MEAL Research lead for Ukraine At People in Need

Country Programme: Ukraine

Contract Length: 12 months with the possibility of extension

Base: Kyiv, Ukraine

Starting date: ASAP

Line Manager: Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech-based international non-governmental organization (NGO) that has provided humanitarian and development assistance across more than 20 countries since 1992. Today, PIN stands as one of the largest organizations of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe, supporting vulnerable communities in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. PIN empowers civil society, advocates for human rights, and promotes social inclusion both at home and abroad.

About the Ukrainian Programme of People in Need:

PIN has been working in Ukraine since 2014, providing emergency relief and early recovery support to conflict-affected communities. Due to the escalation of the war in 2022, programmes for war-affected communities focus mainly on WASH, Shelter, Protection, Education, and Livelihoods. In addition, PIN prioritizes recovery efforts, resilience building, and strengthening the capacity of local civil society organizations, adhering to the principle of localization. PIN is one of the main contributors to the Ukrainian humanitarian response, maintaining a presence across the country with a robust network of local partners.

About the role:

PIN Ukraine is seeking a Research Lead to join its Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) team. The post holder will have a key role in implementation of the PIN Ukraine research agenda aimed at generating new knowledge, exploring emerging issues and identifying trends pertinent to PIN’s work. Research Lead will focus primarily on project-based and strategic research (conducted both internally and by external contractors) as well as support the MEAL team on assessments and evaluations, including impact evaluation of PIN’s activities, especially of the projects contributing to resilience, social cohesion, youth empowerment and economic recovery. S/he will provide technical support to or lead the design of research activities, as well as conduct or support other Programme Quality (PQ) and Programme Implementation (PI) staff in data analysis and reporting based on secondary sources and primary data collected by the PIN and its partners’ MEAL and PI teams, as well as through Community Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM).

The post holder will report directly to the Kyiv-based Head of MEAL, will line manage MEAL Data Analyst and will work closely with the MEAL Manager, sector Technical Leads and other MEAL, Programme and Data Management staff. The Research Lead will have an essential role in strengthening quality of data analysis, reporting and learning practices within the MEAL and Programme Departments.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate research initiatives of the PIN Ukraine country programme (including internal and external evaluation and research), as well as support Programme Quality and Programme Implementation colleagues in designing and preparing assessments, evaluations and other research/studies, by providing technical expertise and inputs in development of methodological and analytical frameworks and tools as required.
• Conduct, lead or contribute to data collection, processing and analysis, and preparation of monitoring, evaluation, assessment and research reports based on primary data (both qualitative and quantitative) and secondary sources.
• Participate in project proposal development, providing support to developing impact-oriented Logframes, Theories of Change and indicators for impact assessment.
• Participate in data quality assessments; provide feedback on quality of data collected by MEAL team and support MEAL staff in addressing gaps in quality assurance.
• Support MEAL team in developing and maintaining MEAL data repository and in creating and updating automated data visualization and reporting platforms for analysis of achieved results and trends across interventions and for wider dissemination of assessment, monitoring and evaluation findings.
• Support capacity building of the MEAL team through delivery of trainings on research design, data collection, data processing, analysis and reporting, as well as through review and feedback on monitoring tools and reports prepared by the team.
• Lead on or participate in developing presentations and facilitating discussions with Programme Quality, Programme Implementation and other staff on assessment, monitoring and evaluation findings to support learning.

Main requirements:

• Completed university degree in any Social Sciences discipline, Statistics or other relevant field
• At least 7 years of experience in conducting research/assessments/evaluation including research design, tools development, data analysis and report writing
• Experience in leading or coordinating research projects and teams
• Experience of applying quantitative and/or qualitative social research methods
• Experience and interest in handling and analysing complex data sets, proficiency in application of statistical analysis methods and techniques
• High degree of familiarity with digital data gathering software packages (Kobo ToolBox, or similar), data visualization tools (Microsoft PowerBI, or similar), and quantitative and qualitative data analysis software (Stata, SPSS, R, NVivo or similar)
• Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• High level of professional proficiency in spoken and written English, including proven ability to write analytical reports/ articles

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Ukrainian language skills highly desirable
• Prior work experience with an international NGO in a humanitarian and development contexts
• Prior work experience in monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian and development projects
• Experience in developing Theory of Change and Logical Frameworks and conducting impact assessments of recovery programmes
• Knowledge of Data Protection regulations
• Experience in delivering trainings related to different aspects of research
• Experience in developing Terms of Reference for research services
• Experience with procurements of research services by external consultants
• Prior experience with grant management and/or reporting

We offer:

• Working environment in a well-established humanitarian organization in a challenging context;
• Salary & Benefits: Salary based on PIN’s salary scale and HR policies; expected salary range between 2450-2750 EUR super gross (based on experience).
• Additional allowances include:
• Monthly Subsistence Allowance of 1350 EUR;
• Monthly Hardship Allowance of 400 EUR;
• Accommodation provided by PIN/Monthly Housing Allowance up to 1000 EUR;
• Time off and Rest:
• 25 days of holiday annually;
• 10 sick days
• Rest & Recreation (R&R) policy in place
• Travel benefits:
• Reimbursement of travel expenses with travel to the country of residence once every 6 months of work;
• Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with the visa application procedure;
• Reimbursement for the medical check-up before and after the deployment;
• Travel health insurance covering medical care, incl. the repatriation;
• Health and Well-being:
• 24/7 Medical Support available online;
• Free psychological consultations available online;
• Professional Development: Free access to e-learning platforms and PIN Learning Hub; PIN’s global Induction Training, and tailored capacity-building opportunities, including Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT)

Security situation in Ukraine

Humanitarian workers continue to operate throughout Ukraine, although the front-line areas are being shelled almost constantly, and main cities are being targeted with missiles and UAVs quite regularly. PIN security SOPs require PIN staff to proceed to shelter should the risk level be assessed by the Security Department as the highest (launch of missiles or drones) and remain there until the air raid siren is cancelled, which cumulatively can be several times a week, occasionally for several hours at a time (although shorter periods are as well occurring). While air strikes that were targeting energy, infrastructure have finished after winter, they have succeeded in reaching their goals and are likely to resume in late autumn/winter. At the moment military and civilian objects are being targeted, including the west of Ukraine. While Kyiv enjoys relatively strong air defence systems that are intercepting most of the missiles and UAVs, other regions are covered much less significantly which results in bigger damage. Outside of the areas in the vicinity to the contact line, services such as medical care, shops, public transportation as well as restaurants or leisure facilities remain operational.