SOW.docx

Gender and Social Inclusion Senior Survey Specialist

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. Introduction

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government agency whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

B. Scope

The Department of Compact Operations (DCO), Sector Operations Division (SO) is seeking a survey specialist to provide due diligence support within the Gender and Social Inclusion (GSI) Practice Group. In the course of compact development and program design, GSI undertakes and oversees substantial research and data analysis, both qualitative and quantitative, at the country, regional, organizational, sector, community, and household levels. This statement of work (SoW) is for a consultant to design, oversee, and review the conduct of survey research. Other complementary primary research tasks, such as conducting focus groups and interviews, may also be requested.

C. Country

Mongolia and any MCC eligible country

D. Tasks and Deliverables

Tasks:

The consultant reports to the program monitor (PM) or the contracting officer technical representative (COR). S/he works as part of the GSI practice group to plan, budget, design, conduct, oversee, monitor, and or problem-solve with respect to the conduct of surveys. S/he also works to strengthen the capacity of MCC staff and MCC partners in compact and threshold countries in two main ways: first, by developing tools, briefers, and other training materials; and second by working in tandem with MCC staff and MCC partner staff to review, plan, develop, and oversee surveys. Finally, the consultant is available to track MCC GSI survey and other primary research efforts and to develop case studies and summaries of practices.

This is a senior level position that requires maturity, an advanced level of survey design and implementation skills, field experience in designing and implementing large multi-stage household surveys, and a proven track record of programmatic accomplishment and professional achievement.

Tasks under the purview of the consultant shall include but are not limited to:

· Provide review of and technical guidance on population-based and beneficiary-based survey designs.

· Provide in-person oversight of survey implementation and liaise with survey team and managers on behalf of MCC.

· Design and oversee the conduct of survey research at the country, regional, organizational, sector, community, and or household levels. This task could include the following:

· Develop purposive and representative sampling strategies, which may include multistage and cluster sampling and identification of strata appropriate to the given context and research questions;

· Develop work plans and budgets for surveys;

· Design and pre-test or oversee the pre-testing of survey instruments and enumerator guidelines;

· Oversee or carry out the recruitment and training of local enumerators and supervisors;

· Review or develop objectives for programming of computer-assisted personal interviewing devices (CAPI);

· Oversee the management of data collection and data quality assurance;

· Ensure adherence to appropriate institutional review board and other ethical protocols, confidentiality measures, and secure data storage plans; and

· Manage stakeholder engagement to facilitate access to the appropriate persons and populations and maintain good relationships with MCC stakeholders and partners.

· Conduct literature and statistical reviews to identify data gaps and inform survey design.

· Code and analyze raw survey data, which may include narrative analysis of results, descriptive statistics, graphs and other visual products, and basic statistical analyses (e.g., regressions, t-tests, chi-squared tests).

· Analyze existing survey data.

· Write, oversee the writing of, or edit survey reports and produce summaries of survey reports.

· Plan and oversee the conduct of surveys in developing country contexts such as:

· Willingness to pay studies and contingent valuation surveys;

· Multi-topic quantitative household surveys;

· Enterprise surveys;

· Time use surveys; and

· Knowledge, attitudes, and practices surveys (KAP).

· Support MCC and MCC partner country staff to participate in the review, design, and oversight of surveys.

· Contribute to strengthening the capacity of MCC staff and staff of MCC partners in compact and threshold countries by developing tools, briefers, and other training materials.

· Track MCC GSI survey and other primary research efforts and develop case studies and summaries of practice and lessons learned.

Deliverables:

Illustrative deliverables include the following:

· Oral and written comment on other consultants’ deliverables

· Literature and statistical reviews to identify data gaps and inform survey design;

· Sampling strategies stating and justifying sample strata, clustering, and stages, as well as sample sizes, listing and sampling methods, and confidence intervals and margins of error;

· Data analysis plans;

· Survey work plans and budgets;

· Data collection instruments and justifications for use of particular categories of elicitation methods, questionnaires, and other types of data collection tools;

· Data collection protocols;

· Field manuals

· Training materials for survey enumerators and supervisors;

· Terms of reference for the design and conduct of surveys;

· Guidelines for data transcription and translation;

· Data code lists or code books;

· Briefers, fact sheets, case studies, and presentations related to the tasks listed above;

· Literature and statistical reviews;

· Survey reports and summary reports; and

· Trip reports and oversight reports.

E. Period and Place of Performance

All work shall be completed between the dates of the award through a four-year period of performance.

The estimated level of effort up to 600 hours per year for a total of 2,400 hours with up to five trips per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The consultant shall work from the consultant’s home office and/or MCC headquarters or from any MCC eligible country and other MCC eligible countries to carry out the responsibilities above.

F. Subcontracting

The consultant is authorized to subcontract data collection, environmental and social analysis, translation services, and related services. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the consultant’s total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost. All subcontracts will be contingent on MCC’s approval.

G. Time and Reporting

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COR), Program Monitor (PM), and other designated MCC personnel. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the ToR will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this ToR or of the terms and conditions of the ToR unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

H. Conflict of Interest

The Consultant will be precluded from bidding on work and services (design, assessment, construction and supervision) to be procured by the local MCAs accountable entity or using funds advanced under a Compact in the relevant country.

I. Evaluation Criteria

Required:

· MA in a social science field with quantitative training.

· Minimum 5 years of experience designing and conducting survey research in low- and middle-income countries. This must include some experience designing and conducting representative surveys with large populations, as well as small sample size surveys.

· Demonstrated capacity and professional experience in survey design and implementation including sampling strategy, estimating sample size, data analysis plan, survey data weighting, training enumerators, oversight of survey implementation, and descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, including working with large raw datasets from household surveys.

· Demonstrated experience recruiting and training local enumerators and managing research teams in a variety of settings.

· Demonstrated experience with the design and implementation of multi-topic quantitative household and or enterprise surveys in a developing country context.

· Experience conducting qualitative analysis and using research methods including interviews and focus groups.

· Demonstrated experience using Excel, Stata, and software such as NVivo to produce written and graphic analytical products using qualitative analysis and both descriptive and inferential statistics.

· Demonstrated experience producing analytic reports to inform program design.

· Fluency in written and spoken English and demonstrated ability to produce high quality written deliverables in English.

· Demonstrated experience working through interpreters and managing production of deliverables in English and a second language.

· Demonstrated experience with analyses of social and economic inequality, political economy, and or gender norms and power relations.

Preferred:

· PhD in a field with quantitative and qualitative training.

· Experience or expertise conducting willingness to pay studies and developing contingent valuation scenarios.

· Experience or expertise conducting time use surveys.

· Strong economic and econometrics skills.

· Experience with novel sampling techniques to address difficult-to-access or difficult-to-identify populations.

· Working proficiency in French and/or Arabic.