Lead Economist

Introduction and Background

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government corporation established in 2004. Its mission is to provide assistance that will support inclusive and sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry.

In December 2018, MCC’s Board of Directors selected Indonesia as eligible to develop a second compact. The compact agreement will be valid for a period of five years. MCC’s work with Indonesia on the second compact is currently in the pre-implementation preparation stage, prior to “Entry-Into-Force” (EIF) of the compact agreement at which time the five-year
implementation period begins. The Government of Indonesia is in the process of establishing an implementation entity, called the Millennium Challenge Account – Indonesia II (MCA-Indonesia II or “MCA”), to act as a designee in supervising and managing the implementation of the five-year MCC Compact Program in Indonesia.

The MCC Indonesia Compact is designed to improve the country’s transport and logistics infrastructure, developing high-quality, climate-conscious transportation infrastructure in five provinces while increasing access to finance for micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

On behalf of MCA-Indonesia II, we are seeking talented, highly qualified, and experienced Individual Consultants to take part in these interesting and challenging consulting services, as:

Position Objective

The Lead Economist leads Economic Analysis (EA) for the MCA-Indonesia II, under the guidance of the Deputy Executive Director for Program Support. The goal of the Lead Economist and EA consultant staff are to produce timely, relevant, and reliable data and assessments related to the economic rate of return (ERR) and beneficiary analysis for Indonesia Compact projects and activities. The Lead Economist is also responsible for supporting the independent evaluations of the program, facilitating any necessary updating of the economic analysis related to the program, and managing the program EA budget and EA consultant staff.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Collaborate with MCC Economists to ensure that the Cost-Benefit Analyses and Beneficiary Analyses, including estimates of the Economic Rate of Return (ERR), beneficiary counts, and potential impacts from each activity under the projects to be supported, are modified and updated in accordance with MCC Guidelines as improved information becomes available (updating key parameters and variables upon the receipt of new or higher quality data from reliable sources).
Maintain close collaboration and integration between the MCA-Indonesia II Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and ATLAS, FMD and MSME Finance project teams to ensure that EA data and analysis is accurate, up-to-date, and supports cost-effective, evidence-based project design and management.
Maintain regular communication with MCA-Indonesia II leadership and MCC Economic Analysis staff to provide updates on the status of EA activities, analytical tools/databases and published data sources (at national and subnational levels), and to communicate risks related to the progress of implementation or the achievement of results in terms of observable/measurable outcomes.
Manage the EA consultant staff and supervise their activities and ensure timely workprogram deliverables.
Manage the program EA budget and provide updates to MCC on commitments and disbursements on a quarterly basis.
Manage the procurements and contracts funded by the program EA budget, in conjunction with the MCA-Indonesia II procurement and finance teams, and report progress to MCC on a quarterly basis
Establish, maintain, and facilitate communications and working relationships with relevant local think-tanks, academic entities, research centers in Indonesia as it relates to the economic analyses of Compact-supported projects and activities

Key Qualifications (Education, Experience, Technical Competencies)

Required Qualifications

Advanced University Degree (Master’s or higher) in economics, statistics, social sciences or related fields or a related discipline.
Fifteen (15) or more years of experience, including approximately seven (7) leading teams that conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses of programs.
Demonstrated experience in project management, including managing team of experts, program budgets and work plans at country level.
Experience applying economic concepts and policy to real-world problems, using data and analysis to reach conclusions and provide recommendations.
Familiarity with economic cost-benefit analysis and financial cash-flow analysis of projects
Strong and demonstrable experience in contract management, developing Terms of References (TORs), and managing consultants, including ensuring compliance with TORs.
Must demonstrate history of consistently delivering high quality projects on time and within budget.
Ability to communicate findings of complex economic analyses to a non-economist/nontechnical audience.
Strong analytical, report writing, and oral communication skills
Organizational experience related to data and document management.
Strong computer skills with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Fluency in Indonesian and excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Willingness to undertake regular field visits and interact with the different stakeholders.
Occasional international travel may also be required

Desired Qualifications

Indonesia-specific experience conducting economic analysis and problem-solving
Experience implementing rigorous, quantitative impact evaluations involving household or business surveys.
Familiarity with designing and implementing program/project impact evaluations.
Experience working with national government and international donor organizations
Experience with distributional analyses measuring economic and beneficiary impact of infrastructure projects, infrastructure investments, or micro-, small and medium enterprise (MSMEs).
Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following statistical analysis software and
databases, such as R, STATA, SPSS, SAS, CSPRO, or Access strongly preferred

Duration and Performance Location

The Consultant is expected to work for a base period of 12 months. There is potential for a follow-on contracts to cover the implementation of the five-year Compact. Any follow-on contracts will be based on satisfactory performance and mutual agreement.

Contract Type

This Terms of Reference contemplates award of a fixed term, fixed price independent contractor contract.

Working Facilities

Office space and a laptop equipped with necessary software will eventually be provided to the Consultant in Jakarta. However, for an interim period during the project start-up phase, the Consultant will be expected to provide his or her own laptop and all necessary equipment as needed to perform the services, until IT equipment and the office space is procured. This includes but is not limited to: computer/laptop, and other equipment that are needed by the Consultant.

Airfare for domestic travel within Indonesia and lodging outside Jakarta and other cities is provided by MCA-Indonesia II.

Facilities to be provided by the Selected Candidates

For an interim period during the project start-up phase, the Consultant will provide all other necessary equipment and expenses as needed to perform the services except as specifically stated to be provided by MCA-Indonesia II. This includes but is not limited to: computer, laptops, and other equipment that are needed by the Consultant.

Additional Information

This Position Description is subject to revisions/updates as necessary to ensure alignment to the organization’s strategic direction and structure. Revisions to the description are subject to applicable MCA-Indonesia II policies and procedures, and official versions of each Position Description are maintained by MCA-Indonesia II.