Panda Senior Assessment Officer

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH and PANDA Initiatives. 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. The objectives of IMPACT’s Project Appraisals and Assessments (PANDA) activities include the improvement of the effectiveness, efficiency and efficacy of humanitarian and development interventions. PANDA supports the entire humanitarian programme cycle, including programme design, assessments, baselines, monitoring and evaluation. PANDA operates as a business unit of IMPACT Initiatives, providing independent consultancy services to its clients. PANDA’s expertise includes independent third-party monitoring, impact evaluations, sector-response monitoring and evaluation. Through the assessments conducted by PANDA, humanitarian actors and partners can understand the impact and efficiency of their programmes and response and develop their work based on the information. In addition, PANDA aims to build the capacity of local and international actors to gain a better understanding of crisis dynamics in order to better respond to crisis and shocks. Through PANDA, IMPACT provides trainings and tools for information management, assessments, M&E, GIS and peer-to-peer learning.

We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer.

Department: PANDA Contract duration: 9 months, with possible extension as funding allows Location: Amman, Jordan with possible regional travel and to additional in-country locations Starting Date: ASAP

POSITION PROFILE

Under the line management of IMPACT’s Jordan Research Manager and the Country Coordinator, the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the implementation of PANDA’s research cycles in Jordan, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination, and evaluation stages. Specifically, it is envisaged that his position will take on a leadership role for Jordan’s PANDA portfolio, which focuses on providing direct information support to donors looking to develop and/or evaluate cash assistance programming implemented by two major UN agencies. IMPACT is seeking an experienced candidate, who has previously designed and implemented mixed-methods assessments – ideally related to Cash programming in a humanitarian setting. The candidate should be capable of synthesizing qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial information to write clear, engaging reports conveying the results of the monitoring assessments. The candidate should also be comfortable representing IMPACT and the consortium in multi-sector meetings and able to coordinate and liaise with external partners on technical issues. Finally, the candidate should ideally have prior line management experience and a willingness and interest in mentoring and managing more junior team members. In his/her mission, the Senior Assessment Officer will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s director" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTED’s Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The IMPACT Senior 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 Assessment Officer will ensure an effective management of related projects and resources, including line-management of national and international assessment staff. More specifically the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the following: 1) Research Planning

• Support the design and development of concept notes and proposals for donors and implementing partners;
• 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; and
• In close coordination with Field Coordinators, GIS, and data management teams, develop and implement primary data collection tools using Kobo Collect and Open Data Kit (ODK).

2) Research Implementation

• In close liaison with field officers, ensure that enumerators are trained for primary data collection;
• Manage assessment logistics, including identifying assessment areas, facilitating design workshops, managing joint data collection processes, and facilitating joint analysis workshops;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessments throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• In close liaison with the database officers, ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded; and
• Provide data analysis on primary and/or secondary data as per ToRs, ensuring that meaningful techniques are used to analyse the data collected.

3) Drafting of Research Products

• 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; and
• Provide support and oversight to direct reports and other members of the team in the drafting and editing of reports for other research cycles.

4) External Engagement

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle;
• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making; and
• Present research findings to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact.

5) Knowledge sharing and learning processes

• Generate and document robust lessons learned at the end of each Research Cycle; and
• Ensure knowledge and learning processes are shared with other Units and teams within mission, and with HQ.

6) Project Cycle Management

• Ensure compliance to project cycle management requirements and guidelines at all phases;
• 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; and
• Support the line manager, finance and grants colleagues in drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports.

7) Team Management and capacity building

• Line management of national and international assessment team members;
• For staff under his/her responsibility, conduct of appraisals, provision of regular feedback, and participation in career management;
• Conduct regular meetings with relevant national and international assessment staff members to assess progress in relevant research cycles and to review work plan;
• Ensure that project/field staff are given required training and resources to achieve their tasks; and
• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping; regularly debrief team members to receive feedback on the progress of an activity.

8) 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 Jordan.

Data Confidentiality and Protection

The Senior 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. S/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.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (Social sciences, development, economic, political science, etc.);

· At least 3 years of relevant work experience in humanitarian settings, particularly the humanitarian response in Jordan; · Proven experience with complex research methods. Excellent analytical skills in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies;

• Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with the aid system is required;
• Experience working in the cash and livelihoods sectors an strong asset;
• Proven team management experience and skills; ability to build assessment capacity of team through training and mentoring;
• Excellent communication, drafting, and editing 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;
• Written and spoken English fluency;
• Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.

HIGHLY DESIREABLE · Experience incorporating GIS in research projects; · Good understanding of various sampling frameworks; · Advanced skills in R, or other statistical analysis software; · Knowledge of InDesign; · Prior knowledge of the region an asset; · Proficiency in Arabic (MSA or relevant dialect). CONDITIONS

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance provided in country by IMPACT’s partner ACTED
• Food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package