Area and Settlements Approach Assessment Officer for Switzerland

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian research NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative and AGORA, with is jointly managed with the NGO ACTED. 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 fields of intervention.

IMPACT has started doing localized assessments since 2016 to support humanitarian agencies, local government actors and development partners develop integrated response strategies at the level of specific crisis-affected geographic areas. Through the joint IMPACT-ACTED AGORA Initiative, IMPACT also supports direct area-based planning and programs in cities and towns affected by humanitarian crisis in 7 countries. At the global level, IMPACT has been playing a key role in advocating for Localization, Nexus through settlements and area-based approaches through the Urban Settlements Working Group of the Global Shelter Cluster since 2017, and contributed to multiple position papers, webinars and case study reviews. In particular, IMPACT coordinated the publication of the Settlements Approach Guidance Note, which lays the ground principles for sound programming in the humanitarian sector, to support development partners, local governments and humanitarian agencies to improve living conditions in specific territories.

We are currently looking for an Assessment Officer to support our team in the Global Nexus and Localization Unit.**

Department: Global Initiatives**

Position: Assessment Officer**

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Geneva with travel (up to 20% field deployment)

Starting Date: April 2022

POSITION PROFILE

Under the supervision of the Global focal point for area and settlement-based programs based in Geneva HQ, the Assessment Officer will lead and support on various research and advocacy initiatives related to these themes, and particularly, settlement and area-based analysis and programs in urban areas and territories affected by humanitarian crisis. The Assessment officer will provide advanced technical support to country operations in research design, territorial profiling and analysis, will contribute to developing innovative research to inform humanitarian action on various priorities (urban displacement, disaster risk preparedness, decentralization, localization), and will actively support advocacy efforts in humanitarian platforms and networks. The individual fulfilling this role will play a critical function in providing technical, programmatic, and strategic support to a fast-growing and impactful work stream on the team.

This position offers opportunities to gain exposure to a varied scope of work and engage internally and externally with a wide range of interlocutors to advance the international humanitarian and recovery agendas on localization, nexus and settlement-based approaches.

FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assessment Officer is responsible for :

1) Providing advanced technical support and surge capacity to country operations on area and settlement-based research programs, under both REACH and AGORA. This includes:

• Taking stock of the different methodologies and approaches used for area and settlement-based assessments across country missions

• Convening a Community of Practice to support team members involved in area and settlement-based assessments

• Providing advanced technical support to country teams in the design, analysis and strategic dissemination of their area and settlement-based assessments

• Developing standard tools, indicator banks, methodologies, training material and normative guidance to enhance the quality and consistency of area and settlement-based assessments across the organization and integrating best practices from the recovery/development sector and urban planning practices.

• Inputting in tools and guidance developed by other Teams in IMPACT to ensure relevant area and settlement-based principles can be effectively used and mainstreamed

• Ad hoc surge support including country deployment up to 20% – this support may be provided remotely and/or through a field deployment, depending on the extent of support required and the specific needs of the country team

2) Promoting area and settlement-based approaches within the humanitarian community. This includes:

• Building a sound understanding of the Localization and Nexus agenda, and identify how settlement and area-based approaches contribute to these priorities

• Producing and presenting global Area and settlement-based information products consolidating findings and trends from country-level analysis

• Engaging directly with external partners to identify case studies and success stories to showcase in reports and conferences

• Supporting the HQ focal point in chairing the Urban Settlements Working Group and in engaging with external decision-makers

• Supporting communications and dissemination activities at global level – including website articles, social media, webinars, and other similar activities

3) Implementing IMPACT’s global research cycle on the contribution of Area and Settlement-based assessments to emerging humanitarian cross-cutting themes (Nexus, Localization, Climate, DRR), under the close supervision of the Global focal point for settlements and area-based programs. This includes:

• Conducting preliminary research and analysis on applications of area and settlement-based assessments to inform new humanitarian agendas (Nexus, Localization, DRR, Climate change adaptation)

• Identifying relevant stakeholders on each core theme and informants through advanced desk review and external engagement

• Research design in consultation with external actors

• Conducting interviews, data analysis, report drafting and dissemination

• Formulating clear and impactful key messages on the basis of research findings

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline; (e.g. development, humanitarian studies, international relations, research methods, social sciences, urban planning, governance and policy)
• Research skills Experience with designing and implementing primary research, in particular territorial analysis, spatial analysis, socio-economic surveys and/or humanitarian needs assessments. Experience with conducting sound secondary data and literature review.
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Experience with InDesign an asset.
• Experience in the humanitarian or development sector At least 2 years of experience in the humanitarian sector and/or field-based roles in fragile or development contexts
• Areas of knowledge Familiarity with the humanitarian system and global humanitarian policy frameworks, with urban planning in developing contexts, with local governance and decentralisation principles. Understanding of the Nexus and Localization humanitarian agendas. Familiarity with disaster risk reduction and humanitarian environmental concerns an asset.
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and advocacy efforts. Experience in engaging in international conferences and events on relevant topics a strong asset.
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
• Level of independence Proven ability to work independently;
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and willingness to engage in short term field deployments, including to complex and challenging security environments
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in French an asset;