Researcher, The Gambia

Job description

Researcher, The Gambia The Luminos Fund, an international non-profit bringing education opportunities to the world’s most vulnerable children, is looking for an experienced and dynamic Researcher in The Gambia to contribute to a process evaluation. The Researcher will report to a Principal Investigator, and collaborate with the Luminos team to research, evaluate, and propose best practices for ensuring our existing program in The Gambia is scaled with our government partners in the most sustainable way. The ideal candidate for this role will have excellent research skills, strong writing abilities, and extensive expertise and contacts in the Gambian education sector. This is a part-time consultancy and will be active from October 2023 through March 2026, with the specific hours per week to be determined in consultation with the selected consultant, in accordance with the final project methodology. This role is open to residents of The Gambia. ABOUT THE LUMINOS FUND The Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) provides transformative education programs to thousands of out-of-school children, helping them to catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program to ensure all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped over 277,787 secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in the USA, Luminos is working in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia. Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, Dubai Cares, Legatum, and UBS Optimus Foundation. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the 2022 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize, the Library of Congress International Literacy Award, the Lipman Family Prize, the WISE Award, and the HundrED Global Innovation Award for the last six years. BACKGROUND In 2022, Luminos co-designed an accelerated learning curriculum for out-of-school children with the Curriculum, Research Evaluation & Development Directorate (CREDD) of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE). Subsequently, we launched a pilot of our accelerated learning program in The Gambia called The Gambia Classes for Open Learning (GCOL). In the coming years, we will work with MoBSE to scale GCOL reaching tens of thousands of out-of-school children across the country. In parallel, we will develop a teacher training program for government teachers in The Gambia, based on best practices and lessons learned from GCOL. This will support MoBSE’s goal of scaling the GCOL model throughout the country’s education system. From 2023-2026, Luminos will conduct a process evaluation of this government adoption work in The Gambia. This evaluation will focus on the process of MoBSE adopting and scaling the GCOL model and best practices within the government education system. The process evaluation serves as a formative evaluation, aimed at documenting and informing this government adoption journey. The findings from the evaluation will support Luminos and MoBSE in enhancing collaboration to ensure government adoption contributes to improved learning outcomes for children. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Luminos is seeking to hire a Researcher in The Gambia to support this process evaluation. The process evaluation will be led by a Principal Investigator, a senior education research expert based in the U.S. The Researcher will work closely with the Principal Investigator to conduct the research, and both the Researcher and Principal Investigator will, in turn, work closely with the Luminos team based in The Gambia.

• Desk Research:

• Contribute to the research design and methodology.

• Conduct a literature review on similar government adoption processes in the social sector in The Gambia and other Sub-Saharan African countries.

• Review project documents provided by Luminos and MoBSE.

• Primary Data Collection:

• Draft data collection tools, including interview guides, surveys, etc.

• Conduct interviews with Luminos staff, MoBSE staff, and other key individuals.

• Attend and document meetings held between Luminos, MoBSE, and other stakeholders.

• Conduct surveys with relevant stakeholders.

• Data Analysis and Report Writing:

• Analyze qualitative data through thematic coding and other methods.

• Analyze quantitative data using appropriate software.

• Contribute to drafting reports and project updates about the process evaluation.

• Communicating Findings:

• Collaborate to create research summaries and presentations.

• Present research findings to relevant stakeholders.

• Participate in events to share findings from the research with relevant stakeholders. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in education, research, social sciences, or similar field.

• Familiarity with the field of education, scaling social impact interventions, systems strengthening, and government education programs.

• Experience conducting social science research in The Gambia including tool development, qualitative and quantitative data collection, data management, analysis, and report writing.

• Experience working with and communicating with government stakeholders, along with a keen understanding of how government systems operate in The Gambia.

• Previous experience working with MoBSE in The Gambia.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to successfully manage consultation and feedback processes.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with keen attention to detail

• At least 5 years of experience in similar research roles.

• Residency in The Gambia. Core Beliefs and Values

• We believe that every child is capable of learning a remarkable amount in a short period of time, if given the chance.

• We keep children’s joy and well-being at the heart of everything we do.

• We embrace assessment as a key component of effective teaching and learning.

• We celebrate and empower local leadership throughout our work with partner communities and governments.

• We use research, program data, and skilled classroom observation in the tenacious pursuit of excellence.

• We celebrate the unique contexts and cultures of the communities we serve in our curricula and pedagogy.

• We act with the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring mutual accountability among colleagues and partners.

• We take the initiative to solve problems where we find them, managing details large and small, with urgency.

• We act deliberately to ensure that our organization is inclusive for people of different genders, racial backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, abilities, and other sources of diversity.

• We build deep, authentic relationships with our supporters in celebration of the mutually transformative power of giving. To apply please submit a Resume or CV, cover letter and research sample. The research sample should be a sample of a research project or paper that you have collaborated on or authored. This could take the form of a journal article, blog post, research report, etc. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The Luminos Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.