BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote sensing. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO with headquarters based in Paris and presence in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, which allows IMPACT to benefit from ACTEDโs operational support in its fields of intervention.
We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer to support our team in Uganda
Position: Senior Assessment Officer
Contract duration: 6 months
Starting Date: 1 March 2024
Location: Kampala, Uganda
COUNTRY PROFILE
Uganda is currently hosting more than 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers, the largest number in the region. Most have fled civil unrest and conflicts in neighbouring countries of South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, and Burundi. Refugee flows into Uganda are likely to continue due to ongoing conflicts, violent wars, unrest and human rights violations in neighbouring countries. The vast majority of refugees are hosted in settlements in 12 refugee-hosting districts in northern and mid/south-western Uganda, while 5% of them reside in urban Kampala.
In Uganda, the response coordination is held by UNHCR and by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The Uganda government, in coordination with the humanitarian partners, has granted a welcoming policy for all asylum seekers. The asylum seekers, once registered as refugees, receive a piece of land in one of the refugee settlements and a monthly general food assistance from WFP. In the past years Uganda has been affected by a general decreasing of humanitarian funds that have triggered a prioritization of the humanitarian assistance.
POSITION PROFILE
Under the line management of the IMPACT Country Coordinator or his/her delegates in Uganda, the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the implementation of IMPACTโs research cycles in country, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination and evaluation stages. Throughout research cycles, the Senior Assessment Officer engages with partners to promote their participation and maximize their impact. He/she also ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. This can include the direct supervision of assessment teams. The Senior Assessment Officer will specifically be engaged with ongoing Area-Based Assessments (ABAs) related to urban refugees in secondary cities in Uganda. The Senior Assessment Officer will be expected to take on additional projects, the content and nature of which is yet to be determined. The Senior Assessment Officer will lead on the design and implementation of those projects.
This position requires analytical thinking, creativity, independence, and an interest in the Ugandan context. Candidates should have strong writing and presentation skills and be able to clearly think through and articulate implications of research findings. The position will regularly require looking at data, pulling out relevant findings, writing engaging briefs and factsheets, presenting findings to external audiences with varying amounts of data literacy, and guiding colleagues in how to think more analytically about their own research.
In his/her mission, the Senior Assessment Officer will be hosted by IMPACTโs global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTEDโs Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTEDโs Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The 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 (when relevant) line-management national and international assessment staff.
RESEARCH CYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Understanding key research cycles and how this research contributes to strategic response objectives.
- Managing relevant research cycle, including oversight of research design, data collection, or analysis.
CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING
- Keeping up to date with the shifting Ugandan context.
RESEARCH AND TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Overseeing development and implementation of analytical workstreams, including use of existing REACH data in thematic briefs, reports, presentations, etc.
- Leading the research cycle including research design, tool development, and data collection.
STAFF MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING
- Promoting capacity building across the IMPACT Uganda mission related to deepening analytical capacities using existing research (capacity building portfolio will depend on level of experience).
- Providing day-to-day direct and indirect management of the research team within their unit/workstream.
COORDINATION
Internal Coordination
- Interacting autonomously with HQ departments and may serve as mission focal point for particular themes or technical areas;
- Coordinating with research units and teams to move forward or improve aspects of the research cycle;
- Supporting senior management with designing, planning, and implementing strategies, and objectives.
External Coordination
- Leading on external engagement related to analytical research findings as necessary.
The Senior Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. They 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
- Years of work experience 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as assessments, monitoring and evaluation, research design and analysis, etc.;
- Research skills Excellent quantitative and qualitative research data analysis experience required;
- Familiarity with aid system Good understanding of the aid system and the research community. Prior experience with humanitarian coordination forums preferred;
- Thematic experience Prior experience with multi-sectoral or evaluation assessments is an asset;
- Communication/reporting skills Excellent verbal and written communication and drafting skills for effective reporting required;
- Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, including a masterโs degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (e.g. international studies, development, humanitarian response, data science, political science, etc.);
- Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset
- Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.
- Experience in geographical region Past experience in the region is desirable;
- Language skills Fluency in English required.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- For this position, salary between 2โ450 CHF and 2โ640 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB - IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
- Accommodation provided in a guesthouse OR rent allowance for private accommodation
- Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife โ approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.
- Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).
- Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
- Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
- Predeparture induction - 3 days at IMPACT Initiativesโs HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
- IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 โฌ per year of psychosocial counselling fees.