Democratic Republic of the Congo: REACH ASSESSMENT OFFICER - DRC

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 organization 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 anREACH Assessment Officer to supportour REACH team inDRC.

Department: REACH

Position: REACH Assessment Officer

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Kinshasa, DRC

Starting Date: ASAP

A. FUNCTIONS

Under the functional supervision of the IMPACT Country Focal Point in RDC and of IMPACT’s HQ in Geneva, the REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the management of REACH assessments, including their preparation, implementation and follow-up. He/she is also responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of IMPACT in RDC.

During his/her mission, the REACH Assessment Officer 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 to ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations.

B. RESPONSIBILITIES

In coordination with the IMPACT Country Focal Point, the REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for designing and implementing REACH research cycles. This includes:

1. Assessment Preparation and Planning:

• Ensuring that assessments are planned in line with relevant project and program objectives and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Identify and analyse secondary data;
• For each assessment, draft ToRs and ensure that they are approved by management (including Geneva HQ) before data collection begins, and understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders;
• Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data management team, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools; ensure engagement with GIS teams on GIS requirements of research cycle/assessment;
• 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 in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning.

2. Data collection

• Identification and training of enumerators for primary data collection;
• Overseeing data collection, in line with agreed TORs;
• Management of enumerators, including regular briefings and debriefings, problem solving, technical support, performance assessment, etc;
• Manage logistics, financial, administration and HR processes related to research cycles and liaise accordingly with the relevant ACTED counterpart. He/she is directly responsible for the compliance to ACTED FLAT procedures of all activities and teams that s/he supervises.
• In partnership with the GIS team, when relevant, ensure that collected data is geo-referenced enabling the production of maps and related products;
• Immediately alerting IMPACT Country Focal Point and IMPACT HQ to any issues that prevents full implementation of the methodology in line with the agreed TORs; document any agreed changes to the methodology throughout implementation;
• Drafting of situation updates on data collection progress for submission to IMPACT Country Focal Point, and, where relevant, external partners and stakeholders.

3. Data management

• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines, and with the ToRs (data management plan Annex);
• Ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
• Conduct analysis on collected data as per ToRs;
• Ensure that meaningful techniques are used to analyze the data collected;
• Ensure that data and its analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before product drafting stage;
• Ensure that data and its analysis do not contain personal information and are validated by IMPACT HQ before sharing to external parties;
• Ensure the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information.

4. Product drafting

• Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines;
• Communicating in advance with GIS colleagues mapping needs for the production of assessment outputs;
• Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release;
• Maintain regular communication with IMPACT Country Focal Point and IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for written products.

5. Product dissemination and evaluation

• Support IMPACT Country Focal Point in the dissemination of research products, including through articles, IMPACT social media contents, targeted e-mails, presentations, meetings, etc, in line with IMPACT Dissemination and External Communication Guidelines and Research ToRs;
• Under supervision of IMPACT HQ, ensure that research products are uploaded in relevant data portals, as specified in Research ToRs;
• Under the supervision of the IMPACT Country Focal Point, ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle;
• Support the IMPACT Country Focal Point to conduct monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines.

6. External relations

• Under the coordination of the IMPACT Country Focal Point, ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved in: the preparation of the assessment; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;
• Document and file all external engagement during each research cycle;
• When requested by the IMPACT Country Focal Point, participate in inter-NGO meetings and those of UN agencies and any other relevant, while maintaining the positive image and overall credibility of the organization.

7. Others

• Support the IMPACT Country Focal Point in drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports;
• Maintain an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities for which s/he is responsible;
• Other tasks as requested by supervisors.

C. Key performance indicators

• Institutional engagement in research process:

• # and type of actors participating in various steps of research cycles

• Reported level of satisfaction by actors involved in the research

• Use of research findings to inform aid response:

• # of actors accessing and using drafted research products

• # of actors using research findings to inform their activities and planning

• Reported level of satisfaction by actors using research findings

• Management of research process:

• Average number of days between end of data collection and internal product validation, by type of product

• % of research cycles with complete documentation folder (validated TOR(s)/Methodology note(s) for assessment(s) including all annexes; validated data set(s) and cleaning log(s); validated output(s).

D. Confidentiality and Data Protection

The REACH Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. 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

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• At least 2 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Excellent team management skills;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
• Prior knowledge of the region an asset
• Fluency in English required, French is an asset
• Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software.
• Ability to operate SPSS or related statistical programming an asset
• Ability to work independently

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

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV and three references tojobs@impact-initiatives.org

Please indicate in the subject line of your email:

• The reference of the position: 19/DRC/AO01

• An indication of where you first found this vacancy: website / personal contact / other.

For more information, visit us athttp://www.impact-initiatives.org CT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.