Position Description

EnCompass LLC seeks an international Team Leader with extensive experience evaluating public health projects to conduct the evaluation and lead a team of local subject matter specialists.

EnCompass is implementing the four-year United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bangladesh Upoma Activity, providing a range of analytical and advisory services in support of USAID’s design, performance monitoring, evaluation, and operational learning and adapting efforts. Under Upoma, EnCompass has been tasked to conduct a Midterm Performance Evaluation of the USAID funded Alliance for Combating TB in Bangladesh (ACTB) Activity.

ACTB’s goal is to increase case detection rates to 90% in project areas by the end of the project period of performance. The project will achieve this goal through effectively integrating TB diagnosis, management, prevention, and control services with the existing TB care platforms. ACTB’s activities were designed to support the National TB Control Program (NTP) to close gaps within the technical areas not covered by the national program.

ACTB is an initiative of the Local Organization Network (LON). The Prime icddr,b (International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh) and other consortium members are local organizations except two technical partners. This is a flagship project for USAID’s TB portfolio and localization initiative.

To achieve the Activity goal and objectives, interventions under ACTB are grouped into the following Intermediate Results (IRs):

IR1. TB case detection and notification increased

IR2. TB treatment coverage and access improved for all forms of TB

IR3. TB disease transmission and progression decreased

IR4: Health system capable of coordinating the multisectoral response to TB*

IR5. Evidence based strategies planned and implemented

To conduct the evaluation and lead a team of local subject matter specialists, EnCompass LLC seeks an international Team Leader with extensive experience evaluating public health projects.

The Learning Questions (LQs) of the evaluation are:

• Question 1: Is ACTB on track to achieve the objectives outlined in their Program Description? How was learning used from the first phase to guide implementation in the expansion areas? (following extension)
• Question 2: Where did ACTB contribute most meaningfully to National TB Program (NTP) performance?
• Question 3: How successfully did ACTB efforts strengthen the institutional capacity of sub-partners? How did ACTB leverage relationships to build partner capacity?
• Question 4: How successful were resource optimization strategies and efforts? Did these efforts benefit the health system, or only the TB technical area? Can the approach be replicated to gain efficiencies throughout the system?
• Question 5: How successful was private sector engagement in delivering TB services or supporting program activities? What are effective and sustainable mechanisms or processes that enable the participation of the private sector?
• Question 6 (acknowledging that currently an equity gap approach falls outside ACTB scope): How effectively did ACTB identify and mitigate gaps in TB testing/treatment access?
• Question 7: Consider a small case study on ACTB’s adaptive management. How well did this address Mission priorities, or health priorities? (COVID, Narayanganj fire, CTG port explosion, Dengue etc.).
• Question 8: Given that ACTB’s goal statement includes that the objectives will be achieved “addressing gender as a cross-cutting issue,” how successful has ACTB been at achieving gender equality in the delivery of services and the provision of technical assistance?

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Essential functions:

• Lead the evaluation team comprising the following local staff: a Country Public Health Specialist, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, a Logistics Support Specialist, and two Research Assistant/Note Takers.
• Develop an Inception Plan, including methodology, tools, and a timeline to execute the evaluation and answer the LQs.
• Review relevant secondary data, both to inform the Inception Report as well as the final report, integrating secondary data to answer the learning questions.
• Collect primary data through various means, such as interviews and focus groups, and stakeholder surveys, ensuring data quality and integrity.
• Act as the principal point of contact for USAID’s Activity Manager, providing regular updates on the progress of the evaluation. Conduct an in-brief meeting with USAID on arrival to Bangladesh and an out-brief meeting with USAID upon completion of primary data collection, prior to departure from Bangladesh.
• Manage the team’s primary data collection efforts, ensuring methods are ethical and thorough.
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and synthesis of primary and secondary data.
• Prepare the draft and final version of the evaluation report.

Deliverables and Timing:

• Inception report including work plan, detailed methodology, data collection tools, lists of KIIs and FGDs, outline of the final report presenting the proposed structure of the report, and timeline.
• In-brief meeting with USAID’s DRG Activity Manager upon arrival in Bangladesh.
• Conduct any additional meetings with USAID, if needed.
• Regular progress reports/updates to USAID Activity Manager.
• Out-brief meeting with USAID at the end of field work/data collection to share preliminary findings and recommendations.
• A draft version of the evaluation report, not to exceed 35 pages (excluding Executive Summary and annexes)
• Detailed notes or transcripts in English from the KIIs and FGDs.
• Data sets of any quantitative data collected through stakeholder surveys.
• A PowerPoint presentation on findings and practical, actionable recommendations
• Facilitate a co-creation workshop with USAID to discuss findings and recommendations.
• A final version of the evaluation report, incorporating feedback from USAID from the co-creation workshop.

Period of Performance and Level of Effort (LOE):

The LOE for the Team Leader is approximately up to 60 days. The period of performance is from on or about 15 August 2024 to 31 January 2025.

Travel: The position requires travel by the Team Leader to Bangladesh.

Position Requirements

Qualifications

Academic Qualifications

• An advanced degree in public health, medicine, international development, or related field is required.

Experience and Skills

• A minimum of 15 years of experience conducting evaluations, studies, or assessments.
• A minimum of five years of experience assessing TB projects, preferably in Bangladesh.
• Proven track record leading evaluations, with expertise in application of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Specialized experience in public health.
• Previous recent experience successfully leading at least one USAID evaluation.
• Excellent communication skills in English are required.
• Fluency in Bengali is not required but preferred.
• Demonstrable experience in project management and team leadership within multi-cultural settings.