AGORA Assessment Officer at IMPACT Initiatives

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND AGORA

IMPACT Initiatives is a leading Geneva-based think-and-do tank which aims to improve the impact of humanitarian, stabilisation and development action through data, partnerships and capacity building programmes. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in coordination, data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote-sensing.

The organisation manages several initiatives, including the AGORA Initiative. AGORA is a joint initiative of ACTED and IMPACT Initiatives founded in 2016. AGORA promotes efficient, inclusive and integrated local planning, aid response and service delivery in contexts of crisis by providing settlement-based processes and tools, in order to enable more effective and tailored aid responses. The AGORA approach is primarily intended to directly inform programmes aimed at providing recovery and stabilization of crisis-affected communities, contributing to meet their humanitarian needs, whilst promoting the re-establishment of local services and supporting local governance actors. AGORA promotes multi-sectoral, settlement-based aid planning and implementation, structured around partnerships between local, national and international stakeholders.

AGORA’s core activities include community mapping, multi-sector and area- based assessments, needs prioritisation and planning, as well as support to area-based coordination mechanisms and institutional cooperation, in order to inform humanitarian and development activities carried out by ACTED and other implementing NGOs.

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT has been present in Afghanistan since 2016, providing a growing evidence base for humanitarian response planning through sectoral, multi-sectoral and area-based assessments as well as information management services. Working across all 34 provinces, including hard-to-reach areas, the Afghanistan team’s research supports and facilitates emergency response efforts immediately following conflict or natural disaster as well as more long-term oriented resilience and recovery activities.

As part of the Resilience and Recovery Research Unit (RRRU), AGORA activities have been implemented in Afghanistan since September 2018, providing an evidence base for local community leadership boundaries, stakeholders, and resource management in rural Afghanistan to inform a large, multi-year development project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NoMFA). The project aims to identify and map local communities, understand how they are structured and lead, and catalogue the available shared resources and economic activities, in order to provide and evidence base for locally-led development initiatives. Resource and stakeholder mapping, detailed secondary data reviews, and multisector assessments are all activities conducted as part of AGORA to improve socioeconomic development, public service access, and local government inclusivity in communities in rural Afghanistan.

REACH Afghanistan is looking for an Assessment Officer to lead on the AGORA research.

Contract Duration: 6 months

Location: Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan with frequent travels to Kabul and Faryab provinces

Start date: June 2020

POSITION PROFILE

IMPACT is seeking an established professional with knowledge and technical expertise in implementing area- based multi-sector assessments in a development context. The ideal candidate will be eager to work in a dynamic organization with opportunities to build coordination skills whilst overseeing multi-sector assessments which inform the a multi-year development project aimed at improving local governance, particularly around socio-economic development, access to public services, and government inclusivity.

Under the supervision of the Resilience and Recovery Research Unit (RRRU) Research Manager in Afghanistan and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the AGORA Assessment Officer is responsible for the coordination and implementation of all assessments in Afghanistan falling under the AGORA project portfolio. He/she is also responsible for related coordination of logistics, partner engagement, information product drafting and project reporting.

The AGORA Assessment Officer will be responsible, with the support of the IMPACT team in-country, for:

A. To coordinate implementation of assessments in all geographical units targeted under the AGORA programme

B. Draft assessment reports and tools documenting the key steps of the research cycle

C. Share assessment results to key stakeholders

D. Provide project management and M&E capacity to the assessment component of the AGORA programme

A. To coordinate implementation of all assessments in all geographical units targeted under the AGORA programme

Support ACTED Development programmes with research components in coordination with ACTED Project Management, Global AGORA focal points, and RRRU Management
Adjust research design based on inputs from ACTED, local actors, and the REACH RRRU management in accordance with IMPACT tools and templates
Adjust data collection strategies and tools based on research design strategy and global best practices
Coordinate the implementation of assessments with the support of the field manager and field team leaders
Identify information gaps and new areas of research to covered by the AGORA Programmes
Adjust data collection strategies when needed

B. Draft assessment reports and tools documenting the key steps of the research cycle

Design and draft research tools in coordination with RRRU Research Manager and IMPACT Global Research Team
Design data products in coordination with RRRU Research Manager and IMPACT Global Research Team

Ensure overall quality of outputs and adherence to standard IMPACT processes

Proofread assessments and other key products to be released by IMPACT
Provide suggestions in terms of data visualization and data communication
Ensure regular communication with ACTED and IMPACT HQ at critical steps of the assessments
Ensure tracking of all feedback provided on products

C. Share assessment results to key stakeholders

Draft presentations of assessments results
Present key findings in different forums such as local level meetings, partner meetings and national level forums
Suggest derivative products to communicate assessment results to wider audiences

D. Provide project management and M&E capacity to the assessment component of the REACH programme

Support close compliance to M&E procedures of ACTED and IMPACT
Provide suggestions for improving of programme monitoring practices
Provide inputs into programme reports and project management tools (PMF, Monthly Coordination Reports)
Coordinate with ACTED Project Development and Monitoring and Monitoring and Evaluation teams for reporting logframes.

The Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to or collected during his/her assignment.

REQUIREMENTS

Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree in development economics, anthropology, political science or another relevant discipline
At least 2 years of relevant working experience in development or transitional settings, through either research, evaluation, assessments, or programmes
Prior field experience required. Field research, M&E, or assessment experience highly desirable
Excellent analytical skills
Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting
Excellent team management skills
Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility
Past experience in conflict affected regions is desirable
Fluency in English required, Persian/Dari language skills is an advantage
Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software
Advanced skills in SPSS and/or R, STATA or other statistical analysis software an advantage
Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles
Ability to work independently and manage people remotely

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
Past experience in managing large scale quantitative assessments desirable