Evaluation & Consulting Academy

PERT Evaluation and Consulting Academy (PECA)

Practical Professional Training for Careers in Evaluation, Research, MEL, and Development Consulting

The PERT Evaluation and Consulting Academy (PECA) is a six-month applied professional development academy established by PERT Consultancy, Inc. to prepare participants for practical careers in evaluation, research, monitoring and evaluation (MEL), data analysis, and development consulting.

PECA was developed in response to growing demand for professionals with practical and job-ready evaluation, research, consulting, and digital data management skills in Liberia’s development sector. While many professionals receive theoretical exposure to monitoring and evaluation, few have opportunities to participate in real evaluations, support consulting assignments, manage fieldwork, analyze data, develop professional reports, and understand how development consulting assignments are implemented in practice.

In response, PERT Consultancy designed PECA as a highly practical and immersive professional development academy that combines classroom instruction, field exposure, mentorship, and real consulting practice.

What Makes PECA Different

Unlike traditional training programs that focus mainly on theory, PECA emphasizes practical learning and real-world application. Participants gain exposure to real evaluation and research assignments, practical fieldwork, proposal development, consulting practice, data analysis, professional report writing, and team-based assignments. The Academy also provides mentorship from experienced evaluators and consultants and exposes participants to donor-funded and institutional projects.

A key strength of PECA is its strong emphasis on real consulting exposure. Participants gain insight into how consulting assignments are designed, managed, implemented, and delivered within development and research environments.

Participants also gain practical exposure to digital tools and software commonly used in evaluation, research, MEL, and consulting work, including KoboToolbox, SurveyCTO, ODK, Microsoft Excel, SPSS, Stata, Power BI, Airtable, Google Forms, and related data visualization and reporting tools.

Academy Structure

The six-month Academy combines classroom-based technical training, practical assignments and simulations, field participation in evaluations and research activities, digital data collection and analysis practice, mentorship and coaching, consulting and proposal development practice, and capstone presentations and portfolio development.

Areas of Training

PECA provides practical training and professional exposure in:

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
Evaluation design and methodology
Quantitative and qualitative research methods
Survey design and sampling
Key informant interviews and focus group discussions
Digital data collection systems and mobile data collection tools
Data cleaning, analysis, visualization, and reporting
Professional report writing and analytical writing
Proposal development and consulting practice
Project management and workplace professionalism

The Academy also places strong emphasis on consulting practice. Participants gain practical exposure to understanding Terms of Reference (TORs), technical proposal writing, financial proposal basics, consulting assignment management, client communication, quality assurance, professional ethics, presentation skills, professional branding, networking, and consulting portfolio development.

Who Should Apply?

PECA is designed for motivated individuals seeking practical professional careers in evaluation, research, MEL, data analysis, and development consulting.

The Academy is suitable for recent graduates, early-career professionals, MEL and research officers, NGO and project staff, junior consultants, and individuals seeking practical consulting and evaluation experience.

PERT Consultancy strongly encourages female applicants and individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.

What Participants Gain

Participants benefit from practical evaluation and research experience, exposure to real consulting assignments and field activities, technical and professional mentorship, enhanced analytical and consulting skills, professional networking opportunities, and practical exposure to digital data collection and analysis tools used in MEL and consulting work.

Participants also receive a Certificate of Completion and may develop practical outputs such as sample evaluation reports, data collection tools, proposal writing samples, presentations, and professional portfolio materials. Outstanding participants may also have opportunities to join PERT Consultancy’s roster of consultants and associates.

Enrollment and Participation

PECA is a fee-based professional development academy. Selected participants are required to pay program enrollment and participation fees, which support training delivery, mentorship, learning materials, field practice activities, digital tools training, professional coaching, and administrative support throughout the program period.

The Academy is designed as a high-value professional development investment that combines practical training, mentorship, field exposure, consulting practice, and career-oriented learning.

Detailed information on Academy fees, payment arrangements, application timelines, and cohort schedules will be provided during each recruitment cycle.

Our Commitment

PERT Consultancy is committed to building a strong pipeline of competent, ethical, and work-ready evaluators, researchers, MEL professionals, data analysts, and development consultants in Liberia.

Through practical learning, mentorship, and real-world consulting exposure, PECA helps participants strengthen the technical, analytical, digital, and professional skills needed to transition successfully into evaluation, research, MEL, data analysis, and consulting careers.

Interested in building practical evaluation, research, consulting, and digital data management skills through real-world professional exposure? Contact PERT Consultancy to learn more about enrollment opportunities for the PERT Evaluation and Consulting Academy (PECA).