MSI/ USAID MESP Vacancy: Research Assistant for Civil Society Assessment
Research
Assistant, Civil Society Assessment
Scope of Work
Company Profile
MSI, a Tetra Tech Company, is a
Washington, DC metro area international development firm with a 35-year history
of delivering development results across the world. Our core expertise is in
the fields of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), institutional development,
public sector management, governance and anti-corruption. For more information
on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Project Summary
The USAID/Indonesia Monitoring & Evaluation Support Project
(MESP) works to improve the functioning and effectiveness of USAID’s
strategy and portfolio in Indonesia. MESP provides services in performance
monitoring, evaluation, assessment and analysis, training, knowledge sharing,
and learning events.
Under MESP, MSI has been
asked to conduct a Civil Society Assessment to inform Mission strategy and
identify needs and opportunities related to the role of civil society
organizations in Indonesia.
Position Summary
MSI is seeking one or two Research Assistants to serve as team members for this
Civil Society Assessment, under the direction of the Team Leader. The Research Assistants will take part in Assessment
activities and will contribute to all activities and deliverables of the
assignment. The Assessment will begin in June 2017, with fieldwork in
July-August. The completed assessment report will be submitted to MSI by the
end of August 2017. The anticipated level of effort for the Research Assistants
is 40 workdays.
Please note: Only Indonesian citizens
are eligible for this position
The purpose of
this CS Assessment is to inform future CSO capacity building programming as a
cross-sectoral initiative under USAID/Indonesia’s country strategy. The
Assessment will identify specific CSO-relevant key areas to pursue further
governance integration, and provide specific inputs to the new Mission
Strategy. More specifically, Assessment findings and recommendations will
enable the USAID Office of Democracy, Rights, and Governance (DRG) to:
·
Understand the
space in which Indonesian CSOs operate.
·
Gauge the
government’s and people’s perceptions of CSOs.
·
Understand the
condition, status, and capacities (strengths and weaknesses) of CSOs.
·
Understand the
state of CSO sustainability and the relevant enabling or hindering factors.
To accomplish the objectives
detailed above, the CS Assessment will answer the following core questions:
·
What are the
profile and typology of Indonesian CSOs? (E.g., representative and advocacy
organizations and coalitions, mass organizations, professional associations,
media, policy and academic research institutions, et al.)
·
What are the
strengths, limitations, and opportunities of Indonesian CSOs, including as
related to supporting achievement of GOI and USAID priority objectives,
engaging effectively with GOI and donors, and building and sustaining internal
capacity?
·
What is the
operating environment for Indonesian CSOs? (E.g., legal framework such as the
Ormas Law; willingness of public and private sector entities to work with CSOs;
threats and limitations to operations; et al.)
·
What is the
impact of decentralization on CSOs?
·
What are the
perceptions of CSOs among the government, private sector, and citizens?
·
What is the
status of CSO sustainability? What are the enabling and hindering factors?
Position Responsibilities
·
Support the
Assessment team to help ensure that the Assessment implementation and Report
address all issues and requirements in the USAID-approved Statement of Work.
·
Participate in
the team planning with other team members, MESP, and USAID.
·
Contribute to the
development of the Assessment Work Plan, including the detailed schedule for
information gathering and analysis, and interview instruments for Assessment
fieldwork.
·
Assist the Assssment team in preparation and collection
of primary or secondary data, including library research, semi-structured
interviews, and other data collection methodologies.
·
Take notes or
recordings of data gathering sessions, including interviews and group discussions.
·
Analyze collected
data. Maintain records of data collection activities.
·
Provide administrative arrangements for the fieldwork of the
Assesment team.
·
Arrange meeting
space and other logistics necessary for Assessment implementation.
·
Support presentation
of Assessment findings to donors, helping develop presentation materials.
·
Contribute to the
writing of the Assessment Report, as directed by the Assessment Team Leader.
- Undertake other tasks as directed by the Team Leader.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field.
- At least 3 years of professional experience working on
research, assessment, or evaluation activities on relevant topic areas. - Familiarity with issues of civil society
development and advocacy in Indonesia an advantage. - Excellent skills in MS Office, including Excel
and PowerPoint. - Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to take initiative and complete work within tight deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
- English fluency is an advantage.
Only candidates who have been
selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
MSI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer.