BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH
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.
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.
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 Senior Assessment Officer to support our REACH team, in South Sudan
Department:REACH South Sudan
Position: REACH Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment Senior Assessment Officer (MSNA SAO)
Contract duration:12 months
Starting Date: 1 October 2022
Location: Juba
COUNTRY PROFILE
IMPACT, 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.
The year 2018 saw the expansions of both IMPACT and REACH programming to 10 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. In 2019, REACH expanded its role within the technical space, increasing involvement in Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), Needs Analysis Working Group, UN technical agencies, and academics. In response, REACH has also expanded into multiple new research cycle streams outside of its traditional Area of Knowledge approach – including sector specific, population movement, and AAP research.
As of 2022, REACH South Sudan broadly implements assessments across three core pillars:
- Monitoring of the humanitarian situation in South Sudan through Real Time Monitoring, through monthly assessments covering over 2,000 settlements in South Sudan; tracking and analyzing large-scale population movement trends including returns and seasonal movements through port and road monitoring; market monitoring including Joint Market Monitoring and WASH market monitoring.
- Informing Emergency Prioritization in the response through providing direct technical support to humanitarian clusters through active engagement with coordination bodies, dedicated assessments and information products, and strategic engagement to promote evidence-based understanding and identification of emergency and catastrophic needs in South Sudan; engagement of Emergency Rapid Response Mechanism rapid assessments and tracking of Areas of Concern.
- Mainstreaming Accountability to Affected Populations and Conflict Sensitivity, including through standalone assessments on community priorities relating to humanitarian needs and perceptions of assistance, contextual analysis of the impact of aid on community dynamics; as well as providing a critical AAP and CS lens to all REACH SSD research.
REACH is a member of the Inter-Sectoral Needs Assessment (ISNA) Technical Working Group, along with OCHA and IOM. In April 2022, the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) mandated OCHA to lead the humanitarian Inter-Sector Needs Assessment (ISNA) that will fill the information gaps for the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview and provide an update to the two-year Humanitarian Response Plan (2022 – 2023). The data collection will address these gaps, fully respecting accountability to the affected populations and minimizing assessment fatigue. REACH is the lead on the Qualitative component of the data collection and analysis.
POSITION PROFILE
IMPACT is seeking a candidate with recent experience implementing qualitative and quantitative research, but who also possesses a strong understanding of beneficiary-centric qualitative approaches as well as qualitative analysis skills.
Under the supervision of the REACH Deputy Country Coordinator for Programmes in South Sudan, the REACH Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) will be responsible for implementing multi-sectoral research cycles in South Sudan, including their research design, operational planning, analysis, and the publication of findings. In particular, the SAO will be responsible for the implementation and analysis of the qualitative research component of the ISNA in South Sudan, which informs the annual Humanitarian Needs Overview and guides humanitarian actors and donors. The SAO will also be responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, analysis, reporting and external engagement related to the ISNA and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in South Sudan. The position is based in Juba, South Sudan, with possible travel to field locations where appropriate.
SUMMARY
The Senior Assessment Officer will report to REACH Deputy Country Coordinator for Programmes and will be responsible for the implementation of REACH MSNA/ISNA in South Sudan. The management of the REACH MSNA assessment will include oversight of research and data collection processes country-wide and will include extensive external engagement with NGO, UN and government partners. Under the overall guidance of the REACH SSD CC and REACH DCC, the SAO will be required to coordinate with REACH field teams, provide oversight of technical development of REACH methodology, qualitative assessment tools, analysis of findings, and report writing; and support in the review process of all REACH products drafted as part of the assessment. In close collaboration with the DCC-Programmes, the SAO will also ensure timely and relevant dissemination of all REACH products at the county, state and/or country level and provide strategic input into the overall programmatic direction of REACH in country.
The REACH Senior Assessment Officer shall be responsible for:
- Designing and implementing the 2023 REACH MSNA/ISNA assessment strategy and methodology within South Sudan country-wide, in close coordination with the DCC-P
- Ensuring that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
- Management of REACH assessment and field staff to ensure a smooth and timely implementation of activities;
- Keep track of all 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;
- Develop assessment training materials and oversee development of capacity of assessment staff;
- Liaising with programme staff of ACTED departments to ensure close coordination and information sharing is maintained;
- In coordination with REACH DCC-Programmes, external representation of REACH with Donors, Partners and the wider Aid Community through clusters and sectoral working groups;
- With support from the REACH DCC-Programmes, lead on the analysis and reporting writing for the qualitative ISNA data collection
- Management and secure storage of sensitive data
- Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, as needed;
1. ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
Objective1.1**: Research Design and Assessment Planning
The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for designing the methodology and assessment tools associated with each assessment, according to IMPACT requirements and principles. The SAO will develop the Research Terms of Reference, Data Analysis Plan, and assessment tools in partnership with the DDC-P and MSNA AO. The SAO will also oversee 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. The SAO will work closely with the REACH Operations Manager to ensure all FLATS preparations are finalized prior to data collection.
Objective 1.2: Implementation
The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for implementing the research design and methodology of the ISNA. This includes developing and overseeing training of the assessment teams, monitoring data collection progress and overall research quality, serving as focal point for data collection teams in the field, and adapting the workplan to any necessary changes throughout the data collection process. The SAO will also conduct data analysis and lead on report production, following IMPACT guidelines.
Objective 1.3: Coordination
The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the timely and accurate preparation of narrative and financial reports related to IMPACT activities in country through close liaison with the Project Development and Finance departments where appropriate. The Senior Assessment Officer shall liaise with other IMPACT Officers in the region and throughout IMPACT Initiatives’ and ACTED’s networks to provide and receive support in the expansion of IMPACT globally. The SAO will work closely with Country Coordination to ensure timeline completion of the ISNA.
2. REACH REPORTING
Objective 2.1: Assessment Reporting
The Senior Assessment Officer 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 formats. The SAO will liaise with Geneva and Regional GIS/DB Specialists in order to represent data in interactive web map or static map format, as relevant. The Senior Assessment Officer 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.
Objective 2.2: Programmatic Reporting
The SAO 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. The SAO will also manage the drafting of narrative reports. The Senior Assessment Officer will also store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among partners and potential partners.
3. HR MANAGEMENT
Objective 3.1: Staff Management
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 Senior Assessment Officer will be required to take the lead in the recruitment of IMPACT assessment staff within the MSNA project 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.
Objective 3.2: Internal Capacity Development
The Senior Assessment Officer 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. He/she will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in in line with program requirements set by IMPACT.
4. REPRESENTATION
Objective 4.1: External Coordination
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. This includes liaising 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 will further represent REACH vis-a-vis current and potential donors and communicate relevant information to REACH Coordination.
More generally, the Senior Assessment Officer 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.
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 IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every REACH/IMPACT staff member.
REQUIREMENTS
- Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline, or a Bachelor degree and working experience in relevant discipline;
- At least 2 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
- Excellent analytical skills, qualitative analytical experience is required
- Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
- Excellent interpersonal and 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;
- Prior knowledge and experience working with AAP and Protection topics
- Fluency in English required;
- Ability to operation Microsoft Word and Excel;
- Previous experience in qualitative research and analysis an asset;
- High level of autonomy and willingness to spend time in field locations if required;
- Ability to work independently.
More Information
- Job City Juba
