IMPACT Initiatives
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 fields of intervention.
We are currently looking for an Information Management Officer to support the Information Management Working Group (IMWG) and the IMPACT team in Romania.
Title: Information Management Officer**
Contract duration: 6 months
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Starting Date: ASAP
Country profile
Following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, military hostilities have caused widespread damage to infrastructure and houses, hundreds of civilian deaths, disrupted markets and essential services, and precipitated massive displacement within Ukraine and into neighbouring countries. IMPACT is working across the region to provide humanitarian actors with rigorous data and in-depth analysis to ensure aid interventions are timely, appropriate, and relevant. As part of this, IMPACT is supporting coordination structures in Romania on the Refugee Response, through Information Management, Border Monitoring, Area Based Assessments and a Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment.
FUNCTIONS
IMPACT is seeking a candidate with strong data management and external engagement skills, who has experience of working in a refugee response or other humanitarian setting. The overall goal of the IMO will be to ensure timely, detailed and relevant analysis of needs for refugees in Romania, via partial secondment to the Information Management Working Group of the inter-agency Refugee Response. Under the supervision of the REACH Romania Research Manager and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the IMO is responsible for collating and analysing data submissions, coordinating inputs from partners, producing products, disseminating findings to relevant stakeholders and monitoring information needs of the humanitarian community. The IMO will carry out a 3 per week secondment to provide dedicated information management and analytical support to the IMWG and partners. The ideal candidate will be an early-career professional, with a background in data, who is looking to lead an external engagement and representation heavy portfolio to support a dynamic refugee response.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Information Management Officer is responsible for.
1) Research Planning
- Ensure that all research cycles are planned in line with the IMWG strategy, and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
- Design new research approaches and methodologies or update existing ones according to the IMWG and IMPACT’s requirements and principles as well as broader partners’ information needs;
- Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools using Kobo Collect and Open Data Kit (ODK);
2) External Engagement
- Ensure that all 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 IMPACT in relevant meetings/ working groups;
- Follow up on relevant issues identified by partners or during meetings / working groups;
- Work with IMWG partners to increase the use of the joint tools, and coordinated assessments, by continuing to ensure they meet partner information needs and providing trainings and ad hoc support;
- Support on information needs and monitoring for the RRP process, including conducting gap analyses;
- Attend and participate in IMWG meetings;
- Provide additional general support to the IMWG Co-Coordinators as requested;
- Engage with external partners to identify areas where datasets and findings can be actively used to inform planning.
3) Drafting of Research Products
- Draft 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 IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards;
- Ensure that data is uploaded quickly and correctly onto portals/dashboard and disseminated effectively to CWG partners;
- Ensure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximizes impact in line with their intended use including data visualization methods;
- 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 IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for written products; Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release.
4) Knowledge sharing and learning processes
- Generate and document robust lessons learned at the end of each research cycle;
- Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other team members, and units within mission, and with HQ.
5) Data Confidentiality and Protection
The Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy and SOPs. S/he 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, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar);
- External engagement experience Previous experience of engaging with humanitarian clusters/sectors an asset; excellent coordination and organisational skills required, including an ability to manage large workloads, oversee multiple teams and effectively meet deadlines through multi-tasking and prioritisation;
- Years of work experience 1-2 years of working experience of research in complex humanitarian settings;
- Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system, and the research community;
- Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to high level presentations/briefings.
- Research skills: Excellent research and analytical skills. Experience in assessments, M&E, field research, or evaluations;
- Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset;
- Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles in complex environment;
- Level of independence A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently;
- Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
- Experience in geographical region Past experience in Ukraine or the region is desirable;
- Language skills Fluency in English is required, competency in Ukrainian, Russian or Romania is an asset.
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