NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent social science research organization that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions both in the United States and internationally. Since its founding in 1941, NORC has been an industry leader with a distinguished record in the design, development, and implementation of survey and other data collection methodologies, applying advanced statistical and other analytical techniques to interpret social science data. NORC’s core competencies include designing and conducting rigorous impact and performance evaluations of development projects; developing survey instruments and administering data collections; conducting analytic research; statistical sampling; data preparation, collection, cleaning and management; and developing survey-associated information technology.
NORC seeks two Senior Social Welfare/Child Protection Experts to work in collaboration with NORC’s evaluation experts on the endline evaluation for a U.S. Agency for International development (USAID) funded Displaced Children and Orphan’s Fund (DCOF) project in Burundi and Moldova; one expert is required for Burundi and the other for Moldova. The evaluation includes primary data collection through surveys, key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD). Each expert will travel to, and be responsible for, the KIIs in one country. The assignment requires 20 days of work between May and August 2017, with 10 days in the field in May 2017.
The Family Care First Project in Burundi aims to prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families and to respond to those children to have already been separated from their families. The two main objectives of the project are: (1) children at risk of institutionalization are in safe, stable families and have their social, emotional, educational and health needs met; and (2) children in institutional care are reunited with their families or placed in stable alternative family-based care arrangements where they are safe and their social, emotional, educational and health needs are met.
The Children in Moldova are Cared for in Safe and Secure Families Project in Moldova builds on previous work in 5 “old” raions and 5 “new” raions. The focus in the “old” raions is on developing prevention programs for vulnerable families (most of the residential care centers have largely been closed) while the focus in the “new” raions is on closing RCCs and developing alternative family-based care in addition to developing prevention programs. The project is targeting three groups of children: (1) children living in birth families – supported to stay with their families; (2) children living in residential institutions – transitioning to family and community based care; and (3) children living in family-based alternatives – supported to reunite with their birth or extended families or placed in adoption.
Position Summary
Each Senior Social Welfare/Child Protection Expert is responsible for working closely with the NORC evaluation experts on the project to lead the KII data collection process and training local data collection firm’s interviewers and focus group moderators on child-sensitive and child-friendly discussion methodologies in their respective country. This includes conducting key informant interviews (KII); a note-taker will be provided to assist in all KIIs.
The evaluation instruments prepared and used during the 2015 baseline will be used at endline, but may require the expert to make some updates. Each expert is responsible for summarizing KII discussions and then drafting responses to the key evaluation questions using information learned from the KIIs. In addition, the expert will provide input to any modifications made by the NORC evaluation team to all data collection instruments (including the surveys and FGD protocols). The expert will also review the draft evaluation report compiled by NORC evaluators and provide feedback on the synthesis and analysis based on both quantitative and qualitative data.
Required Qualifications
- An advanced university degree in child protection, social work, children’s rights, education, health, or other relevant field;
- At least five years of experience working in the field of child care and protection
- Qualitative data collection and analysis experience, and/or performance monitoring and reporting experience;
- English language fluency; and
- (Burundi applicants) Working proficiency in French.
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience providing technical assistance to government child care and protection systems and/or policies;
- Experience providing technical assistance or evaluating social workers;
- (Moldova applicants) Working proficiency in Romanian.
If interested; kindly submit your resume and cover letter before January 15, 2017 to the following email address: Tesfaselassie-Sewit@norc.org.
