Reach Senior Database Officer (SRDBO) at ACTED Nigeria

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time

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.

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.[1] Borno state remains the epicentre of the crisis, containing over 80% of the region’s over 2 million internally displaced persons.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] 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. REACH’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.[5]
• 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. REACH 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 2019, REACH 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 line management of the REACH Research Manager with supervision from the IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator and in close coordination with the REACH GIS Officer(s), REACH Assessment Officer(s) and REACH Field Manager, the REACH Database Officer (DBO) is responsible for managing all processes related to data cleaning and analysis, product creation (i.e. R and Tableau) and data management in-country. They will ensure regular communication with REACH Assessment teams in-country to support the ongoing assessments accordingly, and liaise with IMPACT HQ on data analysis validation.
• In his/her mission, the REACH DBO will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the responsibility of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates. S/he and will fully abide to ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations.

Functions
The REACH Senior Database Officer (SrDBO) will be responsible for the design of data processes, the management of large sets of data, and supporting all three research units with data-related tasks, including cleaning, analysis, reporting, and automating recurring tasks. This encompasses:

Designing Innovative Data Solutions:

• Taking the lead on engaging creatively with new and existing data collection cycles to identify opportunities for innovation, improved data quality, and increased strategic engagement with data;
• Improving data quality by automating data checking and cleaning processes in R, including for large country-wide assessments;
• Automating recurrent data analysis processes to reduce the amount of time between data collection and the creation of information products;
• Designing products and technical processes to improve the use of and engagement with REACH data within the humanitarian response;
• Supporting the development of innovative frameworks for data analysis, such as early warning systems and methods for needs prioritisation, by providing technical expertise.

Assessment Support:

• Supporting team members with designing and implementing assessment strategies and methodologies, including sampling frameworks, data analysis plans, data collection tools, and data quality checks;
• Ensuring the quality and accuracy of REACH data as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information;
• Managing the analysis of data in line with IMPACT’s guidelines;
• Designing and producing engaging information products, including dashboards, reports, and maps;

Technical Support:

• Advising staff on IMPACT Initiative’s R based analysis packages, developed by IMPACT headquarters in Geneva;
• Working with staff to troubleshoot issues with existing scripts and data processes;
• Training staff on statistical analysis and programming;
• Pro-actively identifying data support needs across the mission and addressing them.

Data Management and Analysis Activities:

• Monitor accuracy of data collected;
• Cross-check data collected in the field, ensure regular updates and solve eventual discrepancies;
• Manage, update and deploy questionnaires via Kobo;
• Maintain, update and expand R-based systems of data management and analysis for data dissemination and reporting.

Confidentiality and Data Protection:

• The REACH Data Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality of data and processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of information and data.

Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

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

Requirements

• Master degree in Data Analytics, Data Sciences, Computer Programming or a related discipline;
• 3 years of experience in Database management, preferably in humanitarian context;
• Considerable experience analysing complex data with R mandatory (specifically operating, editing, and developing entire automated data analysis scripts; experience producing high-quality maps in R & producing dashboards in R Shiny is advantageous); knowledge of other statistical programming languages and packages and Tableau are a plus;
• Previous experience with mobile data collection (ODK, ONA, KOBO);
• Knowledge of the Adobe Suite, particularly Illustrator and InDesign;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
• Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
• Fluency in English required;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software;
• High level of autonomy and willingness to spend time in field locations
• Ability to work independently to short deadlines and high research standards.

We Offer

• Contract length: 6 months with the possibility of extension
• Level: D1-1 (national contract)
• Start date: ASAP
• Location Borno and other field locations when needed