Research assistant At Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

Research Assistant Colombia & Venezuela – Research Assistant Colombia & Venezuela.

1. ACTED BACKGROUND

For the past 30 years, international NGO Acted has gone the last mile to save lives. Currently, Acted helps 20 million people in 43 countries meet their needs in hard-to-reach areas, and pursues a triple mandate as a humanitarian, environmental and development aid actor. Acted is based on a deep knowledge of local territories and contexts to develop and implement relevant long-term actions, with a wide range of local and international partners, building together a “3ZERO” world: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty .

During the last decades, Colombia has been affected by complex internal displacement events due to internal conflict and/or natural disasters. Since 2012, the country has experienced a sustained flow of migrants from its neighbor, Venezuela. This flow has intensified recently due to the complex humanitarian crisis in the country.

1. POSITION SUMMARY

The Research Assistant must support the development of the research project from innovation and extensive knowledge in methodological processes and measurement of social phenomena. She must propose and promote relevant actions related to the project, promote and update the team on the progress of the project. He participates in and leads training sessions, evaluates the performance of his staff, and provides a technical and programmatic perspective on findings in the field.

Specifically, this collaborates with the Research Manager to coordinate the internal operation, coordinates and carries out the project activities; prepares the operational program, planning and management of the research budget, proposes information products on research at an internal level. Finally, it provides support to the Acted project unit in a transversal and transparent way in the management of its projects to improve the quality of implementation.

1. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
  • Daily support of the Colombia and/or Venezuela team, in the development of work plans and performance indicators, and development and application of capacity training plans to improve efficiency and performance;
  • Conduct regular check-ins with unit staff and promote team building, productivity and staff well-being as the main focal point for project staff in Colombia and Venezuela;
  • Be available to provide regular support and technical support;
  • Assume other work flows and management responsibilities, as well as advise on strategic decision making of the mission as a member of the Projects team, in coordination with other department managers.
• MANAGEMENT OF THE RESEARCH CYCLE
  • PREPARATION AND PLANNING OF THE EVALUATION:
    • Support so that research is planned in accordance with the project and program objectives and with the Acted research cycle;
    • Review together with the country representative the budgets for carrying out the activities, and the assessment of feasibility, for subsequent execution;
    • Support in the creation of inputs to show to others stakeholders the design and planning of the evaluation, data collection and management.
  • DATA COLLECTION:
    • Ensure that enumerators and/or data collection partners are identified and trained for primary data collection;
    • Monitor data collection, ensuring it is in accordance with agreed terms of reference;
    • Keep track of the progress and delays of the entire evaluation throughout the research cycle;
    • Support in the preparation of periodic updates of the situation regarding data collection and its dissemination to relevant Acted and external counterparts;
    • Provide support and follow-up on challenges identified during the data collection process.
  • PRODUCT WRITING:
    • Assist with the timely and accurate writing of assessment results (i.e. reports, fact sheets, etc.) that meet Acted quality standards;
    • Support with all relevant assessment products prior to submission to Acted HQ for validation and ensure all written products are approved by Acted HQ prior to external publication.
  • DISSEMINATION AND EVALUATION OF PRODUCTS:
    • Support the uploading of research products to relevant data portals, as specified in the research terms of reference;
    • Support the collection of documented lessons learned at the end of each research cycle;
    • Under the direction of the country representative, participate in the dissemination of research products, when appropriate;
    • Contribute to a clear strategic dissemination plan for Acted products in Venezuela, considering the sensitivity of the information generated and the different audiences;
    • Assist the mission representation in carrying out monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research terms of reference and in accordance with Acted quality standards.
• DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF STRATEGIES
  • Support in the identification of information gaps in line with humanitarian priorities, and identify promotion and dissemination strategies to reinforce the impact of our work.
• EXTERNAL COMMITMENT:
  • Together with the Research Manager, build the research results to the relevant partners, to enhance their use and impact;
  • Collaborate on work methodologies to consult relevant partners and participate in all phases of the research cycle: preparation of the evaluation; data collection; data analysis; the review of research products; the dissemination of products; and the lessons learned;
• RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITIES AND POPULATION SURVEYED:
  • The Research Assistant is responsible for ensuring that all interactions with the Colombian and Venezuelan communities are carried out in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention should be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about the objectives, activities and methodologies of the project. This is the responsibility of each Acted staff member.
• CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION:
  • The Research Assistant will maintain the strictest confidentiality of all data collected and related processes. They will take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to Acted and/or its partners, or that is collected during work.

4. POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Academic training: in Social Sciences (Sociology, Social Work), Economics, Education, Political Sciences, International Studies, Health Sciences, related careers.
• Management experience: Previous experience in a management position in a humanitarian or academic research context. Excellent management, coordination, organization and planning skills, including the ability to manage large workloads, supervise multiple teams and effectively meet deadlines, through multitasking and prioritization;
• Work experience: At least 2 years of relevant work experience in an academic research environment, such as program management or coordination, monitoring and evaluation;
• Familiarity with humanitarian or socially complex areas;
• Communication and report writing skills: Excellent communication and report writing skills, including demonstrated experience in preparing high-level presentations and reports.
• Research capacity: Excellent analytical and quantitative, qualitative and mixed research skills. Experience in evaluations, monitoring and evaluation, field research or evaluations;
• Knowledge of computer programs: Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office. Familiarity with R, SPSS, STATA and/or other statistical analysis software and/or knowledge of Geographic Information Systems will be an advantage. As well as qualitative analysis tools such as ATLAS.ti, Dedoose, QSR NVivo, among others.
• Ability to multitask under tight deadlines in a complex environment;
• Independence: A self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work independently;
• Ability to work in intercultural environments;
• Experience in the geographic region: Previous experience in the region will be valued;
• Security environment: Ability to work in a complex and difficult security environment.

1. EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

You will be in charge of: Lead pollsters and pollsters.

1. CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS:

• Contract for the provision of services for 5 months with the possibility of renewal depending on budget availability and performance.
• Professional Fees 700 USD monthly.
• Affiliation and payment of medical insurance as an independent.
• In-person work and trips to regions.