Mid-Level Researchers for the Evaluation of Three Resilience Food Security Activities (RFSA) At NORC

Context

The NORC Department of International Programs at the University of Chicago is currently seeking qualified candidates for three (3) Mid-Level Researcher positions for a Performance Evaluation (PE) of three Resilience Food Security Activities (RFSAs) in the Kasai and Kasai-Central provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The objective of the three RFSAs is to achieve sustainable food, nutrition, and economic security outcomes in the Kasai and Kasai-Central provinces through activities that strengthen livelihoods and increase incomes, with a focus on improving credit and capital utilization, increasing enterprise profitability and diversity, and increasing sustainable agricultural production.

This PE is being conducted as part of the Building Evidence for Decision-Making (BE4D) activity and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). The objective of this PE is to assess, using rigorous evaluation methods, how the RFSAs have been managed and implemented, their role in improving food security and resilience-building outcomes, and progress towards sustainability. The PE will run throughout the life of the RFSAs using a mixed-methods approach (combining surveys, interviews, and focus groups) with multiple rounds of data collection, including a baseline survey in 2024, two mixed-methods process monitoring rounds in 2025-27, and a final quantitative survey in 2027-28.

Job Description

The mid-level researchers will be primarily responsible for (1) supporting the field coordination of the RFSA evaluation, serving as a channel of communication between the NORC evaluation team, RFSA implementing partners, the data collection company, and the local USAID team; (2) observing the implementation of RFSA activities through field visits and regular interactions with RFSA implementing partners; and (3) supporting and observing the various rounds of data collection for the EP, with responsibility for assisting the NORC evaluation team in ensuring that each part of the EP is conducted in accordance with the study design and protocols.

More specifically, his role will include the following responsibilities:

• Facilitate regular communication and coordination between relevant RFSA staff and the NORC research team.
• Cooperate effectively with all stakeholders involved in the implementation of the assessment, as well as with representatives of national, regional and local governments, and any other external stakeholders or collaborators.
• Support regular coordination between the NORC research team and the contracted data collection company and its various employees (e.g., survey managers, field team supervisors), particularly during data collection periods.
• Review some of the key EP design documents (e.g., Evaluation Design Report) and RFSA documents (e.g., Annual Work Plans) to gain a thorough understanding of the work to be undertaken. Also be prepared to review new documents that reflect any changes to the EP design and implementation.
• Review the survey and qualitative data collection instruments in French and their translation into local languages ​​(e.g., Tshiluba and Lingala) and provide comments and suggestions.
• Help organize and plan quantitative and qualitative trainings for each data collection cycle, then attend these trainings led by NORC principal investigators and observe and report on the field piloting of the tools that will take place at the end of the trainings.
• Independently observe the work of qualitative data collection and survey teams during various fieldwork cycles to ensure data quality (e.g., identify and report any issues and coach interviewers and supervisors as needed), take and share detailed field notes while observing data collection efforts.
• Attend and contribute to regular coordination calls that will be organized during the fieldwork (these calls will serve to share updates on progress, challenges and solutions, as well as lessons learned).
• Conduct regular visits to selected communities in collaboration with the NORC research team to observe progress, challenges and successes in implementing the RFSAs. Document these visits for the NORC research team using a checklist.
• Provide input on evaluation deliverables such as the baseline report, process evaluation reports and the final evaluation report.

The study is expected to begin in August 2024, with baseline data collection planned for November 2024. Endline data collection is planned for late 2027 or early 2028. Therefore, the level of effort of mid-level researchers will vary considerably over the course of the study and will be primarily concentrated around data collection periods. Between these periods, mid-level researchers should be able to ensure coordination and communication among stakeholders and conduct occasional (e.g., every 4-6 months) field visits of a few days to observe the implementation of RFSA activities in target communities.

Mid-level researchers should be based in the DRC (ideally Kasai or Kasai-Central) and should have prior work experience in the DRC and the ability to travel to remote communities in Kasai or Kasai-Central for data collection and field observation.

Required qualifications

The candidate must possess the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a field such as agricultural economics or agronomy, public health, natural resource management, statistics, economics or sociology.
• At least three years of demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas : maternal health and child nutrition, water and sanitation, rural agriculture and agricultural value chains, or natural resource management.
• At least two years of demonstrated experience in large-scale studies and/or rigorous evaluations in the social sciences.
• Proven ability to effectively and clearly report on progress, challenges and lessons learned.
• Mastering French.
• Previous professional experience in the DRC.
• Proven experience with data quality assurance mechanisms (e.g., assisting and observing fieldwork, monitoring data quality during collection, etc.)
• Proven ability to coordinate and facilitate communication between different project stakeholders (e.g., evaluation team, implementing partners, local and national governments).
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated successful work in a cross-cultural team environment in a development context.

Desired qualifications

The candidate will be considered more competitive if he/she has the following qualifications:

• A master’s or doctoral degree in a field such as agricultural economics or agronomy, public health, natural resource management, statistics, economics or sociology
• Currently be based in Kasai or Kasai-Central (e.g., Tshikapa or Kananga)
• Experience in developing, implementing or evaluating social behaviour change communication (SBCC) activities.
• Experience planning, organizing and delivering training on surveys and qualitative data collection.
• Active command of English.
• Proven ability to contribute to the development of evaluation reports.
• Experience collecting reliable and accurate survey data (as an enumerator, supervisor, or survey manager and using platforms such as Survey Solutions, Survey CTO, Kobo Toolbox, Tangerine) and/or qualitative data (as a facilitator of individual interviews or focus groups).

What we do

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, nonpartisan, nonprofit research institution that provides trusted data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced the principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, governments, businesses, and nonprofits around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

Who are we ?

For more than 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, shaking things up with groundbreaking research methods, technical applications, and research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant elements of who we are as a brand and as part of the NORC team. With world-class amenities, a relaxed environment, and a focus on lifelong learning, NORC is a place where people come together for the exceptional research and analysis we are known for, and stay for the relationships they form with colleagues who take pride in the global impact their work has.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values ​​and actively seeks diversity in its workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics protected by law. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.