Background
Innovations for Poverty Action was established in Rwanda in 2013 and has 10 active projects spanning across Education, Agriculture, Finance and Health. With 15 full time staff, a network of part-time field numerators of over 300, IPA Rwanda predominantly implements Randomized Control Trails in collaboration with leading Rwandan and international academics, the Government of Rwanda and other development NGOs to evaluate the impact of new development concepts to help inform future government policy and development projects.
Since 2014, MINEDUC and REB have partnered with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the Georgetown University Initiative on Innovation, Development, and Evaluation (GUI2DE) to conduct policy-relevant research on the causes and consequences of teacher recruitment, motivation, and retention.
This partnership has included a two-year evaluation of the STARS program (“Supporting Teachers through Assessment in Rwandan Schools”), a pilot performance-pay program linking measures of student learning outcomes and teachers’ classroom inputs to teacher awards. Following other activities and projects, an institutional partnership has been established between MINEDUC, IPA and GUIDE.
Project and position summary:
IPA seeks a Senior Research and Policy Associate. The Senior Research and Policy Associate will have the primary aim to support MINEDUC to undertake analysis of policies to support learning outcomes in Rwandan Schools, including a proposed evaluation of STARS
Other Objectives:
- Create awareness and support streamlining of dataflows to and within the Ministry
- Equip decision makers in the Ministry with the necessary data for decision making
- Highlight gaps and recommend necessary actions to close them
- Support decision making on demand basis with the necessary evidence base
Responsibilities:
The Senior Research and Policy Associate will be embedded in the Directorate General of Education Policy and Analysis at MINEDUC. He/she will be supported by a technical team of IPA staff members, Research Assistants at Georgetown University, and other academics (IPA’s Rwanda Research and Policy Manager and Prof. Andrew Zeitlin (Assistant Professor, Georgetown University).
The Senior Research and Policy Associate will be based at MINEDUC 4 days per week, with the remaining 1 day per week based at IPA.
Their responsibility will mainly include strategic collaboration and technical support including:
- Support development and implementation of strategies to build the data infrastructure and personnel capacity for evaluation of government policies in the education sector.
- Coordinate activities with other embedded staff, in REB and NESA to meet the data needs in support of policy implementation and analysis;
- Undertake analyses, together with MINEDUC, IPA, and GUI2DE teams, of relevant policies, including the STARS program;
- Support timely descriptive work and forecasting of education inputs and outcomes.
- Support the work of the Planning Department, and the work of it’s M&E specialist in particular;
- Work with the Chief Digital Office team to support the EMIS integration process;
- Communicate findings of analyses to key stakeholders in MINEDUC and in the broader policy community and provide technical assistance to use findings to inform policy and program implementation
Support MINEDUC in the identification and implementation of evidence-based best practices across other goals, as mutually agreed upon.
Qualifications and Experience:
- A Master’s Degree in a field related to Education Planning and Leadership, and / or Education Economics and Public Development and analysis.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in data analysis and forecasting including excellent skills in Excel and relevant statistical tools (STATA, R, Eviews)
- Minimum of 5 years of proven experience in a related field such as policy development and/or in education, project design and management with multiple stakeholders across various sectors and have good skills to work closely with Education sector partners.
- Strong reporting, organizational and communications skills, ability to meet deadlines, flexibility, resourcefulness, patience, time management, facilitation skills, diligence and ready to work under pressure;
- Knowledge of Data Visualization tool such as PowerBi, R Shiny, or Tableau would be an added value;
- A proven ability to inspire, coach and develop others, including people from different backgrounds and cultures.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants meeting the requirements should fill an online application form and attach their Cover Letter, CV and Degree(s) through the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1J5tZoY9M9w2aFQdW3b_qfbJfIplhFXKUgdIeh81iD9g/edit
APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 5 PM RWANDA TIME ON June 12th, 2022. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. DUE TO THE LARGE VOLUME OF APPLICATIONS, ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
