REACH MSNA Assessment Officer for Syria

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 MSNA Assessment Officer to support our Humanitarian Program Cycle unit.

Department: REACH

Position: MSNA Assessment Officer

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Amman, Jordan

Starting Date: April 2022

Country profile

Into its eleventh year of conflict, conditions in Syria remain highly volatile and marked by intense violence and limited humanitarian access. The scale, complexity, and severity of humanitarian needs in Syria demonstrates the necessity for up to date, timely, and accurate information. Evidence-based planning and programming remain paramount to ensure that the response adequately meets the needs of the most vulnerable people and is tailored to different realities across communities and over time. However, informing operational and strategic planning remains highly challenging, as accessibility and security issues impede systematic data collection. A lack of predictable and consistent data undermines the ability of humanitarian actors to review their approach in light of the dynamic context. REACH has been conducting assessments on the humanitarian situation in Syria since 2013 and has over the years grown significantly both in size and in influence as an actor in the Syria response. REACH works in opposition-controlled parts of Syria and coordinates closely with OCHA, nearly all clusters, key working groups (IM and technical) within the Syria coordination system, and various NGO fora in order to identify, address, and raise awareness of key information gaps, as well as to uphold the quality of data used to inform the response.

Through these engagements, REACH has identified that the following key challenges remain:

1. the lack of a needs tracking system that brings together and shares timely and regular information on changes in needs from a variety of sources;

2. the ability to conduct coordinated large scale data collection on a more regular basis – particularly critical in the highly volatile context, and during key humanitarian milestones such as the HNO;

3. the lack of information from harder to reach areas with some of the most acute needs;

4. lack of ability to quickly mobilise data collection in areas experiencing sudden escalations in conflict, due to accessibility, operational and security constraints;

5. the lack of more granular and detailed information on needs and response capacity on specific newly accessible geographic areas. Broadly speaking,

REACH Syria implements assessments within four key streams:

• Monitoring of the humanitarian situation in Syria, through monthly assessments covering over 1,600 communities in Syria, market monitoring to track prices of goods as per the survival minimum expenditure basket (SMEB), and ad hoc rapid assessments in times of sudden escalations in conflict or natural disasters.
• Displacement tracking, through tracking the movement of IDPs and Returnees down to a 24-48 hour basis, as well as monitoring the humanitarian situation inside IDP camps and informal settlements.
• Area-Based Assessments to support humanitarian actors in the coordination to identify key response gaps by comparing humanitarian needs data with response data, in a set locality – often one that has recently become accessible and/or that is recovering for instance from besiegement.
• Technical support to clusters, for example in the form of coordination and implementation of sector and multisector assessments to inform the HNO, production of thematic assessments, presentations of findings, and capacity building.

For an example of REACH Syria information products, please see below:

• Northwest Syria Market Monitoring Exercise – May 2021
• Market Network Analysis – March 2021: Northeast Syria
• Briefing Note: Humanitarian Situation Overview in Northeast Syria – June 2021
• Daily Emergency Needs Tracking weekly bulletin: 12 July -15 July 2021

POSITION PROFILE

REACH Initiative Syria is currently seeking a professional with a background in research to serve as the focal point for REACH’s involvement in the implementation of a nationwide multi-sectoral needs assessment (MSNA) in Syria. The MSNA is a yearly assessment led by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with support from REACH, the Humanitarian Needs Assessment Program (HNAP) and humanitarian clusters. This assessment provides data that informs the humanitarian program cycle for 2022.

Technical backstopping and support is provided by the Research Manager for the REACH Syria Humanitarian Program Cycle (HPC) Unit, and the IMPACT Geneva HQ team. Past experience working on large multi-sectoral needs assessments and in coordination with other actors in the humanitarian system is preferred, but not essential. At minimum, experience with the subject matter, familiarity with the development and/or humanitarian sector, quantitative analysis skills, and effective communication skills are required.

FUNCTIONS

Under the functional supervision of the Humanitarian Program Cycle Research Manager and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the coordination and implementation of all research activities falling under Syria MSNA portfolio, including:

• Research design: indicator drafting and review in coordination with clusters, assessment methodology and sampling strategy review, data collection tool development.
• Planning and coordination of data collection activities, in close collaboration with the data collection partner.
• Oversight of data processing, including development of data cleaning and analysis plans, and conducting analysis, in close collaboration with the in-country data team.
• Close coordination with all relevant external stakeholders within the humanitarian coordination structure.
• Regular communication and collaboration with IMPACT HQ Data and Reporting Units to ensure implementation of global standards, guidelines, and best practices, for MSNAs and of REACH and IMPACT more generally.

S/he is also responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, and reporting requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in country.

In his/her mission, the REACH Assessment Officer will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the responsibility of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates. S/he and will fully abide to ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for:**

• Acting as external focal point with partners for all project activities, including holding and attending meetings and ensuring consistent follow up and partner engagement. This role requires development of strong relationships and regular coordination with OCHA, the humanitarian cluster system, and other key humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) stakeholders.
• Overseeing that activities are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with project and program objectives, and assuring that deadlines are met.
• Ensure regular reporting on assessment progress and participate in internal coordination meetings.
• Developing research TORs and tools, ensuring these are validated and approved by management and external partners, and making sure these are also understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders, and updated as required.
• Management and coordination of data collection and processing whilst providing quality control to ensure data is clean and of acceptable standard.
• Leading quantitative analyses with the support of the data unit, as well as providing technical input, guidance, and review of data analysis conducted by other team members.
• Provision of technical and information management support to humanitarian stakeholders to inform strategic humanitarian planning documents.
• Coordination with IMPACT HQ and OCHA on global and in country approaches to planning and analysis for the 2022 Syria Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
• General project management including grants reporting and project-related logistics.
• Support the Research Manager in the development or revision of overall unit research strategies, reports, or new proposals.
• Other tasks falling within his/her functions as requested by supervisors

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. He/she 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’s degree in a relevant discipline (international development, humanitarian response, political science, monitoring and evaluation, etc.);
• Research skills Proficiency and proven experience with research methods, including both quantitative and qualitative research. Excellent analytical skills;
• 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 an advantage; Experience with InDesign an asset.
• Years of work experience At least 2 years of relevant working experience. Experience in humanitarian settings and knowledge of the humanitarian program cycle highly desirable;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Organizational and coordination skills Strong coordination, presentation, and organizational skills;
• 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;
• Experience in geographical region Past experience working in Syria or the Middle East is desirable;
• Language skills Fluency in English required, fluency in Arabic and/or Kurdish an asset;
• Security environment Willing to travel to and 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