nutrition (HPN) Office

Location : Federal Capital Territory – Abuja, Nigeria

Reporting to: Assessment and Evaluation Advisor

Employment Type: Independent Contractor / Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA)

Period of Performance: July 2024 – November 2024

Position Description

Navanti is seeking a team leader responsible for the overall coordination and management of the evaluation team’s effort and for ensuring a rigorous and high-quality evaluation in the locations stated above. Under the guidance of the MEL Support Activity, the team leader is expected to work closely with the USAID/Nigeria-HPN team. The team lead is expected to have done a similar evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa, or other countries with similar context.

The team leader will be supported by a subject matter expert, a health financing specialist, a procurement and logistics expert, and a health data/evaluation specialist. The team leader will consult with and facilitate input from all team members throughout the evaluation.

The team will use a combination of literature review, secondary analysis of population-based surveys, and quantitative/qualitative data collection through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews to gather insights to answer the study questions, with a special focus on data from the four states listed above. The team is also expected to propose based evaluation methodology/approach as required.

Locations:

• Zamfara, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Sokoto States

Responsibilities

The evaluation team leader will be responsible for the overall management of the evaluation. S/he will be an international consultant who will lead the team. S/he will be the primary person responsible for ensuring a rigorous and high-quality evaluation design. The team leader will develop the outline for the draft report, present the report, and after incorporating USAID/Nigeria staff comments, submit the final report to USAID/Nigeria through the MEL Support Activity within the prescribed timeline. The team leader will:

• Participate in the evaluation kick-off session with USAID/Nigeria.
• Conduct an initial desk study: gather relevant secondary materials to identify key actors and stakeholders.
• Lead the development of data collection tools, including survey and interview tools, and methodology for covering target states
• Conduct and manage the entire process of data collection, including conducting several KIIs and FGDs with stakeholders including women, health care providers, etc
• Present preliminary findings on data collected from stakeholders' engagement and desk review
• Provide leadership for the team and coordinate activities as necessary.
• Coordinate team's ongoing analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of the In-brief and Out-brief to USAID/Nigeria and other stakeholders as requested.
• Write the draft evaluation report with support from the team members, taking into consideration feedback from the Out-brief presentation.
• Respond to USAID comments on the draft report, incorporate USAID/Nigeria staff comments into the final version of the report , and finalize the report.
• Present the rapid evaluation results to diverse audiences according to USAID standard reporting
• Work collaboratively with team members throughout design, implementation, analysis, and report writing to complement each other's areas of expertise.

Qualifications

The candidate is expected to have the following qualifications :

• A minimum of ten years of substantive and progressively responsible for leading evaluations, research, and similar studies.
• Experience evaluating/supporting start-up/improvement management of drug revolving funds is critical. Proficiency in evaluation methods, and quantitative and qualitative research methods including survey design, data collection, statistical analysis, and interpretation of findings.
• Minimum of seven or more years of substantive and progressive professional experience working in pharmaceutical supply chain and commodities and logistics management related to malaria and MNCH or similar contexts.
• Ability to prepare clear and concise evaluation reports, presentations, and briefs tailored to different audiences
• Proficiency in the collection and analysis of qualitative data is a must, including conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys, and analyzing statistical data related to healthcare utilization.
• Demonstrated experience with supply chain capacity building and policy reform, with preference to those with considerable working experience in Nigeria or other sub-Saharan countries.
• Experience in preparing persuasive technical reports and making verbal presentations, explaining issues clearly and concisely.
• Required oral and written communication and presentation skills in English;
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating across projects stakeholder groups and donor projects; and
• Experience working in the health sector with international donor organizations, particularly USAID.

The consultant should adhere to ethical guidelines, obtain informed consent, and protect the confidentiality and anonymity of participants.