Regional Cash and Markets Assessment Specialist for Ukraine

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 a Regional Cash and Markets Assessment Specialist to support REACH’s Whole of Ukraine response.

Position:Regional Cash and Markets Assessment Specialist – Whole of Ukraine (WoU)

Contract duration:1 year

Location: Ukraine, with regular travel across the region

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. Present in Ukraine since 2014, IMPACT is working across the country to provide humanitarian actors with rigorous data and in-depth analysis to ensure aid interventions are timely, appropriate, and relevant. In addition, IMPACT has activities supporting the cross-border refugee response, with offices in Poland, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania.

POSITION PROFILE

IMPACT is seeking an experienced candidate with a strong technical background to provide guidance and coordination for Whole of Ukraine cash and markets work. Under the supervision of the REACH Regional Coordinator, the Regional Cash and Markets Assessment Specialist WoU is responsible for the successful implementation of REACH cash and markets assessments, as well as external engagement and strategic direction. These responsibilities span both the country of Ukraine itself and key countries identified as part of the WoU refugee response (currently Poland, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia). The candidate will be responsible for partner coordination and reporting and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH’s cash and markets activities in all WoU countries. They will also be responsible for liaising with relevant stakeholders, including national-level Cash Working Groups, cash consortia, and other key stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be eager to work in a dynamic and fast-paced organisation, with opportunities to help build IMPACT Cash & Markets portfolios, and to oversee assessments and partner engagement to inform the rapidly growing, and critical, cash-based response in Ukraine.

The position is based in Ukraine, with the specific base to be discussed with the candidate. The position will require regular travel, within Ukraine and to other countries under the WoU response, all conducted in coordination with the ACTED Country Security Manager and Ukraine Country Security Team. Given the relative size of the responses and cash portfolios, the Specialist should expect to spend approximately 75% of their time on Ukraine, with the remaining 30% split between other countries in the WoU response.

Summary of Responsibilities

REACH’s Whole of Ukraine Regional Cash and Markets Assessment Specialist shall be responsible for:

• Designing and implementing an overall cash and markets assessment strategy for the REACH whole-of-Ukraine response, including direct oversight and/or responsibility for strategies in each individual country;
• Developing corresponding analytical frameworks and methodologies in collaboration with local partners;
• Supporting in-country teams start to finish with the design and implementation of all cash and markets-related assessments, including focal point responsibilities for projects without existing focal points;
• Providing information management support to REACH’s whole-of-Ukraine missions and their partners through capacity-building and in-depth technical training, when possible;
• Oversee the development of Cash and Markets products, such as factsheets, reports, briefs, and other innovative ways of presenting data to the humanitarian community;
• Provide technical backstopping for tried-and-tested REACH C&M research cycles, including the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative, and rapid market assessments;
• Provide guidance and technical expertise to develop innovative Cash and Markets research cycles, that take account of the specific and unique context of Ukraine and the neighbouring countries refugee response;
• Work closely with UNHCR and other partners to provide guidance on targeting and vulnerability assessments;
• Provide training (without line-management responsibility) to junior members of the Cash and Markets Unit, including the JMMI SAO and the Supply Chain Analysis AO;
• Provide technical support and guidance to the IM and Data staff dedicated to an ACTED-led Cash Consortium;
• Supporting on the development/revision of new proposals, research terms of reference, analysis plans, and assessment outputs that integrate HQ, donor, sector, and/or partner feedback. Monitor opportunities for future REACH assessments related to cash and markets, making recommendations about which opportunities REACH teams are best suited to pursue;
• Manage project timeframes and assessment schedules and working with REACH and partner field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures;
• Liaise with programme staff of other ACTED departments to ensure close coordination is maintained;
• Lead on external representation of REACH with donors, partners and the wider aid community via engagement with clusters and sectoral working groups, including the Cash Working Group of each country, and addition Taskforces and Working Groups as appropriate;
• Ensure that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
• Contribute to the IMPACT Cash and Markets Community of Practice.

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);
• Coordination experience excellent coordination, organisational and planning skills required, including an ability to manage large workloads and effectively meet deadlines, through multi-tasking and prioritisation;
• Years of work experience 3 -5 years of working experience, including on cash, markets, or supply chain analysis;
• Prior experience Knowledge or prior experience of issues surrounding cash transfer programming;
• 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 an asset;
• Language skills Fluency in English is required, competency in Ukrainian or Russian is 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