Senior Assessment Officer – Cash & Markets at IMPACT Initiatives

FUNCTIONS

Under the line management of the IMPACT Country Coordinator / Representative or his/her delegates in

• Sudan, the Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the implementation of IMPACT’s research cycles in Sudan, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination and evaluation stages. Throughout research cycles, the Senior Assessment Officer engages with partners to promote their participation and maximize their impact. He/she also ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. This can include the direct supervision of assessment teams.
• In his/her mission, the Senior Assessment Officer will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTED’s Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Under the direct supervision of the senior research manager, the senior assessment officer is responsible for the management and implementation of REACH cash and markets assessments in Sudan, including their preparation, implementation and follow-up. Leading the cash and markets team, they will oversee the coordination of Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), as well as ad-hoc market assessments.
• Throughout research cycles, the senior assessment officer engages with partners to promote their participation and maximize their impact. S/he also ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. S/he will also be responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, and reporting and finance requirements. He/she directly supervises junior assessment staff and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of cash and markets unit in Sudan.

More specifically the senior assessment officer is responsible for the following:

MANAGEMENT OF ALL SUDAN CASH AND MARKET RESEARCH CYCLES:

• Ensuring that all assessments are planned in line with relevant project and program objectives and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Ensure that required secondary data analysis has been conducted in preparation of an assessment;
• For each assessment, develop ToRs and ensure thorough review of ToRs before they are sent to

Geneva for validation and ensure that ToRs are validated by HQ before any data collection begins;

• Ensure that ToRs are understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders, and updated as required; Compose and construct, in close coordination with GIS and data management team, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools; ensure engagement with GIS teams on GIS requirements of research cycle/assessment;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all assigned assessment throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified challenges for specific assessments are reported in writing and orally in a timely manner;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning.
• Ensuring wherever possible cash and markets research practices and tools are standardized between countries to ensure best practices and efficiencies. These opportunities should be detailed in a highlevel cash and markets strategy.
• Ensuring the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets with integration of cluster and/or partner feedback;
• Under the direction of the senior research manager, engage in the dissemination of research products, including through articles, IMPACT social media contents, targeted e-mails, presentations, meetings, etc, in line with IMPACT Dissemination and External Communication Guidelines and Research ToRs;
• Ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle;
• Support the senior research manager to conduct monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines.
• Support the Assessment officers and Field Officers of to implement all aspects of the cash and markets projects;
• Develop and maintain a work plan for cash and markets unit and conduct regular follow-up of the work plan, identify and address any delays in a timely and effective manner;

MANAGEMENT OF ASSESSMENT TEAM AND FIELD ASSESSMENT TEAM

• Conduct regular meeting with junior assessment team members and other team members of the cash and markets team to assess progress in all research cycles and to review work plan;
• Bilateral management of junior assessment team members, including (in consultation with the senior research manager the conduct of appraisals, as well as participation in staff career management;
• In coordination with the senior research manager, conduct induction for new staff members, including training in basic technical competencies for assessment design, implementation and analysis;
• Support the country senior management in the development and implementation of capacity training plans for REACH assessment and field team member;
• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping;
• When relevant, support/ lead staff appraisal and recruitment process in collaboration with the senior management.

PROJECTS CYCLE MANAGEMENT FOR THE CASH AND MARKETS TEAM

• Support the REACH senior management in drafting of relevant funding proposals and budgets;
• Support the senior management in conducting budget follow-ups for the cash and markets unit projects including providing budget forecasts for upcoming assessments.
• Provide inputs in relevant donor and partner reports for the cash and markets unit in close coordination with the senior management.
• Before project start, ensure the organization of a kick off meeting and the availability of key project management documentations to plan the efficient use of assets, financial and human resources;
• In close coordination with line management, finance and grants colleagues, monitor and regularly update the use of assets, financial and human resources, in full compliance with REACH’s guidelines; this includes maintaining an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities;
• Contribute to the strategy development of the cash and markets unit for Sudan

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

• Ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: assessment preparation; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt;
• Represent REACH in relevant meetings/ working groups including Cash working groups;
• Be the REACH focal point in the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) Workstream of the Sudan Cash working group in close coordination with the co-chair of the Workstream.
• Present REACH assessment findings in relevant external meetings and forums.
• Follow up on issues identified by partners or during meetings / working groups;
• Promote an active use of datasets and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making;
• Ensure that all partner engagement and all external relations are clearly documented and communicated with the line manager and relevant colleagues; and
• More generally, contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of REACH’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

INTERNAL COORDINATION

• Actively participate in regular team meetings;
• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues;
• Engage in the development and implementation of IMPACT’s strategy in (country).

DATA CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION

• The Senior Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy and SOPs. 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.

REQUIREMENTS

• Academic Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
• Research skills Masters and proven experience with complex research methods. Excellent analytical skills – experience in cash and market-related assessments a plus
• 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.
• Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system and cash assistance in humanitarian contexts is required;
• Years of work experience At least 3 years of relevant working experience preferably in research and/or humanitarian field;
• Experience with cash assistance; Experience working in information management or assessments for cash and markets is required;
• Management skills Proven team management experience and skills; ability to build assessment capacity of team through training and mentoring
• 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;
• Experience in geographical region Past experience in the region is desirable;
• Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Arabic an asset;
• Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment