Contract Type:                        6-month service contract with a high possibility of renewal following successful completion.

Direct hierarchy:                     Reports to REACH Research Manager

Quantity                                  02

Start Date:                               ASAP

 I.           Main Objective:

Under the supervision of a Research Manager, the Assessment Officer will be responsible for the management and implementation of specific rounds of assessment activities, including activity methodological design, overall project cycle management, coordination with internal technical teams, report writing and output drafting, and external presentations or briefings related to the work. She/he/will also be responsible for partner coordination and monitoring and evaluation of activity implementation.

II.         Duties and Responsibilities

1. Research Planning:

·       Anticipate knowledge gaps before the execution of a Research Cycle.

·       Ensure that required secondary data review and/or analysis has been conducted in preparation for an assessment.

·       Ensure that all research cycles are planned in line with the country's strategy, relevant research, and project objectives, and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines.

·       Design research approaches and methodologies according to REACH’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 before any data collection begins; and

·       Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning.

 2. Research Implementation

·       In close liaison with the field manager, ensure that required enumerators are identified and trained for primary data collection.

·       In close liaison with the field manager, monitor data collection, ensuring its correct implementation in line with agreed TORs.

·       In close liaison with the field manager, manage assessment logistics, including with partner organizations, identifying assessment areas, facilitating design workshops, managing joint data collection processes, and facilitating joint analysis workshops.

·       In close liaison with the field manager, ensure regular situation updates on data collection are produced and circulated to the line manager, relevant colleagues, and external counterparts. Provide support and follow-up on identified challenges during the data collection process.

·       Ensure that the line manager and REACH HQ research department are alerted to any issues that prevent the full implementation of the methodology agreed in the approved TORs. Ensure that all changes to the methodology are documented throughout implementation and that any change is formally validated by REACH HQ.

·       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 promptly.

·       In close liaison with the field manager, 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 REACH’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 REACH HQ before the product drafting stage; and

·       Ensure that data and its analysis do not contain personal information and are validated by REACH HQ before sharing with external parties.

 3. 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 REACH’s guidelines and quality standards.

·       Ensure that products accurately reflect the information collected and that information is conveyed in a way that maximizes their REACH 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 on time.

·       Maintain regular communication with Country Management and REACH HQ on progress and deadlines for written products; and

·       Ensure that all written products are validated by REACH HQ before external release.

 4. External Engagement

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

·       After validation by the line manager, represent REACH 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 the line manager, present research findings to relevant third parties to enhance their use and REACH.

·       Ensure that all partner engagement and all external relations are documented and communicated with the line manager and relevant colleagues; and

·       More generally, contributes to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of REACH’s mandate, ethics, values, and standpoint concerning other actors.

5. Protection Mainstreaming

·       Promoting and adhering to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy and guidelines (for site residents, ACTED/REACH staff, partner agencies, casual labors).

·       Perform other duties as requested by the supervisor.

 6. Knowledge Sharing and Learning Processes

·       Ensure all documents, tools, scripts, and outputs produced throughout the research cycle are recorded and filed in the central server to ensure continuous knowledge management.

·       In coordination with country management, support the conduct of monitoring and evaluation for each Research Cycle, as specified in the research ToRs and line with REACH 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 the mission, and with HQ; and

·       When required, provide feedback to appropriate global organizational knowledge learning tools.

7. Project Cycle Management

·       For relevant projects, ensure compliance with project cycle management requirements and guidelines at all phases.

·       Before the project starts, ensure the organization of a kickoff meeting and the availability of key project management documentation to plan the efficient use of assets and 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 REACH’s guidelines; this includes maintaining oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities.

·       Ensure that project deliverables and requirements are tracked, met, and complied with.

·       Ensure that any issue about 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 relevant project narrative and financial reports; and

·       Other tasks as requested by supervisors.

8. Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

·       The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work in are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner.  Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies.  This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

9. Confidentiality and Data Protection

·       All IMPACT / REACH staff are expected to maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. She/he 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.

 HIERARCHICAL RELATIONS

 Under the authority of:REACH-Research Manager

 Responsible for:The above-mentioned Activities

FUNCTIONAL RELATIONS

 Internal relations:With all staff

 External relations:If delegated by the organization

 Qualification, Experience, and Technical Skills

·       Excellent academic qualifications including a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (Social sciences, statistics, economics, development studies, etc.) required.

·       At least 2 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian or development settings in the fields of data analysis, monitoring, evaluation, research, or conducting assessments required.

·       Proficiency and proven experience with research methods.

·       Experience monitoring social protection or cash transfer programs is highly desirable.

·       Excellent analytical skills with quantitative and qualitative data, and a good understanding of sampling techniques.

·       Experience in writing accurate assessments or research reports.

·       Experience in presenting research findings.

·       Proven knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

·       Experience with Adobe InDesign is an asset.

·       Experience in developing quantitative and qualitative data collection tools as an asset.

·       Experience in mobile data collection platforms such as ODK and KOBO an asset,

·       Team management experience and skills are highly desirable.

·       Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting.

·       Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles.

·       Proven ability to work independently.

·       Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility.

·       Language skills Fluency in English is required.

 Additional Skills

·       Communication: Clear and effective communication is essential.

·       Organization: Keeping track of information and resources to use them effectively.

·       Time Management: Efficiently managing time to meet deadlines and coordinate logistics activities.

·       Microsoft Office: Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook for various office tasks.

How to Apply

 Qualified national persons with the required skills are invited to submit their applications accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document i.e. with the cover letter being on the first page and the CV starting on the second page, detailing three work related referees and contacts to ethiopia.jobs@acted.org and received on or before 5.00PM on 14th April 2024 with the subject line “REACH-Assessment Officer– Addis Ababa”

Do not attach any other documents while sending your applications, if required they will be requested at a later stage.

Please note that REACH reserves the right to shortlist on ongoing basis. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

REACH will at no stage of recruitment process request candidate to make payments of any kind. Further, REACH has not retained any agent in connection with recruitments.

REACH is committed to protecting beneficiaries within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and any kind of misconduct. REACH has specific policies, including PSEA and Child Protection, which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, beneficiaries, consultants and other stakeholders and has zero tolerance towards misconducts. Any candidate offered a job with REACH will be expected to sign REACH’s organizational Policies and Code of Conduct as an annex to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

REACH is an Equal Opportunity Employer.