International Consultant in Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Training (Chief Technical Advisor – CTA)

Project:     Intergeneration Deaf Education Outreach
Title: International Consultant in Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Training (Chief Technical Advisor – CTA)
Location: Hanoi-base with travel to project sites
Report to: Project Manager

Introduction
The Intergenerational Deaf Education Outreach Project is implemented by World Concern Development Organization in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) through four years (July 2011 – June 2015) in the four provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. The overall objectives of the project is to assist young deaf children to integrate into mainstream society, by piloting an innovative joint family and institution-based delivery system comprising screening, family support, and preschool services.
The project is funded by Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF Grant No. TF099058), a trust fund managed by the World Bank (WB). The total grant is USD 2,798,270.

The project aims to assist young deaf children to integrate into mainstream society, according to each child’s visual and/or auditory learning capacities, by piloting an innovative joint family and institution-based delivery system comprising screening, family support, language instruction, and preschool services aimed at school-readiness.
Job Summary:
The Consultant in Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Training will act as Chief Technical Advisor in support of the IDEO project staff and Technical Working Groups (TWG). The consultant will aim to ensure that all project activities and outcomes are adequately planned, documented and evaluated. The consultant will develop a logic model including outcome chains for major components. The consultant will develop output and outcome indicators and practical techniques to document progress on these indicators. As the project aims at capacity-building of participating individuals and organizations, the consultant will lead the development of training activities for participants involved in monitoring of project activities and outcomes. In addition, the consultant will help coordinate the input of international consultants. The consultant will prepare an evaluation plan and participate in orienting the projects’ evaluators so that they understand the logic and intended outcomes of the project. In collaboration with staff and other consultants, the consultant will help in writing up the lessons learned about elements of a new model of Vietnamese deaf early childhood service.

Responsibilities, outputs and timeline
Under this assignment, the Consultant will:

1. Serve as chief technical consultant to the project staff and technical working groups.  Emphasis on training of participants in monitoring and modifying the project activities to move towards an effective deaf early childhood service model.  As such, the consultant’s work provides a foundation for useful evaluation (by other consultant).
2. Develop logic model (outcomes chains), indicators and performance measures for all levels of the project. Solicit and incorporate feedback from project staff. Work with project staff to determine timelines for staging of major activities and getting consultants’ inputs
3. Devise practical methods for staff and participants to use in collecting information about progress on key indicators
4. Keep all technical working groups apprised as to progress on key indicators and recommend program revisions as warranted
5. During the start-up period, participate in drafting a plan to collect baseline information from the school/organization, community, and family levels. Help determine division of responsibility in this effort and then participate in data collection and following appraisal
6. Draft the terms of reference (TOR) for international consultants and handle the initial screening of applicants. For duration of the project, coordinate inputs of international consultants to ensure timely and relevant contributions to overall project
7. Assist in setting the standards and procedures for training in video recording of the learning settings (home, classroom) so that the records are useful in assessment of children’s development and in the training sessions for family support teams. Assist with guidelines for management of video records (compressing, archiving).
8. Make recommendations as to the selection of materials to be translated as part of the knowledge base (component 1) and, for selected documents, write an abstract/paraphrase/definitions to assist with clear translation in Vietnamese and Vietnamese sign languages
9. Confer with deaf leaders and groups involved in the project, and their trainers, to help ensure their full integration into IDEO activities
10. Facilitate /interpret communication for Deaf international consultants who are involved with the project if needed
11. Participate in presentations and discussions with project participants throughout the service area.  Assist with report write-up of the work within the scope of this consultancy

Qualifications and experience
- A doctorate in education, social sciences or a related discipline, with expertise in Deaf education (preferably early child education), and area specialty in the region;
- Substantial international experience in Deaf education and Deaf communities, preferably in developing countries;
- Experience as an applied educational or social science researcher and as an education program evaluator in settings with deaf people;
- At least 10 years of experience in project design. work planning and implementation of multi-component projects involving children, schools, and community groups;
- High level of fluency in one or more natural sign languages (especially a Vietnamese or historically related sign language [e.g. a Thai/Lao sign language, French sign language, American sign language]);
- Demonstrated capacity to organize and manage community-based consultation processes (e.g. workshops, focus groups, town-hall meetings, et cetera);
- Demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a team, to manage a range of tasks, to work pro-actively and with diligence, and to manage resources effectively while meeting deadlines;
- Excellent report writing skills in English.

Assignment modalities and duration
The International Consultant will carry out this assignment in association with national consultants and local trainers.

The International Consultant will work in split missions with time and payment to be negotiated.

The Consultant will be responsible for: (i) arranging his/her own travel within the approved budget; (ii) following agreed timelines; and (iii) producing the agreed written materials in timely manner.
Estimated start: August 2011
Interested candidates are requested to send a letter of application and their CV with details of qualifications, experience and references via email to: [email protected]
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Deadline for Applications: 10 Aug 2011