Assessment Officer – Multiplier Effect of Cash Study, for Yemen based in Jordan At IMPACT Initiatives

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 a REACH Assessment Officer to support our REACH Yemen team.

Department:REACH

Position: Assessment Officer – Multiplier Effect of Cash Study

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Amman, Jordan

Starting Date: 1st of December 2024

COUNTRY PROFILE

Nine years since the escalation of the current conflict, high humanitarian needs are reported in Yemen with 18.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Severe deterioration of economic conditions, extensive damaged civilian infrastructure and the collapse of basic services are key drivers of large-scale vulnerabilities and needs countrywide. Approximately 17.6 million people in Yemen are likely to be severely food insecure in 2024, not necessarily because food is unavailable, but because they cannot afford to purchase it. 15% of Yemen’s population are displaced, most of whom have been displaced multiple times over a number of years, with about 1.5 Mil IDPs living across 2,400+ IDP sites.

Overall, 80% of the population live below the poverty line. The loss of livelihoods, when combined with the depreciation and general volatility of the Yemeni currency, has made the purchase of basic everyday necessities difficult for most Yemenis.

The use of Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) has gained significant traction in the humanitarian and development fields. Since 2018, the MPCA has been widely implemented in Yemen as an efficient response modality to multisectoral needs.

Beyond its direct benefits to the targeted populations, the MPCA is having an impact on the local economic activities.

To deepen the understanding of the economic effect of cash assistance in Yemen, and to refine intervention strategies, the Cash Consortium of Yemen, in collaboration and REACH Yemen conducted a pilot study examining the multiplier effect of cash assistance (MEoC). This seven-month project, spanning between October 2023 to April 2024, revealed that the MPCA successfully increased local economic activities at different rates, across various locations in Yemen.

These findings underscore the significant economic impact of MPCA on local economies, highlighting cash assistance as a powerful tool for shaping humanitarian and development programming across Yemen.

In order to widen our understanding on the ways in which MPCA programming contributes to the wider economic resilience, and drawing upon the lessons learned from the previous project, a new iteration of this MEoC assessment will analyze how the multiplier effect of the cash assistance changes across time and locations.

Mission

POSITION PROFILE

REACH Yemen is seeking for an Assessment Officer (AO) to led the second iteration of the Multiplier Effect of Cash study.

Under the supervision of the Research Manager and in close collaboration with the Cash and Market team, the AO will lead the research cycle including literature review, preparing HH quantitative research and data collection tools (TOR, DAP, HH tools), updating training materials, support the data team in the data cleaning, and lead on data analysis and output preparation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research Planning

The AO will contribute to Research Planning by developing comprehensive research designs, including updating the design of research approaches and methodologies, In addition, the AO will:

• Ensure that the research cycle is planned in line with relevant research and project objectives, and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines.
• Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, quantitative data collection tools and anlaysis
• Ensure that relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning

Research Implementation

The AO will be responsible for supporting the implementation of all operational stages of relevant data collection exercise(s), including tool and methodology design, coordination of data collection, data cleaning, and data analysis.

• In close liaison with data collecting partners, identifying assessment areas, train enumerators, monitor assessments and data collection, facilitate design workshops and joint analysis workshops
• In close liaison with partners, ensure that data is revised, cleaned, analysed and stored according to IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines
• Generate and document robust lessons learned and ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other REACH and IMPACT teams as well as external partners

Drafting of Research Products

The AO will be responsible for producing and/or overseeing the production of all relevant outputs related to the second iteration of the MEoC study.

• Ensure the drafting of timely, accurate and impactful outputs that consolidate the analyses from the research cycle into relevant products such as factsheets, reports, briefs, presentations which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards.

External engagement

The AO will support communication and coordination with external partners throughout all stages of the Research Cycle.

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle
• Represent REACH in relevant meetings/working groups and present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact
• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making
• 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.

Team Management & Capacity Building

• No supervisory role required for this position

Internal Coordination

The AO will be responsible to enable effective internal coordination within the REACH Yemen team, including:

• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues, especially from the Cash and Market team
• Actively participate in regular team meetings
• Engage in the development and implementation of IMPACT’s strategy
• Provide inputs to proposal development and reporting where relevant

Profil

REQUIREMENTS

Essential

• Academic experience: Excellent academic qualifications, including a degree in relevant discipline (international studies, development, humanitarian response, monitoring and evaluation, etc.)
• Research & analytical skills: Proficiency and proven experience with research methods, including in research and tool design and implementation of data collection. Excellent analytical skills and ability to situate findings within a wider context.
• Years of work experience: At least 2-3 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian and/or research settings.
• Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Strong knowledge of Excel functionality in relation to conducting data analysis.
• Language skills: Written and spoken fluency in English required.
• Communication/reporting skills: Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and coordination.
• Cross-cultural work environment: Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility.
• Multi-tasking & organisational skills: Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles. Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritize.
• Level of independence: Proven ability to work independently.

Desired

• Familiarity with aid system: Knowledge of the humanitarian program cycle (HPC) and the humanitarian coordination structure.
• Thematic expertise: Expertise and knowledge on the multi-purpose cash modality, CMWG, and cash related projects monitoring and implementation highly desirable and an advantage
• Software skills: Knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite (i.e., InDesign) is an advantage. Knowledge and experience in R or other statistical analysis software, and GIS software is an asset.
• Language skills: Written and spoken fluency in Arabic is an advantage.
• Experience in geographical region: Past work experience in Yemen or Middle East is desired.
• IMPACT experience: previous experience with IMPACT is desired.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 1’960 CHF and 2’160 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD
  NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. Depending on the country situation, a contribution to a housing allowance of up to 75% of country-specific benchmark can be considered instead. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees