Technical Specialist, Policy and Governance at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Key Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the focal point providing support to programmatic areas, lead on the development of high-quality research, evaluation, & learning activities (e.g., surveys, evaluations, implementation research and other assessments) in alignment with state-of-art understanding of methods and theory on policy and governance and with research good-practice guidelines
• Lead literature reviews, evidence synthesis, and other desk-research activities to support evidence-based project design and research, evaluation, & learning activities.
• Undertake rigorous data analysis and visualization.
• Oversight of field implementation of research, evaluation, learning, and knowledge management activities, including visiting study sites and interacting with project partners (e.g., implementing partners, consultants, contractors).
• Develop Terms of Reference and Requests for Proposals for contracting relevant research and evaluation activities, when necessary, managing contracts of research partners ensuring timely delivery of high-quality research products.
• Lead on the critical review and development of project reports and other knowledge products, including research articles, briefings, presentations, and associated tables/figures.
• Work closely with GAIN’s Development Office to produce regular donor reports, as necessary, including tracking and updating monitoring indicators to track the projects’ progress.

About you

• The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in research design and implementation skills using political science and/or social science research methodologies: including Political Economy Analysis (PEA), policy-process research, institutional analysis, and related approaches.
• Possess knowledge of theory and practice related to governance, institutions, service delivery, and other policy issues in Low and middle-income countries.
• The post holder should demonstrate understanding of nutrition and food systems policy and governance.
• Substantial hands-on experience doing relevant research in collaboration with local research counterparts, using either quantitative or qualitive methodologies.
• Experience should encompass the design of research methodologies, analysis of data, and reporting of results on the policy process and the role of policy, governance, and/or institutions in addressing poverty, food security, and nutrition issues.
• The candidate should have an education background with a master’s degree in political science, public policy, public health, sociology, economics, development studies, or related field.
• Degree should include formal training in research methods.