Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) lead

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) lead 

Number of Positions: 1

Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening 

Location: Kathmandu (with frequent travel to Madhesh and Lumbini province and) 

Type: Full-time 

Line Manager: Team Leader, with reporting to Samartha Programme Management Unit (PMU) 

Start Date: 11 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor)

End Date: 31 March 2026

ORGANISATION PROFILE

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory firm that works with governments, international development partners, and the private sector to deliver long-term, transformative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Operating across more than 30 countries, ASI specialises in governance, economic reform, climate resilience and inclusive development - applying rigorous analysis, technical expertise, and locally led strategies to achieve sustainable impact. 

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND 

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services. 

This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes. 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

The IEL Lead will provide strategic leadership in embedding evidence use, innovation, and adaptive learning across all programme workstreams and outcomes. The role will ensure that data and learning are systematically harvested, analysed, and applied to improve programme effectiveness, accountability, adaptability and impact. Further, the IEL lead will continuously analyse evidence available and generated through the programme to ensure that the theory of change, theory of action, results framework and programme indicators and targets (including payment by results (PbR) schedule) are contextually relevant and are all linked to programme’s ultimate impact. The IEL lead will also lead reporting (Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual) to BEK, with support from Samartha PMU. 

The IEL Lead will closely with British Embassy Kathmandu (BEK), Samartha’s Team Leader, Samartha’s provincial and cluster teams in Madhesh and Lumbini, Core Governance lead, Health Systems Lead, Education Systems Lead, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Lead, and other members in Samartha’s federal team.  The IEL lead will be supported by Data Specialists in both Madhesh and Lumbini provinces.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

Evidence Use, Innovation and Learning, and Adaptive Management (50%) 

• Lead the implementation of the IEL strategy, ensuring alignment with programme goals and FCDO expectations.
• Establish and manage learning loops that feed evidence into programme decision-making and adaptation cycles.
• Promote innovation by identifying, testing, and scaling promising practices and tools that enhance governance, service delivery, and inclusion.
• Coordinate quarterly reflection sessions and learning reviews to assess progress and refine strategies.
• Ensure that learning products (e.g., PEA updates, case studies, policy briefs) are developed and disseminated to inform internal and external stakeholders as relevant
• Support programme leadership in decision making during designing, planning, implementing and learning cycle as per the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approach
• Support cross-learning events within the programme team and at different cluster and subnational level to ensure evidence and learning generated through the programme is shared with government counterparts
• Lead, conduct, monitor and diagnostic and research exercises across social sectors (health and education)
• Lead reporting (Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual) to BEK

Data Management and Analysis, and Capacity Strengthening and Systems Support (30%) 

• Oversee the development and use of programmatic IEL database to support evidence-based planning and monitoring for learning and innovations.
• Lead capacity strengthening initiatives for government counterparts and programme staff on data literacy, analysis, and use.
• Ensure data quality, integrity, and ethical use.
• Support the development of dashboards, visualisations, and reporting tools to enhance data accessibility and use

Support to Programme Teams and Thematic Areas (20%) 

• Work closely with thematic and sectoral leads to embed IEL principles into their workstreams and activities.
• Provide technical support to thematic teams in designing interventions that are evidence-informed and learning-oriented.
• Facilitate cross-team collaboration to ensure coherence and synergy in learning and adaptation efforts.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

Education and Professional Background 

• A master’s degree in Economics, Statistics, Data Science or a closely related field. 
• At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, research, or evidence-based programme support, preferably within development, governance, or public sector reform contexts. 
• Experience working with current governance and data systems and/or subnational governments in Nepal is highly desirable. 
• Experience with donor funded education programmes, especially FCDO, is preferred. 
• Strong understanding of innovation, systems thinking and data use.

Skills and Competencies 

• Proficiency in statistical and data visualisation software (e.g.: STATA, SPSS), and spreadsheet tools (e.g. Excel) for quantitative analysis. 
• Demonstrated ability to conduct thematic analysis of quantitative data, identifying key patterns and insights that inform sectoral performance and governance decisions. 
• Experience in supporting or conducting field-based research, including data collection, cleaning, coding, and analysis aligned with research ethics and rigour. 
• Skilled in using data visualisation and presentation platforms (e.g.: Canva, Power BI, Tableau) for developing dashboards, infographics, and user-friendly data products. 
• Familiarity with Nepal’s sectoral information systems and municipal-level data platforms. 
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences 
• Demonstrated ability to distil complex datasets into concise, policy-relevant insights and translate technical findings into accessible formats for diverse audiences. 
• Familiarity with donor communications, reporting and outreach code of conducts

Other Requirements 

• Willingness to be travel frequently to Madhesh and Lumbini province and across rural/ municipalities. 
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in dynamic, collaborative settings, and to adapt strategies based on real-time feedback and contextual learning. 
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments. 
• Strong personal commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and strengthening of systems through evidence-based approaches. 

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR) 

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process. 

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 31 July 2025. Please include “IEL Lead” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps. 

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.