Economist (Consultant)

Economist (Consultant)

Location: Manila, Philippines

About IDinsight

We amplify social impact by partnering with leaders to develop tailored solutions. Our mission is to improve lives with data and evidence. We transform how the world fights poverty.

IDinsight is a global nonprofit that equips leaders with the data, evidence and technology to improve lives at scale. We partner with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, and funders to support decisions at every stage of their impact journey – from bold pilots to nationwide scale-ups. Our teams bring rigorous evidence and practical insights so leaders can make informed decisions that truly change lives. With our partners, we are pioneering the next frontier of social impact, where data and technology accelerate progress for millions. We help leaders overcome the three main barriers to impact:

1. Figuring out what works
2. Learning and improving
3. Reaching and operating at scale
   
   

We work in multiple countries across Asia and Africa. Our work spans a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, financial inclusion, and other areas.

We have expertise in a variety of rigorous approaches and methodologies, which we tailor to each client depending on their needs and constraints. To achieve a positive social impact we:

• Support our partners with the full ‘data and evidence’ value chain – from primary data collection to data systems, monitoring evaluation and learning tools, and data science
• Inform funding decisions – toward high-impact initiatives and away from less effective programs or approaches
• Create cutting-edge AI-for-good products that make the delivery of social interventions and learning tools more cost-effective and scalable
  
  

Our diverse, growing team of roughly 250 outstanding colleagues operate in nearly two dozen countries around the world. Learn more about our mission, values, and principles at www.IDinsight.org.

About the role

IDinsight engages economists as consultants (hereafter "the Consultant") to bring specialist expertise in applied microeconomics and causal inference to a portfolio of client engagements spanning multiple geographies, sectors, and methods. Engagements may be scoped broadly or specialised along any of these dimensions, depending on the Consultant's expertise and IDinsight's needs.

The core of the role is judgment under constraint. The Consultant will be asked to think critically about how to maximise methodological rigour within our clients' time, operational, political, and budget limits. and to be explicit about the trade-offs that follow. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between unfamiliar problems, can quickly absorb a programme's theory of change and a client's decision needs, and can give clear, actionable guidance on how to proceed.

The scope of a typical engagement may include:

• Research design and analysis. Designing and advising on evaluations and other research activities (impact evaluations, descriptive and diagnostic studies, process evaluations, monitoring systems, programme design and advisory, M&E advisory, and scale-up analysis) with a focus on identification strategy, estimation, and interpretation.
• Technical review and quality assurance. Drafting and reviewing technical documents, including evaluation designs, pre-analysis plans, power and sample size calculations, data collection instruments, analysis code, and technical reports. The Consultant may also be asked to resolve discrete technical questions that arise for project teams mid-implementation.
• Technical capacity building, where scoped. Where included in the terms of reference, preparing and delivering training on technical topics (for example causal inference, statistical inference, or Stata/R programming) and providing targeted technical mentoring to project staff.
• Scoping support. Advising on the technical feasibility and design of prospective engagements, in line with IDinsight's commitment to client-focused and decision-focused research.
  
  

Deliverables, timelines, level of effort, and reporting lines are set out in the engagement's terms of reference. The Consultant is expected to meet agreed deadlines, communicate proactively where scope or feasibility shifts, and flag methodological concerns early rather than at the point of delivery.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree in economics, econometrics, applied statistics, or a closely related quantitative field. PhD preferred; candidates with a Master's degree and a demonstrable record of comparable applied research will be considered.
• Demonstrated command of causal inference and applied microeconometrics, including experimental and quasi-experimental identification strategies, power analysis, and the interpretation of imprecise or null results.
• At least 5 years of relevant post-graduate experience designing, executing, or advising on evaluations and quantitative research in low- and middle-income country contexts.
• Proficiency in Stata or R, sufficient to write, review, and debug analysis code that others will reproduce.
• Ability to produce clear written technical output (evaluation designs, pre-analysis plans, technical memos) that a non-technical decision-maker can act on.
• Capacity to work independently against agreed deliverables and timelines, with limited day-to-day supervision, and to flag methodological or feasibility concerns early.

Preferred

• Substantive expertise in one or more of IDinsight's sectors (health, education, agriculture, social protection, governance, or environment).
• Contextual knowledge of one or more regions where IDinsight works, including familiarity with relevant administrative or survey data sources.
• Experience advising government or foundation counterparts directly, including translating methodological trade-offs into decision-relevant terms.
• Experience with additional programming or data tools (Python, SQL, geospatial analysis, SurveyCTO or equivalent).
• Peer-reviewed or policy publications drawing on applied field research.
  
• Local applicants or foreign candidates with existing work authorization.
  
  

Contracting

This is an hourly consultancy engagement. Rates are commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be confirmed during the selection process. Anticipated volume is approximately 20 hours per month, though this may vary with project cycles. Work is assigned and approved in advance and invoiced monthly. This is a contractor engagement and does not include employee benefits.

How to apply

Please click the "Apply for this job online" button at the top right. Ensure that your CV includes relevant professional and personal experience as well as details on academic qualifications. CVs can range from one to two pages. Please note, headshot photographs, parental details, birth dates, marital status and other personal information not relevant to the application do not need to be included in your CV.

More information, including details on IDinsight’s hiring process
and frequently asked questions, can be found online at IDinsight Careers. Any questions should be directed to careers@IDinsight.org.

IDinsight’s commitment to reducing power asymmetries

IDinsight is committed to reducing power asymmetries in the social sector. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflects our understanding of the need for the sector to abandon unhealthy practices of the past. We wish to be part of a new generation of international NGOs who are honest about this history and transparent about our role in the present. Our commitment is also aligned with the impact of our work.

We seek a workforce that is inclusive of a variety of perspectives that will help us refine and improve our methods and relationships, and strengthen the services we provide our clients and their communities or constituencies. The following commitments represent our vision for the IDinsight team:

1. IDinsight will have greater representation from the populations with whom we work and clients we serve.
2. IDinsight will have greater representation from the countries in which we work.
3. Across all countries in which we recruit, we will seek greater representation from historically excluded communities.
4. IDinsight will foster an inclusive work culture that empowers a diverse team to do their best work.
   
   

IDinsight is committed to non-discrimination in our recruitment, employment practices, and organizational culture, regardless of people’s age, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable law.