IREX is hiring a
CALL FOR EXPERTS
Learn to Discern in Serbia
Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning Consultant
About IREX:
IREX is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world by empowering youth, cultivating leaders, strengthening institutions, and extending access to quality education and information. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $80 million, offices in 20 countries, and a global staff of 400. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Position Summary
Learn to Discern in Serbia (L2D-Serbia) is recruiting a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) consultant to work closely with IREX to tailor, implement, and provide reporting on a MEL plan and instruments for the project’s activities. With oversight from IREX’s project team, the MEL Consultant will support the adaptation and development of monitoring and evaluation tools, data analysis and interpretation, as well as reporting and presentation of results. Relevant activities include training programs for “Citizen Trainers,” teachers, and online course participants and facilitators. The consultant will participate in regular meetings with IREX staff and may be asked to facilitate learning and exchange discussions with project participants/beneficiaries.
L2D-Serbia builds resilience to misinformation and propaganda among Serbian consumers of news and information. The Learn to Discern program model is a proven approach that employs an engaging, hands-on training methodology to build citizens’ critical information engagement skills to improve their ability to identify manipulation, distinguish disinformation from facts, and engage with and responsibly share content across various forms of media. Since 2019, L2D-Serbia has worked with Serbians through a cascading training of trainers model that has reached thousands. In 2021, L2D-Serbia began training secondary school teachers via a training program accredited by the Institute for the Improvement of Education and Upbringing. The program has also begun utilizing its online media literacy course, Promišljeno & Provereno, to reach broader audiences both entirely online and in a hybrid online-offline setting. In 2022, L2D-Serbia will continue to expand its work with teachers and reach Serbians across the country.
DURATION: March – December 2022, estimated 20-30 days in total (Candidates must be able to commit to the complete consulting assignment).
Tasks and Deliverables
Illustrative tasks and deliverables may consist of the following and will be completed in close cooperation with the IREX project team:
Work with the designated L2D-Serbia staff contact to ensure alignment of the project’s MEL approach and tools with IREX’s global evaluation tools for media and information literacy.
Support the IREX project team in adaptation and development of MEL tools and timely collection of evaluation data across training components and/or locations related to all project training activities, including training of Citizen Trainers, Citizen Trainer-led cascade training, training for teachers, online and blended learning training sessions using IREX’s online course Promišljeno & Provereno, and more.
Conduct survey data summary and analysis and prepare reports upon request.
Prepare presentations on results and contribute to project reporting and related deliverables.
Participate in regular conversations with IREX staff and/or project partners, as directed by IREX.
Participate in, and sometimes facilitate, participant/beneficiary debriefs and learning discussions, as agreed with IREX.
Other tasks related to L2D-Serbia monitoring, evaluation, and learning, as assigned.
These deliverables may be modified with the agreement of both parties if necessary. Specific deliverables will be determined and listed in the consulting agreement.
Qualifications:
University degree in a relevant field (journalism, communications, education, political science, sociology, education, psychology or other social sciences), or equivalent professional experience.
Professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning; preference for 2+ years’ experience in training, media, and/or education contexts.
Familiarity with media and information literacy, communications, and media/journalism, in particular in the Serbian context and/or the broader Balkan region.
Candidates must be able to commit to the full consulting assignment, as outlined under “Duration” above.
Experience designing and/or implementing online survey instruments is preferred.
Experience designing and/or evaluating online courses or games is preferred.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and video conferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet).
Excellent writing and editing skills in Serbian are required.
Ability to communicate professionally and provide written reporting in both Serbian and English is required.
The selected candidate will work remotely, unless otherwise agreed.
How to apply:
Interested individuals should submit a CV (in English) emphasizing relevant experience and a proposed daily rate to Recruitment.L2D.RS@irex.org by February 28, 2022.
IREX may at its discretion ask for additional information. Issuing this call does not commit IREX to select any candidate. IREX reserves the right, based on availability of funding and consultant performance, to increase the duration and/or enter into subsequent contractual agreements with the selected experts without re-publicizing the opportunity.
Late submissions will only be considered if in the best interests of the project, and then only at IREX’s sole discretion.
IREX has the right to withdraw this announcement at any time.