The Kaizen Company USA- MELA Jordan Hiring for Planning and Supporting MEL Community of Practice in the Pilot Phase at Amman, Jordan Full Time

Scope of Work: Planning and Supporting MEL Community of Practice

SOW Title:                   Planning and Supporting MEL Community of Practice in the Pilot Phase

Work Plan No:             TBD

SOW Date:                   April 18, 2022

SOW Status:                 Draft

Consultant Name:        TBD

Job Classification:          TBD

Reporting to:                Lisa Masannat. Acceleration Manager

I.    Specific Challenges to be Addressed by this Scope of Work

The USAID Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (the Activity) aims to build the technical capacity of Local MEL Organizations (LMOs) and professionals through a MEL Community of Practice (COPR). The COPR will connect its members with MEL resources, capacity building engagements, and networks to improve their own delivery of MEL services to Jordanian institutions, USAID, and other donors. Through a market assessment, the Activity identified EvalJordan as an eligible partner to implement the COPR. EvalJordan will manage technical delivery of COPR initiatives while the Activity will provide institutional support and guidance to ensure that these initiatives can be sustained and expanded.

The Activity and EvalJordan envision that the COPR will start with a one year-long pilot phase. In this phase, the Activity and EvalJordan which will develop a portfolio of COPR services which will build from EvalJordan’s existing activities. The Activity seeks a Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) consultant to support work planning, activity mapping, rollout of these pilot activities, and management support to the COPR in this year-long pilot phase.

II.     Objective of this Scope of Work

This Scope of Work aims to launch the COPR with the following objectives accomplished by the consultant, in collaboration with the Activity and EvalJordan:

• A robust and adaptive work plan which clearly outlines roles and responsibilities between stakeholders and anticipated timelines with contingencies,
• An updated activity mapping exercise developed in collaboration with EvalJordan which builds from an exercise conducted in 2019,
• A presentation of pilot activities which could be introduced or expanded in the COPR,
• A list of metrics to determine the effectiveness of COPR activities,
• Organizational and logistical support to member activities during the year-long pilot phase (e.g., arranging meetings, webinars, recording minutes, etc.),
• Facilitate coordination between COPR members,
• A transition plan to ensure that activities in the pilot phase are sustained.

The consultant will support the Activity and EvalJordan through the first year of the COPR, also known as the pilot phase. As a result of this Scope of Work, the Activity anticipates that the COPR will commence with an intentional, well-planned pilot phase.

III.    Specific Tasks of the Consultant

Under this Scope of Work, the consultant(s) shall perform the following non-comprehensive list of tasks:

• Meet with the Activity and EvalJordan to understand the initial COPR plan and assumptions that will inform the work planning, activity mapping, and logistical support activities.
• Support EvalJordan’s activity mapping exercise, review existing COPR initiatives and findings from the 2019 mapping exercise.
• Provide input to the work plan based on best management practices.
• Draft and share a presentation to propose pilot initiatives (new activities and expanded versions of existing activities).
• Research existing funding streams for the COPR and propose revenue-generating components of new or existing activities to ensure a sustainable COPR.
• Support the implementation of pilot activities by providing organizational and logistical support, including but not limited to the following activities:
  • Attending coordination calls with the Activity, EvalJordan, and USAID.
  • Conduct outreach to potential members and other stakeholders.
  • Provide day-to-day management support during the pilot phase.
• Propose a management approach to ensure a seamless transition with the incoming COPR management team at the culmination of the pilot phase. 

Required Reporting Includes:

• Detailed work plan, including narrative, assumptions, contingency options, roles and responsibilities, and timelines.
• 2022 activity mapping exercise, developed in collaboration with EvalJordan and based on a review of the 2019 activity mapping exercise and review of current activities.
• Pilot activity pitch deck, including recommendations to integrate revenue-generating components into existing activities, new activities designed in collaboration with the Activity and EvalJordan, metrics to determine the effectiveness of activities, and recommended timeframes for each pilot.
• Day-to-day implementation support during the pilot phase, summarized by minutes of bi-weekly meetings with the Activity and EvalJordan which will serve as progress report deliverables.
• Transition plan which outlines a management approach, next steps, sustainability considerations, and the status of all pilot activities for the incoming COPR management team.

All deliverables should be submitted in English and will be considered complete once approved by USAID.

IV.     Time frame for the Consultancy.  Unless otherwise specified in writing, the following time frame will govern the timing of the completion of this consultancy:

5. LOE for the Consultancy. This consultancy will require about 83 days of LOE over the year-long pilot phase.

6. Location.  Amman, Jordan. The Activity’s offices may be available to host meetings and day-to-day support
7. Management. The consultant will be administratively managed by the Activity but jointly managed by EvalJordan and the Activity from a technical perspective.

VI.     Consultant Qualifications.  The Consultant(s) shall have the following minimum qualifications to be considered for this consultancy:

• Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Business Administration, or any related field.
• Minimum 5-8 years of experience in organizational development with a preference for experience in the monitoring, evaluation, and learning sector.
• Background working with associations, Communities of Practice, strong understanding of COPR activities preferred.
• Previous experience working with donors, especially USAID, is preferred.
• Strong experience supporting pilot activities (e.g., supporting the startup of donor-funded activities, supporting innovative initiatives).
• Strong networks in Jordan’s MEL ecosystem and understanding of local stakeholders and donors preferred.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent skills in Arabic and English writing.