Assessment Officer 269 views0 applications

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 an Assessment Officer to support our team in Uganda.

Department:REACH

Position: Assessment Officer

Contract duration:6 months with possibility of extension

Location: Kampala

Starting Date: 09.01.2023

COUNTRY PROFILE

Uganda is currently hosting more than 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers, the largest number in the region. Most have fled civil unrest and conflicts in neighbouring countries of South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and Burundi. Refugee flows into Uganda are likely to continue due to ongoing conflicts, violent wars, unrest and human rights violations in neighbouring countries.

The vast majority of refugees are hosted in settlements in 12 refugee-hosting districts in northern and mid/south-western Uganda, while 5% of them reside in urban Kampala.

In Uganda, the response coordination is held by UNHCR and by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The Uganda government, in coordination with the humanitarian partners, has granted a welcoming policy for all asylum seekers. The asylum seekers, once registered as refugees, receive a piece of land in one of the refugee settlements and a monthly general food assistance from WFP.

In the past years Uganda has been affected by a general decreasing of humanitarian funds that have triggered a prioritization of the humanitarian assistance.

FUNCTIONS

Under the line management of the IMPACT Research Manager, the Assessment Officer is responsible for the implementation of IMPACT’s research cycles in country, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination and evaluation stages. Throughout research cycles, the Assessment Officer engages with partners (under the supervision and direction of the Research Manager) to promote their participation and maximize their impact. He/she also ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. This can include the direct supervision of assessment teams.

In his/her mission, the Assessment Officer will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTED’s Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assessment Officer is responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation and follow up of one research cycle to which s/he is assigned, in close coordination with other team members and with relevant external partners.

Research Planning

• Ensure that required secondary data review and/or analysis has been conducted in preparation of an assessment;
• Design research approaches and methodologies according to IMPACT’s requirements and principles as well as partners’ information needs;
• Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools;
• 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 field officer (s), monitor data collection, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed TORs and in alignment with IMPACT quality standards;
• In close liaison with field officer (s), support assessment logistics, including with partner organizations, identifying assessment areas, facilitating design workshops, managing joint data collection processes under the supervision of the Research Manager and in collaboration with the Field manager, and facilitating joint analysis workshops;
• In close liaison with field officer (s), Ensure regular situation updates on data collection are produced and circulated to line manager and relevant colleagues, updates with external counterparts to be agreed with the Research Manager. Provide support and follow up on identified challenges during the data collection process;
• Ensure that the line manager and IMPACT HQ research department are alerted to any issues that prevents full implementation of the methodology agreed in the approved TORs. Ensure that all changes to the methodology are documented throughout implementation, and that any change is formally validated by IMPACT HQ;
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines and with the ToRs;
• In close liaison with the data officer and the field officer (s), ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
• In close liaison with data colleagues, ensure data analysis on primary and/or secondary data as per ToRs, ensuring 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.

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 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;
• Follow the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors under the supervision of the Research Manager. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• 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.

External Engagement

All external engagement activities of the Assessment Officer will be guided and supervised by the Research Manager.

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: assessment preparation; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;
• After consultation and under the guidance of the Research Manager, represent IMPACT in relevant meetings/ working groups;
• Follow up on issues identified by partners or during meetings / working groups;
• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making;
• After validation by Research Manager and under its supervision, present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact;
• Ensure that all partner engagement and all external relations are clearly documented and communicated with the line manager and relevant colleagues;
• More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of IMPACT’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

Knowledge sharing and learning processes

• 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;
• Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other Units and teams within mission, and with HQ;
• When required, provide feedback to appropriate global organizational knowledge learning tools.

Project Cycle Management

For relevant projects, ensure compliance to project cycle management requirements and guidelines at all phases.

• Before project start, under the guidance and supervision of the Research Manager, ensure the organization of a kick off meeting and the availability of key project management documentations to plan the efficient use of assets, financial and human resources;
• In close coordination with line management, finance and grants colleagues, monitor and regularly update the use of assets, financial and human resources, in full compliance with IMPACT’s guidelines; this includes maintaining an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities;
• 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, finance and grants colleagues, and HQ;
• Ensure that a project completion meeting is held and documented for all relevant projects;
• Support the line manager, finance and grants colleagues in drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports;
• Other tasks as requested by supervisors.

Internal Coordination

• Actively participate in regular team meetings;
• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues;

Data Confidentiality and Protection

The 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, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
• Research skills Masters and proven experience with complex research methods. Excellent analytical skills and capacity to contextualize and interpret the data. Familiarity with qualitative analysis is required for this position – either through the saturation grid system or with software such as MAXQDA.
• Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Skills in R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software are an advantage but not essential. However, this person must be familiar with statistical outputs and able to interpret them. Experience with InDesign / illustration software is an asset.
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system is required;
• Years of work experience At least 1-2 years of relevant working experience;
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent written and verbal communication; excellent writing skills for effective reporting.
• Level of independence Proven ability to work independently on defined tasks under clear guidance from line manager.
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility; the person shall be culturally aware and able to establish effective relationship with a multicultural team.
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in Uganda and East Africa is desirable.
• Language skills Fluency in English

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