Description
IMPACT INITIATIVES
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH initiative. The IMPACT team is made up of specialists in the collection, management and analysis of data and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO based in Paris and present in some thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, allowing IMPACT to benefit from the operational support of ACTED on its areas of intervention.
REACH was established in 2010 as a joint initiative of two international NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). The objective of REACH is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the decision-making and planning capacity of the humanitarian community in emergency contexts, including, of reconstruction and development. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: a) needs and situation assessment facilitated by REACH teams ; b) analysis of the situation using satellite images ; c) provision of integrated databases and web maps.
We are currently looking for a senior evaluation officer ( SAO ) to support our REACH research unit in the DRC.
Department :REACH – Unit Humanitarian Programming Cycle « HPC »
Title : REACH responsible for senior assessments
Duration of the contract :12 months
Workplace : Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
Start date of contract : September 2024
Application deadline : July 24, 2024
COUNTRY PROFILE
The DRC is facing an acute and complex humanitarian crisis. Recurrent conflicts in the provinces of Kivus and Ituri as well as emerging crises in’ other areas of the country, health shocks and natural disasters, as well as the chronic poverty suffered by a large part of the population, these are reasons for the high level of humanitarian needs. According to the 2023 humanitarian needs overview, 26.4 million people (including 5.5 million displaced people) in DRC are in need of humanitarian assistance. The country also hosts more than 500,000 refugees from neighbouring countries, a particularly vulnerable population. Many parts of the country also remain affected by multiple epidemics, including measles, cholera, malaria and Ebola.
MISSION STRUCTURE & PROJECTS
Since 2016, IMPACT – currently present in Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu and Kalemie – provides through its three initiatives REACH, AGORA and PANDA rapid and in-depth evaluations, including, information management and mapping services to inform humanitarian planning and’action in the DRC. All publicly available information products produced by the mission in the DRC are accessible on the REACH resource centre. The main objective of the’Humanitarian Programming Cycle (HPC) research unit is to inform the strategic and programmatic prioritization of humanitarian assistance in a complex context, and support the’harmonisation and the strengthening of cross-sectoral capacities of the actors of’aide. From 2020, new research projects emerged in the then created’unity such as monitoring the humanitarian situation (in the provinces of North Kivu, France, south Kivu and Tanganyika, now also expanded to’Ituri and Maniema) ; profiling of host sites and communities (province of’Ituri) ; and in collaboration with the’ all the actors involved in the price monitoring and the functioning of the markets and the Cash Working Group (CWG) analyses of the price evolution on the Congolese markets. From 2021 onwards, the,REACH, in collaboration with OCHA, also piloted a multisectoral needs assessment (MSNA) in Tanganyika province, and then expanded to South Kivu province in 2022, including, in order to’ inform the humanitarian programming cycles (HNO/HRP) of the country. The’unity finally saw new developments in 2023, through an ambitious technical partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement a joint multisectoral assessment at the national level, as well as’with the recent development of’a working group of’analysis of crises and quality of the response whose’ objective is to inform the key actors of the response on the operational and strategic plans.then expanded to the province of South Kivu in 2022, with the aim of’inform the humanitarian programming cycles (HNO/HRP) of the country. The’unity finally saw new developments in 2023, through an ambitious technical partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement a joint multisectoral assessment at national level, as well as’with the recent development of’a working group of’analysis of crises and quality of the response whose’ objective is to inform the key actors of the response on the operational and strategic plans.then expanded to the province of South Kivu in 2022, with the aim of’inform the humanitarian programming cycles (HNO/HRP) of the country. The’unity finally saw new developments in 2023, through an ambitious technical partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement a joint multisectoral assessment at national level, as well as’with the recent development of’a working group of’analysis of crises and quality of the response whose’ objective is to inform the key actors of the response on the operational and strategic plans.through an ambitious technical partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement a joint multisectoral assessment at the national level, as well as’with the recent development of’a working group of’analysis of crises and quality of the response whose’ objective is to inform the key actors of the response on the operational and strategic plans.through an ambitious technical partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to implement a joint multisectoral assessment at the national level, as well as’with the recent development of’a working group of’analysis of crises and quality of the response whose’ objective is to inform the key actors of the response on the operational and strategic plans.
Mission
JOB PROFILE
Under the supervision of the research leader, the ODS will act in support of the HPC research unit, according to 2 main axes :
– Ensure involvement and support in the’unity research cycles on the humanitarian programming cycle from design to validation and dissemination processes, and, on all major cross-sectoral research cycles covering several provinces such as humanitarian situation monitoring (HSM) and multisectoral needs assessment (MSNA) ;
– Provide support to members of the’HPC research unit for capacity building, and also for other’ members of the IMPACT RDC team ;
The ideal candidate will be desirousness working in a dynamic organisation, with the opportunity to develop skills in data analysis and research. Strategic and technical support will be provided by the Mission’s Senior Management Team (SMT) and the IMPACT team at headquarters in Geneva.
