IMPACT Operations Manager at ACTED Nigeria

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time

Background on IMPACT Initiatives
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.

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.

Country Profile

• In North East Nigeria (NEN), the ongoing crisis continues to have a profound impact on the population, leading to displacement both within and out of the region and high rates of unmet needs among internally displaced persons. The conflict additionally exacerbates prior unmet needs among non-displaced and host communities. While the primary driver of the conflict remains violent conflict, including ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), JAS (Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) and associated armed opposition groups (AOGs), other underlying factors, such as climate change, poverty, and disease outbreaks, exacerbate need and further complicate aid delivery.
• Against the backdrop of this protracted crisis, the humanitarian situation in Northeast Nigeria remains one of the world’s most severe. Out of the Northeast’s Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) state’s total population of 13 million people, an estimated 7.9 million are in need of humanitarian assistance. Borno state remains the epicentre of the crisis, containing over 80% of the region’s over 2 million internally displaced persons. Major incidents throughout 2019 have led to continued mass displacements and severely affected the provision of humanitarian assistance in the region.
• The sudden influx of arrivals added strain to the existing infrastructure of the humanitarian community, resulting in high rates of unmet needs, overcrowding in camps, and exposure to protection risks for vulnerable groups. The congestion status of the camps has resulted in over 60% of IDPs residing outside of camps within host communities, further complicating service delivery. The intensity of needs within Maiduguri and the instability of the security situation in more remote regions has resulted in increased focus on populations in accessible areas; however, populations in the less accessible areas are presumed to have even greater needs.
• These hard-to-reach areas are estimated to contain around 971,000 persons. Very little is known about the specific conditions and needs of the populations living in these areas, but they are presumed to have little mobility, limited essential services, and little or no access to humanitarian aid. The same threats that severely limit the ability of humanitarian actors to conduct thorough assessments also immediately affect the population living in the region. IMPACT’s Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM) assessments in the Hard-to-Reach areas of Borno state have found that people in these inaccessible areas lack of access to basic services including health facilities, access to livelihoods and have decreased access to foods, access to improved water sources and access to humanitarian services.
• As such, the needs for evidenced-based Humanitarian Aid and information on populations in both accessible and inaccessible areas is paramount to a coordinated response. IMPACT has been present in Nigeria since 2017, providing a growing evidence base for humanitarian response planning through sectoral, multi-sectoral and area-based assessments as well as information management services. In 2021, IMPACT is looking to continue to provide the humanitarian community with relevant and reliable information to strengthen strategic programming and needs-based targeting in Northeast Nigeria.

Responsibilities

• Under the direct supervision of the IMPACT Country Coordinator, the Operations Manager is responsible for working closely with REACH project focal points (hereafter referred to as Project Managers) and field teams to develop work plans and methodologies to coordinate field-based data collection and other project activities and direct management of IMPACT FLAT staff.

Functions
Project Coordination and Management:

• Work closely with Project Manager(s) to develop work plans and methodologies.
• Ensure timely implementation of project activities, in line with the project work plan;
• Conduct weekly Operations Meetings that include Field Managers and IMPACT FLAT staff.
• In conjunction with the Project Manager(s), host weekly project meetings to discuss project activities, strategy and implementation
• Represent IMPACT at internal mission-wide meetings with ACTED, such as the bi-weekly Coordination Meetings and FLATS Meetings.
• Develop and sustain relationships with local government offices, members of civil society, NGOs and other members of the community throughout Iraq;

Assessment Design and Implementation:

• Assist in ensuring data collection and storage is done with quality and accuracy;
• Ensure the planning of operations is done with relevant staff members;
• Ensure that the design and implementation of the assessment is closely linked to the analysis and reporting to ensure coherence between departments.

Analysis and Reporting:

• In close coordination with the Project Manager(s), directly supervise the analysis and reporting activities of the project;
• Assist in ensuring research methodology and data analysis holds the highest quality and standards.

Finance:

• Ensure effective coordination of finance monitoring with ACTED Finance department and IMPACT HQ finance team;
• Support accurate financial forecasts of field expenditures with Project Manager(s) and IMPACT FLAT Officer;
• Support in developing new budgets with Project Manager(s);
• Ensure that all staff follow the finance processes and procedures, and undertake disciplinary action when deemed necessary.

Logistics:

• Responsible for REACH equipment in the field and in the office;
• Ensure effective coordination of logistics with ACTED logistics department and timely notice of changed logistics plans;
• In close coordination with the Project Manager(s), liaise with the FLATS Officer on matters relating to logistics and equipment;

Human Resource Management:

• In close coordination with the Project Manager(s), liaise with the FLATS Officer on matters relating to HR planning and recruitment;
• Ensure field teams have adequate training and coaching regarding data collection with high quality and accuracy;
• Overarching management of the national staff working directly on the project;
• Ensure that all staff follow the HR manual and HR procedures, and undertake disciplinary action when deemed necessary;
• Ensure that all staff receive fair, engaged and thorough feedback on their work in a timely manner, as stipulated by the HR manual;
• Host monthly staff meetings with all staff to discuss concerns, improvements, highlight specific achievements etc.;
• Make recommendations for professional development opportunities amongst national staff.

Security:

• Ensure all relevant security protocols are followed by all staff, whether in a field or office capacity;
• Ensure all field staff are adequately trained on security in the field and feel comfortable and confident undertaking fieldwork;
• Engage with relevant stakeholders to keep updated on security in the field, and relay its possible impacts to the Project Manager;
• Pass on any security incidents or information to the appropriate person in the security phone tree.

Miscellaneous:

• Providing additional support as required relating to the implementation of activities, and as instructed by the IMPACT Country Coordinator;
• The IMPACT Operations Manager will be responsible for mentoring staff in their assigned duties as well as building technical capacity;
• Travel within Nigeria will be a part of this role. International travel is also foreseen, albeit to a limited extent.

About You

• All employees should master ACTED's core Principles: Independence, Neutrality, Non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, Ethics, Professionalism, anti-Corruption, Transparency and Accountability

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree with a strong focus on both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies preferred
• Minimum of five years working in humanitarian responses, including project management roles (preferred experience managing data collection teams)
• Substantial knowledge regarding managing data collection in an NGO
• Strong skills with the Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong technical writing skills
• Experience collecting information using hand-held GPS devices
• Experience using ODK for quantitative data collection
• Experience hiring and managing casual labourers
• Positive attitude and a willingness to learn
• Excellent communication skill
• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility
• Fluency in written and spoken fluency in English a must; additional fluency in Hausa and Kanuri preferred
• Ability to work independently

We Offer

• Contract length: 6 months with the possibility of extension
• Level: B2-5 (national contract)
• Start date: 1 / 02 / 2021
• Location Borno and other field locations when needed