Systematization Officer at Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), is an International Catholic Organization working across 58 countries whose mission is to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and IDPs in conflict zones, detention centres, and remote borders, that they may heal, learn, and determine their own future.

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Nigeria accompanies, serves, and advocates for displaced and vulnerable populations across Nigeria. This project responds to the ongoing environmental crisis in Okoro Utip, Ibeno LGA, Akwa Ibom State, where decades of oil contamination have severely degraded farmlands, water sources, and community livelihoods. Building on foundational research, the project seeks to empower oil-affected communities to assert their environmental rights, build collective awareness, and engage in legitimate accountability processes. This project applies the ROOTS Community Organising and Mobilisation Plan (COMP) framework to build community capacity for environmental rights assertion, evidence-based advocacy, and participatory monitoring. Central to this project's design is the use of Systematization of Experiences, which is a participatory, qualitative methodology developed in Latin America that goes beyond conventional M&E to critically reconstruct the lived processes of change, identify the factors that shaped those processes, and extract lessons that can guide future transformative action.

Key Responsibility

The Systematization Officer is responsible for leading and coordinating all Monitoring, Evaluation, and Systematization of Experiences functions across the project lifecycle. Unlike a conventional M&E role focused primarily on quantitative indicator tracking, this position requires the ability to facilitate participatory reflection with community members, reconstruct the historical process of project implementation, critically interpret the meanings behind observed changes, and produce a consolidated Systematization of Experience Report that captures learning across all three project results. The Systematization Officer will serve as the project's institutional memory; ensuring that what is lived in the field is documented, analyzed, and transformed into knowledge that can guide future action.

Systematization of Experiences: Design & Facilitation

• Lead the design and implementation of the Systematization of Experiences process across the full project cycle, in alignment with the methodology's core principles: organizing and reconstructing the lived process, conducting a critical interpretation of that process, and extracting and sharing lessons learned.
• Embed systematization tools and practices into all project activities from inception (including diaries, testimonies, field notes, photographs, meeting minutes, and reflective observation) ensuring that the collective memory of the process is captured as it unfolds.
• Facilitate structured midline and endline community reflection sessions to critically interpret the lived process, identify key changes （both intended and unintended）, validate findings with participants, and co-generate lessons learned.
• Ensure that the systematization process is participatory, centering the voices, perceptions, interpretations, and emotions of community members as the primary protagonists of the experience, supported by JRS staff and technical advisors.
• Work with the Project Manager and JRS Communication Officer to develop the final consolidated Systematization of Experience Report, synthesizing learning across awareness-raising, advocacy, participatory mapping, and livelihood activities.

Monitoring & Data Management

• Develop, adapt, and manage all project monitoring tools including attendance registers (disaggregated by sex, age, and vulnerability status), session reports, pre- and post-training assessment tools, observation checklists, and documentation review frameworks.
• Coordinate and oversee data collection across all project activities including palaver sessions, legal literacy workshops, capacity-building sessions, multi-stakeholder meetings, participatory mapping exercises, and advocacy activities.
• Compile and analyze monitoring data monthly, presenting findings at quarterly review meetings with the project team and community representatives to enable adaptive management.
• Track all indicator progress against the project log frame, identifying gaps, unexpected outcomes, and areas requiring course correction.
• Maintain a well-organized and accessible digital archive of all monitoring data, field documentation, photos, maps, testimonies, and reports throughout the project cycle.

Qualitative Documentation & Knowledge Production

• Lead the qualitative documentation of community experiences, transformation processes, and contextual dynamics including shifts in awareness, collective identity, advocacy capacity, and relationships with institutions.
• Conduct and document key informant interviews and focus group discussions with community members, advocacy committee members, technical partners, and government stakeholders to capture rich process-level data.
• Produce structured activity reports, reflective field notes, and periodic learning briefs that capture emerging insights for internal use and project reporting.
• Support the development of the evidence-based community policy brief by compiling and synthesizing documented evidence from palaver sessions, participatory mapping, and multi-stakeholder engagement into clear, accessible advocacy content.
• Contribute to IEC material development by drawing on community-generated data and testimonies to ensure materials reflect the lived realities of Okoro Utip residents in accurate and culturally resonant ways.

Participatory Mapping Support

• Support the design and implementation of participatory mapping activities, including the development of simple incident reporting templates and basic GIS documentation methods accessible to community members with varying literacy levels.
• Maintain a systematic digital archive of community-generated maps, incident reports, and contamination documentation, ensuring data quality and accessibility for advocacy use.
• Support community environmental committees to validate their maps and findings in community sessions, ensuring transparency and shared ownership of the data produced.

Reporting & Learning Dissemination

• Contribute to the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and final narrative reports by providing timely, accurate, and evidence-based M&E data and learning inputs.
• Produce the final Systematization of Experience Report which is a comprehensive, critical, and reflective account of the entire project process covering all results and activities, synthesizing community voices, team reflections, and analytical interpretation of how and why change occurred.
• Support the dissemination of the Systematization Report and project learning to internal JRS audiences and relevant external stakeholders, contributing to organizational knowledge management and future programming.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• A master’s or bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Development Studies, Community Development, Education, Sociology, Anthropology, Environmental Studies, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in systemization, monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) or research roles within the NGO, INGO, or development sector.
• Demonstrated experience with qualitative research methods including participatory approaches, narrative documentation, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews.
• Strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to critically interpret complex social processes and communicate findings clearly in both technical reports and accessible community-facing formats.
• Proficiency in data collection tools such as KoboCollect, ODK, or CommCare, and in basic data analysis and documentation using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent facilitation and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to build rapport and work respectfully with community members, particularly women, youth, and marginalized groups.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; proficiency in Ibeno/Obolo or another Akwa Ibom State language is a strong advantage.

Desirable

• Knowledge of or experience with the Systematization of Experiences methodology, participatory action research, or other community-centered learning approaches.
• Familiarity with the Niger Delta context, oil contamination issues, or environmental justice programming.
• Experience with participatory mapping, GIS data collection, GIS map production or community-based environmental monitoring.
• Experience producing written outputs for advocacy purposes, including policy briefs, factsheets, or community reports.

COMPETENCIES

• Reflective practice: ability to observe, listen deeply, and critically interpret social and community processes rather than merely describing events.
• Participatory facilitation: skill in creating safe, inclusive spaces where community members can share their experiences without judgement or fear.
• Analytical rigors: ability to move from description to critical interpretation, identifying the logic and meaning behind lived experiences.
• Cultural sensitivity: respect for diverse knowledge systems, community traditions, and local ways of knowing.
• Attention to detail: commitment to accurate, thorough, and well-organized documentation throughout the project cycle.
• Commitment to transformation: belief in the value of learning as a driver of social change, and in communities as agents of their own development.

SPECIAL NOTE

• This role is distinct from a conventional M&E position. While it encompasses data collection and indicator tracking, its core function is to facilitate critical reflection on lived experience which is turning what the project team and community members do and feel into meaningful knowledge. The successful candidate will understand that Systematization of Experiences is not about writing a report or classifying data. It is about helping a community and a project team understand why things happened, what they mean, and what they teach us for the future. The Systematization Officer will be present, attentive, and reflective throughout every stage of the project, not only at the end.
• Applications will be reviewed on a roll in basis.
• This is a localized position; preference will be given to indigenes.
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further steps in the recruitment process, and assessments may be conducted on-site.
• JRS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic group, or disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
• JRS will not request any monetary payment from applicants at any stage of its recruitment process. Any request in this direction should immediately be reported as it is contrary to our values and practices.