Career Opportunity at Duma Works

Duma Works is recruiting a Data and Database Assistant for one of four clients. The hiring company is a non- profit firm that deals with farm produce to ensure food security in Africa.

Job Description

Objective 1: Prepare manageable annual and seasonal reporting plans and target sheets for field staff and VBAs (Village Based Advisors)

Key activities & responsibilities to achieve this objective:

• Understand master reporting work plan and individual project/program reporting work plans and milestones expected for each project/ program and data assistant work plans
• Understand relevant parts of data indicator sheets
• Work with Reporting & Evaluation Coordinator to translate master reporting work plan encompassing all program deadlines, and into individual work plans for each data assistant to ensure that data from field reaches office with adequate time so that it can be processed in time for program quarterly reports. This may involve staggering of reporting from different projects/ networks/ counties to manage workflow of the reporting/data team
• Translate data assistant work plans to individual target sheets for each RC, ARC, NC and VBA in each area for each year and each season
• Provide each field staff and the relevant Monitoring Officer with target sheets and ensure they understand what they are responsible for achieving on monthly/seasonal/quarterly/annual basis.

 Objective 2: Ensure monthly collection, input, compilation and storage of data and update field staff and Reporting and Evaluation Officer on progress against plans and targets

 Key activities & responsibilities to achieve this objective:

• Ensure field staff understand what the target sheets mean in terms of their activities and responsibilities (so that the data they report is compliant)
• Distribute correct reporting forms to field team and ensure they are completed correctly and submitted on time;
• Confirm and verify accuracy of data in the reports received from the field staff, and Contacts preparers of monthly reports documents to resolve questions, inconsistencies, or missing data
• Liaise with the admin/ logistics to get update of farm inputs sent to the field, so that the Coordinators in the field can provide up to date reports on dissemination, sales and input use
• Be aware of the critical importance of meeting program targets with clean and accurate data (falsifying records to meet targets is unacceptable under any circumstances and constitutes fraud)
• Keep a routine follow up (weekly/monthly/quarterly – depending on activity type) with field staff (typically NCs / ARCs / RCs) of program activities (as specified in work plans – e.g. vaccinations, veg/tree nurseries, field days, small pack dissemination, logbook completion);
• Summarize data accurately and generate good quality data summaries backed up with supporting evidence (that meet donor criteria) in advance of reporting deadlines for review/finalization
• Update each Field Coordinator (RC/ ARC/ NC) on progress against targets on a monthly and quarterly basis, including disaggregation by VBA;
• Provide weekly and monthly updates to Reporting & Evaluation Officer on progress of each network against targets along with early warning of challenges, delays or forecasted failures or over-achievements; ensuring that the data coming in is being updated in soft copy tracking systems (database(s)),
• Make monthly updates to records of presence/ absence of each VBA along with locations, GPS positions, ID numbers, signatures and related bio data. Summary of number of VBAs (and gaps in information) to be provided to Reporting & Evaluation Coordinator on a monthly basis;
• Store data (hard and soft copies) in clear organised manner that is findable and searchable on request. Each member of the Reporting Team should be able to find any and all data on request within a short time.

 Objective 3: Submit well-compiled data summaries and supporting evidence to Reporting and Evaluation Officer ahead of deadlines

 Key activities & responsibilities to achieve this objective:

• Generate statistical and data summaries and submit to Reporting & Evaluation (and other members ofthe team including Business Development, Program coordinators) as requested
• Respond to inquiries regarding entered data as requested and maintains accurate and up-to-date data.
• Update the Reporting & Evaluation Officer on reports received from Coordinators, so that they can be cross referenced with their target achievement.
• Liaises with the Communication team in ensuring that posters or learning materials needed in the field are printed and laminated and dispatched to the field on time.

 Internal Relationships

• Reporting and Evaluation Coordinator
• Communications Officer
• Program coordinators/officers
• Field staff
• Monitoring officers

 Reporting Responsibilities (which reports/documentation does this role produce)

• Data summaries
• Statistical reports
• Reports received and missing from field staff (summaries/dashboards)

 Qualifications for Data & Database Assistant Job

• Secondary school certificate, B or higher
• Computer training certificate (MS Office programs)
• Diploma or certificate not required but desirable

 Essential Skills and Experience

• Quick and accurate typist
• Intermediate + MS Excel skills
• Good communication skills
• Excellent computer/information system skills, including resource management system
• Attention to detail and accuracy, organizational skills
• Good team player
• Able to work at a high pace without constant supervision

 Preferred Skills and Experience

• Database experience
• Interest in well-being of farmers in Kenya/East Africa, including direct personal experience of farming