Manager, Right-Fit Evidence
About IPA and the RFE Unit
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a global research and policy organization that promotes the use of evidence to solve poverty problems around the world. The RFE Unit within IPA is a global advisory team aimed at helping organizations make better use of data and evidence to learn and adapt their programs to increase their effectiveness. In close collaboration with IPA’s sector programs, research and policy teams, and country office teams worldwide, the RFE Unit advises NGOs, funders, social businesses, and governments on how to use data and evidence to create meaningful measurement systems and design more effective programs, as well as supporting them through the process with technical assistance services.
Summary
The Right-Fit Evidence (RFE) Unit at Innovations for Poverty Action is hiring a Manager for its Francophone West Africa Office in Côte d’Ivoire to collaborate closely with the Ministry of National Education (MENA). The Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the Jacobs Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation and 15 cocoa and chocolate companies are setting up the Child Learning and Education Facility (CLEF), a co-financing facility to ensure access to quality education as one essential tool for promoting children’s rights and fighting child labor in Côte d’Ivoire. CLEF aims to provide quality education for 5 million children and influence the behaviour of 10 million parents. To achieve this goal, CLEF is expected to bring effective learning to up to 10,000 primary schools in cocoa growing areas and beyond, and to build 2,500 classrooms and other education infrastructures (etc. bridge classes, etc.).
The RFE Manager, in collaboration with an IPA Policy Manager will support implementers to strengthen their Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning system.
While the role is open to international applicants, we strongly encourage Ivorian nationals and those with existing permanent work authorization in Côte d’Ivoire to apply. We also encourage those with the following profiles to apply as these skills and interests are a particularly strong fit:
● Management consultants with some international development experience who would be excited in a career shift to an entrepreneurial and impact-focused environment leveraging their skillset
● M&E practitioners who are interested in broadening their scope and impact on the field by advising organizations on state-of-the-art M&E practices
● Research professionals in international development who enjoy working closely with practitioners and are interested in broadening their scope to all the types of data and evidence that can inform decisions
● Irrespective of their background, RFE staff tend to learn through their work, and this position is a great fit for anyone with a growth-oriented mindset.
You will report directly to a Director or Associate Director RFE and benefit from additional dotted line management support from Côte d’Ivoire country office leadership. You will also interact with the IPA embedded policy team supporting the Ministry of Education to build a culture of evidence-based decision-making via the “Laboratory for Education” (Ed Lab).
Responsibilities
You will lead the implementation of RFE engagements, working closely with the stakeholders and other teams within the Côte d’Ivoire country office to develop and implement tailor-made solutions for partners’ data and evidence needs. This includes the following responsibilities:
Strategic and technical contribution: provision of advice and tools to advance partners’ learning goals in their programs, such as -
- Designing learning-oriented process evaluations
- Assisting clients to identify M&E questions to test the assumptions in their theory of change, and to design cost-effective approaches to rigorously test these assumptions
- Providing technical advice, to partners on the development and implementation of M&E plans, the design of indicators, data collection methods, and data management
Research design and analysis: Take part in the design, implementation, and analysis of data collection and other evaluative work that sometimes complement RFE’s advisory work (including in this first engagement mentioned above)
Project management: Support work planning and project management (including human and financial resources) for the Monitoring-Evaluation and Learning (MEL) technical assistance to ensure effective and timely implementation of our work
Stakeholder communication: Maintain strong communication and partnership with key stakeholders, including direct stakeholder management with leadership staff from partner organizations . Cultivate relationships with key local top-level decision-makers in the education sector and ensure the project has their buy-in
Workshop design and implementation: Design and facilitate various kinds of external MEL- and research-related workshops, improving the capacity and ownership of government around long-term MEL and research practices
Professional deliverables: Own the preparation and presentation of various types of advisory and analytical deliverables, maintaining the highest standards of communication efficiency.
Talent management: Manage RFE Advisor(s) on projects to develop and implement tailor-made solutions for our clients' MEL needs
Coordinate activities with IPA embedded staff at the MENA to meet the data needs in support of policy implementation and analysis;
Communicate findings of analyses to stakeholders and provide technical assistance to use findings to inform policy and program implementation
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- A master’s degree in economics, public policy, international development, or related fields; PhDs are also welcome.
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in related fields, including experience in M&E, policy development, and/or in education, project design and management with multiple stakeholders across various sectors.
- Applied experience with concepts surrounding the Theory of Change and the core tools of M&E (both quantitative and qualitative research methods).
- Superior quantitative analytical and conceptual thinking skills.
Ability to conduct econometric and statistical analysis using dedicated software, including strong command of Excel). - Demonstrated excellence in project and budget management; excellent organization skills, highly dependable, and detail-oriented.
- Strong client-facing stakeholder management and presentation skills. Ability to present information in a structured and insightful way, both in writing and orally.
- Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with partner organizations.
- Self-starter, entrepreneurial mindset, versatility, and ability to learn at a fast pace.
- Willingness to travel within Côte d’Ivoire up to 10% time externally.
- Capability to manage multiple tasks efficiently.
- Fluent in French, with good professional proficiency in English.
- Passion for making data-driven decisions a reality in the international development sector.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated skills with relevant software: e.g., Kobo, Open Data Kit, SurveyCTO, or similar survey software
- Ability to use advanced Excel functions, Stata, R or similar statistical software and Data Visualization tools
- Experience with randomized controlled trials
- Experience in the Education Sector
- Experience working with government
- Experience living and working in developing countries, particularly Côte d’Ivoire
Reports to
(Associate) Director, Right-Fit Evidence Unit
Deadline to Apply
Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis until Friday April 11th, 2025. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible!
Location
Côte d'Ivoire
Application Instructions
Please submit your application materials in English.
About IPA
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and advances what works to improve the lives of people living in poverty. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of people living in poverty. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 1,000 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.
Safeguarding at IPA
At Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), we are committed to creating a safe and respectful environment for all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable adults. As IPA adheres to strict safeguarding principles, selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards. By joining IPA, you become part of a team dedicated to ethical conduct, social responsibility, and meaningful impact in the fight against global poverty. Together, we work to create a better world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive with dignity and respect.