IMPACT Assessment Officer At IMPACT Initiatives

BACKground on impact

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH, AGORA and PANDA Initiatives. IMPACT’s PANDA Initiative provides direct assessment, research and monitoring & evaluation support to partners and donors with activities that focus directly on planning, informing and understanding programme implementation.

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 an Assessment Officer to support our team in Uganda.**

Department: PANDA**

Position: Assessment Officer**

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Kampala, Uganda

Starting Date: ASAP

FUNCTIONS

IMPACT’s PANDA Initiative, hosted by ACTED in Uganda, is seeking an assessment officer, preferably with a background in monitoring and evaluation and the humanitarian response to support the development of a monitoring framework of ECHO’s Basic Needs Approach. This is a position in a small but dynamic team that will give you the opportunity to demonstrate management skills and technical expertise while coordinating consortium partners to implement monitoring activities, and develop and design research activities which directly inform the programmatic decision making and learning. The role includes technical, research-related activities, but will also draw on project management and coordination skills which require self-motivation, the ability to work as part of a team, and the ability to deliver complex research activities and their outputs on time, on task and on budget.

The PANDA Assessment Officer position is based in Kampala, Uganda. The role necessitates a high level of external engagement, the ability to influence and drive processes, while developing high-quality research outputs. The Assessment Officer is expected to oversee the full evaluation process, manage work plans and external relations, provide technical design of research activities, and review publications of research, monitoring and evaluation outputs with direct support of the IMPACT Uganda team, and with technical backstopping from IMPACT Geneva HQ. Past experience in the refugee response and in monitoring and evaluation are desired.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assessment Officer is responsible for overseeing the planning, implementation and follow up of research cycles to which s/he is assigned, in close coordination with other team members and with relevant external partners. In doing so, the Assessment Officer will ensure an effective management of related projects and resources, including (when relevant) line-management national and international assessment staff.

More specifically the Assessment Officer is responsible for the following:

Research Planning:

• Ensure that required secondary data review and/or analysis has been conducted in preparation of the evaluation;
• Ensure that the research activities are planned in line with the country strategy, relevant research and project objectives and with IMPACT’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Design research approaches and methodologies according to IMPACT’s requirements and principles as well as partners’ information needs;

• Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data teams, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools;
• For each research cycle, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by HQ;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning.

Research Implementation

• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessments throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• In close liaison with field officer (s), Ensure logistics, financial, administration, security and HR processes directly related to ongoing and upcoming assessments are appropriately planned, implemented and coordinated with the relevant ACTED departments;
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines and with the ToRs;
• In close liaison with field officer (s), ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;

• In close liaison with data colleagues, provide data analysis on primary and/or secondary data as per ToRs, ensuring that meaningful techniques are used to analyze the data collected;
• Ensure that data and its analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before product drafting stage;
• Ensure that data and its analysis do not contain personal information and are validated by IMPACT HQ before sharing to external parties.

Drafting of Research Products

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

• Ensure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximizes their impact in line with their intended use;

• Liaise with relevant GIS colleagues to ensure effective spatial representation of research findings in maps or interactive web-portals, as relevant;
• Follow the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;

• Maintain regular communication with country Management and IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for written products;
• Ensure that all written products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release.

External Engagement

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: assessment preparation; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;

• After validation by the line manager, represent IMPACT in relevant meetings/ working groups;

• Follow up on issues identified by partners or during meetings / working groups;

• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making;

• After validation by line manager, present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact;
• Ensure that all partner engagement and all external relations are clearly documented and communicated with the line manager and relevant colleagues;

• 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.

Knowledge sharing and learning processes

• In coordination with country management, support the conduct of monitoring and evaluation for each Research Cycle, as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines;

• Generate and document robust lessons learned at the end of each Research Cycle;
• Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other Units and teams within mission, and with HQ;
• When required, provide feedback to appropriate global organizational knowledge learning tools.

Project Cycle Management

For relevant projects, ensure compliance to project cycle management requirements and guidelines at all phases;

• Before project start, ensure the organization of a kick off meeting and the availability of key project management documentations to plan the efficient use of assets, financial and human resources;

• In close coordination with line management, finance and grants colleagues, monitor and regularly update the use of assets, financial and human resources, in full compliance with IMPACT’s guidelines; this includes maintaining an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities;
• Ensure that project deliverables and requirements are tracked, met and complied to;

• Ensure that any issue in relation to project implementation is reported to the line manager, finance and grants colleagues, and HQ;

• Ensure that a project completion meeting is held and documented for all relevant projects;

• Support the line manager, finance and grants colleagues in drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports;
• Other tasks as requested by supervisors.

Team Management and capacity building

• As relevant, line management of national and international assessment team members;

• For staff under his/her responsibility, and in close consultation with line manager, conduct of appraisals, provision of regular feedback, and participation in career management;
• Prepare and follow up work plans with each staff member that directly reports to him/her;

• Conduct regular meetings with relevant national and international assessment staff members to assess progress in relevant research cycles and to review work plan;

• For all activities, ensure that all assessment and field teams are comprehensively briefed on objectives, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy is clearly understood;

• Ensure that project/field staff are given required training and resources to achieve their tasks in line with IMPACT and project requirements;

• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping; regularly debrief team members to receive feedback on the progress of an activity;

• In coordination with line manager, contribute to conduct induction for new staff members, including training in basic technical competencies for research design, implementation and analysis;

• Support to the line managers and specialists in the development and implementation of capacity training plans for team members.

Internal Coordination

• Actively participate in regular team meetings;

• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues;

• Engage in the development and implementation of IMPACT’s strategy in (country).

Data Confidentiality and Protection

The Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy and SOPs. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMEnTS

v Academic: Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;

v Research skills: Proficiency and proven experience with research methods. Excellent analytical skills and prior knowledge of M&E processes;

v Software skills: Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Advanced skills in R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software are an advantage; experience with InDesign an asset.

v Years of work experience: at least 2 years of relevant working experience. Experience in humanitarian settings and M&E highly desirable;

v External engagement skills: Stakeholder engagement experience and skills highly desirable;

v Communication/reporting skills: Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;

v Multi-tasking skills: Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;

v Level of independence: Proven ability to work independently;

v Cross-cultural work environment: Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;

v Experience in geographical region: Past experience in the East Africa region is desirable;

v Language skills: Fluency in English required;