Senior Assessment Officer – MSNA

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 in its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for an Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) to lead our Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA) Team in Ukraine.

Department:REACH

Position: Senior Assessment Officer

Contract duration:12 months

Location: Kyiv

Starting Date: ASAP

Country profile

Following the invasion of 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 2015, 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. The Humanitarian Needs Monitoring Unit (HMNU) gathers information on the severity and type of humanitarian needs across Ukraine to support ongoing humanitarian planning, and to enable effective prioritization of aid efforts. The Unit includes the Multi-sectoral Needs Assessment (MSNA), Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM), and the Joint Market monitoring Initiative (JMMI). The Unit is currently comprised of 15 staff with expertise in Assessments, Data and GIS, and works closely with the large Field Team to collect and analyse country-wide data.

FUNCTIONS

IMPACT is seeking a candidate who has previous experience managing teams and projects, leading out quantitative data analysis, and producing analytical outputs to lead the MSNA Team in Ukraine. The MSNA is a high visibility and high impact assessment, which is coordinated with a range of stakeholders across the response to provide a rigorous evidence base for yearly humanitarian prioritisation.

Under the supervision of the HNMU Research Manager, the Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) will be responsible for implementing all stages of the multi-sectoral research cycle and their analytical outputs, including preparation, implementation, and follow-up. In particular, the SAO will be responsible for carrying out the analysis and production of thematic assessments based on MSNA 2023 household level in their first few months of work. After the completion of these reports, the SAO will focus on the planning and design of the 2023 MSNA. The SAO will also be responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, external engagement, staff management, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH Ukraine.

This is an externally facing role and the SAO will be expected to engage with key external actors, including stakeholders in the humanitarian coordination system, technical working groups and various NGO fora and information management groups. The SAO will be the main focal point for the inclusion of MSNA data into the humanitarian planning cycle and will engage deeply with the Cluster System and to ensure the data collected is relevant and fills identified information gaps. The SAO will lead on producing analytical outputs to inform the response and will also regularly present findings and engage externally with senior staff from the UN, NNGOs, and INGOs to ensure findings are received and understood by key stakeholders.

The position is based in Kyiv, with regular travel across Ukraine, conducted in close coordination with the ACTED Country Security Manager and Ukraine Country Security Team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The SAO’s responsibilities include the following:

ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION

Objective 1.1: Management of assessment process

• Ensure that the MSNA is planned in line with the country strategy, relevant research and project objectives and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Design the methodology and assessment tools associated with each assessment, according to IMPACT requirements and principle;
• Develop the Research Terms of Reference, Data Analysis Plan, and assessment tools under the supervision of the HNMU RM and in collaboration with external actors to ensure the data will meet their needs and fill information gaps
• Oversee the operational planning and coordination for the assessment, including the development of sampling strategies, identifying appropriate locations for data collection, designing the team composition and staffing required to implement the assessment on time.
• Work closely with the REACH Operations Manager to ensure all FLATS preparations are finalized prior to data collection

Objective 1.2: Implementation

• Responsible for implementing the research design and methodology of the MSNA in close collaboration with Field Officers,
• Developing and overseeing training of the assessment and data collection teams, ensuring that enumerators are well-trained on the questionnaire;
• In close liaison with Field Officers and Data Officers, monitor MSNA data collection progress and overall research quality, reviewing and correcting outliers, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed ToRs and adapting the workplan as necessary;
• Ensure regular situation updates on data collection are produced and circulated to line manager, relevant colleagues and external counterparts. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the data collection process;
• In close liaison with the Data Officer, ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
• Ensure that all data and analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before the product drafting stage.
• Conduct data analysis and lead on report production, following IMPACT guidelines.

DRAFTING OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS

• The SAO is responsible for consolidating and providing oversight for all analyses and conclusions from each assessment into REACH products such as reports and briefs using standard HQ approved formats
• Lead on the drafting of timely and accurate outputs that consolidate the analyses from the MSNA into outputs, including factsheets, reports, and presentationsEnsure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximize the ability to influence the humanitarian response;
• 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.
• The SAO is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors.
• The SAO must supervise and ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information

External Engagement

• Regular representation of REACH/IMPACT in cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings.
• Liaise with external partners to provide technical guidance and to identify potential for findings to be integrated into existing data sources used by the humanitarian community
• The Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of IMPACT’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors
• Ensure that all relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle, specifically OCHA, Humanitarian Clusters, and other partners such as WFP-RAM and IOM-DTM;
• After validation by the line manager, represent IMPACT in relevant meetings/ working groups, such as Cluster meetings; NGO Platform meetings, or the Assessment and Analysis Working Group;
• Follow up on relevant issues identified by partners or during meetings/working groups;
• After validation by line manager, present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact.

STAFF MANAGEMENT & HR

• The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for day-to-day management of project and field staff both directly and remotely.
• They are expected to guide and direct REACH staff and prepare and follow up work plans with each Assessment Officer and staff member that directly reports to the SAO and/or is involved in the process.
• The SAO is also responsible for conducting weekly check ins with direct line reports, ensuring they have the information and training they need to complete assigned tasks.
• The Senior Assessment Officer will be required to take the lead in the recruitment of IMPACT assessment staff within the MSNA under the guidance of the HNMU RM and in coordination with HR. this includes screening CVs, assessment tests, interviews and performance evaluations.
• The Senior Assessment Officer will ensure that the team is comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. He/she will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by IMPACT.
• The SAO will flag any issues to the HNMU RM and will work to create performance management plans to address such challenges if they arise.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

• Years of work experience 2-3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as assessments, monitoring and evaluation, research design and analysis, etc.;

The SAO is responsible for ensuring that all interactions with Ukrainian communities are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

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);
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system an asset;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting, including proven experience in contributing to analytical reports;
• Research skills Excellent research and analytical skills. Experience in assessments, M&E, field research, or evaluations;
• Interpersonal skills Excellent interpersonal and team management skills; experience managing teams and projects under tight deadlines
• 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

• For this position, salary between 2’820 CHF and 2’880 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living 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. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food 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 (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• 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’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.