Senior Qualitative Researcher, USAID/Senegal Collaborative Management for a Sustainable Fisheries Future (COMFISH), Outcome Harvesting Evaluation, Social Impact, Senegal Consultancy

Senior Qualitative Researcher, USAID/Senegal Collaborative Management for a Sustainable Fisheries Future (COMFISH), Outcome Harvesting Evaluation, Social Impact, Senegal

About INRM

The Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) activity provides on-demand support services and technical assistance for USAID Missions, Bureaus, and Independent Offices across a wide array of environmental and natural resource management issues. The activity is jointly managed by multiple USAID Offices within the Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation. INRM is designed to help USAID operating units achieve higher impact environment programming and to support the uptake of principles and approaches outlined in the Agency’s Environmental and Natural Resource Management Framework.

Background

The USAID Collaborative Management for a Sustainable Fisheries Future in Senegal (COMFISH) was implemented between February 2011 and September 2016 through a cooperative agreement between USAID and the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center (CRC). COMFISH worked to achieve reforms in Senegal’s fisheries sector, promote biodiversity conservation, support sustainable livelihoods in the fisheries sector, and advance gender equity and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. To achieve these objectives, CRC worked in collaboration with Senegal’s Ministry of Maritime Economy, the World Wildlife Fund, Environnement et Développement en Afrique-Energie, Centre de Suivi Ecologique, Institut Universitaire de Pêche et d’Aquaculture/ Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Centre de Recherches Océanographiques de Dakar-Thiaroye, and Fédération Nationale des GIE de Pêche. Additionally, COMFISH worked with local artisanal fishing councils and fisheries associations.

COMFISH included the following intermediate results (IR): (1) Institutional and stakeholder capacity strengthened at all levels to implement an ecosystem based, co-management approach towards sustainable fisheries, taking into account climate change impacts in the fisheries sector; (2) Governance strategies, policies and best practices identified, tested, assessed and applied to build ecosystem resilience to threats to biodiversity conservation and climate risk; (3) Vulnerability assessed and capacity of vulnerable coastal communities strengthened to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change; (4) Enhanced social and economic benefits to artisanal fishing communities provide incentives to a continued sustainable fisheries agenda.

COMFISH Plus was a two-year activity that started in October 2016 to “scale up and institutionalize” the approaches implemented by COMFISH in the previous five years. Given the temporal and technical continuity between these two activities, this assessment will focus on outcomes of both (hereafter COMFISH/COMFISH Plus).

Project Description

USAID’s Biodiversity Division has requested INRM support to design and implement an outcome harvesting based evaluation of COMFISH/COMFISH Plus, focusing on key stakeholders’ perceptions of and evidence for the most significant outcomes. INRM will consult with the USAID/Senegal Mission to define the final scope of the evaluation, including an inception report, and aims to implement it in Q1 and Q2 FY24.

The full methodology for this activity will be developed during implementation and described in an inception report. However, per USAID’s guidance, outcome harvesting (OH) will be the main technical approach in this exercise. The evaluation team will carefully review COMFISH/COMFISH Plus documents and data as needed and will design and conduct a series of semi-structured interviews with selected informants in Dakar and in one or two coastal sites selected in consultation with the Mission.

Position Description

DAI is seeking an individual to fulfill the role of Sr. Qualitative Researcher for the COMFISH Outcome Harvesting Evaluation. The Sr. Researcher is expected to work collaboratively with the evaluation and management team to ensure that all necessary steps are taken regarding data collection, management, and analysis activities. The Sr. Researcher will make significant contributions to qualitative components of the evaluation, including instrument development, conducting interviews, data analysis, development of deliverables and recommendations, and final dissemination, under the technical leadership of the Team Lead.

The Sr. Researcher will contribute to quality assurance and timeliness of all deliverables, including adherence to DAI’s quality assurance standards and in in accordance with the scope of work and work plan timelines. The Sr. Researcher will report to a Program Director from Social Impact (one of DAI’s core partners on this Activity) and the evaluation Team Lead, and will be supported by a Program Manager as well as a Senegal-based Research Assistant/Notetaker. This is a short-term consultancy with an estimated level of effort (LOE) of 38 days, and a period of performance from approximately November 2023 through June 2024.

 **Please note: Candidates with Senegalese citizenship are highly encouraged to apply.**

Responsibilities

• Adhere to the evaluation schedule and work plan, and work collaboratively with the evaluation team, including the Team Lead and Research Assistant/Notetaker.
• Contribute to development and finalization of the inception report, including methodology, work plan, document review, and drafting interview guides/instruments as requested. This may include preparing inputs for a virtual presentation to socialize the methodology and work plan.
• Conduct interviews and focus groups discussion with target response groups and key informants, in both Dakar and one or two coastal sites (to be determined)
• Take detailed notes and synthesize notes with other team members.

• Contribute to development and finalization of the final report (20- 30 pages), including analyzing data (i.e., conducting qualitative coding), contributing to findings, conclusions, and recommendations, and responding to USAID and other stakeholder feedback. This may include preparing inputs for a virtual presentation of key findings.
• Ensure that all expected tasks and deliverables are achieved on time and of high quality, in accordance with the agreed upon scope of work and workplan.
• Maintain clear and regular communication with the evaluation team and INRM support staff, and inform the INRM team of any risks, problems, or challenges in a timely manner.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of related experience, master’s degree and 10 years of related experience, or PhD and 6 years of related experience, including demonstrated experience in evaluations and assessments in the development sector, is preferred.
  • Minimum qualifications are bachelor’s degree and 7 years of related experience, master’s degree and 5 years of related experience, or PhD and 1 year of related experience.
• Demonstrated experience as part of a team conducting an ex-post evaluation utilizing outcome harvesting or a similar methodological approach.
• Superior management skills, including experience working in multinational teams and contributing to high-quality and timely reports for USAID or similar audiences.
• Excellent oral communication and written skills in English and French, required. Additional local languages as relevant, preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and disseminating results of qualitative research, including conducting interviews with a variety of stakeholders, and conducting qualitative coding.
• Experience conducting research or evaluations in Senegal.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, writing, and presentation skills.
• Experience in evaluating USAID Activities related to biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, or similar sectors, strongly preferred.
• Ability and willingness to conduct interviews in-person in Dakar and one or two coastal sites