Data Quality Assessment (DQA) Specialist

• Location: Yemen
• Job type: Consultancy
• REQ ID: 3592

About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI) is a global consulting firm that works on some of the most complex and impactful development problems worldwide. We help government agencies, private companies, and donors improve the lives of others. IBTCI specializes in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) across many sectors, including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, environment, and global health.

Assignment Title:  Data Quality Assessment (DQA) Specialist 

Department/Location: Amman, Jordan (or remote)

Technical Point of Contact:   Chief of Party (COP)

Type: Consultant 

Classification: Consultancy

Overview: IBTCI is seeking a Data Quality Assessment (DQA) Specialist to support the Yemen Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Project (YMELP), a USAID third-party monitoring (TPM), and verification contract based in Amman, Jordan. The purpose of YMELP is to monitor USAID humanitarian assistance and verify and provide independent confirmation of humanitarian aid programs in Yemen.

The DQA aims to report on the validity, reliability, timeliness, precision, and integrity of selected indicators for USAID Implementing Partners (IPs). DQA findings will highlight and help USAID navigate data quality issues and limitations per selected indicator and provide practical recommendations on data quality issues to IPs in the short term. In addition, the DQA Specialist will assess the adequacy and integrity with which IPs document and manage their data collection and storage processes. The DQA Specialist will lead a team of monitors to produce the final DQA report for up to 22 indicators.

This assignment will include a written report and a presentation to USAID.

The DQA Specialist will work closely with YMELP Staff and manage local data collectors. In addition, the DQA Specialist will work closely with DCOP and COP for quality reviews of the provided individual reports for indicators and the final report.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:  

Scope of Work:  

• Lead a local team responsible for document verifications and data collection. The DQA Specialist will instruct the local team on the tasks, verifications to be completed, and data to be collected.
• Review the data collected by the local team to ensure quality and comprehensiveness to address the data quality standards.
• Serve as a point of escalation should some issues need clarification from IPs in concern. The DQA Specialist will arrange a call with the IP of concern for clarification. If there is no cooperation by the IP, the DQA Specialist is to escalate to YMELP COP.
• Review each selected indicator against the pre-determined data quality standards, perform the DQA analysis, and complete the verification against the data quality standards and the functionality of the M&E system concerning the indicators covered in the DQA exercise.
• Identify actionable recommendations to address data quality issues for each IP.
• Out of the cross-IPs analysis, identify actionable recommendations to address data quality issues to IPs and BHA.
• Prepare and summarize DQA findings into a DQA report; YMELP will provide the DQA report template.
• Other duties are required to accomplish the purpose of this assignment.

Deliverables:

• Submit a work plan and deliverables schedule for conducting the DQA, data collection team management, IP engagement, and providing a reporting template for the individual indicators and final report.
• Submit the individual DQA reports for all indicators. Inside these reports, technical content and English language quality is maintained.
• Submit the final DQA report, including the analysis of up to 22 indicators, presenting key findings for each indicator and findings across IPs for similar indicators. This includes a recommendations section for IPs and BHA.
• Submit a presentation (preferably PowerPoint) summarizing key findings and recommendations.
• If time and resources allow, present the DQA findings to BHA and IPs as part of a YMELP learning event and IP workshop.
• This position does not authorize/require the consultant to communicate directly with IBTCI clients.
• This position does not authorize/require the consultant to have decision-making authority on the final work product.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Ten years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation in international development, preferably working on USAID projects.
• Demonstrable experience in successfully conducting rigorous and evidence-based DQAs for USAID.
• Previous experience leading a team is required.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Education: Bachelor's degree in evaluation, statistics, international development, or related field. Master's degree preferred.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• A demonstrable understanding of humanitarian assistance is desired.
• In-depth knowledge of USAID performance management standards and guidelines is strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in conducting a remote DQA is preferred.
• Demonstrable familiarity with USAID requirements (i.e., ADS Chapter 201) on DQAs is strongly preferred.
• Fluency in Arabic is a preference.
• Work experience in Yemen is a preference.
• Currently based in Yemen or able to travel to Yemen is a preference.

Supervisory Responsibilities:  This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: Travel to Yemen may be required if security allows.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building.   We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education, energy & Infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients' missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws.  We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.  VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).