REACH Context Analyst – South Sudan 119 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 Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) 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, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. 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, GIS and remote-sensing. 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, which allows particularly IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Their 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

We are currently looking for a REACH Context Analyst to support our REACH team in South Sudan.

Department: REACH

Position: REACH Context Analyst

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Juba, South Sudan, with possible travel to field locations

Starting Date: June remotely; arrival in South Sudan dependent on COVID-19 travel restrictions

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT, through its own activities, or through REACH, has been implementing programming in South Sudan since 2012. Responding to the Sudan Border Crisis, REACH initially engaged through coordinated information management support – in the form of refugee camp mapping and service provision analyses, thematic assessments, and multi-sectorial needs assessments – in Maban County, Upper Nile State and Pariang County, Unity State. IMPACT was engaged by DFID to provide a series of impact evaluations of their BRACE programming across Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile States in 2013; a programme with run for two years, included 5 total assessments, and touched a total of more than 20,000 households. Immediately following the conflict of December 2013, REACH expanded its programming to include the IDP response, participating in Initial Rapid Needs Assessments of conflict affected areas, providing mapping and monthly service provision analyses for major IDP sites around the country, and running large-scale IDP return intentions assessments.

2018 – 2019 has seen the expansions of both IMPACT and REACH programming to 10 out of 10 states, spanning the refugee, IDP and development responses, and covering diverse activities such as cross-border port monitoring, assessments of hard to reach areas, flood mapping and vulnerability analysis, market monitoring and supply chain analysis, analysis of tensions and conflicts over access to natural resources, and third party monitoring of humanitarian and development programming.

PROJECT

Initiated in 2016, the Conflict Sensitivity Resource Facility (CSRF) supports the use of conflict sensitivity in donor strategies and programmes in South Sudan by: developing common guidelines and principles for the South Sudan context; undertaking research and analysis on conflict related topics to inform programming decisions and strategies; delivery of training and capacity building for donors and implementing partners; capturing and disseminating learning and best practices in South Sudan and globally. Implemented by Saferworld and swisspeace, the CSRF is intended to develop and test innovative approaches to conflict sensitivity in South Sudan.

To combine CSRF’s expertise in conflict sensitivity and REACH’s expertise in needs analysis and strong linkages to the operational side of the humanitarian response in South Sudan, the two organisations will jointly host one Context Analyst to develop linkages between REACH and CSRF and produce information and products on the South Sudan context.

POSITION PROFILE

REACH is seeking to fill a position for an Analyst specialized in Context Analysis in South Sudan, based in Juba but with possible travel to the field. The role will typically involve spending 2 – 3 days a week working in the CSRF office.

FUNCTIONS

Under the supervision of the REACH Country Coordinator and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the REACH Context Analyst is responsible for the management and implementation of the partnership with CSRF. She/he will be responsible for related research design, data analysis, logistics, partner coordination, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of IMPACT in country and region.

Summary

The REACH Context Analyst shall be responsible for:

• In coordination with REACH Country Coordinator and CSRF, develop the partnership between the two organisations
• Design and implement strategy for bringing academic information to humanitarian decision-makers
• Develop indicators on conflict for REACH field teams to include in their data collection
• Support the CSRF team in bringing REACH data and findings to support CSRF events
• Works closely with GIS team in country.
• Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets;
• Keep track of all projects and programmes assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures;
• Supporting the development/revision of assessment / programme strategies, reports or new proposals;
• In coordination with REACH Country Coordinator and Assessment Manager external representation of REACH with donors, partners and the wider aid community through clusters and sectoral working groups;
• In coordination with REACH Country Coordinator and Assessment Manager conduct community feedback sessions to share and validate assessment findings, according to needs identified during project.

Further activities may be developed in consultation with CSRF according to changing needs and context, including designing and conducting research into conflict drivers and peaceful coexistence.

1) Reach Assessment management and coordination

• Objective 1: Bridge the gap between academic research and decision makers: Much high-quality research is produced on South Sudan by academics and think tanks, however much of this information is not presented in a format that can be effectively used by humanitarian decision makers when responding to ongoing or emergent situations. The REACH Analyst will work with the CSRF Analysis and Outreach Manager to identify issues relevant to humanitarians with regards to conflict sensitivity and how the CSRF/REACH could provide them with the information they need.
• Objective 2: Inform conflict-sensitive approaches: REACH will work with CSRF to develop indicators to track peace/reduction in violent conflict. These indicators will be used to produce quarterly maps depicting needs relating to peace/violent conflict reduction across South Sudan
• Objective 3: Support to CSRF-hosted events: REACH will provide analytical support to a minimum of four CSRF organized events per year through the delivering bespoke presentations and up to two bespoke maps, designed to show information relevant to specific events. REACH will also work with CSRF to facilitate events as needed and mobilise their network to invite key decision makers in the response.

2) Reach reporting

The REACH Context Analyst is responsible for consolidating all analyses and conclusions from the REACH/CSRF partnership into REACH products such as factsheets, reports and briefs using standard formats. She/he will liaise with the Assessment Manager and Senior GIS Officer in order to represent data in interactive web map or static map format, as relevant.

The REACH Context Analyst is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. She/he must 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. She/he will ensure that assessment reports contribute to aid coordination and planning and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the areas.

When requested by the Assessment Manager, she/he will also manage the drafting of narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow-up.

The REACH Context Analyst will also store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among REACH. She/he will coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT Headquarter.

3) Reach HR management
Staff Management:

Under the direct line management of the REACH Assessment Manager, the REACH Context Analyst is responsible for day-to-day management of project and field staff both directly and remotely. She/he is expected to guide and direct REACH staff and prepare and follow up workplans with each staff member that directly reports to her/him. The REACH Context Analyst will be required to take the lead in the recruitment of REACH field assessment staff in coordination with the ACTED HR Officer. This will include the preparation of ToRs, observation of recruitment procedures by planning recruitment needs in advance, and undertake interviews.

The REACH Context Analyst will ensure that all field teams are comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. S/he will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by REACH.

4) Representation

In close coordination with the REACH Country Coordinator and REACH Assessment Manager, the REACH Context Analyst will be expected to represent REACH in cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings in other parts of the country. This specifically will include liaising with external partners to identify potential for data sets to be integrated into existing databases and mapped to support the coordination of the broader humanitarian community.

More generally, the REACH Context Analyst is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of REACH’s vision, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

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

REQUIREMENTS

• A good sense of humour about bugs and bucket showers required;
• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• At least 1 year of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
• Familiarity with conflict sensitivity and conflict analysis is an asset
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Excellent team management and community engagement 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
• Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software
• Ability to operate SPSS, related statistical programming, or GIS 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
• Free 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