Developmental Evaluator for the Program to End Modern Slavery / Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

Background

NORC at the University of Chicago is one of the largest, well-respected social research organizations pursuing high quality social science research both in the U.S. and internationally.

NORC is seeking a part-time Developmental Evaluation Researcher/Evaluator for a Developmental Evaluation of a pilot project to address human trafficking and labor exploitation to be based in Ethiopia. This position is for an estimated 70 days between October 2024 and September 2027. Fieldwork will take place in 2025 and 2026.

Developmental Evaluation (DE) is an approach to inform the continuous adaptation of interventions during a pilot testing phase by using evaluative thinking and repeated cycles of evidence feedback and uptake. This DE process includes basing one or more evaluators with the implementing agency, working closely with project staff, supporting them to use monitoring and evaluation evidence to adapt their program design and improve the pilot project’s ability to achieve the targeted outcomes.

Responsibilities

The Developmental Evaluation Researcher/Evaluator will operate as part of the implementing project team(s) while they are implementing the pilot intervention. This person will be responsible for co-designing the DE protocol and tools with NORC and the local and international project partners. This individual will assist the project teams to ensure monitoring data are collected, analyzed and fed back to the project team in useable ways so they can make appropriate adaptations to their intervention model. They will begin working with the project team during the pilot intervention design phase, when teams are developing the specific aspects of the intervention, including the Theory of Change, delivery mechanisms, causal pathway and measurable indicators. Importantly, this individual will also be responsible for documenting and interpreting each aspect of the DE processes.

Responsibilities include:

1. Coordinate with the NORC team to design the DE approaches, tools and implementation strategy.
2. Work closely with the local project implementing staff and their research partners to support their pilot intervention monitoring processes, data collection, analyses and interpretation and feedback and uptake processes, plus guide potential intervention adaptations.
3. Make regular visits to project sites between 2024 and 2026 to discuss intervention testing, data collection, and to observe and document implementation.
4. Conduct limited field work, including 15-20 interviews and/or focus group discussions with relevant staff, project beneficiaries, and possibly other stakeholders.
5. Document the organizational decision-making processes, prototype design adaptations, evidence uptake, and project staff feedback as the pilot is tested and adapted.
6. Document how the monitoring evidence influences the pilot intervention and how adaptations influenced emerging outcomes.
7. Communicate regularly with the NORC team about the pilot intervention and adaptations.
8. Contribute to writing reports, presentations and papers on the intervention model and the Developmental Evaluation.
9. Participate in meetings with the US Department of State Trafficking In Persons office to report on the DE, as necessary

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in social sciences, public health or related field with at least five (5) years of experience in research and evaluation of similar programs; or a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field with at least ten (10) years of experience in research and evaluation of similar programs.
• Expertise in human trafficking, labor exploitation, occupational health and related topics
• Previous experience with monitoring and evaluation of interventions
• Experience with participatory, support for learning and co-design approaches preferred
• Ability to work remotely as necessary and participate in video calls
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, ability to keep to deadlines and attention to detail.
• Fluency in written and spoken English Level (4/4)
• Fluency in Amharic and/or Somali, Tigrigna, Oromo, and Afar
• Availability to travel to field locations to conduct fieldwork, convene meetings, and observe implementation, as necessary.

Salary Information:

• NORC at the University of Chicago can offer a fixed-term, part-time contract for a total of 70 days between October 2024 and September 2027. The fieldwork will take place in 2025 and 2026.
• NORC will cover all travel expenses for the site visits.
• NORC can pay $250-350/day USD with 2% cost of living increases every year

How to apply

Please email Jessica Wallach at wallach-jessica@norc.org with the subject line: Local DE Evaluator: Ethiopia with a CV and Cover Letter, or any questions that you have about the role.