POSITION SUMMARY

IREX seeks a qualified implementation research advisor (consultant) for the USAID Youth Excel (YE) Activity. Youth Excel has designed and is applying an approach to using implementation research to strengthen cross-sectoral positive youth development programming, help youth-led and youth-serving organizations use implementation research, and synthesize and promote findings broadly.

With the USAID Cambodia Mission, Youth Excel will facilitate a youth-led learning activity to inform and implement intergenerational inclusion practices and support youth-led implementation research in Cambodia. Youth Excel will strengthen the capacities of diverse youth researchers and local youth organizations.  

The Implementation Research Advisor (Consultant) will provide day-to-day technical support to a local partner who will be coordinating this initiative as well as to young researchers/innovators. The Advisor will be available for ad hoc consultations, providing technical assistance for research, reviewing and strengthening research plans, ongoing mentoring as youth conduct research, input to facilitation or guides for workshops and trainings, and supporting adaptation using data. The Advisor will also prepare a final learning brief summarizing data, findings, and overall learnings from this program.

This consultancy is expected to include approximately 45-55 days of effort distributed from May 2022 to March 2023.

 Summary of Responsibilities:

• Working collaboratively with the Youth Excel team, local partners, and USAID, serve as an implementation research technical mentor. Learn and use the Youth Excel implementation research approach.
• Provide individualized technical assistance and strengthen local partner and youth researcher capacities to use implementation research tools, use a variety of data collection methods, and help them succeed in using implementation research.
• Support local partner with coordination of youth-led inclusion assessment engaging 10-16 diverse youth researchers.
• Develop a methodology for the mapping of youth-led and youth-serving organizations (YS/YLO), incorporate feedback from colleagues and USAID, and lead the mapping effort.
• Support local partner with coordination and facilitation of intergenerational dialogue event.
• Support the development and strengthening of youth implementation research plans.
• Provide technical guidance to collaborative events and initiatives to interrogate, synthesize, and apply data and findings from research.
• Create learning briefs summarizing findings from research.

Skills and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a field related to implementation research and/or participatory action research in a field related to international development, youth development, education, employment, health, or another relevant field.
• Technical knowledge and expertise in youth livelihoods, youth inclusion, youth engagement, youth life skills, and/or gender and social inclusion.
• At least three (3) years’ experience using implementation research, participatory action research, or related methodologies with local organizations in Cambodia. Experience working with youth researchers in these regions is strongly preferred.
• Experience providing technical assistance in research to individuals who may not have had research experience.
• Experience upholding high ethical standards in research. Experience working with minors in research preferred.

• Demonstrated facilitation skills with widely diverse groups.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects in fast-paced work environments, and deliver high quality results under tight deadlines.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills in English and Khmer.
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration, reflection, and learning.
• Physically based in Cambodia.

Application submission instructions:

1. CV that emphasizes relevant experience for this assignment. Please include the country where you are currently located as well as countries/regions where you have experience, and relevant language skills.

1. Cover letter: Please submit a cover letter briefly outlining general information about the consultant, limited to 2 pages or less.
   1. Brief consultant profile
   2. If attached to a firm, include a brief description (if a firm, note that one individual will be designated as key personnel in the agreement).
   3. If a firm, state whether firm/consultant is local, national, or international, and size of firm.
   4. Daily rate of consultant
   5. Indicate rough schedule of availability