Evaluation Coordinator: Mid-term Performance Evaluation of the USAID/Vietnam Tuberculosis Project

Evaluation Coordinator

Mid-term Performance Evaluation of the USAID/Vietnam Tuberculosis Project

USAID Learns Contract

Hanoi, Vietnam

Apply here

https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=39&rid=4352 [1]

Note: This post is open to local candidates only.

About Social Impact

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity-building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits.

Project Objective

SI is implementing the USAID/Vietnam Learns Contract (USAID Learns). The scope of the five-year project is to support USAID/Vietnam staff and partners to implement more efficient, effective, and transparent programs by improving: (1) USAID and Implementing Partner (IP) capacity to achieve expected results; (2) USAID’s understanding and tracking of project performance; and (3) collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA).

Background and Purpose

USAID/Vietnam tasked USAID Learns to conduct a Mid-term performance evaluation of the USAID/Vietnam Tuberculosis Project. The first (current) phase of the USAID/Vietnam TB project (2019-2025) covers two Intermediate Results (IR) under Development Objective (DO) 2 of the Country Development Cooperative Strategy, 2020-2025. These are IR1: Services for the prevention and control of HIV and TB improved in target provinces and IR2: Greater local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and control advanced.

Project Goal: Vietnam sustains effective prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Project purpose: Improve services for the prevention and control of TB, and advance greater local ownership of the TB response.

The Project will help Vietnam in its commitment to end TB by 2030. It will work across the public, private and community continuum for improving HIV and TB prevention, care, and treatment services. Successful improvements in TB service delivery will lead to a greater number of TB cases detected and treated. Continued work in increasing Vietnam’s journey to self-reliance will see improvements in the operationalization of the SHI scheme and reimbursements for TB services, and increased funding for HIV prevention from local domestic resources.

The overarching theory of change of the TB project is that if USAID/Vietnam can improve TB services (IR1) and advance greater local ownership for the prevention and control of TB (IR2), then Vietnam will achieve the overall project goal and sustain effective prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Activities currently implemented under the TB project include: ERASE TB (March 2020 – March 2023), Sustaining Technical and Analytical Resources or STAR (May 2018 – April 2023), Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance – TB or IDDS – TB (May 2018 – September 2022), TB Implementation Framework Agreement or TIFA (July 2019 – July 2024), Local Health System Sustainability or LHSS, Task Order 1 (August 2019 – August 2024), Support to End TB or SET (August 2020 – July 2025).

Purpose and Use of Evaluation 

This midterm performance evaluation comes at the end of four years of implementation of the USAID/Vietnam TB project. The primary purpose of this evaluation is to examine the extent to which the various activities under the project have contributed toward project-level outcomes, particularly in improving the quality and accessibility of TB services and increasing local ownership of the TB response and make recommendations for the design of the next phase of TB project design. The evaluation is also expected to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on project performance.

The evaluation is expected to help fulfill the evaluation requirements for USAID/Vietnam’s Intermediate Result (IR) 2.1 (Services for the prevention and control of HIV and TB improved) and IR 2.2 (Greater local ownership of HIV and TB prevention and response advanced) and inform future strategic decisions on the Mission’s TB portfolio. The process of designing the next phase of the project will begin in 2024.

USAID/Vietnam is the primary user of this evaluation; findings and recommendations will inform plans and adjustments to current activities. Secondary audiences include the NTP and activity-implementing partners.

Position Description

USAID Learns seeks a consultant to act as an Evaluation Coordinator to lead this assignment. The team leader will work with a Team Leader, a TB Expert and a National Health System Expert to conduct the evaluation.

One staff member from USAID/Washington may participate in the evaluation as an advisor and observer.Technical support and direction will be provided by the USAID Learns Research Team and Social Impact headquarters staff. Logistical coordination and interpretation, as well as scheduling, will be managed by the USAID Learns Research Team in conjunction with USAID/Vietnam, the Vietnam National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) and USAID IPs. 

Evaluation Questions

The evaluation will respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent is the TB project improving TB services in intervention areas/levels?

• To what extent has the USAID TB project contributed to meeting the goals and objectives of the NSP 2021-2025 and responded to the most important TB gaps and issues in Vietnam?
• What are the key results achieved by the TB project in terms of improving the quality and accessibility of TB’ services (including gender issues) at the national level and in the intervention provinces? What were the key enabling or inhibiting factors that determined the degree of achievement?
• What key interventions or approaches have achieved greater results and/or least/less effective in achieving desired results? 
• What areas of synergy exist amongst USAID TB supported Activities? How have they been recognized and utilized? What areas of duplication exist amongst Activities of the Project? 

