REACH Assessment Officer

Background on REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. REACH’s field interventions benefit from ACTED’s operational support. REACH/ACTED staff span across 6 regions in Ethiopia, with a central office in Addis Ababa.

We are currently looking for an Assessment Officer based in Addis Ababa to support our assessment activities in Country.

Position:                            Assessment Officer

Supervisor:                       Senior Research Manager

Contract duration:            6 Months

Location:                           Addis Ababa

Starting Date:                    ASAP

Functions

Under the supervision of a Senior Research Manager, the Assessment Officer will be responsible for the management and implementation of specific rounds of assessment activities, including activity methodological design, overall project cycle management and coordination with internal technical teams, report writing and output drafting, and external presentations or briefings related to the work. She/he/will also be responsible for partner coordination and monitoring and evaluation of activity implementation.

Assessment Officer shall be responsible for:

RESEARCH PLANNING:

• Anticipate knowledge gaps prior to the execution of a Research Cycle;
• Ensure that required secondary data review and/or analysis has been conducted in preparation of an assessment;
• Ensure that all research cycles are planned in line with the country strategy, relevant research and project objectives and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Design research approaches and methodologies according to REACH’s requirements and principles as well as partners’ information needs;
• Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools;
• For each research cycle, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by HQ before any data collection begins; and
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning.

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

• In close liaison with field manager, ensure that required enumerators are identified and trained for primary data collection;
• In close liaison with field manager, monitor data collection, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed TORs;
• In close liaison with field manager, manage assessment logistics, including with partner organizations, identifying assessment areas, facilitating design workshops, managing joint data collection processes, and facilitating joint analysis workshops;
• In close liaison with field manager, ensure regular situation updates on data collection are produced and circulated to line manager, relevant colleagues and external counterparts. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the data collection process;
• Ensure that the line manager and REACH HQ research department are alerted to any issues that prevents full implementation of the methodology agreed in the approved TORs. Ensure that all changes to the methodology are documented throughout implementation, and that any change is formally validated by REACH HQ;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessments throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• In close liaison with field manager, ensure logistics, financial, administration, security and HR processes directly related to ongoing and upcoming assessments are appropriately planned, implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments;
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with REACH’s Data Management Guidelines and with the ToRs;
• In close liaison with field officer(s), ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
• In close liaison with data colleagues, provide data analysis on primary and/or secondary data as per ToRs, ensuring that meaningful techniques are used to analyze the data collected;
• Ensure that data and its analysis are validated by REACH HQ before product drafting stage; and
• Ensure that data and its analysis do not contain personal information and are validated by REACH HQ before sharing to external parties.

DRAFTING OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS

• Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate outputs that consolidate the analyses from each research cycle into relevant products such as factsheets, reports, briefs, presentations, etc. which comply with REACH’s guidelines and quality standards;
• Ensure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximises their REACH in line with their intended use;
• Liaise with relevant GIS colleagues to ensure effective spatial representation of research findings in maps or interactive web-portals, as relevant;
• Follow the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• Maintain regular communication with country Management and REACH HQ on progress and deadlines for written products; and
• Ensure that all written products are validated by REACH HQ before external release.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: assessment preparation; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;
• After validation by the line manager, represent REACH in relevant meetings/ working groups;
• Follow up on issues identified by partners or during meetings / working groups;
• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making;
• After validation by line manager, present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and REACH;
• Ensure that all partner engagement and all external relations are clearly documented and communicated with the line manager and relevant colleagues; and
• More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of REACH’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND LEARNING PROCESSES

• Ensure all documents, tools, scripts and outputs produced throughout the research cycle are recorded and filed in the central server to ensure continuous knowledge management;
• In coordination with country management, support the conduct of monitoring and evaluation for each Research Cycle, as specified in the research ToRs and in line with REACH Guidelines;
• Generate and document robust lessons learned at the end of each Research Cycle;
• Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other Units and teams within mission, and with HQ; and
• When required, provide feedback to appropriate global organizational knowledge learning tools.

PROJECT CYCLE MANAGEMENT

• For relevant projects, ensure compliance to project cycle management requirements and guidelines at all phases;
• Before project start, ensure the organization of a kick off meeting and the availability of key project management documentations to plan the efficient use of assets, financial and human resources;
• In close coordination with line management, finance and grants colleagues, monitor and regularly update the use of assets, financial and human resources, in full compliance with REACH’s guidelines; this includes maintaining an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities;
• Ensure that project deliverables and requirements are tracked, met and complied to;
• Ensure that any issue in relation to project implementation is reported to the line manager, finance and grants colleagues, and HQ; Ensure that a project completion meeting is held and documented for all relevant projects;
• Support the line manager, finance and grants colleagues in drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports; and
• Other tasks as requested by supervisors.

Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner.  Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies.  This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

·     Excellent academic qualifications including a bachelor degree in relevant discipline (Social sciences, statistics, economics, development studies etc) required.

·       At least 2 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian or development settings in the fields of data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, research or conducting assessments required

·     Proficiency and proven experience with research methods.

·     Experience monitoring social protection or cash transfer programs highly desirable

·     Excellent analytical skills with quantitative and qualitative data, and a good understanding of sampling techniques.

·     Experience in writing accurate assessment or research reports

·     Experience in presentation of research findings

·     Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

·     Experience with Adobe InDesign an asset.

·     Experience in developing quantitative and qualitative data collection tools an asset

·     Experience in mobile data collection platforms such as ODK and KOBO an asset,

·     Team management experience and skills highly desirable;

·     Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;

·     Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;

·     Proven ability to work independently;

·     Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;

·     Language skills Fluency in English required.