REACH Assessment Specialist for Ethiopia

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations 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. 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. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its field intervention.

We are currently looking for an Assessment Specialist to support our team in Ethiopia.

Department:REACH

Position: Assessment Specialist

Contract duration:6 months

Location: Addis Ababa or Nairobi with frequent travel to Addis.

Starting Date: September-October 2022

FUNCTIONS

Under the line management of the Senior Research Manager in Ethiopia, the Assessment Specialist ensures the validity and strengthens the quality and efficiency of all IMPACT research cycles, in accordance with IMPACT’s standards, partner expectations, and IMPACT’s ethos of facilitating an evidence-based response. In coordination with the Country Senior Management Team, the Assessment Specialist will provide technical inputs and leadership at all stages of relevant research cycles, including for secondary data reviews, assessment conceptualization, research design, logistical preparations, training of field staff, supporting data collection teams during data collection, data cleaning, analysis, production of information products, and dissemination of information products, etc. S/he will be involved in partner coordination, presentations, and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of IMPACT in the Horn of Africa. The Assessment Specialist will also be responsible for developing and implementing a continuous capacity building program for national and international team members, and (when relevant) for providing trainings to partners.

During his/her contract, the Assessment Specialist will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues.

RESPONSABILITIES

Research Planning and Implementation

• Lead technical implementation and harmonization of analytical approaches with a specific focus on contributions to the humanitarian evidence base;
• Ensure a streamlined, coordinated approach across all relevant research cycles to research design, methodology and tool development, data collection and analysis, and product drafting;
• Ensure that accurate and meaningful techniques are planned and implemented for multi-disciplinary research activities;
• Support Assessment, GIS, and Data teams in designing and implementing research cycle methodologies, tools, ToRs, data collection and analysis, product drafting;
• Ensure that required secondary data analysis has been conducted in preparation of an assessment;
• Support in anticipating research cycle timelines and resources needed for implementation, monitor implementation of research cycles with a view towards identifying any major risks or issues and support team to resolve these challenges;
• Ensure that the applied methodology, analysis and products maximize the impact of the research cycles in line with the intended objectives;
• Direct drafting and review of external briefing documents and information products to ensure accuracy;
• Liaise with relevant assessment, GIS and data colleagues to ensure that their joint research benefits from a multi-disciplinary approach is effective

Team Functional and Line-Management

• Provide functional oversight to relevant assessment staff, and produce joint skill development- and work plans with the relevant Research Manager(s) who are line-managing the staff in question;
• Possible progressive responsibilities in direct line management of assessment, GIS, or Data staff that provide cross-cutting support;

Internal Knowledge Sharing, Learning and Capacity Building

• Identify capacity gaps, and resolve to bridge these through targeted capacity building, training, performance monitoring, and backstopping where needed;
• Support to the line managers and specialists in the development and implementation of capacity training plans for assessment and field team members;
• Conduct and support regular training to country/regional teams, including regular updates on IMPACT guidelines, adapted (to context) training modules, learning on the job; Complement in house training material with external resources, if and as relevant;
• Ensure impact of trainings and progression of staff is monitored;
• Support to Assessment / unit teams to systematically review the efficiency and quality of research cycles and information products;
• Support monitoring and evaluation for relevant Research Cycle, as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines;
• Contribute to generating and documenting robust lessons learned at the end of relevant Research Cycle;
• Able and available to engage with Global Units and global learning processes, such as methodology notes, lessons learn, Communities of Practice, etc;
• Continuously seek to improve and innovate IMPACT assessments, information products and processes to identify and meet information gaps in the Ethiopia and Horn of Africa response in order to support in the facilitation of an evidence-based response;
• More generally, contributes to creating a culture of rigour, innovation and learning within IMPACT’s operations.

Strategy, Program and Project Development

• Contribute to country, regional and unit strategies development with relevant technical and thematic content;
• Ensure that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
• Support the development/revision of assessment/programme strategies, reports, or new proposals.

External Engagement

• Support the IMPACT Horn of Africa team in Ethiopia in providing humanitarian stakeholders with reliable and accurate technical advice through the delivery of inter-agency briefings and multi-stakeholders knowledge sharing / lessons learned exercises.
• Support country management in representing IMPACT during technical/thematic analytical discussions;
• More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of IMPACT’’s mandate, ethics, values and stand- point with regard to other actors and by contributing to creating a culture of rigourous use of evidence and learning among humanitarian responders.

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

All IMPACT / REACH staff are expected to maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. S/he/they will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
• Research skills Excellent research and analytical skills required, including a sound understanding of sampling frameworks and their application, an ability to analyse large data sets, as well as conduct temporal or spatial trend analysis. Familiarity with innovative and adaptive methodologies tailored to complex humanitarian operating environments a plus.
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Advanced skills in R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software are required. Experience with InDesign an asset.
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system and with the research community;
• Years of work experience At least 4 years of relevant working experience
• Experience in thematic sectors Experience working in Health, Nutrition, Food Security, or Protection humanitarian sectors an asset;
• Training skills Ability to conduct trainings and mentor IMPACT teams and partners on assessment skills;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
• Level of independence Strong existing ability to work independently in support of colleagues and partners;
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in East Africa is desirable;
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Amharic, Somali, Tigrigna, Afan Oromoo an asset;
• Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment

CONDITIONS

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance provided in country by IMPACT’s partner ACTED
• Food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package