Research Manager, based in Yaoundé, Cameroon at IMPACT Initiatives

IMPACT INITIATIVES

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, REACH, AGORA and PANDA. The IMPACT team is made up of specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT is a sister organization of ACTED, an international NGO headquartered in Paris and present in around thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, allowing IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its areas of intervention.

COUNTRY PROFILE

Cameroon is facing 3 complex and simultaneous humanitarian crises: (i) in the far north of the country (near Lake Chad and Nigeria), (ii) in the north-west and south-west regions (where armed groups oppose the government), and (iii) in the neighboring Central African Republic. Violence and insecurity have uprooted thousands of people. Cameroon now hosts more than 502,000 refugees and asylum seekers. These three humanitarian crises also affect host communities in Cameroon, who must share their already limited resources and shaken basic services with the displaced people. In this context, IMPACT Initiatives plans to open its office to support the humanitarian community with assessments such as the Multi-Sector Needs Assessment, and the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative.

Mission

We are currently looking for a research manager in Cameroon.

Title: Research Manager

Contract duration : 12 months

Place of work : Yaoundé

Contract start date : February 15, 2024, or as soon as possible

JOB PROFILE

Under the supervision of the Country Coordinator, the research manager will be responsible for the implementation of the programs, as well as the HR management of the members of the unit under his or her responsibility. In addition, the research manager will participate in the development of the strategy of the research unit, and therefore will take full part in the senior management team (SMT) of the IMPACT Cameroon mission. The ideal candidate will be keen to work in a dynamic organization, with the opportunity to develop skills in data analysis and external coordination. Strategic and technical support will be provided by the IMPACT Country Representative, the Deputy Country Coordinator and the IMPACT team at headquarters in Geneva.

FUNCTIONS

The research manager will be assigned to the following tasks:

Management of research cycles

Planning and preparing for assessments:

Ensure that all planned evaluations are done in line with programmatic objectives and following IMPACT guidelines for research cycle development;
Ensure that secondary data analysis is carried out in preparation for the evaluations;
For each evaluation, review the research terms of reference (ToRs) before sending them to Geneva for validation, and ensure that these ToRs are validated by headquarters before the start of data collections;
Ensure that the ToRs are understood and used by evaluation teams and relevant partners, and updated as necessary; ensure the development, in close collaboration with the GIS and database teams, of qualitative or quantitative data collection tools; and ensure the involvement of these GIS and database teams in the evaluations;
Ensure that all relevant partners are involved in the development of research cycles.

Data collection and management

Supervise data collection exercises, ensuring the proper implementation of ToRs, any necessary SOPs and humanitarian and do no harm principles;
Ensure that the Country Representative and Deputy Country Coordinator is alerted of any problem preventing the proper conduct of data collection and methodologies in line with the ToRs; ensure that methodological adjustments are duly documented;
Ensure the proper implementation of logistics, finance, administrative, security and HR processes directly linked to IMPACT and in collaboration with ACTED support departments;
Ensure that regular updates on data collections are circulated to relevant internal focal points and external stakeholders. Provide support and monitoring of challenges identified during collections;
Ensure that all data collected is stored in line with the IMPACT data management guidelines, and in line with the ToRs. Ensure proper data review and cleaning process. Supervise the data analysis process in line with ToRs, following relevant and methodologically precise techniques;
Ensure head office validation of the cleaned databases and analysis before starting the output writing process;

Writing outputs

Maintain regular communication with IMPACT Headquarters on progress and deadlines for activity outputs;
Ensure the production of evaluation outputs that are fair and within the time limits initially set within the ToRs, and that comply with IMPACT’s guidelines and quality standards;
Ensure that all outputs produced are validated by IMPACT Headquarters before external dissemination; or in specific cases, ensure that you have received a temporary green light for restricted internal release.

Dissemination of outputs and internal evaluation

Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Coordinator, get involved in the dissemination of research outputs, through articles, IMPACT social media content, email campaigns, presentations, meetings, etc. in line with the ToRs and the IMPACT dissemination and external communication guidelines;
Under the supervision of IMPACT Headquarters, ensure that research outputs are published on all relevant online platforms, as specified in the ToRs;
Ensure that lessons learned for each research cycle are collected and duly documented;
Support the Deputy Country Coordinator and the Country Representative in the implementation of internal monitoring & evaluation exercises as specified in the ToRs and in line with the IMPACT guidelines.

