Head of Evidence & Insights - Mastercard Foundation

We have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. Our role at the Mastercard Foundation is to be a catalyst for change and transformation. Our Young Africa Works strategy focuses on working with others to spur systemic change so young people have the opportunity to find work that is dignified and fulfilling.

The Foundation has opened offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, building a broader leadership presence in Africa to develop specific strategies that support youth employment. Within a country, we work with governments, the private sector, educators and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the work force, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and connect job seekers to dignified and fulfilling work.

We are ambitious and driven. Our values transcend and rise above everything else as our guide. We encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work. We laugh at ourselves and with each other. We are a team. Our journey together makes our impact even more meaningful.

UNDERSTANDING & MEASURING IMPACT IN THE MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

The Foundation has developed a comprehensive strategy for Understanding and Measuring Impact through a more holistic approach, spanning from the effects that our investments trigger directly in creating work opportunities, upwards to the significant changes and outcomes derived from the influence that the MasterCard Foundation Programs have on the institutional and system level changes in policies and practices at national level.

As part of the Impact Strategy, we are establishing an Evidence and Insights workstream within the Impact Team. This workstream will commission and manage evaluations, reviews and studies to generate timely, inclusive and culturally appropriate impact data and evidence at Program Portfolio, Strategy/Systems and Mission levels. This includes recruiting and managing Impact Partner Organizations (IPOs) and together with them, developing associated country level impact measures and narratives. As well, the workstream will initiate and manage a series of innovative Impact & Insights Labs in Africa and Canada. The Labs incubate and support culturally appropriate, youth-oriented approaches to impact evidence, new ways of knowing, Indigenous impact knowledge, tech-enabled evidence, participatory impact approaches and. In collaboration with IPOs, trains and deploys the Youth Impact Associates, a new generation of youth evaluators in

Africa and Canada.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Head, Evidence and Insights will oversee the commissioning and management of Evaluations and Reviews at Program Portfolio, Strategy/Systems and Mission levels; the establishment of Impact Labs in Africa and Canada; as well as the coordination of Socio-economic Data analysis as these relate to the overarching national and global trends that affect the fortunes and opportunities for young women and men to improve their livelihoods and well-being through dignified and fulfilling work. 

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Evaluation and Reviews

• Together with the Head of Impact and relevant advisors, establish an approach and parameters for evaluation in the Foundation that align with the principles of the Impact Strategy ( including guidance for TORs, methods, data collection, co-creation of analysis and recommendations, reporting), 
• Oversee the planning and commissioning of evaluations and reviews at Portfolio and Country level, including annual Impact reviews, and Country Strategy Reviews to generate formative, independent, credible and useful evidence and insights of the progress of the Foundation to achieving transformative change for young women and men.
• Oversee evaluation planning and and budgeting.
• Oversee the sourcing, hiring of external consultants to implement evaluations and Impact reviews.
• Supervise and prepare syntheses and summaries of evidence and insights in ways that empower voices and agencies of youth; and, working closely with MCF Communications prepare presentations of these, tailoring messages to specific audiences and platforms.
• Participate and represent the Impact Unit of MCF in external professional forums and networks relating to Evaluation and Insights as may be authorized by the Head of Impact.
• Participate in MCF internal evidence and evaluation expert groups to enable sharing of experience and development of good practices.

Impact & Insights Labs

• Facilitate the establishment of Impact & Insights Labs, through grant-making to specialized institutions in Africa with innovative ideas on original methodologies of measuring impact.
• Support the co-creation of indigenous perspectives and knowledge about Evaluation, Evidence and Insights, as these relate to Africa and indigenous communities in Canada.
• Provide opportunities for young women and men to participate effectively and lead in processes of evidence determination, indicators for same and the application of such approaches to analysis for Impact.

Socio-Economic Analytics & Foresight

• In collaboration with the Business Intelligence team of the Foundation, coordinate a series of longitudinal studies to establish baseline status for country context data.
• Work closely with national and regional statistics and data agencies to facilitate regular updates as may be needed.
• Support socio-economic and data analytics that build scenarios for the future socio-economic trends as may affect inclusion and impact on vulnerable and excluded populations.

Partnerships

• Engage and collaborate actively with Mandated Institutions (in-country and regionally in Africa) that have mandates and capacity for commissioning evaluations, using and disseminating evidence/evaluation results for policy and related work.
• Promote MCF’s evidence and insights culture of accountability and learning through analyzing and narrating impact evidence and insights through youth lenses and perspectives informed by indigenous knowledge;
• Provide coaching and guidance to Young Impact Associates ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.
• Ensure the incorporation of gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.

WHO YOU ARE

• Advanced University degree in International Development, Economics, Social Science or other relevant field, or First University degree with an additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
• Minimum 15 years leading and managing evaluation and/or innovation work with majority of career focused on evaluation-related work, both in the field and in a managerial position overseeing several staff and evaluation specialists.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing and/or conducting country strategy and program evaluations in diverse development and or private sector managed initiatives.
• Experience in innovation, human centred design work with strong networks and work with youth groups, including youth in vulnerable circumstances.
• Exceptional understanding of data systems and insights for triangulating evidence for Impact measurement and decision-making.
• Strong understanding and commitment to the use of indigenous knowledge and techniques of enquiry to enrich evidence with communities and citizens.
• Support for evaluation and evidence fields of practice that encourage thought leadership in the use of mixed methods, and the harvesting of outcome and impact narratives that are qualitative as well as quantitative.
• Strong training, skills and competencies in economics, and in the handling and management of big data, as well as tech-enabled data collection and analysis.
• Fluency in English language; Intermediate knowledge in French will be an added advantage.
• Familiarity with policy and practice debates on evidence and insights, particularly arising from evaluation.
• Professional experience in multiple countries in Africa , and global experience.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate knowledge and skills effectively, design and conduct training, especially for young evaluators, and ability to conduct remote coaching.
• Excellent research and analytical as well as writing and communication skills.
• Membership in professional evaluation associations, notably in emerging African and Indigenous Evaluation networks; and/or professional certificate in evaluation is highly desired.
• Ability and experience to present Evaluation, Evidence and Insights to high-level Boards, Governments and other relevant stakeholders to promote evidence and insights utilization.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.