Senior Evaluation Expert

Extended Term Consultancy for Senior Evaluation Expert, World Bank Institute Capacity Development and Results

Background/General Description:

The World Bank Institute (WBI) is a global connector of knowledge, learning and innovation for poverty reduction. WBI is part of the World Bank Group, and connects practitioners, networks and institutions to help them find solutions to their development challenges. As an integral part of the WBI’s Renewal Strategy and the World Bank’s new Knowledge Strategy, WBI established the Capacity Development and Results unit (WBICR) as a central resource to improve the quality and results of capacity development (CD) practice in WBI, across the World Bank and beyond.

Key elements of the WBICR work program are noted below.

· Systematic reporting on results of WBI programs, and developing and maintaining the results infrastructure, and advising WBI teams on results management.

· Studies and action research on "how to" of CD based on WBI programs.

· Knowledge and learning activities, including advisories, for World Bank country teams in support of improved capacity development strategies and programs.

· External partnerships for results-focused CD, contributing to high-level international dialogues on aid effectiveness and strengthening partnerships to advance collaborative learning on results-focused CD.

· Evaluating selected World Bank staff learning programs.

· Leading major Bank-wide operational and policy reviews for WBI, and commenting on critical corporate documents and initiatives and needed developments in World Bank Group strategies, policies and guidelines.

The proposed consultancy is mainly concerned with the evaluation of World Bank staff learning programs; in particular, the high-priority Operational Core Curriculum (see additional background below).

Additional background on the Operational Core Curriculum:

The objective of the Operational Core Curriculum (OCC) is to improve World Bank staff’s knowledge and skills for integrated operational work, including (a) increasing their understanding of World Bank's policies, procedures, and guidance as they relate to lending; (b) strengthening their problem-solving skills through extensive use of real-life case studies; and (c) providing some elements of behavioral and technical training, which are key to performance.

The primary target audience of the OCC includes prospective task team leaders (TTLs), TTLs who have been in the Bank under 3 years, and TTLs with more than 3 years of experience who express interest in the OCC. The OCC will be mandatory for prospective TTLs, who will be expected to achieve passing scores on the final test, along with meeting other criteria/requirements. The secondary target audience of the OCC includes all staff working in World Bank lending Operations at professional levels.

Topics within the Operational Core Curriculum include:

Development Policy Lending (DPL) for TTLs (e-learning)

Investment Lending (IL) for TTLs (e-learning)

Procurement for TTLs (e-learning)

Financial Management for TTLs (e-learning)

Results for TTLs (e-learning)

Safeguards for TTLs (e-learning)

Investment Lending, Fiduciary, and Behavioral components for TTLs (face-to-face learning)

Analytic and Advisory Activities (AAA) for TTLs (e-learning)

The OCC is designed as blended learning, with up to 20 hours of e-learning with a mandatory knowledge test, and 10-15 days of face-to-face training, likely to be taken over a period of 15-18 months. Some e-learning modules have already been launched as of July 2011.

Major responsibilities of the Extended-Term Consultant:

WBICR is seeking a senior evaluation expert for a full-time one-year assignment to design an evaluation framework for the World Bank’s Operational Core Curriculum, an important component of the World Bank’s new Learning Strategy for its staff. The consultant will also pilot key aspects of the evaluation such as instruments, data collection strategies, and analytical approaches. Key tasks envisioned include the following:

· Become familiar with relevant World Bank organizational initiatives and learning programs to perform his/her duties according to the relevant broader perspectives. (These include the Knowledge Strategy, the Learning Strategy, the World Bank Corporate Curriculum, the Foundations of Bank Operations course, and the Operational Core Curriculum.)

· Identify the priorities and interests of main internal clients in relevant Operational Policies and Country Services units, as well as of other key stakeholders.

· Lead the process to develop an appropriate, robust, practical evaluation design for the Operational Core Curriculum (OCC) that has buy-in from internal clients and key stakeholders and that is within budget and timeline.

· Identify or develop instruments, data collection approaches, analytical approaches, reporting outlines, results templates, and other aspects of the evaluation of the OCC.

· Identify aspects of the evaluation that can be piloted within the year’s time frame, and begin implementation.

· Peer review the testing component of the OCC evaluation (contracted to a test development firm) to provide the OCC team with an independent assessment about the reliability, validity, and fairness of the test development and administration.

· Manage the OCC evaluation design project, including tracking timelines, deliverables, and budget, and selecting and supervising short-term consultants.

· Prepare communication materials (including website content, brochures, etc.) for the evaluation work.

· On request, advise World Bank staff and management on technical and strategic issues related to the evaluation of World Bank staff learning.

· Contribute to WBICR’s knowledge hub function for World Bank teams.

· Contribute to WBICR corporate review functions.

Selection Criteria

This one-year ETC contract position requires a senior evaluator with broad experience related to adult learning and international development. The senior evaluator should have a technical background and track record that enables him/her to work effectively with the following groups within the World Bank: Operations Policy and Country Services group, the Knowledge and Learning Council, the Learning Board, and the Results Secretariat, as well as the networks and regional operations units.

Specific selection criteria include the required and preferred elements below:

Required:

· Advanced degree in a discipline relevant to the evaluation of learning. At least eight (8) years of post-graduate work experience in evaluation with a Master’s degree and more than five (5) years with a Doctoral degree.

· Experience designing and managing evaluation projects involving multiple stakeholders, objectives, phases, and data collection and analytical approaches.

· Substantial applied research expertise and experience, with excellent analytical skills and proficiency with inferential statistics.

· Experience designing and implementing needs assessment, results frameworks, monitoring and evaluation plans, and instrument development related to learning programs, including collecting data (through surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.), conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses, reporting results for evaluators and non evaluators--all in consultation with stakeholders.

· Theoretical knowledge of and experience with adult learning design.

· Understanding of psychometrics.

· A persuasive and clear communicator with excellent written and oral English communication skills.

· Demonstrated ability to share technical knowledge and experience, identify and disseminate lessons and best practices that arise from monitoring and evaluation.

· Ability to produce and thrive in a multicultural environment, excellent interpersonal skills, and demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams.

· Resourcefulness, creativity, active listening skills, and ability to request information clearly and diplomatically, and ability to work effectively across disciplinary and organizational boundaries.

Preferred:

· Proficiency in online survey tools, electronic polling, and other productivity-oriented means of information gathering and processing.

· Experience with World Bank operations would be an advantage, as would familiarity with World Bank information systems, communication and technology systems, knowledge and learning products, and/or evaluation processes.

The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Application process:

If interested, send an email to WBICR-Consultants@worldbank.org with “Senior Evaluation ETC” in the subject line, and include:

(a) your CV,

(b) a description of how your skills and experience relate to the ETC assignment described above, and

(c) your answers to the following questions:

1. Have you ever worked for the World Bank?

2. Do you have any relative working for the World Bank? (If so, please indicate your family relation to this person, e.g., wife, son, etc., and the vice presidency unit in which s/he works)

3. How soon could you start working?

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview and may be asked to take a test of skills. Other candidates will not be contacted. Final selection will be contingent on credit check and security clearance.

Background on contracting and other policies for Extended-Term Consultants (ETC) can be found at these links:

http://go.worldbank.org/G1SRCNYND0

http://irispublic.worldbank.org/85257559006C22E9/DOC_VIEWER?ReadForm&I4_KEY=3FF49099056A712885256C9000646009D47EE6188DBAA3E785257012006A99E3&I4_DOCID=5171E8EE7F7BE248852575D800784A56&