Research Analyst Consultant- Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA)

Job Description

<strong>About The Kaizen Company</strong><p><br></p>The Kaizen, Tetra Tech Company is an international development consulting firm and an incubator for innovative, scalable solutions that address emerging market challenges and opportunities. Our proven solutions catalyze locally driven organizational and institutional performance improvements and establish communities of practice that facilitate peer-to-peer learning and the achievement of shared goals. We aspire to transform the nature and impact of development assistance and work to strengthen organizations and institutions through innovative approaches to organizational development, reform, and change.<p><br></p><strong>Jordan Monitoring, Evaluation, And Learning (MELA) Overview</strong><p><br></p>MELA is designed to ensure USAID’s activities in Jordan achieve their intended results through monitoring and evaluation, strategic assessments, and USAID’s Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting approach (CLA). Kaizen will help USAID/Jordan create a dynamic learning environment among development actors, focused on innovation, quality, and knowledge sharing. Through the Kaizen Accelerator, a rapid procurement mechanism, a cohort of Jordanian firms will work with Kaizen’s MELA team to successfully deliver activities while simultaneously strengthening their management and compliance systems. The Kaizen approach will provide USAID with high-quality MEL services across its portfolio, build the capacity of local MEL institutions, and ensure programs meaningfully incorporate local participation. The MELA team will ensure program sustainability by building the technical and institutional capacity of one or more local firms that can manage the follow-on MEL Activity in the future.<p><br></p><strong>Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) Overview</strong><p><br></p><ul><li>BACKGROUND</li></ul><p><br></p>The USAID charts an agency-wide vision for development and humanitarian assistance in the world’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. The Strategy’s goal is to achieve and sustain open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that contribute to broad-based, measu<strong>rable development</strong>, and humanitarian assistance outcomes. USAID’s Digital Strategy has two core, mutually reinforcing objectives: 1) improve measurable development and humanitarian assistance outcomes through the responsible use of digital technology in USAID’s programming and 2) strengthen the openness, inclusiveness, and security of country-level digital ecosystems.<p><br></p>The Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA), a flagship initiative of the Digital Strategy, informs the development, design, and implementation of USAID’s strategies, projects, and activities. The DECA looks at three pillars of a nation’s digital ecosystem: (1) digital infrastructure and adoption; (2) digital society, rights, and governance; and (3) the digital economy. The DECA aims to inform how USAID Missions can understand, work with, and strengthen the country’s digital ecosystem.<p><br></p><ul><li>Digital Infrastructure and Adoption: Digital infrastructure and adoption refers to the resources that make digital systems possible and how individuals and organizations access and use these resources. Digital infrastructure includes geographic network coverage, network performance, internet bandwidth, and spectrum allocation as well as telecom market dynamics around security, interoperability and competitiveness. This pillar also examines behavioral, social, and physical barriers and opportunities for equitable adoption (digital divides, affordability, and digital literacy who uses and does not use digital technologies and why.</li><li>Digital Society, Rights, and Governance: Digital society, rights, and governance focuses on how digital technology intersects with government, civil society, and the media. This pillar is divided into three sub-pillars: Internet Freedom; Civil Society and Media; and Digital Government. Internet Freedom explores factors that enable or constrain the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms online. This includes individual rights to freedom of speech, privacy, and free assembly, and the abuse of these rights through digital repression. Civil Society and Media identifies key institutions and how they report on, advocate around, and influence online freedoms. Digital Government looks at the government’s efforts to manage internal information technology (IT) processes and systems, deliver citizen- and business-facing e-services, and engage with the public through digital channels. </li><li>Digital Economy: Digital economy explores the role digital technology plays in increasing economic opportunity and efficiency, trade and competitiveness, and global economic integration. Areas of inquiry include digital financial services (credit or debit cards, payment apps, mobile money, and digital savings and loan products), financial inclusion, regulation of digital finance, digital trade, e-commerce, and the financial technology (FinTech) enabling environment. This pillar also assesses strengths and weaknesses in the local digital talent pool and the tech startup environment; a healthy digital economy requires a supply of ICT skills that matches the demand and an ecosystem that promotes technological innovation.</li></ul><p><br></p>Note that the following topics are cross-cutting and affect all three pillars in a DECA:<p><br></p><ul><li>Inclusion: Equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized. This topic goes beyond digital divides in connectivity access to include things like the unique impacts of digital repression on marginalized populations and barriers to full participation in the digital workforce. </li><li>Cybersecurity: How people, systems, and technology protect information kept in digital formats from being taken, damaged, modified, or exploited. This topic also includes an exploration of cyber harms that exist in a country, who is responsible for harms, and who is targeted.</li><li>Emerging technologies: Including artificial intelligence and machine learning, Internet of Things, drones, robotics, and blockchain.</li><li>Geopolitical positioning: How the country’s digital evolution is being shaped by international relationships, particularly the global spread of technology-enabled authoritarianism.</li><li>OBJECTIVE</li></ul><p><br></p>USAID/Jordan is conducting a DECA to better understand, work with, and support the country’s digital ecosystem to meet the USAID Mission’s Development Objectives. The USAID Mission is recruiting a digital development research consultant to be the Research Analyst who will support the assessment.<p><br></p>The Jordan Research Team will be staffed with the following roles.