Senior assessment (Research) Officer – ACTED Tunisia/Libya عودة إلى الفرص

Department: REACH

Position: Senior Assessment Officer 

Contract duration: 6 months, renewable 

Location: Tunis, Tunisia

Starting Date:

• BACKground on impact and reach

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

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 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.

• Assignment

The Senior Assessment Officer will support REACH’s Unit Managers. Under the supervision of REACH Research Managers, the REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the management and implementation of REACH research projects in Libya including their preparation, implementation and follow-up. He/she will also be responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in Libya. The role is primarily research focused, with additional operational, translation, and coordination requirements. 

• Core responsibilities:

In coordination with the REACH Research Managers and Country Coordinator, implement REACH assessment strategy and methodology within Libya: 

• Design, manage and implement REACH assessments in Libya incl. their preparation and planning, supervise the implementation and follow-up, incl. quality insurance; ensure that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives
• Coordinate and ensure timely data collection, analysis and, in partnership with GIS team, mapping of datasets
• Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets
• Manage and support REACH assessment field staff to ensure a smooth and timely implementation of activities
• Keep track of all projects and programmes assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures
• Take the lead on the development/revision of assessment / programme strategies, reports or new proposals
• Liaise with programme staff of ACTED departments to ensure close coordination and information sharing is maintained, supporting Operations department by preparing necessary documentation
• In coordination with REACH Research Managers and Country Coordinator, external representation of REACH with partners and the wider aid community through clusters and sectoral working groups
• Act as operational focal point within the assessment team, liaising with field teams and enumerators, checking quality of data, de-briefing with field teams
• Prepare trainings for field teams and partners; ensuring all trainings are uploaded to REACH servers, following up on trainings with field teams and participants.

• Assessment Management and Coordination

Management of assessments process

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for designing the methodology and tools associated with each assessment, according to REACH requirements and principles. He/she will manage the planning, implementation, and follow-up of all REACH and projects specific assessment activities conducted in country. In operations in which REACH is a project component of a wider ACTED intervention, the REACH Senior Assessment Officer is required to contribute to the preparation and follow up of the Project Management Framework and ensure that activities are properly coordinated and implemented as per the Project Cycle Management.

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer shall manage logistics, financial, administration and HR processes directly related to REACH and liaise accordingly with the relevant ACTED counterpart. He/she is directly responsible for the implementation of proper ACTED FLAT procedures in REACH interventions. 

Implementation

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for contributing to the implementation of assessment projects, providing support to the development of assessment, database and GIS tools with the REACH team. This will specifically include, with the GIS/Data base team, designing of data collection tools (household surveys, focus groups, and more); development or review of databases; contributing to GIS data collection procedures and mapping thereof through ARC GIS and other ESRI products in particular; and analysis of spatial and other information to contribute to reports and the like. 

Coordination

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer shall provide technical support to the relevant ACTED department in terms of the preparation of new project proposals, development of programme strategies, implementation of project activities, and any other required REACH input to ACTED projects for added value.

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer will assist the Research Manager and Country Coordinator in the timely and accurate preparation of narrative and financial reports related to REACH activities in country through close liaison with the Project Development and Finance departments. 

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer shall liaise with other REACH Officers in the region and throughout IMPACT Initiatives’ and ACTED’s networks to provide and receive support in the expansion of REACH globally. 

• Reporting

Assessment Reporting

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the consolidation of all analyses and conclusions from each assessment into REACH products such as factsheets, reports and briefs using standard formats. He/she will liaise with Geneva and Regional GIS/Data base Specialists to represent data in interactive web map or static map format, as relevant.

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for supporting the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. He/she must ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information. He/she will ensure that assessment reports contribute to aid coordination and planning and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the areas. 

Programmatic Reporting

He/she will also take the lead in the drafting of narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow-up.

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer will also store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among ACTED and IPs.

• HR Management

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the day-to-day management of project and field staff both directly and remotely. The REACH Senior Assessment Officer will ensure that all field teams are comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. He/she will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by REACH.

• Representation

Representation of ACTED/REACH in cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings in other parts of the country. This specifically will include liaising with external partners to identify potential for data sets to be integrated into existing databases and mapped to support the coordination of the broader humanitarian community. 

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer will further represent REACH vis-a-vis current and potential donors and communicate relevant information to the REACH Research Manager and Country Coordinator, ACTED Project Development Manager and Country Director. He/she will participate in inter-NGO meetings and those of UN agencies and any other relevant inter-governmental institutions at the national or provincial level. 

More generally, the REACH Senior Assessment Officer is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of REACH and ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

• Requirements

Essential:

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master’s degree in relevant discipline
• Research skills Proficiency and proven experience with research methods. Excellent analytical skills – research question design, familiarity with research methods (and their appropriate usage), report writing, data visualisation 
• 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 an advantage, experience with InDesign an asset. 
• Years of work experience At least 2 years of relevant working experience. Experience in humanitarian settings highly desirable; experience in working on development, protection or migration-related issues an asset
• Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting
• Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles
• Level of independence Proven ability to work independently
• Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility
• Language skills Fluency in English essential.

Desirable:

• Experience in presentations, training and public speaking an asset
• Management skills Team management experience and skills highly desirable
• Experience in geographical region Past experience working on/in Libya region is desirable
• Language skills Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.