Research Manager – Intersectoral Unit for Somaliland

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 Research Manager to support our team in Somaliland.

Department: REACH**

Position: Research Manager**

Contract duration: 12 months

Location: Hargeisa – with frequent travel to Nairobi

Starting Date: 15/06/2022

COUNTRY PROFILE

Somaliland has been experiencing a multi-layered, complex, and protracted crisis over the past three decades, in particular, due to periodic natural disasters and climate-driven shocks, such as droughts and flooding. This has led to much internal displacement resulting in large IDP populations in urban areas, specifically around Hargeisa where this project is targeted. IMPACT began working in Somaliland in 2012 in order to fill information gaps and provide timely data on the humanitarian needs of displaced and vulnerable populations.

The compound and complex nature of the crisis continues to influence displacement patterns and constrain the availability of resources, while the presence of armed groups severely impedes the level of access and support provided by humanitarian actors. Crops have been affected by large swarms of locusts in the region in late 2019 and again in 2020. These infestations have impacted large areas of the country. In addition, in March 2020, COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the country. This situation and the precautious steps taken to curb the spread of the virus have further complicated both the needs of households and the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond to needs.

Currently, the Horn of Africa is experiencing the third drought episode in a decade, following three consecutive failed rainy seasons. The drought is compounding existing food insecurity among both pastoral and farming populations, and needs are spiking across the region – between 12 and 14 million people are currently estimated to be facing high levels of food insecurity and water shortages. Historically rare climate variability, climate change, vulnerability, and exposure are creating an exceptional and extremely concerning level of risk for food security and livelihoods, which could drive rising levels of acute malnutrition and mortality through mid-to-late 2022.

FUNCTIONS

Under the management of the Country Coordinator, the Research Manager oversees the programs and staff within the SOM Inter-Sectoral unit. The Research Manager leads the ISU team to achieve program excellence and ensure the highest level of impact and accountability while ensuring compliance to IMPACT’s guidelines and standards. As part of the country’s Senior Management team, she/he contributes to the development and implementation of IMPACT’s country strategy and promotes organizational vision and core values across the mission.

In his/her mission, the Research Manager will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics, and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide by ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration, and Logistics rules and regulations, and, in coordination with ACTED, will ensure IMPACT staff in his/her unit abide by them.

The Inter-Sectoral Unit currently implements the following Research Cycles (funded by ECHO and BHA):

• Detailed Site Assessment (DSA)

• Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA)

• Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM)

• AGORA (actor mapping, needs assessments, and solution identification as part of an Area Based Approach pilot in Hargeisa)

Previously, the Unit has also provided Information Management Support to the WASH Cluster (through UNICEF) and the Unit is engaging with the OCHA and the clusters in order to support the Drought Response.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Manager’s responsibilities include the following:

Strategy development & implementation

Context analysis: With specific attention to his/her Unit’s technical, programmatic, and institutional focus, and in coordination with the CC, the RM ensure that IMPACT has an up to date understanding of:

• The country’s socio-economic situation, the impact of a crisis, and the aid/humanitarian situation;
• The aid/humanitarian planning, coordination, and response mechanisms, as well as key aid/humanitarian stakeholders.

Develop and oversee the implementation of a Unit Strategy in alignment with country and global priorities, and fully integrated into country strategy; take a lead role in identifying strategic opportunities for strengthening IMPACT’s work in the country within the scope of his/her unit; in particular:

• Ensure the Unit’s activities are relevant and have a measurable impact on the aid/humanitarian response;
• Identify new programs and approaches in which the Unit can add value to the aid/humanitarian response;
• In coordination with CC, identify funding opportunities to consolidate, strengthen and/or expand the Unit’s programs;

Research Planning

Ensure that all research is planned in line with relevant project and program objectives and with the Unit/Country strategy

• Ensure that all research complies with IMPACT’s HQ Research Department and other relevant guidelines;
• Ensure that required secondary data analysis has been conducted in preparation of an assessment;
• Ensure that Research TORs are validated by HQ before any data collection begins;
• Ensure that ToRs are understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders, and updated as required;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessment throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported to the CC and HQ research department in a timely manner
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning.

Research Implementation

• Ensure that data collectors are identified and trained for primary data collection;
• Monitor data collection, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed TORs;
• Ensure that the Country Coordinator, the HQ IMPACT research department, and the country programs Director are alerted to any issues that prevent full implementation of the methodology in line with the agreed TORs; ensure that all changes to the methodology are documented throughout implementation;
• Ensure logistics, financial, administration, security, and HR processes directly related to the Unit’s work and ongoing assessment have been appropriately implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments;
• Ensure regular situation updates on data collection have been produced and circulated to relevant IMPACT, ACTED, and external counterparts. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the data collection process;
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’