BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (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.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote sensing. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO with headquarters based in Paris and presence in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, which allows IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT has been active in Afghanistan since 2016, launching its flagship REACH and AGORA initiatives in 2018. Working across all 34 provinces, including hard-to-reach areas, the Afghanistan team’s research supports and facilitates emergency response efforts immediately following conflict or natural disaster as well as more long-term oriented resilience and recovery activities. IMPACT Afghanistan has three main research portfolios that focus on programming in each of these areas: one portfolio focuses on inter-sectoral research that feeds directly into emergency humanitarian response, the second works closely with partners and coordinating bodies to improve and increase the sustainability of programs, and the third uses area-based assessments to support longer-term durable solutions in Afghanistan.

In addition to these portfolios, a Real Time Monitoring Team (RTMT) was set up in early 2023 in order to support the timely prioritization of needs and reallocation of resources, through the regular provision of evidence on the evolution of multisectoral needs, shifting seasonal concerns and sudden onset shocks. The objectives of the activities implemented by the RTMT are : i) provide regular granular data and analysis on the evolution of needs in between annual humanitarian planning cycles; ii) identify and confirm hotspots and areas at risk of escalating humanitarian needs; iii) support the understanding of underlying needs of populations affected by sudden-onset shocks to inform an effective emergency response. Notably, the development, refinement and dissemination of the RTMT’s research cycles is conducted in close collaboration with members of the Afghanistan Assessment & Analysis Working Group (AAWG), which is co-led by IMPACT/REACH and IOM-DTM.

We are currently looking for an Assessment Specialist to lead our Real Time Monitoring Team in Afghanistan.

POSITION PROFILE

The Assessment Specialist will be responsible for overseeing the development and strategy of the RTMT, under the supervision of the IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator, the IMPACT Country Coordinator, and IMPACT HQ in Geneva. The candidate should be comfortable representing IMPACT with donors and be able to coordinate and liaise with a range of senior external partners.

The role of the Assessment Specialist is to drive the strategy and workstreams of the RTMT and provide technical backstopping to its members. This position requires a profile that can be strategic as well as someone with a strong analytical mindset and an interest in exploring diverse methodological and technical avenues to achieve results.

The Assessment Specialist’s responsibilities will include:

Staff Management

• Direct management of team members, including recruitment, conduct of appraisals and staff career management;
• Development and implementation of capacity training plans for team members;
• Day-to-day management of team members, including the development of work plans and performance indicators.

Project/Research Cycle Management

• Ensure all RTMT assessments and analysis are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with relevant project and strategic objectives, and with global REACH guidelines;
• Oversee all RTMT Research Cycles, including reviewing ToRs, methodology notes, tools, products and dissemination strategies;
• Ensure that research design, data collection and analysis and product drafting for all relevant research cycles comply with IMPACT’s requirements, guidelines and strategic direction;
• Facilitate the effective collaboration between assessment and technical team members throughout all steps of the research cycles;
• Ensure the writing and production of timely, accurate and analytically rigorous reports, assessments, and factsheets;
• Ensure relevant stakeholders and partners are engaged in assessment design and planning;
• Monitor output achievement, project expenditure and ensure timely completion of the project;
• Actively advocate for the improving of analysis within REACH products, and using common methodologies, tools and analysis frameworks across units where relevant.

Grants Management

• Under the guidance of the IMPACT Project Development Officer and in collaboration with Country Coordination, manage grants in the RTMT, including initial discussions with donors, conceptualisation of new projects, drafting proposals, regular reporting, and M&E;
• Under the guidance of the Country Coordinator, and in coordination with the Finance Officer, support on the financial management of all grants covering RTMT projects, including oversight of budget and expenditure;
• Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of programs deliverables.

External Engagement

• In coordination with the Country Coordinator and Senior Management Team (SMT), represent REACH with donors, partners, and the wider humanitarian aid community in Afghanistan.
• With the support of the Deputy Country Coordinator, ensure the development and uptake of the RTMT’s activities through regular engagement with the Afghanistan Assessment and Analysis Working Group (AAWG);
• Keep abreast of strategic developments across the humanitarian aid community in Afghanistan, including of new assessments and monitoring systems, to contribute to the continuous refinement of real-time monitoring analytical frameworks and triangulate findings from REACH assessments.

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Under the guidance of the Country Coordination, develop the RTMT’s strategy, engagement and involvement with various technical and coordination forums;
• Work with key clusters and partner organizations and working groups to understand the various relevant information gaps within Afghanistan and identify how RTM activities can fill these gaps;
• As a member of the Extended SMT, contribute to the development and implementation of the REACH Afghanistan country strategy;
• Develop and implement dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of the RTMT programmes;
• Engage with HQ on RTMT research and/or coordination and provide support to relevant IMPACT Global Community of Practices (CoPs).

The Assessment Specialist will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. 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

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
• At least 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, such as program management, evaluation and assessments;
• Excellent quantitative and qualitative research design, data collection, and data analysis experience required;
• Demonstrated team management skills, including remote management;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting and reviewing;
• Familiarity with the Humanitarian Program Cycle and humanitarian coordination system;
• Familiarity with core principles of remote-sensing and climate analysis is preferred;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility and work independently;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel required;
• Ability to operate in a restricted security environment, required;
• Skills in R or related statistical software are considered a strong asset;
• Experience with InDesign is considered an asset;
• Fluency in English required.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Salary between 2’900 EUR and 3’100 EUR monthly (before income tax), depending on the level of education, security level, etc as well as a monthly living allowance of $300
• Accommodation and food provided in ACTED guesthouse
• Pension, health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance (& unemployment insurance for EU citizens)
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered
• R&R after 2 months in country (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 23kg and 100kg, depending on the length of the contract
• Annual leave of 36 days per year
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training Tax advice (free 30-minute call with a tax consultant)
• IMPACT and ACTED prioritize the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees

APPLY