Senior Assessment Officer

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 Senior Assessment Officer to support our team in Moldova.

Department:REACH

Position: Senior Assessment Officer

Contract duration:12 months

Location: Chisinau

Starting Date: ASAP

Country profile

Following the escalation of conflict in Ukraine, beginning 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 in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, including Moldova. According to UNHCR data, over 700,000 refugees from Ukraine entered Moldova since the beginning of the displacement. Many of them continued their journey to Moldova and other European countries, while about 100,000 are estimated to be currently remaining in Moldova. Given the martial law and mobilization of men in the conscription age in the conflict in Ukraine, most of the displaced crossing into Moldova are women and children, and the conflict with its emotional burden has a heavy toll on the already at-risk individuals.

As the refugee crisis protracts, humanitarian interventions have been shifting towards mid- to long-term solutions for refugees, targeting the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in Moldova and within the host community, including the aim of integrating refugees within the existing social protection schemes. Notably, in alignment with other refugee-receiving countries, on 1 March 2023, Moldova made available the Temporary Protection status for Ukrainians and eligible Third-country Nationals, affording them the right to regularly remain on its territory and access basic services.

Furthermore, the energy crisis and the mobilization of the humanitarian response in the country have shed light on the unaddressed needs of vulnerable Moldovans, underlining the critical importance of development-focused interventions.

REACH Initiative was established in Moldova to support the setup and scale-up of the assessment and analysis systems required to inform joint planning and monitoring by government and humanitarian actors involved in the refugee response. Since then, REACH has implemented multi-sector and sectoral needs assessments, recurring monitoring exercises, and tailored thematic studies, covering both the refugee and Moldovan communities and aimed at supporting an evidence-based response.

Position profile

Under the line management of the Research Manager in Moldova, the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for leading the planning, implementation and follow-up of the research cycle(s) they are overseeing, in close coordination with other team members and with relevant external partners. In doing so, the Senior Assessment Officer will ensure effective management of the project and resources, including (when relevant) direct and indirect supervision of national and international assessment staff.

This position will provide analytical capacity for the planning and implementation of current and upcoming research cycles and programmatic expansion in their workstream/Unit. The ideal candidate will approach this role strategically, ensuring that the data collected and outputs disseminated can meet the information needs of targeted humanitarian actors, and of relevant local and national government authorities. He/She should be comfortable representing IMPACT with a range of senior external partners.

Initially, the Senior Assessment will take charge of the execution of the Multi-Sector Needs Assessment. Their responsibilities will encompass guaranteeing the timely completion of the remaining research cycle stages. These stages will encompass, but will not be confined to, tasks such as (joint) data analysis, production of outputs, dissemination of findings, and extraction of lessons learned. Throughout this sequence, the Senior Assessment Officer must ensure close coordination and productive collaboration with humanitarian coordination platforms and other pertinent stakeholders. Following the conclusion of the assessment, they will then guide subsequent research cycles. The specific topics covered by these cycles will be determined on the basis of the country’s strategic orientation and the unit/workstream’s priorities and will depend on the secured grants.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation and follow-up of research cycles to which s/he is assigned, in close coordination with other team members and with relevant external partners. In doing so, the Senior Assessment Officer will ensure effective management of related projects and resources, including (when relevant) direct and indirect management of national and international assessment staff.

More specifically the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the following:

Research Planning:

• Oversee research cycles within their unit/workstream, and ensure all are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with relevant project and strategic objectives, and with global REACH guidelines;
• Design research approaches and methodologies according to IMPACT’s requirements and principles as well as partners’ information needs;
• Oversee the composition and construction of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, in close coordination with GIS and data teams;
• For each research cycle, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by HQ before any data collection begins;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning.

Research Implementation

• In close liaison with the field team, monitor data collection, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed TORs. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the data collection process;
• Ensure that relevant colleagues, IMPACT HQ, and external partners are promptly alerted to any delays or issues that prevent full implementation of the methodology agreed upon in the approved TORs.
• In close liaison with the field team, ensure logistics, financial, administration, security and HR processes directly related to ongoing and upcoming assessments are appropriately planned, implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments;
• In close liaison with data colleagues, provide data analysis on primary and/or secondary data as per ToRs, ensuring that meaningful techniques are used to analyze the data collected;
• Ensure that the cleaned data and its analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before the product drafting stage and sharing with external factors;

Drafting of Research Products

• Ensure the drafting of 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 products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximizes their impact in line with their intended use;
• Liaise with relevant GIS colleagues to ensure effective spatial representation of research findings in maps or interactive web portals, as relevant;
• Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release.

External Engagement

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycles: assessment preparation; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;
• After validation by the line manager, engage in relevant external meetings and represent IMPACT in coordination platforms, ensuring that key takeaways are properly documented and communicated;
• Follow up on issues identified by partners or during meetings/working groups;
• After validation by the line manager, present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact;

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Provide day-to-day direct and indirect management of the research team within their unit/workstream;
• Develop work plans and performance indicators, and implement capacity-building training plans for team members.

Knowledge sharing and strategy

• In coordination with country management, support the conduct of monitoring and evaluation for each Research Cycle, as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines;
• Generate and document robust lessons learned at the end of each Research Cycle;
• Engage in the development and operationalisation of IMPACT’s strategy in Moldova.
• Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other units/workstreams and teams within the mission, and with HQ;

Project Cycle Management

• Ensure that project deliverables and requirements are tracked, met and complied to;
• Ensure that any issue in relation to project implementation is reported to the line manager;
• Support drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports;
• Other tasks as requested by supervisors

Data Confidentiality and Protection

The Senior 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, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar);
• Research skills Proficiencyand proven experience with research methods. Excellent analytical skills in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies – ability to situate findings within a wider context;
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including 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;
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system, and the research community;
• Years of work experience At least 2 years of relevant working experience;
• Management experience Previous experience of team management in an INGO at field level;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
• Level of independence Ability and willingness to work independently;
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in or knowledge of the region is an advantage;
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Romanian or Russian an asset;

Conditions

• For this position, salary between 2’460 CHF and 2’520 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD and a food allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff.
• Accommodation provided in a guesthouse.
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered.
• Contribution to the luggage transportation fees
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment.
• Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’ HQ in Geneva + one week pre-International training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• MPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.