Overview
SCOPE OF WORK
USAID Youth Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment Activity- (Y-RIE)
| Position Title | Data Science Specialist / IT Support Officer |
| Period of Performance On/About
(From – To) |
February 1, 2024 – July 1, 2024: Full Time
With possibility to extend an additional 6 months part time |
| Consultant TYPE | Firm Fixed Price based on monthly reports and technical approver verification |
| Reports to | Chief of Party |
| Technical Approver | Primary: M&E Director
Secondary: Research Advisor |
| Location | Regional position – based in Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada or Saint Lucia with travel to each of the other countries and considerable remote support |
Project Background
The USAID/Eastern & Southern Caribbean Youth Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment Activity (Y-RIE) engages and empowers youth and other key partners to improve youth, family, and community resilience to crime and violence. Y-RIE is a five-year activity being implemented in Saint Lucia, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago by DAI Global. Y-RIE has the following four objectives:
1) Government provided social services strengthened;
2) Education outcomes among focus youth improved;
3) Focus youth preparedness to enter the workforce improved;
4) Strengthen community and family systems.
Throughout these four objectives, Y-RIE has a strong focus on risk-reduction of youth who will participate in various program activities that will address multiple risk factors. Y-RIE is committed to evidence, evaluation and impact, therefore the program will require a digital solution to track and analyze progress of youth participants, evaluate impact of risk-reduction efforts, and inform program decision-making and learning throughout the life of the project.
Part of Y-RIE’s objectives is building the capacity of partner government to adopt risk-informed approaches and conduct risk-informed interventions to prevent youth crime and violence. As part of this, Y-RIE will be supporting the adoption of the program’s risk assessment tool and training government partners to use the tool in their work.
The purpose of this scope of work is to assist in this adoption of the Y-SAFE risk assessment tool to partner government agencies. The Y-SAFE tool was developed in a KoboToolbox environment, and it is envisioned that partner governments will establish their own system using KoboToolbox or ODK to house the risk assessment tool. This will involve the consultant becoming familiar with the Y-SAFE tool, assisting partner governments in developing technical platforms for hosting the tool, training their staff in the administration and maintenance of the technical platform, and providing continuing mentorship to the partner governments as they maintain the platform.
1. Objectives
The consultant will support Y-RIE’s efforts to support government agencies take a risk-informed approach to crime and violence prevention, as well as youth and family programming. The consultant will work in a hands-on way with Y-RIE’s government partners to introduce them to a risk assessment tool and data-driven impact evaluation. This work will support the partner agencies’ identification of needed data, and collection, management and use of that data for program recruitment and evaluation. This position will serve a critical role to helping government agencies incorporate data usage in their programs and report on program results.
2. Tasks
- Develop an understanding of the Y-SAFE tool and technical platform that houses the tool.
- Assist in Y-RIE planning for the technical handover to partner governments
- Assess partner government agencies in regards to technical capacity to house and manage the Y-SAFE tool
- Develop tailored plans for the adoption of the Y-SAFE tool to specific government agencies
- Develop capacity building and training plans and deliver trainings to ensure that the government agencies have the skills needed to manage the Y-SAFE
- Assist the government agencies in establishing the technical platforms required
- Support agencies to do daily data checks and ensure complete and error-free data has been captured during recruitment or intake/outtake surge periods, providing solutions to challenges as they arise with the platform and data capture / storage
- Provide on-going support and technical assistance to agencies as they manage their own Y-SAFE platforms, maintaining frequent communications with IT and program personnel at those agencies
- Advise agencies on data security protocols.
- Help establish and maintain a culture of learning and evidence-based management within Y-RIE partner agencies through the use of data.
- Maintain detailed records of communication, problems and remedial action taken in supporting agency partners, to be summarized in monthly reporting
- Ensure that data sets are cleaned and shared with Y-RIE on partnership programming initiatives
Please note as this is a new position and line of work, additional responsibilities may be assigned as needs evolve.
3. EXPECTED TIMELINE AND DELIVERABLES.
Based on the tasks outlined above, monthly deliverable for this position will include:
- Report Out: presentation to supervisor and technical approvers on the status of Y-SAFE adoption, platform set-up, communications, issues and remedial action taken to solve issues
- Summary Report:
During the first two months of this position, these will be scheduled every two weeks. After this period, they will be scheduled every month with the expectation that regular communication between the consultant, supervisor and technical approvers will be established and maintained.
| NO. | Deliverable | Description | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inception report out | Presentation to supervisor and technical approvers on initial onboarding and understanding of work ahead | Within 1 week of contracting |
| 2 | Report Out
Summary Report |
Per description above | Two weeks after Deliverable 1 |
| 3 | Report Out
Summary Report |
Per description above | Two weeks after Deliverable 2 |
| 4 | Report Out
Summary Report |
Per description above | Two weeks after Deliverable 3 |
| 5 | Report Out
Summary Report |
Per description above | Two weeks after Deliverable 4 |
| 6 ++ | Report Out
Summary Report |
Per description above | Each month – due one week prior to invoicing |
4. Minimum Qualifications:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Knowledge of KoboToolbox or related applications
- Strong computer skills
- Experience providing IT training and capacity building programs
- Experience working with government agencies on IT issues
- Experience researching, analyzing, and interpreting system problems
- Ability to travel regionally
- Must be a detailed, flexible self-starter with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines, often requiring short turn-around time
- Must be able to work independently and as part of a team
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven technical experience in a help desk environment
- Have or working towards a college degree in computer science or related field
- Strong knowledge of computer hardware and software theory
- Experience with quantitative assessments or evaluations
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates should send your CV by January 6, 2025 to: youthresilience_recruitment@dai.com with Subject: Data Science Specialist / IT Support Officer
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.