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 whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, which allows particularly IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.
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.
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.
Department: REACH South Sudan
Position: REACH Senior Assessment Officer – Population Movement
Contract duration: 12 months
Starting Date: September 2021
Location: Juba, South Sudan but with approximately 25% of the time in field settings
IMPACT, through REACH, has been implementing programming in South Sudan since 2012. Responding to the Sudan Border Crisis, REACH initially engaged through coordinated information management support
– in the form of refugee camp mapping and service provision analyses, thematic assessments, and multi- sectorial needs assessments – in Maban County, Upper Nile State and Pariang County, Unity State. IMPACT was engaged by DFID to provide a series of impact evaluations of their BRACE programming across Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile States in 2013; a programme with run for two years, included 5 total assessments, and touched a total of more than 20,000 households. Immediately following the conflict of December 2013, REACH expanded its programming to include the IDP response, participating in Initial Rapid Needs Assessments of conflict affected areas, providing mapping and monthly service provision analyses for major IDP sites around the country, and running large-scale IDP return intentions assessments.
The year 2018 saw the expansions of both IMPACT and REACH programming to 10 of 10 states, spanning the refugee, IDP and development responses, and covering diverse activities such as cross-border port monitoring, assessments of hard to reach areas, flood mapping and vulnerability analysis, market monitoring and supply chain analysis, analysis of tensions and conflicts over access to natural resources, and third party monitoring of humanitarian and development programming. In 2019, REACH expanded its role within the technical space, increasing involvement in Integrated Phase Classification (IPC), Needs Analysis Working Group, UN technical agencies, and academics. In response, REACH has also expanded into multiple new research cycle streams outside of its traditional Area of Knowledge approach – including sector specific, population movement, and AAP research.
Broadly, REACH South Sudan implements assessments across three core units:
· Monitoring of the humanitarian situation (HSM) in South Sudan, through monthly Area of Knowledge (AoK) assessments covering over 2,000 settlements in South Sudan, conducting an annual representative Multi Sector Needs Assessment to provide a snapshot of needs, and ad hoc rapid assessments in times of sudden escalations in conflict or natural disasters.
· Monitoring population movement trends in South Sudan, including tracking and analyzing large- scale displacement, returns and seasonal movements, through port and road monitoring, ad-hoc assessments, and a population movement baseline; assessing the perceptions of affected populations of the humanitarian response; engaging with the protection cluster in identifying and filling major information gaps; and mainstreaming a context sensitive approach within REACH South Sudan.
· Providing direct technical support to humanitarian clusters through active engagement with coordination bodies, dedicated assessments and information products, and strategic engagement to promote innovative methods towards understanding sector-related needs in South Sudan.
REACH South Sudan is seeking a Senior Assessment Officer (SAO) to serve as the focal point for the Population Movement pillar within the PMP unit, which aims to inform the wider humanitarian response with
relevant information on and analysis of displacement, mobility restrictions, and returns pertaining to South Sudan. In this role, with the support of the Population Movement Assessment Officer (AO), the SAO will be responsible for overseeing all work streams under the population movement pillar, including ad hoc displacement assessments, quarterly population movement factsheets, ongoing movement tracking and a trial early warning system for severe displacement, and flow/“Port and Road” monitoring at select locations. They will also be responsible for some elements of the PMP Unit’s pilot durable solutions work stream, including anArea-based Assessment (ABA) in a location of high returns. The SAO will work under the PMP Unit Research Manager (RM), and will manage the Population Movement AO.
1. Work streams
The Senior Assessment Officer is responsible for the following work streams under the Population Movement Pillar. This entails responsibility for each stage of the research cycle and timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT HQ.
· Port and Road Monitoring (PRM). The SAO will serve as focal point for the PRM work stream, including adjusting PRM tool as necessary and carrying out monthly review and coordination tasks or overseeing the Population Movement AO in doing so.
· The Population Movement Baseline (PMB). As focal point of the PMB, the SAO will review PMB updates on a monthly basis and coordinates with the Emergency Sectors Unit to feed monthly PMB data into the Shocks Monitoring Index (SMI).
· The Major Displacement Proxy Early Warning Mechanism (EWM). As the PMP unit focal point for the EWM, the SAO will conduct monthly analysis and dissemination of “alert counties” at risk of major displacement.
· Area Based Assessments (ABAs). The SAO will be the focal point of the pilot ABA work stream in the PMP unit. Under the supervision of the PMP Research Manager, one ABA will be conducted using a mixed-methods approach in a location experiencing high numbers of returns (by June end 2022).
The SAO will also oversee the following work streams of which the Population Movement AO is focal point:
· The Population Movement Factsheet (quarterly)
· The Reported Movement Tracker or the RMT (to be reviewed quarterly at a minimum)
In addition, the SAO will also conduct or participate in ad hoc field assessments on displacement and mobility restriction to address information gaps relevant to response priorities, including at minimum 1 field assessment by March 2022. This includes research design, logistical planning, data collection and analysis, information product development and product dissemination.
The SAO will serve as focal point for understanding of major population movement and displacement trends, dynamics, and best practices for analysis with the REACH mission in South Sudan. This includes:
· Consultation on displacement triggers, indicators, dynamics, and best practices for other REACH work streams, including the Early Rapid Response Mechanism and the Needs Analysis Working Group.
· Monitoring of trends in displacement and response-relevant population movement across South Sudan, including ad hoc information gathering on emerging trends.
The SAO will represent the REACH mission in South Sudan in relation to population movement and displacement issues to identify information gaps relating to displacement and work with external actors to fill these gaps. This will include maintaining external engagement with:
· Intersecting clusters such as CCCM, including attendance of monthly and ad hoc CCCM meetings, and possible engagement with other intersecting entities such as the Housing, Land, and Property Technical Working Group and the Protection Cluster.
· Key population movement partners such as IOM-DTM.
The SAO will also work closely with the PMP RM to support Durable Solutions actors methodologically along with data and analysis for advocacy purposes.
The SAO will act as line manager for the Population Movement AO, including maintaining appropriate level of oversight and AO capacity-building, conducting appraisals, and conducting regular check-ins on progress against intended outcomes.
The SAO will support the PMP Research Manager in the development or revision of unit/work stream strategies, reports; with project development (including proposals and donor reporting) and with other tasks falling within their functions as requested.
· A good sense of humour about bugs and bucket showers required;
· Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline (international studies, development, humanitarian response, political science, monitoring and evaluation, etc.);
· At least 3 years’ experience working in humanitarian settings required;
· Technical knowledge of or experience in areas related to displacement/forced migration, durable solutions, etc. highly desirable;
· Excellent analytical skills, including experience with both qualitative and quantitative analysis, required;
· Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting required;
· Previous experience with InDesign and/or Illustrator an asset;
· Ability to implement qualitative assessments remotely or in field settings required;
· Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility required;
· Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
· Proven knowledge of Microsoft Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint, required;
· Experience with SPSS an asset;
· Fluency in English required;
· High level of autonomy and willingness to spend time in deep field locations away from IMPACT/ ACTED support required;
· Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles required; and,
· Ability to work independently required.
· Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
· Additional monthly living allowance
· Free lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
· Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package
Kindly submit to the following link: REACH Senior Assessment Officer (Population Movement) | Impact (impact-initiatives.org)
In case you encounter challenges using the application form, please contact us via jobs@impact-initiatives.org
Tagged as: Impact Initiatives, South Sudan
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