Position : Individual consultant – Mid-Term Evaluation of Pentagonal Strategy I implementation

Reports to: CME-PS1, CAPRED (Senior Policy Advisor)

Location: Phnom Penh

Period of Assignment: December 2025 – May 2026

Duration: Up to 80 working days 

Employment type: Sort – term Part-time, intermittent 

Contractual arrangement: International recruitment

PROGRAM BACKGROUND

The CAPRED Facility is Australia’s flagship bilateral economic development program in Cambodia, focusing on economic recovery and resilience over the next four years, with a possible three-year extension. 

The Facility supports Cambodia in implementing a range of necessary economic interventions and reforms to maintain the country’s economic transition. These interventions and reforms are primarily aimed at encouraging more productive and inclusive public and private investment, which promotes a resilient, inclusive and sustainable economy (RISE).  

CAPRED interventions fall under three technical components including: Agriculture and Agro-processing; Trade, Investment and Enterprise Development and Infrastructure Development; and one Cross-Cutting component comprising: Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), Climate resilience, and Policy. 

CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

The Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I (PS1) is the Royal Government of Cambodia’s flagship policy framework for the 7th mandate (2023–2028), guiding national action toward growth, employment, equity, efficiency, and sustainability, and setting the path to high-income status by 2050. To track implementation, the Committee for Monitoring and Evaluation (CME-PS1) was established under the Office of the Council of Ministers to coordinate and assess progress using the PS1 M&E Framework endorsed in 2024, which includes 39 strategic and reform KPIs.

Monitoring reports for 2024 and 2025 show early results but also highlight system challenges: incomplete or inconsistent data, absence of a shared theory of change to guide causal analysis, and weak coordination leading to fragmented reporting.

The Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) will therefore take a process-evaluation approach, examining implementation mechanisms, data systems, and coordination arrangements rather than long-term impacts. The MTE will address four areas: (i) whether implementation mechanisms function as intended; (ii) coherence between PS1 objectives, sector plans, and resource allocation; (iii) lessons for course correction for 2026–2028; and (iv) institutional capacity needs to strengthen coordination, monitoring, and data use.

CME will lead the MTE, with support from CAPRED and development partners. The international consultant will provide methodological guidance, quality assurance, and alignment with international evaluation standards.

CAPRED has been providing continuous technical support to CME on PS1 M&E, including policy mapping, KPI refinement, MIS development, and early inputs to the MTE concept note. CME formally requested CAPRED to help ensure quality assurance for the MTE and to recruit the international consultant to support the work.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The overall objective of the consultancy is to support CME and CAPRED in designing, executing, and ensuring the quality and coherence of the Mid-Term Evaluation of PS1. Specific objectives include:

• Provide technical guidance and quality assurance for the MTE design, evaluation framework, data collection tools, and reporting. 
• Strengthen the Theory of Change and evaluability of PS1 priority areas. 
• Build capacity of the CME evaluation team and support line ministries to improve data quality and consistency. 
• Provide strategic inputs and support for the MTE inception, analysis, and reporting processes.

SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will work directly alongside CME throughout the MTE, spending part of the assignment in the CME office to guide planning, tool development, fieldwork preparation, analysis, and reporting. CME will lead primary data collection; the consultant will provide close technical guidance, coaching, oversight, and quality assurance.

Specifically, the consultant will undertake the following key tasks:

1. Support evaluation design and framework development

• Work closely with CME to prepare the MTE evaluation framework.
• Review the PS1 M&E Framework, monitoring reports (2024–2025), and CME’s MTE concept note.
• Provide technical advice to ensure the evaluation design follows international process-evaluation practice.
• Help CME define the evaluation focus and priority areas.

2. Strengthen Theory of Change (ToC) development

• Collaborate with CME to articulate ToCs for selected strategic objectives or thematic areas.
• Ensure alignment between PS1 logic, NSDP, sector strategies, and BSPs.
• Identify data gaps and institutional constraints affecting evaluability and propose practical solutions.
• Integrate GEDSI considerations across all ToC elements.

3. Advise on data collection and analysis

• Guide the CME team to design questionnaires, sampling strategies, and interview guides.
• Guide the CME team in planning and conducting data collection (surveys, KIIs, FGDs), ensuring methodological consistency.
• Ensure data quality, validity, and alignment with MTE objectives.
• Provide guidance and work closely with the CME team on data analysis
• Ensure GEDSI considerations are integrated into data collection, including in sampling, so that the evaluation captures the experiences and viewpoints on different groups.

4. Institutional coordination and capacity strengthening

• Support CME in establishing and facilitating an MTE Reference Group (CME, line ministries, NIS, DPs).
• Provide guidance on approaches for cross-ministerial collaboration and participatory evaluation.
• Strengthen CME’s capacity to manage evaluation processes and quality assurance.

5. Reporting and quality assurance

• Provide technical guidance and review and detailed feedback on the Inception Report, Draft MTE Report, and Final Report.
• Help CME prepare and conduct validation workshops.
• Ensure that all outputs meet international evaluation standards and are actionable for decision-makers.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 15 years of professional experience in program evaluation, preferably in governance, public policy, or economic reform.
• Proven track record in designing and leading mid-term or process evaluations for complex multi-sectoral strategies (e.g., national development or public sector reform).
• Demonstrated expertise in Theory of Change, evaluability assessment, and mixed-method evaluations.
• Strong familiarity with international practices on mid-term evaluation and application in Southeast Asian contexts.
• Prior experience with Cambodia’s M&E system and/or regional experience in policy evaluation is an asset.
• Excellent skills in stakeholder consultation, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and report writing.
• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in economics, public policy, development studies, or evaluation.

DURATION AND WORK PLAN

The consultancy is expected to run from December 2025 to May 2026 (up to 80 working days), with intermittent missions in Cambodia and remote technical support.

REPORTING AND COORDINATION

The consultant will:

• Report directly to the CME Secretary-General (or designated M&E Director). 
• Work closely with the MTE Reference Group, the CME Evaluation Team, and CAPRED team. 
• Submit deliverables to CME–PS1 and CAPRED for joint technical review.

ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS

• The assignment will be financed through CAPRED under DFAT support.
• Logistical and coordination support will be provided by the CME Secretariat with assistance from CAPRED.
• All outputs will be considered joint intellectual property of CME and CAPRED.

CLOSING DATE: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The application process will close once the position is filled, but not before 10 December 2025, 5 PM Cambodia time.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send your CV and cover letter with name and contact details (phone and email) of three professional referees to recruitment@capred.org mentioning the position you apply for in the subject line “Mid-Term Evaluator for PS1”. 

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to the professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicants on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.  CAPRED aims to have a diverse workforce at all levels, and a workplace that is supportive of gender equality, disability and social inclusion. Women, people with disabilities and other minorities are highly encouraged to apply.