HR management of the team

Hold regular meetings with the teams to check the progress made for each research cycle and to review schedules;
Bilateral HR management of international staff and national senior staff, including (with consultation of senior management) conducting performance evaluations to take part in the career management of these staff;
In coordination with senior management, conduct inductions for new team members; including training to ensure technical skills in research cycle development, and their implementation and analysis;
Support senior management in the development and implementation of training plans for members of the multi-sectoral unit, and members of the IMPACT team in general, in the capital and in the field;
When relevant, take part with senior management in the recruitment process for international staff.

External relations

In coordination with senior management, ensure that all relevant partners are consulted and included in all stages of the research cycles: cycle development, data collection, joint data analyses, review of outputs if planned, dissemination of outputs , and discussions on lessons learned; ensure that this involvement of partners is documented;
In coordination with senior management, present the results of research cycles to partners and external stakeholders, to ensure the use and impact of these activities;
Ensure positive, coherent and strategic communication with key partners and stakeholders, including national and international NGOs, civil society organizations, UN agencies, national agencies, local and national authorities, etc.; and that this communication is duly documented;
In coordination with senior management, represent IMPACT in external strategic and/or technical commitments in relation to the unit’s projects;
Support senior management in external engagements related to project development efforts, and in the management of ongoing grants.

Strategy development and implementation

In support of senior management, the REACH Research Manager will actively contribute to the development of the REACH strategy in Cameroon. In particular, he or she will support strategic development efforts:

On the needs for evaluations, in relation to the humanitarian context and the evolution of the response;
On synergies with other assessments and efforts implemented by humanitarian and key partners;
On strategic partnerships with key operational and/or decision-making partners/actors;
On key events and processes that should be informed by IMPACT assessments;
On advocacy and dissemination and external communication strategies to strengthen the impact of IMPACT activities;
On engagement with IMPACT Headquarters on overall strategic priorities.
Other tasks as requested and jointly discussed with line managers.

CONFIDENTIALITE

The research manager must maintain the highest level of confidentiality of data collected in the field and ensure adherence to global personal data protection processes. She or he will ensure that mechanisms are implemented to avoid unauthorized sharing of information collected during their mission in collaboration with the data management team at headquarters.

ACCOUNTABILITY TOWARDS COMMUNITIES AND BENEFICIARIES

The Research Manager, like any other IMPACT staff member, is responsible for ensuring that relationships with the communities in which IMPACT and its partners work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Particular attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are properly consulted and informed of the objectives, activities, and methodologies of IMPACT projects.

Profile

PROFILE

Excellent academic qualifications, Masters level in Political Science, International Relations, Statistics or other relevant subjects;
At least 3 to 4 years of relevant professional experience in the humanitarian or development sector in research, information management or monitoring and evaluation;
Experience working on multi-stakeholder projects, with a high external engagement component;
Experience with MEAL and/or TPM will be a strong asset;
Excellent analytical and synthesis skills;
Excellent communication and writing skills for product writing;
Required team management, coordination, organizational and planning skills, including an ability to manage a large workload, supervise teams in other regions or bases and meet deadlines effectively, thanks to an excellent ability to multitask and establish priorities;
Ability to operate in a multicultural environment;
Flexibility regarding the role and nature of the work which can evolve depending on the context;
Perfect command of French, English an asset, knowledge of a local language;
Ability to take ownership of assigned tasks and demonstrate dynamic team spirit;
Familiarity with statistical analysis tools such as R, SPSS, STATA, or GIS and graphics software such as InDesign an asset;
Experience in managing assessments and teams in a crisis context and field experience in countries affected by crises desired.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

For this position, the salary is between 3,120 CHF and 3,240 CHF per month (before income tax), etc. as well as a monthly subsistence allowance of USD 300.
- NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary scale based on the grade of the position and the level of education of the staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied to account for the fact that some staff must work in difficult locations where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
Accommodation and food in a guest house. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country
Membership in a Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approximately 9.975% of gross staff salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
On a case-by-case basis, accompanied person status and corresponding benefits may apply (health insurance and plane tickets for dependents, study allowance for children)
Airfare every 6 months and visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and business expenses are fully covered)
Contribution to baggage transport: between 20 and 100 kg, depending on the duration of the contract (+ baggage and personal property insurance)
Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Leave for family or compassionate reasons, if applicable.
Pre-departure induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives headquarters in Geneva + one week of pre-departure training at ACTED headquarters in Paris, including 4 days on-site security training;
Registration in the IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Program within the first 3 months following the start of the contract.
IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among other things, up to €1000 per year in psychosocial counseling costs.