Data Specialist, USAID/Serbia Impact Evaluation of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Activity At Social Impact

Social Impact 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.

Proposal Objective:

USAID/Serbia is currently conducting a procurement process for the five-year Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Activity, the overall goal of which is to accelerate SME growth in Serbia through better integration into higher value-added value chains and developed markets. The Activity will support cross-cutting initiatives, namely human capacity development interventions focused on youth and expanding the pool of qualified entry-level employees for SME business by aligning skills training programs with business needs. In addition, the Activity will support the development of attractive employment opportunities for the country’s youth population, which may include the delivery of technical and vocational education and training, tailored internship programs, curriculum module development, support to young and innovative startups, among other interventions. Lastly, the Activity is expected to mainstream gender throughout.

Concurrently, Social Impact is pursuing an opportunity to work with USAID and the future SME Activity Implementing Partner (IP) to conduct an impact evaluation for select interventions commissioned under the Activity. The evaluation will take place on an ongoing basis throughout the life of the Activity and will assess to what extent selected interventions accelerate SME economic growth, the degree of SME integration into higher value-added value chains and developed markets, and the cost-effectiveness per outcome of such interventions.

Position Description:

Social Impact is seeking a Data Specialist in support of the USAID/Serbia Impact Evaluation of the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Activity. The position is remote with regular travel to Serbia required twice per year for field visits during the five-year period of performance from 2022 to 2027, in addition to visits for the baseline, midline and endline data collection. This is a long-term, part-time consulting opportunity contingent upon contract award.

Responsibilities:

• Under the direction of the Principal Investigator and/or Team Lead, carry out sampling design and research instrument development.
• Participate in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Train and oversee supporting staff, such as enumerators and data entry clerks and supervisors.
• Manage statistical/quantitative and qualitative data analysis programs.
• Communicate regularly with SI HQ and other team members, including the Principal Investigator, Team Leader, and Gender Specialist/Advisor, to coordinate evaluation activities.
• Contribute to written reports and other client deliverables as requested.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Master’s/Ph.D.) in statistics, evaluation, monitoring and evaluation or a related field.
• Minimum seven years of experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods and in designing economic development / SME development evaluations, including program cost-effectiveness evaluation, and at least five of these years in a developing country context.
• Minimum seven years of experience in designing and leading economic development / SME development research instruments (i.e., surveys), including expert knowledge of state-of-the-art sampling.
• Minimum seven years of experience in running statistical analysis programs.
• Ability to work with various counterparts, implementing partners, and host country government stakeholders.
• Ability to travel to remote and challenging areas to conduct data collection and analysis activities.
• Superior written and oral communication skills in English.