Senior Research Manager- Nairobi

Department: REACH

Position: Senior Research Manager

Country/s: Kenya and Somalia

Location: Nairobi

Expected Start Date: Jan 2022

BACKGROUND

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach, which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Their 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two INGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) 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, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. 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.

COUNTRY PROFILE

REACH, has been working in Kenya and regionally supporting inter-agency information management and assessment capacity since 2012. In 2012-2016 REACH supported the development of an early warning monitoring system through training of monitors and support to county analysts for the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA). Since 2017, REACH has been supporting the collection of information in Dadaab refugee camp and in border areas through technical support and assessment coordination services to NRC. In 2020, REACH has implemented vulnerability assessments in Samburu County including needs assessment, infrastructure mapping and capacity building of County officials. In addition, REACH is a member of the Kenya Cash consortium and the Kenya Cash Urban consortium, which, in collaboration with consortium partners have facilitated the conduct of monthly market monitoring in informal settlements of Nairobi and Mombasa as well as markets in ASAL counties.

REACH has been operating in Somalia since 2012 and has multiple research cycles including two large-scale national assessments (Joint Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment and Detailed Site Assessment) as well as a number of other smaller assessments all aimed at providing intersectoral analysis of the response. In addition, there is a cash and markets team, which provide third party monitoring to the largest cash consortium in Somalia and Joint Market monitoring for the Shelter, NFI and WASH clusters.

FUNCTIONS

Under the direct supervision of the IMPACT Country Coordinator in for Kenya and Somalia and of IMPACT’s HQ in Geneva, the Senior Research Manager is responsible for the management and coordination of all REACH’s research cycles in Kenya and Cash and Markets research cycles in Somalia. This includes implementation, resource mobilization and management, partnership framework, dissemination, and evaluation. He/she directly supervises all senior assessment and field staff and is responsible for the cash and markets strategy in Kenya and Somalia.

1. Management of all Kenya research cycles and Somalia Cash and Market Research cycles:

1.1 Assessment Preparation and Planning:

• 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, review 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 high-level cash and markets strategy.

1.2 Product dissemination and evaluation

• Under the direction of the Country Coordinator, 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;


• Under supervision of IMPACT HQ, ensure that research products are uploaded in relevant data portals, as specified in Research ToRs;


• Ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle;


• Support the Country Coordinator to conduct monitoring and evaluation as specified in the research ToRs and in line with IMPACT Guidelines.



• Detail the dissemination and communications approach in a high-level cash and markets strategy




• Project Cycle management

2.1 Project Implementation Follow-up

• Oversee and monitor the implementation of REACH assessment and capacity development projects, ensuring that technical quality and standards are considered and respected during project implementation;


• Support the Assessment officers and Field Officers of to implement all aspects of the project;


• Conduct regular follow-up of work plans, identify and address any delays in a timely and effective manner;


• Monitor output achievement, project expenditure and ensure a timely completion of the project.


• Ensuring the efficient management of cash and markets resources across the research cycles between countries.

2.2 Grants Management

• Identifying potential areas for growth in both cash and markets regionally and Kenya overall.


• Drafting of relevant project narrative and financial reports;



• Maintain an oversight of budget availability and expenditure for assessment activities for which s/he is responsible;




• Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of programs deliverables;




• Ensure the activities are implemented according to the approved donor and partnership agreement;




• Ensure that donor, IMPACT and ACTED rules and procedures are understood and respected by REACH teams in country, sharing information and conducting training if required on proposed systems and processes for REACH staff;




• Prepare documentation for any project modifications, including budget revisions, amendments or extensions. Ensure such changes are made in close consultation with the IMPACT Country Coordinator;

3. Management of Assessment Team and Field assessment team

• Conduct regular meeting with all international and senior national Assessment Team members to assess progress in all research cycles and to review work plan;


• Bilateral management of international and senior national assessment team members, including (in consultation with Country Coordinator the conduct of appraisals, as well as participation in staff career management;


• In coordination with Country Coordinator, conduct induction for new staff members, including training in basic technical competencies for assessment design, implementation and analysis;


• Support Country Coordinator 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 Country coordinator.

4. External relations

• In coordination with the Country Coordinator, ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved at all stages of research cycle: the preparation of the assessment; data collection; data analysis; review of research products; product dissemination; and lessons learnt; ensure that partner engagement is documented;


• In coordination with the Country Coordinator, present research findings to relevant third parties, to enhance their use and impact;


• Ensure that external communications with partners and key stakeholders, including relevant UN agencies, local and national government, and NGOs has been conducted and documented as appropriate;


• In coordination with the Country Coordinator, represent REACH/IMPACT in technical external engagements related to assessments;


• Support the IMPACT Country Coordinator external engagement in relation to REACH/IMPACT Cash and Markets strategy or (when requested and with focal point) to fundraising and grants management.

5. Strategy Development and Implementation. In support to the Country Coordinator, the Senior Research Manager will actively contribute to the development of the REACH/IMPACT strategy in Kenya and of cash and markets unit in Somalia. In particular, s/he will support in identifying and concretising:

• The need for assessments, in line with humanitarian priorities


• Synergies with other assessment and knowledge management actors


• Strategic partnerships with key humanitarian stakeholders and decision makers


• Key events / milestones that should be informed


• Advocacy and dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of our work


• Support in the preparation and follow up of country level internal strategic workshops and plans


• Engagement with IMPACT HQ in global level strategic priorities

Others;

Protection mainstreaming

• Promoting of and adhering to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy and guidelines (for site residents, ACTED staff, partner agencies, casual labours etc).

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a bachelors degree in social sciences, research, protect management etc is required;


• At least 5 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian or development research initiative required


• Excellent team management, coordination, organizational and planning skills required, including ability to manage large workloads, oversee multiple teams and effectively meet deadlines, through an excellent


• Ability to multi-task and prioritize;


• Ability to use various software for data analysis and reporting including Adobe InDesign highly desirable


• Experience with external engagement (donors, partners and other key stakeholders) required;


• Familiarity with the humanitarian coordination system required;


• Excellent communication and drafting skills required for effective reporting;


• Understanding of processes involved in conducting assessments required;


• Excellent analytical skills required;


• Experience managing multiple budgets required;


• Ability to work independently and manage people remotely required;


• Demonstrable ability to work under pressure and meet competing deadlines required;


• Solution-oriented, flexible, and open-minded, including ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment

How to apply

Qualified Kenyan Nationals with the required skills are invited to submit their applications accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document i.e. with the cover letter being on the first page and the CV starting on the second page, detailing three work related referees and contacts to kenya.jobs@acted.org and received on or before 5.00PM on 11 January 2022 with the subject line as; APPLICATION FOR SENIOR RESEARCH MANAGER. Note that Applications sent without this exact subject line will not be shortlisted.

Due to the urgency of the position, shortlisting will be done a rolling basis.

Please note that only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ACTED will at no stage of recruitment process request candidate to make payments of any kind. Further, ACTED has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment.

ACTED is committed to protecting beneficiaries within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and any kind of misconduct. ACTED has specific policies, including PSEA and Child Protection, which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, beneficiaries, consultants and other stakeholders and has zero tolerance towards misconducts. Any candidate offered a job with ACTED will be expected to sign ACTED’s organizational Policies and Code of Conduct as an annex to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

ACTED is an Equal Opportunity Employer.