REACH Senior Assessment Officer (Sectoral Assessments) at IMPACT Initiatives

Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria
Department: REACH
Position: Senior Assessment Officer
Contract Duration: 12 months
Starting Date: ASAP

Position Profile

• REACH is seeking an experienced candidate, who has previously designed and implemented mixed-methods assessments - ideally 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 REACH in sector meetings and able to coordinate and liaise with external partners on technical issues.

Functions:

• Under the supervision of the IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator (DCC) in Nigeria and of IMPACT’s HQ in Geneva, this IMPACT Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) will be responsible for the management and implementation of all Sectoral assessments.
• S/he will be responsible for oversight of ongoing research cycles, including managing all Sectoral Team staff, assessment, database/GIS officer(s), and field staff to support with the production of outputs.

The REACH Senior Assessment Officer’s Responsibilities include:

• In coordination with the DCC, designing and implementing REACH sectoral assessment strategy and research cycle(s);
• Directly line-managing REACH Assessment Officer(s), GIS/Data Officer(s) and Field Manager to ensure smooth and timely implementation of activities;
• Facilitate engagement and feedback on research design with external partners, including implementing partners and the donor;
• Lead on designing the methodology, tools, and data analysis plan according to REACH requirements and principles;
• Coordinate external partners and internal teams during data collection;
• Support in organizing and facilitating joint analysis workshops, as applicable;
• Oversee the data analysis and drafting information products, which comply with REACH’s guidelines;
• Implementing and monitoring the REACH assessment strategy in coordination with the DCC.
• Supporting the development/revision of assessment / programme strategies, reports or new proposals.
• In coordination with the DCC and Country Coordinator (CC), external representation of REACH with donors, partners, and the wider aid community through clusters and sectoral working groups.
• Liaising with programme staff of other ACTED departments to ensure close coordination and information sharing is maintained.
• Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT HQ along with the DCC and CC.
• Other tasks falling within REACH’s functions as requested by supervisors.

Reach Assessment Management and Coordination

Management of Assessment Processes:

• The SAO 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 project-specific assessment activities conducted.
• The SAO 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 REACH and ACTED FLAT procedures.

Implementation:

• The SAO is responsible for contributing to the implementation of assessment projects, and providing support to the development of assessment, database and GIS tools with the REACH team.
• This will specifically include, designing of data collection tools (household surveys, focus groups, and more); development or review of databases; contributing to GIS data collection procedures; and analysis of information to contribute to reports.

Coordination:

• The SAO shall provide technical support to the DCC and CC in terms of the preparation of new project proposals, development of programme strategies, implementation of project activities, and any other required reporting mechanisms.
• The SAO is responsible for 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.

Reach Reporting:

• The REACH SAO is responsible for consolidating all analysis 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/DB Specialists in order to represent data in static map formats, as relevant.
• The SAO is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors.
• He/she must ensure the writing of timely assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality 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 Nigeria for all organisations working in the region.
• The SAO will also store, organise and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among partners.
• He/she will coordinate timely and accurate reporting to REACH.

Staff Management:

• The SAO is responsible for day-to-day management of assessment staff, Data/GIS staff and field manager.
• He/she is expected to guide and direct REACH staff and prepare and follow up work plans with each staff member that directly reports to him/her.
• The SAO 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.
• He/she will also be responsible for capacity building and staff development of enumerators, Field Officers and Junior Assessment Officers.

External Engagement:

• The SAO is responsible for the representation of REACH in cluster and multi-sector meetings/technical working groups in country, and is expected to follow up on technical issues identified in meetings.
• 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 SAO will further represent REACH vis-a-vis current and potential donors and communicate relevant information to the IMPACT DCC and CC.
• He/she will participate in inter-NGO meetings and those of UN agencies and any other relevant intergovernmental institutions at the national or provincial level.

Confidentiality:

• The REACH SAO will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes.
• 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.

Accountability To Communities And Beneficiaries:

• The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner.
• Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about IMPACT programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every IMPACT staff member.

Requirements

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree, if relevant;
• 2 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting;
• Excellent team management, coordination, organisational and planning skills required, including an ability to manage large workloads, oversee multiple teams and effectively meet deadlines, through an excellent ability to multi-task and prioritise;
• Experience with external engagement (donors, partners and other key stakeholders) required;
• Familiarity with the humanitarian coordination system required;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills required for effective report writing;
• Excellent analytical skills required - Ability to situate findings within a wider context;
• Solution-oriented, flexible, and open-minded, including the ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment required;
• Fluency in English required;
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required;
• Experience with mobile data collection (ODK, ONA, KOBO) required;
• Knowledge of the Adobe Suite software, particularly Illustrator and InDesign an asset.

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.