FUNCTIONS
Under the functional supervision of the research manager of the’unit HPC**, the OAS will participate in the following tasks and responsibilities** :
PLANNING OF RESEARCH :
- Anticipate knowledge gaps before a research cycle is completed ;
- Ensure that the review and/or analysis of the necessary secondary data has been completed in preparation for an evaluation ;
- Ensure that all research cycles are planned in accordance with the country strategy, relevant research and project objectives and the IMPACT research cycle ;
- Design research approaches and methodologies in accordance with the requirements and principles of IMPACT and the information needs of partners ;
- Compose and build, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools ;
- For each research cycle, prepare the terms of reference and ensure their validation by headquarters before the start of data collection ;
- Ensure that relevant stakeholders and partners are involved in the design and planning of research.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESEARCH
- In close liaison with the field manager(s), ensure that the required enumerators are identified and trained for primary data collection ;
- In close liaison with the field manager(s), monitor the data collection, ensuring its proper implementation in accordance with the agreed terms of reference. Provide support and follow up on the challenges identified during the data collection process ;
- In close liaison with the field manager(s), manage the logistics of the evaluation, including with partner organizations, identifying areas of evaluation, facilitating design workshops, and, by managing the joint data collection processes and facilitating the joint analysis workshops ;
- Ensure that the supervisor and the research department of IMPACT headquarters are informed of any problem preventing the full implementation of the methodology agreed in the terms of reference approved. Ensure that all changes to the methodology are documented throughout implementation and that any changes are officially validated by IMPACT headquarters ;
- Monitor the progress and delays of all assigned assessments throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or problems identified for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner ;
- In close liaison with the field manager(s), ensure that the logistical, financial, administrative, and administrative processes, security and human resources directly related to ongoing and future evaluations are appropriately planned, implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments ;
REDACTION OF RESEARCH PRODUCTS
- Ensure accurate and timely results that combine the analysis of each research cycle into relevant products such as fact sheets, reports, briefs, presentations, etc. who comply with IMPACT guidelines and quality standards ;
- Ensure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is transmitted in a way that maximizes its impact based on intended use ;
- Liaise with relevant GIS colleagues to ensure effective spatial representation of research results on interactive maps or web portals, as appropriate ;
- Ensure that delays or difficulties identified for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner ;
- Maintain regular communication with the country management and IMPACT headquarters on the progress and timelines of written products ;
- Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT headquarters prior to their external release.
EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
- Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of the research cycle: preparation of the evaluation, data collection, data analysis, etc, review of research outputs, dissemination of outputs and lessons learned ;
- After validation by the supervisor, represent IMPACT in the relevant meetings and working groups ;
- Promote the active use of data sets and research results by partners and the wider humanitarian community for decision-making ;
- Ensure that the commitment of all partners and external relations is clearly documented and communicated to the line manager and colleagues concerned ;
- More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, in particular through the application of the mandate, ethics, etc, impact values and position in relation to other actors.
CAPACITY BUILDING :
- Provide support to the research leader or manager, senior management for the capacity building of teams, etc, as a priority for the’unity HPC but possibly more transversally for other members of the’ team IMPACT RDC ;
- To take stock of the needs in terms of capacity building within the HPC research’unit in collaboration with the’ senior management team and the focal points in terms of capacity building, and, to develop a capacity building plan adapted to the’unity, possibly in a more transversal way
CONFIDENTIALNESS
The ODS will maintain the highest level of confidentiality of data collected in the field and ensure adherence to global personal data protection processes. She or he’assured to implement mechanisms to avoid the unauthorized sharing of information collected during his mission in collaboration with the data management team at headquarters.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES
The ODS, like any other staff member of’IMPACT, shall, is responsible for ensuring that relationships with the communities in which IMPACT and its partners work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are properly consulted and informed of the objectives, activities, and methodologies of’IMPACT projects.
Profile
PROFILE
- Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a master’s degree in the relevant discipline ;
- Skills in the field of research Proven experience in the field of research, data science and/or geographical information systems’ (GIS). Excellent data analysis skills.
- Software skills Advanced knowledge of R, STATA, Python or equivalent statistical software. Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Years professional experience At least 2 years of relevant work experience. Experience in the highly desirable humanitarian field ;
- Skills in terms of management Experience and skills in team management and training/strengthening of highly desirable capabilities ;
- Communication and reporting skills Excellent data writing and visualization skills ;
- Ability to perform multiple tasks head-on and prioritize in tight deadlines, over many research cycles ;
- Independence level Demonstrated ability to work independently ;
- The intercultural working environment Ability to work in an intercultural environment requiring flexibility ;
- Language skills Mastery of French required, mastery of’anglais is desired, knowledge of Swahili is an asset ;
- Safety environment Ability to work in a complex security environment
REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS
- For this position, the salary is between 2’580 CHF and 2’640 CHF per month (before income tax), etc., as well as a monthly subsistence allowance of 300 USD.
- NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid according to the grade of the position and the level of education of the staff. A security adjustment and/or isolation depending on the place is then applied to take into account the fact that certain staff members have to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
- Accommodation and food in a guest house. Depending on the situation in the country, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of the country-specific benchmark can be considered instead.
- Membership of a Swiss private pension fund ( Swisslife – around 9.975% of the gross salary of staff ), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
- On a case-by-case basis, accompanied person status and corresponding benefits may apply (health insurance and air tickets for dependents, education allowance for children)
- Airline tickets every 6 months and visa fees covered (travel costs in the country and professional expenses are fully covered)
- Contribution to the transport of luggage: between 20 and 100 kg, depending on the duration of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
- Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Leave for family or compassionate reasons, if applicable.
- Initiation before departure – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives headquarters in Geneva + one week of training before departure at ACTED headquarters in Paris, France, including 4-day in situ safety training; and ;
- Registration at Research Foundation Learning Programme impact Initiatives within the first 3 months after the start of the contract.
- IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among other things, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counseling costs
