• Application Deadline: Mon, 17 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMT
• Position: Social Network Analysis Consultant


• Job Type Full Time


• Qualification BA/BSc/HND


• Experience 4 - 8 years


• Location Other


• Job Field NGO/Non-Profit 
  

BACKGROUND

Creative Associates International is a fast-growing, social impact company that specializes in the areas of education, economic growth, democratic transitions, and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this global development organization has a field presence is more than 25 countries and a strong client portfolio of that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. Since its founding in 1977 by four enterprising women, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. Creative Associates International has been working in Nigeria for more than a decade to support education programs in Nigeria.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and in close partnership with federal partners and select Nigeria States (designated as legacy [Bauchi and Sokoto], launching and technical assistance), the five-year Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) project will support sustainable improvements in reading outcomes for first and second grade pupils. The goal of LEARN is to strengthen and scale early grade reading (EGR) best practice by ensuring that standards-based, context-appropriate assessment, materials, training, and administrative supports needed to improve literacy skills for P1-2 pupils are embedded within the federal policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks, and state and local authorities have the implementation protocols, capacity, and resources to carry out and sustain standards-based, data-driven EGR reform. The project objective is to instill ownership in and build capacity of school-community, local, state, and federal systems to establish a base for adequate, consistent data-driven funding, monitoring and performance that increase the equity, inclusion, and wellbeing necessary to achieve sustained EGR gains. LEARN will therefore be building on lessons learned from prior Nigeria reading programs to introduce a flexible, cost- efficient EGR intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.

POSITION SUMMARY

Social Network Analysis is a methodology for identifying and understanding relationships between people and address critical knowledge gap.  Using data to see behavior relationship at the micro level (individual, institutional) and patterns at the macro or network level. The approach visually displays relationships and strength among network stakeholders, providing evidence on how to more effectively work with and leverage their relationships for change.

Creative Associates seeks to engage the services of a social network analysis consultant to provide technical support to the LEARN to Read project. The consultant will conduct a social network analysis (SNA) to help learn understand better  interrelationships among various stakeholders in supporting EGR. It is expected that the consultant will examine key social network analysis domains such as - network size, density, reciprocity, edges, shortest path, and degree centralization. In addition, the study will compare the SNA findings to the LEARNs’ theory of change validating the extent towards which EGR stakeholders and actors are connected.

The consultant will work closely with Senior Monitoring Evaluation Research Learning and Adapting (MERLA) Advisor and coordinate with technical leads across multiple LEARN to Read components.

REPORTING & SUPERVISION

The Social Network Analysis Consultant reports to the Chief of Party.

Core and Supporting Questions

The initial core questions are listed below, but the consultant will refine core questions and propose supporting ones prior to designing the data collection approaches and instruments using standardized tools.

• Who are the core actors promoting EGR at the Federal, state and LGEA levels?


• What is the existing network structure of coordination and collaboration between and within stakeholders (Federal, state, LGEA) in the promoting EGR?


• To what extent are the core actors playing assigned institutional roles, areas, density and vectors of influence with impacts on EGR?


• What is the observable time bound changes in stakeholders’ collaboration and engagements


• What impacts stakeholder agendas and behaviors to identify internal and external forces acting for/against change?


• What opportunities exists and who are the change champions at all levels (Federal, State, LGEA)?


• PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:  

• Conduct comprehensive literature review and refine research questions. Ensure the literature review also captures similar work done by other USAID projects in Nigeria.


• Develop interview protocol, including customization for different types of actors/stakeholders as necessary.


• Identify an initial list of key stakeholders for interviews and focus groups and schedule accordingly


• Organize a meeting to clarify initial questions, present methodology and draft research plan for confirmation.


• Undertake semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including additional stakeholders identified during the study.


• Organize focus group discussions with key interest groups.


• Analyze implications and provide recommendations based on findings from the study.


• Document all findings from the interviews, which can be quality assured by LEARN to Read.


• Organize a synthesis workshop to address initial findings. A PowerPoint presentation is recommended for the purposes of this task.


• Track coordination and analyze collaboration between and across federal and state ministries, agencies and commissions using network measures.


• Coordinate with the MERLA Advisor and other component leads to ensure successful completion of the study.


• Other tasks as assigned.

Result/Deliverable (Total LOE -20 days (100%)

• Milestone plan and notional calendar prior to start of assessment            1day


• Secondary data review (documents review) report 2days


• Study framework: research questions, methodology, and instruments development 3 days


• Data collection  5days


• Presentation of draft findings 2 days


• Draft SNA report. 5 days


• Final SNA Report that includes a systems map. 2 days

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Masters’ degree in sociology, demography, education policy & management, international development, or a related field (or, alternately, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 8 additional years of relevant experience).


• At least 3 years research experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.


• Strong analytical and research skills.


• Demonstrated extensive technical experience in designing and implementing social structure related activities in education and intersectionality, with both theoretical and practical background in Social Network Analysis and skilled in social and education research methodologies.


• Proven ability to work productively with a variety of stakeholders to run participatory processes and meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products.


• Experience with USAID-funded programs preferred.


• Have a good grasp of issues related to marginalized groups’ participation in education.


• Excellent capacity building skills, with demonstrated experience in effective training, coaching and facilitation.


• Previous work experience with international donors/NGOs, preferably USAID.


• Previous work experience in research methodologies and project monitoring and evaluation desirable.


• Previous experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably Nigeria.


• Fluency in English Language.