Subject Matter Expert in Private Sector

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity

Subject Matter Expert in Private Sector

USAID BUSINESS GROWTH ACTIVITY (BGA) MIDTERM EVALUATION

Scope of Work

About The Kaizen Company

The Kaizen Company, a Tetra Tech Company, is an international development consulting firm and an incubator for innovative, scalable solutions that address emerging market challenges and opportunities. Our proven solutions catalyze locally driven organizational and institutional performance improvements and establish communities of practice that facilitate peer-to-peer learning and the achievement of shared goals. We aspire to transform the nature and impact of development assistance and work to strengthen organizations and institutions through innovative approaches to organizational development, reform, and change.

Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) Overview

MELA is designed to ensure that USAID’s activities in Jordan achieve their intended results through monitoring and evaluation, strategic assessments, and USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting approach (CLA). Kaizen will help USAID/Jordan create a dynamic learning environment among development actors, focused on innovation, quality, and knowledge sharing. Through the Kaizen Accelerator, a rapid procurement mechanism, a cohort of Jordanian firms will work with Kaizen's MELA team to successfully deliver activities while simultaneously strengthening their management and compliance systems. The Kaizen approach will provide USAID with high-quality MEL services across its portfolio, build the capacity of local MEL institutions, and ensure programs meaningfully incorporate local participation. The MELA team will ensure program sustainability by building the technical and institutional capacity of one or more local firms that can manage the follow-on MEL Activity in the future.

BGA Midterm Evaluation Overview

USAID/Jordan has commissioned MELA to conduct a midterm evaluation of the Business Growth Activity (BGA). The evaluation aims to assess the extent to which BGA has achieved its intended outcomes and to evaluate its effectiveness, efficiency, and relevance in alignment with USAID/Jordan objectives. Recommendations stemming from the evaluation will guide USAID/Jordan and the implementing partner in refining the current Activity through adaptive management.

The evaluation will examine the successes, best practices, lessons learned, and challenges encountered during the implementation of BGA, including both internal and contextual factors. This evaluation is anticipated to utilize a mixed methods approach, with cost effectiveness analysis required to respond to one of the evaluation questions. Based on the findings, the evaluation will provide recommendations tailored to inform USAID/Jordan's programming strategy and decision-making processes. The primary audience for this evaluation is USAID/Jordan’s Economic Development and Energy (EDE) Office, and the implementing partner of BGA.

Responsibilities and Tasks

Kaizen is currently looking for a Subject Matter Expert in Private Sector Development for the BGA Midterm Evaluation. The primary responsibility of this role is to provide expertise in business growth and evaluation domains. This position will closely collaborate with the evaluation team lead to ensure that the team's progress and findings are effectively integrated into the final evaluation report. Additional roles and responsibilities under this position include:

· Serve as principal technical expert for the evaluation team on Jordanian private sector development and business growth.

· Support the evaluation team lead in the design of the evaluation methodology and the development of data collection tools.

· Lead interviews with key stakeholders, including government entities, private sector actors, and BGA staff. Properly ensure full documentation of interview notes.

· Support in the data analysis and preparation of the preliminary findings presentation and the drafting of the final evaluation report.

o This includes providing recommendations on how SME and private sector development can be further exemplified by BGA based on the associated findings of the evaluation.

o May include the development of case studies to highlight unique elements from BGA implementation.

Qualifications

· Master’s degree required in Economics, Business Administration, or other related fields, with a solid foundation in economic principles. Published academic research in related fields is desirable.

· A minimum of 7-10 years of professional experience with a proven track record in monitoring and evaluating projects/programs in private sector development.

· Demonstrated expertise in quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods to address evaluation questions, and experience conducting case studies.

· Demonstrated experience working with private sector development, MSME or SME development, and/or business growth, preferably in Jordan or the MENA region.

· Demonstrated in-depth understanding of the Jordanian context, including public, private, and civil society.

· Fluent in English and Arabic, with excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey information rapidly, precisely, and succinctly.

· Demonstrated considerable experience in leading meetings and presenting persuasively to senior officials and partners in a multicultural environment.

· Proficient in using word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs.

· Jordanian citizen is preferred.

Kaizen, a Tetra Tech company, is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of Kaizen as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information,

family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work

For candidates applying for positions based in Kaizen's office in Washington, DC, we utilize career.place to mitigate bias in the recruitment process. Upon submitting an application, candidates will receive an email from career.place, prompting them to go through the anonymous screening. In order to be considered for a role, candidates must respond to career.place and proceed with the application. We do not currently use career.place for project positions outside of the United States.

At Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer.