Subject Matter Expert (SME), School Facilities Assessment School Infrastructure Multi-Activity Evaluation Jordan MELA

BACKGROUND

As USAID’s school infrastructure activities continues to develop, USAID/Jordan requires an external evaluation of three of its different school infrastructure activities. This external evaluation will inform the design of new schools and determine how USAID’s school infrastructure has affected students and communities.

Jordanian public schools have been strained by overcrowding in recent decades due to rapid population growth, an influx of refugees, and economic constraints. In response to The Ministry of Education’s (MoE) efforts to increase access to schools as well as enhance the learning environment, USAID/Jordan has made significant investments in school infrastructure in recent years and is planning to build additional schools over the next five years as part of a new program that aims to reduce overcrowding in public schools and provide a safe and more suitable school environment. 

This evaluation will examine data from recent and relevant USAID school infrastructure activities, with the objective of providing USAID with findings and strategic recommendations that will inform the design of the schools and determine how USAID infrastructure has affected students and communities.

Overview of the Task

The Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Activity (MELA) is recruiting for a Subject Matter Expert (SME), School Facilities Assessment to support the School Infrastructure Multi-Activity Evaluation.

In past, USAID has conducted evaluations of its education sector programs that have highlighted a number of issues with the utilization and functionality of different aspects of the school design, which were then taken into consideration for design of school construction and rehabilitation activities. Through this evaluation, USAID aims to revisit select schools to examine how those issues have impacted the school and its users since the last evaluation and determine what aspects of select current school designs should be included or excluded from future school designs. The following are some of the key thematic areas for the SME to explore:

• Layout
• Construction Materials
• Furnishings
• Utilization of technology features and labs in the schools
• Heat/Cold/Ventilation/Natural light
• Maintenance complexity and cost
• Accessibility & movement of large volume of students through/around the space
• Safety

• Use/usability of all indoor and outdoor spaces as intended
• Timeliness of construction/rehabilitation work.
• Any other issues related to engineering design and implementation

While focusing on the use and usability of the schools, the position holder shall also examine, where possible and appropriate, the changes or modifications as a result of COVID-19 related social distancing and other safeguarding practices. Such questions will not be a direct focus of the evaluation and may be treated as a sub-question under the overall use and usability of schools.

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Roles & Responsibilities: The Subject Matter Expert (SME), School Facilities Assessment will serve as principal technical expert for the evaluation team and provide expertise in school facilities assessment from use and usability perspective. S/He will be the lead analyst for assuring all qualitative and quantitative data analysis are conducted with quality to answer the questions posed by the evaluation and to provide recommendations to the Mission on future infrastructure development and rehabilitation activities focusing on schools. . S/He will participate in planning and briefing meetings, design and conduct school facility assessment and contribute to writing of Evaluation Report. S/He will be responsible for assessing questions of the physical structure, focusing on structural, mechanical, acoustic, and other design aspects.. S/he would be also assisted by an educational programmer, who assess the demographics of school siting and the impact of the school on the community.

Qualifications:

• At least 8-10 years of experience in construction/rehabilitation of community and or public infrastructure, preferably primary school construction and or school facilities assessments, including assessing use and usability
• Demonstrated experience leading infrastructure assessments and or evaluations utilizing both quantitative and qualitative tools/methods
• A graduate degree in Engineering, International Development, Education, or a related field
• Excellent interpersonal and writing skills
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Arabic a plus
• Experience in the implementation of evaluations and/or assessments of infrastructure projects, preferably schools.
• Able to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data
• Strong presentation skills

Familiarity with USAID policies and practices

Here at The Kaizen Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. The Kaizen Company is an equal opportunity employer.