Research Specialist for the IMPACT-MED Activity Review

Research Specialist for the IMPACT-MED Activity Review

USAID Learns Contract

Hanoi, Vietnam

Apply here:

https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=1&rid=3954

About Social Impact 

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm which provides monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. In Vietnam, SI is implementing the USAID Learns program to support USAID staff and partners to implement more efficient, effective, and transparent programs.  Today, SI seeks a qualified consultant to support the research of an Activity Review for the IMPACT-MED program. 

**Please note: This is a local position. Only Vietnamese citizens are eligible to apply**

Position Background:

IMPACT-MED (Improving Access, Curriculum and Teaching in Medical Education and Emerging Diseases) has been supporting five Vietnamese Universities of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMPs) to reform medical education curriculum and improve institutional governance practices and systems for continuous quality improvement. The activity is focused on advancing competency based medical education (CBME) in Vietnam, with the overarching goal to build a strong and effective health workforce able to respond to 21st-century priorities and to contribute to the health resilience and health security of the country.

Objective

USAID/Vietnam intends to conduct an Activity Review of IMPACT-MED. This review will serve a dual purpose: (1) to learn about the extent to which the activity has met its beneficiaries’ educational needs and (2) identify barriers and enablers to the overall sustainability of the activity's interventions, both of which will inform planning for the activity's extension period (Phase 2).

The Activity Review will also aim to provide insight into how future programming more generally could benefit Vietnam’s healthcare workforce and the country’s overall health security. The research will focus on the domains of student and faculty needs, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability while utilizing a mixture of participatory and traditional research methods, where appropriate, ensuring adequate room and enabling conditions for local stakeholders sharing their voices and opinions.[1]  Depending on the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam, consultants may be required to travel to Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Hue, and HCMC to collect data and will attend appointments and meetings in Hanoi periodically.

Position Description

USAID Learns is seeking a national Research Specialist to support the Activity Review of IMPACT-MED. S/he will support the development/translation of the research tools, conducting interviews/discussions, and support the organization of transcripts/discussion notes. S/he will assist the Team Lead and Learning Advisor in data analysis, preparing findings for presentation, and writing the final report. The research should be structured in a way to answer the following questions:

UMP beneficiaries and competency-based education

• What significant changes have resulted for students and faculty as a result of the activity’s support surrounding CBME?
• To what extent has the activity helped UMPs achieve their priorities linked to developing a competency-based medical education curriculum?
• What institutional challenges should be addressed in Phase 2 (2022 - 2026) of the activity to better measure, institutionalize and sustain CBME at UMPs?
• In what ways were students and faculty engaged/involved during the activity and how did the activity empower them in reforming the CBME curriculum?

Stakeholder engagement and partnership

• What were the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned that emerged from aligning priorities and activities between different stakeholders and/or complementary projects in developing a CBME curriculum?
• What worked well with private sector involvement to advance CBME, and where is there room for improvement in the future to enhance the benefit of private sector involvement?

Sustainability

• What developments, for example in terms of support for institutional capacity, internal quality assurance or UMP policy, could help to ensure the sustainability of CBME?
• What actions should be taken to safeguard the sustainability of CBME in Vietnam and how should any barriers or enablers presented by national policies be navigated?

Deliverables[2]

Under direction of the Team Lead and Learning Advisor, with the assistance of the Research Coordinator and the Medical Education Advisor, the Research Specialist is expected to provide inputs to develop various aspects of the following:

• Inception Report: A detailed, full body report following an initial consultation with key stakeholders, featuring key definitions, research design, [3] chosen methodologies,[4] and data collection tools.[5]
• Inbrief: A PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation summarizing the Inception Report for USAID/Vietnam and HAIVN prior to the launch of data collection.
• Findings Conclusions and Recommendations (FCR) Matrix: An analysis tool through which data is triangulated and findings, conclusions, and recommendations specific to each research question are produced. Two FCR matrixes are expected, a preliminary document after the first full week of data collection, and a final matrix at the end of the data analysis period.
• Validation Event: An event where the team will present the preliminary findings of the research to USAID, HAIVN partners, and key stakeholders, or representatives of key stakeholder groups, who acted as respondents in the research process through a PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation and discussion. This event, supported by USAID Learns in Hanoi, will help validate findings in front of actors and develop/co-develop user-driven recommendations. The research team will consider partners’ comments, develop recommendations, and report accordingly.
• Utilization Event: An event where the team will present a refined PowerPoint/Google Slides presentation and instigate discussions for eventual users of the research. With support from USAID Learns in Hanoi, this event is intended to encourage agreement on how to operationalize recommendations, collaborate, and follow up on progress in preparation for activity extension.
• Outbrief: The team will present the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the wider USAID/Vietnam Mission through a PowerPoint/google slides presentation.
• Draft Report: A draft report with fully developed findings, conclusions, and recommendations, no longer than 30 pages excluding annexes, will be submitted to the USAID activity manager and Learns COR (by Learns). The format will include an executive summary, table of contents, methodology, findings, and recommendations. USAID/Vietnam and HAIVN will provide comments on the draft report.
• Final Report: The team will submit a final report that incorporates responses to USAID’s/partner’s comments and suggestions. The report will be submitted electronically in English. The report will be disseminated within USAID, HAIVN, and the MOH.
• Two-way Dissemination Event: Following submission of the final report, the team will provide inputs to an interactive event/workshop with Government of Vietnam and wider higher education sector stakeholders in Hanoi.

Responsibilities

Specifically, the Research Specialist will:

• Assist the desk review, initial stakeholder consultation, and identify additional information/analyses to nuance inception
• Contribute to the development of the research design, methodology and data collection instruments, especially sampling strategy, and mitigation strategies to overcome limitations
• Design a contingency plan to adapt the research considering epidemic control restrictions in Vietnam
• Adapt participatory research methods for the Vietnam context
• Conduct and take part in interviews/discussions where feasible
• Support the production/Learn’s translation process of detailed notes from interviews, focus groups, and participatory sessions into reliable data sources
• Monitor the overall data collection effort and adapt the data collection based upon the quality and quantity of data iteratively collected
• File, index and organize data sources and materials on Social Impact’s server (SharePoint)
• Support the Team Lead and Learning Advisor in data analysis and the identification of findings, conclusions, and recommendations, following analysis
• Support the writing of the draft evaluation report under direction from the Team Lead and Learning Advisor
• Actively contribute to the presentation of findings to USAID, HAIVN, key stakeholders, research users, and the wider sector.

Qualifications and skills:

The Research Specialist must have/hold:

• At least 7 years of experience conducting high-quality qualitative research
• A postgraduate degree in socio-economic development, education policy, health policy, or a related area.
• Knowledge of qualitative program assessment methodology
• Excellent oral communication and written skills
• Experience conducting participatory research.

Preferably, the applicant will possess:

• Strong information technology skills, with a working knowledge of MS Office 365, (including SharePoint and Teams), Google Workspace (including Meet and Slides).
• Experience researching the subject of health security or competency-based education.

Level of Effort (LOE):           Up to 40 days. 

Expected timeline:               December 2021 – May 2022 

The closing date for application: December 20, 2021. Selection and interview will be performed on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  

To apply, please merge both your CV and a cover letter into one pdf file and submit it through the online portal. 

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.  

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.