<p><br></p><ul><li>Team Lead </li><li>Research Analyst </li><li>Technical Researcher</li><li>Research Coordinator </li></ul><p><br></p>The desired candidate for the Research Analyst role should have mid-level experience in the digital development sector, encompassing qualitative research skills and a deep understanding of at least one of the topics related to the three DECA Pillars. It is also important for the candidate to have knowledge or experience in Jordan, with a desired for proficiency in the Arabic language. The candidate should also have experience conducting client-facing projects.<p><br></p><strong><em>Task and Deliverables:</em></strong><p><br></p>The DECA is an engagement of about five to six months that includes three phases:<p><br></p><ul><li>Desk Research and Planning </li><li>Interviews </li><li>Analysis and Report Writing </li></ul><p><br></p>The <strong>Research Analyst</strong> will be responsible for managing tasks across all three phases.<p><br></p><strong>Project Kickoff</strong><p><br></p>At project start, the <strong>Research Analyst</strong> will review the complete DECA Toolkit, which provides all templates, information, and a step-by-step guide to implementing the DECA. Participate in a kickoff meeting with the USAID Mission to set expectations, identify USAID Mission priority areas, and confirm work plan timeline.<p><br></p><strong>1: Desk Research and Planning (five weeks)</strong><p><br></p>The goal of this phase is to prepare with the knowledge needed to enter the interview phase well-informed about the country context and what gaps need to be filled. The <strong>Research Analyst</strong> is required to collaborate with the DECA Research Team to conduct detailed desk research on all relevant topics to help understand the country context and key themes and emerging trends relevant to the digital ecosystem, including a review of relevant USAID Mission materials. During this phase, the <strong>Research Analyst</strong> will also oversee interviewee identification and outreach.<p><br></p><strong>Phase 2: Interviews (two to seven weeks)</strong><p><br></p>The goal of this phase is to interview key stakeholders in the country’s digital ecosystem and build on the desk research from Phase 1, adding context and filling gaps for the final DECA products. Based on the desk research and available networks, the <strong>Research Analyst</strong> will manage identification and outreach to key informants to schedule interviews with support from the Research Coordinator and under guidance of the Team Lead.<p><br></p><strong>Phase 3: Analysis and Report Writing (10-15 weeks)</strong><p><br></p>The goal of this phase is to bring together the desk research, findings from the interviews, and specific actionable recommendations for how the USAID Mission can integrate digital into their programming and processes to meet their Development Objectives. The <strong>Research Analyst</strong> will be the lead author for at least one DECA Pillar and will support the Team Lead to bring the report to completion from start to finish. Two versions of the report will be published: internal USAID, and external.<p><br></p><strong><em>Timeframe and level of effort (LOE):</em></strong><p><br></p>This scope of work is expected to run approximately five to six months from September 2023 to March 2024 and request roughly 110 days of LOE to complete the above deliverables.<p><br></p><strong>Location</strong>: For this position, the Research Analysist is required to be physically present in Jordan.<p><br></p><strong>Qualifications</strong><p><br></p><strong> Required:</strong><p><br></p><ul><li>At least four years of experience in international development and a master’s degree, or six years of experience and a Bachelor’s degree</li><li>Experience and expertise in digital development, with preference given to candidates with deep expertise in at least one of the DECA Pillars: I </li></ul><p><br></p><strong>Pillar 1: Digital Infrastructure and Adoption</strong><p><br></p> Expertise in: <p><br></p><ul><li>Connectivity infrastructure (fiber optic, mobile network coverage, alternative connectivity solutions like TV white space) and the associated market dynamics and policies </li><li>Inclusion in the digital space, including issues around digital divides, digital literacy, affordability, and adoption</li></ul><p><br></p><strong>Pillar 2: Digital Society, Rights, and Governance</strong><p><br></p> Expertise in: <p><br></p><ul><li>Digital rights and repression including freedom of expression online and data privacy and protection as well as censorship, misinformation, disinformation, and digital surveillance</li><li>The role of civil society and digital media in a country’s digital ecosystem</li><li>Digital government (e-government) services, policies, and platforms</li></ul><p><br></p><strong>Pillar 3: Digital Economy</strong><p><br></p> Expertise in: <p><br></p><ul><li>Digital financial services including the barriers and opportunities for last-mile digital financial inclusion including knowledge of FinTechs and the sector’s enablers</li><li>Digital trade, including e-commerce </li><li>Digital talent pool and labor market analysis</li><li>Experience conducting qualitative research and analysis, writing reports, and conducting interviews</li><li>Excellent English written and oral communication skills</li><li>Experience working in or expertise in Jordan</li><li>Fluency in Arabic</li><li>Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously</li><li>Strong project management and knowledge management skills</li><li>Available to meet during USAID Mission working hours</li><li>Ability to communicate across diverse teams and cultures</li></ul><p><br></p><strong>Preferred: </strong><p><br></p><ul><li>Working in DECA for USAID</li><li>Experience working with USAID</li></ul><p><br></p><em>Kaizen a Tetra Tech company is a progressive Equal Opportunity Employer. We promote, celebrate, and support a diverse and inclusive organizational culture and workforce. We are committed to providing all of our employees with an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where all are treated with dignity and respect. Our continuing commitment to the principle of Equal Opportunity Employment for all means all employment decisions are based only on the job requirements, the candidate’s qualifications, and the needs of Kaizen as a business—not on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability status, veteran status, genetic information, family/marital/parental status, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we work.</em><p><br></p><strong>For candidates applying for positions based in Kaizen’s office in Washington, DC, we utilize career.place to mitigate bias in the recruitment process. Upon submitting an application, candidates will receive an email from career.place, prompting them to go through the anonymous screening. In order to be considered for a role, candidates must respond to career.place and proceed with the application. We do not currently use career.place for project positions outside of the United States.</strong><p><br></p>At Kaizen, A Tetra Tech Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer.<p><br></p>Powered by JazzHR<p><br></p>sSz8lkebu2