Jobs and Careers

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

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Purpose of the Evaluation
The purpose of the evaluation is to assess what the Leadership Academy has accomplished in 14 years of being organized in Armenia. It should help the organizers to adjust and optimize the format in the coming 5 to 10 years.

Questions to be answered by the evaluator:
- How has the Leadership Academy developed over the years, considering changes in content, training design, and involvement of the target groups? How was it adapted to the political landscape where it operates?
- What are the quantitative results of the Leadership Academy, including numbers of participants, how many have pursued careers in politics or public service?
- Has the target group(s) been adequately chosen and addressed by the Leadership Academy? Has the target group(s) been adequately involved?
- Were there any framework conditions (team processes, language problems, partner structures, etc.) that impeded reaching the desired results of the Leadership Academy?
- What are the best stories from participants detailing how they've applied the knowledge and experience gained through this project in their careers?
- What are the unique project attributes that sets the Leadership Academy apart from similar initiatives, emphasizing its unique strengths and contributions?
- What are guiding future directions/recommendations for the Leadership Academy’s further development, suggesting adjustments in content, target audiences, and activities to ensure continued effectiveness and relevance.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

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Scope
The evaluation should cover the whole cycle of Leadership Academies from 2009-2023.

Methodology
The Evaluation shall apply a complex approach including desk research, interviews and consultations with stakeholders.

i. Desk study
ii. Interviews with:
- Staff and/or board members of the KAS, EFF, FMS, VVD International & current representatives of political parties.
- Former participants of the Leadership Academy.
- Other actors working to support and strengthen democracy such as NDI and IRI.

Deliverables
- A draft report in English for review and comments.
Note: this is a working document and suggestions made by the partners are expected to be reflected and incorporated in the final report.
- A final report in English.

The draft/final report shall include:
- An executive summary;
- Purpose of the evaluation and applied methodology;
- Main findings regarding: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness of the Leadership Academy, its impact and sustainability;
- Key recommendations for the further development of the Leadership Academy;
- Appendices to report should contain the details of the data collected, including minutes of interviews/consultations conducted.
- Glossary: Definitions of key terms and acronyms used in the report.

Proposed timeline (distribution of subject for change):
Desk review, preparation of the questionnaires / 01.09.2024-20.09.2024
Briefing meeting with the team / 20.09.2024-30.09.2024
Additional desk review + Designing the interview questionnaires / 30.09.2024-15.10.2024
Interviewing the partners and key stakeholders / 15.10.2024-5.11.2024
Writing and submitting the draft evaluation report / 5.11.2024-25.11.2024
Commenting the draft report from the KAS/EFF / 25.11.2024-5.12.2024
Addressing comments from the KAS/EFF and submitting the final report / 5.12.2024-20.12.2024

KAS will support the evaluator in planning and implementing the interviews. Project documents will be sent in electronic form to the evaluator in advance.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

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Educational Background
Relevant Degree (in fields such as project management, evaluation, research methods, social sciences, public administration, or a specific domain relevant to the project).

Professional Experience
- Evaluation Experience (proven track record of conducting evaluations, particularly in the project's specific sector or type);
- Experience in Project Management (this will help in understanding the project's context and challenges).

Skills and Competencies
- Analytical skills (analyzing data, identifying trends);
- Research skills (proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including survey design, data collection, and statistical analysis);
- Communication skills (to effectively present findings and recommendations to stakeholders;
- Ethical standards: (commitment to integrity in conducting evaluations, ensuring objectivity and confidentiality).

Technical Proficiency
- Proficiency in using data analysis tools and software for qualitative analysis;
- Ability to use reporting tools and software to create comprehensive and visually appealing reports.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

Proposals in English shall include:
- Cover letter;
- CV of not more than 3 pages;
- Proposed methodology;
- Budget to carry out this evaluation; the budget shall include all costs related to the assignment.
- Contact details of 2 relevant references.

Proposals should be sent electronically to: ****.********@***.**

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

ABOUT: 

Background
The Leadership Academy for Young Politicians and Civil Society Activists in Armenia is one of the flagship initiatives of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in Armenia. It was initiated in 2009 and has been held annually until 2023. KAS has been cooperating within the Leadership Academy with the Max van der Stoel Foundation, the Eduardo Frei Foundation, the VVD International, and the Robert Schuman Institute.

The overall aim of the Leadership Academy is to train young politicians and civil society activists to make them contribute to the formation of a transparent, rules-based, accountable, and liberal democracy in Armenia. The specific objectives of the Leadership Academy are to provide the participants with basic knowledge on ideologies, political processes, political communication, with presentation and public speaking skills, and to raise awareness for the importance of compromising, coalition-building, and co-operation between political parties in a democracy.

Overall, about 400 participants from all regions of Armenia have been participating in the Leadership Academies since 2009. The workshops lasted three days and were organized mostly in the regions. After concentrating on representatives from political parties in the beginning, the format was widened and started to target civil society activists as well. Methods applied were, among others, classical capacity building, role games, SWOT analysis, simulations, debates. The topics discussed throughout the years were: democracy, ideologies, shared/personal values, political core values, media freedom/fake news, trust building, role of political parties in the opposition, coalition building, relations between society and politics, political journalism. Technical skills were provided in the fields of career building, decision making, campaigning, political communication, political leadership, personal branding, public speaking, communicating messages, negotiations, advocacy, political organizational management, internal communication, public appearance, offline and online communication, crisis communication, social media, and political marketing.