Inclusion Specialist Researcher - MSI " Ramallah "
INCLUSION SPECIALIST RESEARCHER, USAID WEST BANK/GAZA MENA MELS ACTIVITY, REMOTE
Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Project Summary:
MSI implements USAID’s Middle East & North Africa Monitoring, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Services (MENA MELS) Activity, which supports the design and implementation of rigorous research, assessments, evaluations and learning activities for USAID’s Middle East Bureau and its operating units (OU) in 10 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, including the West Bank and Gaza. The USAID/ West Bank and Gaza (WBG) Mission’s Democracy, Rights and Governance team commissioned a rapid assessment of the democracy, rights and governance sector in the West Bank. The rapid assessment is being carried out in two phases; phase one (completed) studied local governance institutions and ecosystems in the West Bank. Phase two will examine the broader DRG sector at the national level, including the key actors, institutions, organizations and government and donor funded initiatives that advance good governance at the national level. The purpose is to identify entry points for USAID programming and provide USAID/WBG with actionable and specific programmatic recommendations in the following areas: governance transparency, accountability and anti-corruption, legal education, media in the West Bank and Gaza, and inclusion of women, youth, and people with disabilities (PWD) in government and semi-government institutions, including access to government and public services, and initiatives by civil society and non-governmental organizations working in the governance space. The period of performance is on/about February 24, 2023 – April 20, 2023, with up to 45 days of LOE.
**Please note: All Palestinian citizens are eligible for this position.**
Position Summary:
The Inclusion Specialist Researcher will examine a sample of West Bank national-level government, semi-government institutions, governance initiatives, and civil society organizations, including transparency and advocacy groups, and media organizations to assess representation and participation rates of women, youth, and PWDs. The Researcher will work under the direct supervision of the Team Lead and in close collaboration with the other members of the research team. The Researcher will also explore what efforts are being made if any by these institutions/organizations to increase the participation and inclusion of these groups, and challenges that hinder participation and inclusion efforts. The Researcher will identify potential partners and entry points for USAID support to strengthen and institutionalize inclusion of women, youth, people with disabilities and other marginalized populations in the governance sector across the West Bank, but with a focus on partners and entry points that can have influence at a national level. This role will be located in West Bank.
Responsibilities:
- Participate in a kick-off planning workshop to review the approved rapid assessment work plan, including research approach and methods, roles and responsibilities of team members, activity timeline and deliverables, communication protocols, and draft data collections tool.
- Identify key national-level actors, government, semi-government, and non-governmental institutions and organizations for their respective focus area, along with key informants and further refine the data collection tools for their focus area. Schedule and conduct primary research with agreed informants, which includes uploading typed notes to be uploaded on a shared folder within 48 hours of interviews being completed.
- Conduct interviews and remote interviews in West Bank and Gaza.
- Identify potential entry points and partners for USAID to promote more inclusive governance programming in the West Bank and nationally, where possible.
- Submit to the Team Lead and Activity Manager an internal report in English with summary findings and recommendations to inform development of the rapid assessment draft report.
- Participate in weekly check-in calls with the Team Lead, MSI Activity Manager and MSI WBG buy-in Team Lead to share information and insights, discuss findings and emerging recommendations, ensure overall coherence and consistency of the research across focus, and mainstream inclusion and other cross cutting themes that emerge.
Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in social science, public policy and/or research, or related subjects required.
- Minimum eight years of relevant experience, including in the West Bank, required.
- Experience researching, including conducting literature review/desk study and in-person semi structured interviews, required.
- Experience with USAID WBG Mission is highly preferred.
- Knowledge of the West Bank national-level governance sector, civil society landscape, and current government and donor-funded gender and social inclusion efforts to increase the representation and participation of women, youth, people with disabilities and other marginalized populations, required.
- Established existing networks with senior officials and technical staff involved in promoting inclusive governance, as well as other experts in the field among academics and civil society, required.
- Strong communication, presentation, and writing skills required.
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.