Senior Assessment Officer – Accountability to Affected People

We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer to support a research project on Accountability to Affected People in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Department: IMPACT

Position: Senior Assessment Officer – AAP

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka

Starting Date: November 2022

COUNTRY PROFILE

Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has been facing an unprecedented crisis which has affected several core aspects of the economy, driving high food and commodity prices, and shortages of key resources and utilities. As a result, food security is on the rise – the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 37% of the population is acutely food insecure. In order to support the humanitarian response to a deteriorating economic situation in Sri Lanka, IMPACT Initiatives is opening a country office in Colombo. The IMPACT country team will be initially tasked with implementing an assessment of community needs, preferences and priorities, working closely with local humanitarian stakeholders, including civil society organizations (CSOs) and other community representatives, and with close coordination with the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG).

FUNCTIONS

Under the line management of the Sri Lanka Country Coordinator, the Senior Accountability to Affected People (AAP) Assessment Officer supports the implementation of IMPACT’s research cycle in relation to a project related to consultations of affected people on their preferences, needs and priorities in the context of a deteriorating socioeconomic situation in Sri Lanka. The Senior Assessment Officer will be responsible for engagement with stakeholders, research design, assessment team recruitment and oversight of data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination and evaluation stages. Tasks will include a secondary data review, indicator review, tool development, data analysis, data cleaning, output production, and facilitation of a Joint Analysis Workshop with humanitarian stakeholders and representatives of communities affected by the crisis.

RESPONSABILITIES

The Senior AAP 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 Senior AAP Assessment Officer will ensure an effective management of related projects and resources, including (when relevant) line-management national and international assessment staff. In Sri Lanka, the research cycle will be a participatory consultation of affected communities and local humanitarian stakeholders to feed into humanitarian and development planning in the context of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

More specifically the Senior AAP Assessment Officer is responsible for the following:

RESEARCH PLANNING

• Anticipate knowledge gaps prior to the execution of a Research Cycle;
• Ensure that required secondary data review and/or analysis has been conducted in preparation of an
• assessment;
• Ensure that all research cycles 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 qualitative and quantitative data collection tools;
• For each research cycle, prepare ToRs and ensure their validation by HQ before any data collection begins;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in research design and planning.

RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

• Ensure that the line manager and IMPACT HQ research department are alerted to any issues that prevents 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 IMPACT 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 in a timely manner;
• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines and with the
• ToRs;
• 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 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 Senior AAP 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

1. Years of work experience At least 4 years of relevant working experience;
2. Experience in the theme of ‘Accountability to Affected People’ in the humanitarian sector Ideally, experience with conducting research on AAP / community perceptions / implementing participatory assessments.
3. Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in development / humanitarian studies or human rights, multidisciplinary social sciences, research methods, or closely related discipline;
4. Research skills Masters and proven experience with complex research methods. Excellent analytical skills, in particular with regards to quantitative data collection, management and analysis.
5. 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 a strong advantage; Experience with InDesign an asset.
6. Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system is required;
7. Management skills Proven team management experience and skills; ability to build assessment capacity of team through training and mentoring
8. Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
9. Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
10. Level of independence Proven ability to work independently;
11. Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
12. Experience in geographical region Experience in South Asia region is desirable;
13. Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Sinhala or Tamil a strong asset;
14. Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment