BBC Media Action

Job Description

Job Title: Research Officer, BBC Media Action

Reports to: Project Director, BBC Media Action

Based: Nairobi (with possible travel to other regions of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania)

Contract: Part-time (approx. 2.5 days per week)

Duration: Fixed term-contract to December 2019

Start date: February 2019

Summary of the role

BBC Media Action is recruiting a Research Officer (RO) to support the research activities under a new media and communication project focused on strengthening the capacity of media professionals and technical experts to respond to the climate and weather information needs of audiences living in select regions of Northern Kenya, around the Lake Victoria shores of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the coastal strip of Kenya.

The RO will be responsible for implementing the project’s monitoring and evaluation activities, including training and mentoring media professionals on gathering data for ongoing audience research, monitoring practitioners’ development, liaising with experts to undertake content analysis on media outputs, and collating project and research data to report on key indicators periodically.

The RO will also be responsible for leading the project’s final qualitative evaluation. This will include assisting in the design of research tools, implementing and overseeing fieldwork and conducting the analysis and reporting of data. As such, the RO will be expected to have substantial experience in qualitative research methods (designing tools, conducting fieldwork and analysing/reporting on qualitative data). Experience in training non-researchers in research methods is desirable.

The role will be supported by a Research Manager (RM) based in BBC Media Action’s London office.

The role will be based at the BBC Media Action office in Nairobi.

The role is funded on a part-time basis of 10 days per month (approx. 2.5 days per week). There may be some need for flexibility in terms of when these days are worked in a particular month (e.g. during busy periods of fieldwork, it may be necessary to work more than 2.5 days in a week).

Context

BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity, uses the power of media and communication to support people to inform, connect and empower people around the world, helping them to improve their own lives.

Working with broadcasters, governments, other organisations and donors, BBC Media Action provides information and stimulates positive change in the areas of governance, health, and resilience and humanitarian response. In addition, BBC Media Action trains journalists and reaches audiences with local broadcast partners. In line with the BBC value of audiences being at the heart of everything we do, research with audiences is embedded across our project life cycle.

BBC Media Action’s Research Group conducts research in order to understand our audiences and the impact of our programmes. BBC Media Action has an integrated team of up to 100 specialist qualitative and quantitative researchers based both in the UK and our country offices. This team provides research and evaluation to support the development and impact assessment of our projects. We undertake research at audience, practitioner, organisation and system levels, including:

· Formative research to guide the development of projects, including literature reviews, qualitative and quantitative primary research.

· Pre-testing/piloting of media outputs with audiences, to feed into programme development.

· Monitoring project progress including audience reactions.

· Evaluation of the impact of our projects.

Job Purpose

BBC Media Action is recruiting a Research Officer (RO) to support the research activities under a new media and communication project focused on strengthening the capacity of media professionals and technical experts to respond to the climate and weather information needs of audiences living in select regions of Northern Kenya, around the Lake Victoria shores of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and the coastal strip of Kenya.

The RO will be responsible for implementing the project’s monitoring and evaluation activities, including training and mentoring media professionals with ongoing audience research, monitoring practitioners’ development, liaising with experts to undertake content analysis on media outputs, and collating project and research data to report on key indicators periodically.

The RO will also be responsible for leading the project’s final qualitative evaluation. This will include assisting in the design of research tools, implementing and overseeing fieldwork and conducting the analysis and reporting of data. It will also involve acting as a central point for project and research data collected across the project, and reporting on key indicators at three key milestones.

As such, the RO will be expected to have substantial experience in qualitative research including the design and moderating of focus group discussions, conducting in-depth interviews, and qualitative analysis. The RO would be responsible for ensuring that research reflects the needs of the project, and ensuring that research findings are effectively communicated to all key stakeholders.

As the project involves training and supporting media trainees to conduct audience research, including qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting, experience in training non-researchers in research methods is desirable.

The position is based in Nairobi and may involve travel to other regions of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Main Duties

· Under the supervision of the London-based Research Manager, implement the project’s monitoring and evaluation activities. This will include designing qualitative research and tools and conducting fieldwork such as moderating focus groups and conducting in-depth interviews.

· Act as a central point for project and research data collected across the project, and reporting on key indicators at three key milestones.

· Provide training, mentoring and oversight to media practitioners on conducting audience research, and collate this research to report on project indicators

· Facilitate meetings between a panel of experts with experience in climate and weather services and media practitioners who are being supported and trained under the project

· Liaise with the panel of experts and project staff to undertake content analysis on media outputs developed as part of the project

· Work with project staff to monitor media practitioners ongoing development, using pre-designed tools

· Lead on the design and implementation of the final qualitative evaluation, including fieldwork coordination and logistics planning, data collection, analysis and reporting.

· Communicate effectively to all key project stakeholders to ensure effective project communications and management.

· Communicate effectively with the London-based Research Manager.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

· Experience of designing and managing qualitative research in support of practical outcomes.

· Strong qualitative data analysis skills

· Experience of undertaking qualitative fieldwork (including focus groups and in-depth interviews)

· Experience of adapting methods to challenging and resource-constrained conditions

· Strong report writing and presentation skills, communicating in non-technical language to a range of audiences such as media and development practitioners.

· Excellent track record of delivering research findings on time, and to a high standard.

· Ability to quality assure qualitative analysis and reporting.

· Strong time-management skills

· Fluent in written and spoken Swahili and English.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

· Understanding of development issues in Kenya

· Experience of conducting training in research methods to non-researchers

· Experience in research around resilience issues such as climate change or adaptation.

· Experience working with media organisations in applying research

· Experience of conducting content analysis of media outputs/programmes

· Experience of using mobile phones/SMS to collect monitoring data

Relevant Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans that need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues, etc. in the short, medium and longer-term.


• Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, and to explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development.


• Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.


• Imagination / Creative Thinking – Is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions.


• Planning and Organisation – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.


• Resilience – Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.


• Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.


• Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.

Location: Kenya

1. Background

WUSC – World University Service of Canada – is a leading Canadian non-profit organization in International development, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. We work with a unique and powerful network of post-secondary institutions, private-sector partners and volunteers to provide education, employment and empowerment opportunities that improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged youth around the world. WUSC and its partner organization, Windle International Kenya (WIK), are implementing the Strengthening Inclusive Learning Environments (SHULE) project, with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee and host communities.

2. Rationale

WUSC is seeking an external consultant to undertake a Baseline assessment for the SHULE project. The goal of the Shule Project is to strengthen the quality of education provision for refugee girls in Northern Kenya to improve transition outcomes, particularly for girls with special needs and over-aged learners. In order to achieve this objective, the project will:

• Increase access to extracurricular academic support programs for vulnerable refugee girls in upper primary, particularly girls with special needs and over-aged learners


• Enhance ability of teachers to deliver high-quality education using gender-responsive pedagogy and inclusive teaching methods


• Improve the accessibility of digital teaching and learning materials for secondary school students and teachers

The SHULE project is committed to address critical gaps in education for refugee girls who are performing poorly in school and at risk of dropping-out, with a particular emphasis on girls with special needs and over-aged girls, who face additional barriers to education. WUSC and WIK are targeting two types of girls: 1) girls in upper primary who are likely to drop out due to poor performance and/or are girls with special needs or over-aged girls who are not able to benefit from current educational resources; and 2) girls with special needs and over-aged learners, in secondary school who have made the transition but need additional support and resources to complete their secondary education.

3. Scope of work

The main objective of the baseline is to provide benchmarks for performance measurement of SHULE in the three key project objectives as per the indicators provided in the project design.

The consultant/consultancy firm will be required to undertake the following specific tasks:

1. In consultation with WUSC, the consultant will be expected to design standardized tools and finalize methodology for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data for the baseline assessment, taking into account the 3 objectives mentioned in section 2 of this TOR.




2. Collect and analyze available secondary data related to project objectives.




3. Conduct primary data collection in targeted project locations in the two regions (Dadaab and Kakuma) to measure key indicators.




4. Analyze and interpret data to develop a comprehensive baseline report.




5. Share key findings and insights with relevant staff and stakeholders through consultations.

4. Main deliverables

In accordance with the schedule of activities, the consultant will produce:

§ A draft inception report which responds to the scope of work with a methodology, survey instruments, and detailed work plan.

§ A field work implementation plan (to be submitted before field work begins). This field work plan should be presented to WUSC for comment, and revised as necessary prior to commencing field work.

§ A comprehensive draft baseline report including a clear set of actionable recommendations.

§ A final baseline report incorporating feedback from WUSC/WIK and key stakeholders.

· Cleaned survey data sets and transcripts (qualitative and Quantitative data).

5. Duration of the assignment

The consultancy is expected to be completed within a maximum of 40 days between February 1, 2019 to March 31, 2019.

6. Institutional Arrangements

The Consultant will report directly to the WUSC MEL and the SHULE program team, working closely with the WIK education program team. WUSC will provide relevant background documents necessary for the assignment and shall be responsible for the coordination of meetings and other activities under the Consultancy.

7. Expertise

Profile of the consultant:

The consultant should be an expert in research, baseline assessment, Monitoring & Evaluation methodologies. Preference will be given to individuals or firms with proven relevant experience in undertaking a task of similar magnitude, and shall have the following qualifications and experience:

· An advanced degree in social science with an emphasis on Education, Research Methodologies, baseline assessment, impact evaluations, Monitoring and Evaluation;

· Over 10 years’ experience in evaluating education programs and relevant experience in child friendly evaluation methodologies.

· Have expertise and experience in social inclusion, social science research, including mixed methods and notably quantitative and qualitative primary data collection methods

· Strong professional experience in conducting baseline/impact assessments for large scale projects in the humanitarian sector.

· Have proven experience in conducting participatory qualitative and quantitative evaluation studies with superior analytical skills

· Previous experience conducting an assessment on persons with special needs will be an added advantage.

· Have a good knowledge of digital data collection software (such as Kobo) and statistical packages (such as SPSS/STATA)

· Have excellent report writing skills

· Have permission to work, travel in Kenya - undertake primary data collection in the project target locations

· Demonstrate experience in carrying out similar assignment.

Language requirements:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

8. Child protection & data confidentiality

The external consultant along with all enumerators, will be required to sign and follow the WUSC child protection standards and protocols of behavior.

9. Responding to the TOR

The consultant should submit a proposal comprising the following:

· A technical proposal clearly outlining the consultants’ understanding of the ToR and an appropriate evaluation/assessment design and a detailed work plan with clear timelines.

· A capacity statement detailing the consultant’s ability to deliver quality baseline report within the given time frame, including an overview of relevant work and technical experience

· At least 2 samples of previous relevant works undertaken, including at least 1 evaluation report that was 100% led by the consultant as the lead.

· Contact details for 2 references for similar assignments done not more than 2 years ago

· CVs of the key personnel on the evaluation team

· A detailed financial proposal

· Any appendices the consultant sees as relevant to the application.

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Requisition ID: req3472

Job Title: Grants and Budget Manager(WISH)

Sector: Grants

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Kenya (IHUB)

Job Description

The Grants and Budget Manager (WISH) is responsible for providing grants and budgets leadership and support across the WISH programme in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. S/he will play a critical role in ensuring transparency, accountability, effective grant management and compliance in all aspects of the WISH Project. The Grants and Budget Manager is the focal point for donor reporting, information management, grants management and capacity-building efforts within the WISH programme. The Grants Manager also provides key support to the Senior SRH Coordinator (WISH) in programmatic and budgetary monitoring, compliance with donor and internal IRC rules and regulations and other key functions as required.

KEY TASKS**

Grants and Budget Management

• Review, track, and analyze expenditures for the WISH Project from the Technical Unit and WISH country Programs

• Ensure project expenses are reasonable, allocable, and prudent and spent in accordance with the donor’s rules and regulations

• Work closely with Regional/ Global team to ensure all IRC WISH project budget monitoring, payments and booking of expenses by providing monthly budget versus actual reports to Budget Holders and in Country Teams.

• Work with relevant Country Finance Managers, Health Unit and HQ-based finance staff to ensure accuracy of the WISH financial reports and promptly identify and advise the Senior RH Advisor and DDPs and applicable grant leads on areas of concern

• Coordinate and coordinate approval of agreements, amendments, cost extensions and no-cost extensions for WISH Project.

• Identify and manage all financial, grants management, sub-grant awards and operational risks in collaboration with relevant Country and Technical Unit Staff.

• Supports WISH country programs(Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia) in preparing, reviewing and modifying WISH related memoranda of understanding and sub-grant agreements as needed and ensures DFID T&Cs are met in such country engagements.

• Review financial controls and liaise with relevant country office leads to update policies and procedures

Donor Reporting and Compliance

• Preparation and timely submission of high quality programmatic and financial reports to by IRC WISH countries and the IRC Global to IPPF.

• Develop guidance, templates, and toolkits to ensure timely submission of narrative and financial donor reports

• Support RH technical team as needed in development of proposals for new development opportunities, including review of concept notes, proposals and budgets.

• Manage OTIS (Opportunity Tracking Information System) workflow for the WISH grants, agreements and amendments.

• Assist in donor relations; participate in calls with select donors, represent the IRC WISH Team at donor meetings as required

• Ensure quality information management through regular maintenance of grant files, developing compliance sheets, updating of internal IRC documentation and other Grant Unit tools, including coordination and preparation of documents and files for internal and external audits.

• Monitor and facilitate compliance of programs with DFID donor and IRC requirements and raise issues affecting external/internal compliance to the Senior RH Coordinator (WISH) and the relevant Country and regional teams

Other support for the WISH project and ongoing RH initiatives

• Provide logistical assistance in the planning and execution of RH workshops, meetings, and trainings where needed

• Assist RH team members with development of external reports, Web content, presentations and technical tools as needed

• Works with the WISH Project Team at RH Unit and Country Level to prepare and support Third Party Monitoring activities as communicated by IPPF

• Support program development, monitoring and evaluation, communications and external relations activities as requested.

• Build grant management capacity of Country office staff by facilitating training, and providing one-on-one follow up support, in report writing, proposal development, WISH Budget Tracking and other topics

• Keeps a track of the IRC implementation of its contractual obligations on the WISH Project and maintains a schedule of project deliverables and reporting dates.

.

Frequent and direct contact with IPPF’s WISH2ACTION Finance and Compliance team; May be in contact with DFID’s Third-Party Monitoring Agency

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

 Degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field relevant to the position requirements;

 Certified Public Accountant or other professional qualification in accounting is an added advantage

 At least eight years of experience in financial management for large complex projects, of which at least five years were working in the field of international development;

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 Thorough knowledge of finance processes, systems and principles;

 Well versed in computerized accounting applications

 Record of delivering successful and innovative solutions to challenges

 Familiarity with international standards for key program areas (Sphere standards, health, protection, gender-based violence and livelihoods standards);

 Additional qualification/ experience in project management principles

 Prior DFID Program management experience a plus

SKILLS

 Skilled at and passionate about supporting the use of data for decision-making, strategizing and course correction

 Experience with using supportive approaches to building capacity of fellow colleagues to accurately record, document, report and use data

 Team building skills

KEY WORKING CONTACTS

• Internal:

Regular contact with RH Technical Unit teams and Grants Managers in other units.

Liaise with country program staff. Interact regularly with internal IRC departments, especially budget, Finance, human resources and procurement.

• External:

Interact with donors, vendors, contractors, and consultants,

OTHER PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Analytical, resourceful, organized, patient but persistent, detail- and solution-oriented, and able to work collaboratively across teams to use data to support decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

· Manage and coordinate the design, development, and implementation of the agreed upon set of activities including: Phases, Task Orders and Work Plans;

· Act as a mediator between all parties involved: such as DAI, USAID, Hedayah, Kenyan Government, Training Provider and the appointed coordinators;

· Support team by overseeing the progress of the different task orders, following up on the agreed deliverables and monitoring the preparation of the implementation plans;

· Oversee the progress of the narrative report and their submission as per agreed deadlines;

· Train the team when necessary on the project management cycle;

· Recommend further partnership with third parties to the Program Director;

· Ensure regular communications with the Program Managers per Task Order. If necessary, the Program Director will step in and help resolve any issues;

· Understand the inter-workings of USAID such as NICRA, subcontracts, grant delivery based and contract delivery;

· Review the course materials and report necessary findings to the Program Managers and then Program Directors; before the testing Phase;

· Ensure the appropriate MM&E in collaboration with the program coordinators.

Qualification and Experience

· Master’s Degree in International Studies, Development, Political Science, or related field;

· Minimum 5 years of relevant experience including at least 2 years in a management role or managing project teams;

· Experience in managing USAID / DOS funded projects;

· Familiar with USAID Policies and Procedures to ensure operations & compliance;

· Experience in East Africa region; Preferably in Kenya;

· Experience in program development and management, grants management, budget monitoring, project management, MM&E;

· Experience on the field with local partners in medium to high risk environments;

· CVE relevant experience.

Skills and Competencies

· Leadership

· Managing others

· Strategic thinking

· Decision-making

· Result orientation

· Building relationships

· Teamwork

· Cultural intelligence

· Communication

· Planning and organizing

· Problem-solving

· Presentation

· Excellent command of written and oral English