2. To what extent have USAID TB activities advanced local ownership with key players in the country?

• To what extent did TB activities improve the capacity of the NTP, the private sector to work in TB control? How and to what extent have partners’ capacity and engagement been strengthened?
• How did the project mobilize local resources for TB responses? To what extent has the project utilized resources/contributions/support from non-NTP/private sector players to achieve NSP goals and targets? What further opportunities exist?
• Have the activities coordinated with the NTP and other donors? What do NTP and other donors perceive as benefits/shortcomings of USAID Activities? 
• What areas of duplication exist amongst the Project’s efforts and with other donor investments? What program needs are not being met? Where are opportunities for improvement and future collaborations?

3. What areas should the USAID TB Project prioritize for the future to ensure they are effective in addressing the TB epidemic and are sustainable? 

• What TB technical areas should the USAID TB project prioritize in response to the changes in Vietnam’s TB epidemiology, health system context and the NTP structure in order to achieve maximum impact?
• What design principles, management structures and arrangements setting should be put in place for activities to be scalable and sustainable?
• What key local players and organizations should USAID engage to achieve maximum impact and sustainability?

The evaluation team will review and finalize these questions in collaboration with the Mission prior to finalizing the evaluation design.

Methodology

USAID expects that, at a minimum, the evaluation team will:

• Upon award, familiarize themselves with documentation about the Mission’s TB project and Activities. USAID will ensure that this documentation is available to the team prior to the commencement of the work. 
• Review and assess the existing performance and effectiveness information or data.
• Conduct site visits for field testing survey instruments (when applicable and feasible).
• Meet and interview USAID project beneficiaries, partners, and host government counterparts at appropriate levels.
• Interview USAID staff and a representative number of experts working in the sector.

The desk review will include at a minimum:

• Material related to the TB project and USAID investments in Vietnam.
• Material related to the activities: Annual and Quarterly Reports, Annual Work Plans, MEL Plans, sector assessments, trip reports, performance reports, and gender analysis reports.
• Miscellaneous thematic reports from other sources and projects by other donors.
• National policy and strategy documents related to TB. 

The contractor will submit the preliminary evaluation design in response to this SOW for review by USAID. The Evaluation Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will approve the finalized evaluation design two weeks or more prior to the team’s arrival in the country.

The evaluation design matrix should include a data analysis plan for each evaluation question. Requests of the offeror can include an explicit description of major limitations in data collection and analysis.

The evaluation team, in collaboration with USAID, will finalize the evaluation methods before fieldwork begins. Explicit attention to gender and social inclusion issues must be integrated into the evaluation if equity and specific project objectives related to gender equality objectives are to be addressed.

Deliverables and Timelines

The evaluation is set to commence in February – March 2023. The evaluation inception will tentatively take place March - April, allowing for implementation (e.g., data collection) to begin May - June 2023. Preliminary results are expected in July – August 2023, and the final report should be approved by November – December 2023. An indicative list of deliverables and its corresponding timelines is set out in the table below.

Timelines: February – December 2023

Level of effort (LOE): up to 53 days

Responsibilities

• Perform desk review and identify additional information required for analysis 
• Support the Team Leader's lead efforts in evaluation design, methodology, and data collection instruments. 
• Coordinate the evaluation activities, including meetings, interviews, note taking 
• Provide logistics support for evaluation activities, including interviews, meetings, group discussion, fieldwork, and events 
• Conduct interviews as needed and contribute to data collection 
• Provide ongoing analysis of qualitative and quantitative data 
• Support the preparation and presentation of the key findings and recommendations to USAID 
• Write assigned section of the draft evaluation report in coordination with the team members, taking into consideration feedback from the preliminary findings presentation 
• Work collaboratively with team members throughout design, implementation, analysis, and report writing to complement each other's areas of expertise
• Conduct programmatic administrative and support tasks as assigned and ensure the processes move forward smoothly 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree, with preference for degree relevant to research, public health, public policy, international development, or another related field?
• 5 years of experience supporting or conducting mixed-method program evaluation or research
• Must be able to conduct interviews and focus group discussions and analyze the resulting data
• Sound experience with administration and/or logistics for data collection, specifically coordinating data collection activities?
• Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to take detailed notes?
• Ability to work independently to meet deadlines and adhere to high quality standards?
• Monitoring and/or Evaluation experience related to health preferred?
• Social and gender analytical skills preferred
• Fluency in Vietnamese and in-depth knowledge of the operating environment in Vietnam required?
• The candidate must be Vietnamese and reside in Vietnam.

The closing date for application: February 12, 2023. Selection and interviews will be performed constantly and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply, please merge both your CV and a cover letter into one pdf file and submit it through the online portal.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com [2]

SI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls, no visits.