• Navanti supports a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Support Activity program that assists USAID/Nigeria in advancing its broader organizational learning and development efforts.
• This program strengthens the Mission’s capacity and performance in programmatic monitoring, evaluation, learning, collaborating, and adapting.
• The MEL Support Activity closely aligns with USAID/Nigeria’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and provides a broad range of specialized technical assistance, training, data gathering and analysis, field-based monitoring, evaluations and assessments, facilitation of organizational learning and adaptation initiatives, and short-term technical assistance.

Performance Evaluation Objectives

• USAID/Nigeria has engaged the MEL Support Activity to conduct a performance evaluation of the election portfolio. The purpose of the performance evaluation under DO3 IR 3.3 (Enhanced Credibility of Elections) is two-fold:
  • To assess the extent to which the Sustaining Electoral Engagement for Democracy (SEED) and Responsive Political Party Program (RPPP) activities contributed to enhancing the credibility of elections
  • To inform activity design for future election-related activities
• This evaluation will be used primarily by USAID Nigeria’s Peace and Democratic Governance (PDG) team to inform activity design for future election-related activities. However, PDG will share the evaluation report with the broader USAID audiences, including USAID/Washington to help agencies better understand the electoral context of Nigeria and, most importantly, the efficacy of support to political parties, voter education via radio, and other channels.
• The estimated start date will be November 13, 2023. The evaluation is expected to last until May 2024, and the estimated LOE will be 52 days, maximum.

Position Description

• We are seeking a Citizens Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert to provide a detailed context analysis of the citizens’ group election observation efforts in Nigeria and its efficacy in engendering credibility and integrity of electoral outcomes.
• The expert is also expected to have experience working with vulnerable people and persons with disabilities – drawing experience from them around the Nigeria electoral process.
• Under the technical leadership of the MEL Support Activity, the Citizens’ Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert will work alongside four evaluation team members.

Locations

• Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
• Adamawa State
• Anambra State
• Bauchi State
• Bayelsa State
• Benue State
• Ebonyi State
• Ekiti State
• Osun State
• Kaduna State
• Sokoto State

Responsibilities:
The Citizens’ Observation/Participation (Research and Technical) Expert is expected to:

• Conduct desk review of the portfolio and on citizen’s participation in Nigeria’s election and democracy process for the understanding of the evaluation.
• Coordinate with the team leader and other team members to develop an evaluation work plan, identify key stakeholders, and conduct interviews.
• Work with the team leader to perform desk review and identify additional information about Nigeria’s electoral processes required for analysis.
• Work with the evaluation specialist to design the data collection instruments and ensure it addresses all evaluation objectives.
• Work with the team leader in planning, developing, coordinating, and administering research tools.
• Perform quality assurance reviews of both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Interpret and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
• Work with the team leader and other team members in preparing reports.
• Support the team leader in writing or editing technical reports and summaries of findings.
• Work with the Team Leader in preparation and presentation of the In-brief and Out-brief to USAID/Nigeria and other stakeholders as requested.
• Support the team leader to develop the draft Evaluation report with support from the team members, taking into consideration feedback from the Out-brief presentation.
• Work with the team leader to respond to USAID comments on the draft report, incorporate USAID/Nigeria staff comments into the final version of the report, and finalize the report.
• 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:

• Advanced Postgraduate Degree in Political Science, International Relations, or a related field
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience conducting and deploying election observation methodologies, documenting lessons and innovative approaches to election observation
• Contextual experience working in the Nigerian civil society or political science sector, and engagement with citizens and vulnerable people is required.
• Excellent research, written and verbal communication
• Previous experience as an election and/or governance specialist on election/governance evaluations, assessments, and research studies.
• Understanding of USAID evaluation experience is strongly preferred.