Country: Bangladesh
Closing date: 18 May 2018
Title: REACH Assessment Officer
Supervisor: REACH Senior Assessment Officer
Location: Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh
Contract duration: 6 months (renewable)
Start date: ASAP
Background on IMPACT and REACH
IMPACT Initiatives is humanitarian think tank, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote-sensing.
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
Since 25 August 2017, more than half a million Rohingya have fled conflict in Myanmar across the border to Bangladesh. The majority have settled in makeshift settlements and spontaneous sites, in self-built shelters established primarily with bamboo and tarpaulin bought upon arrival. The speed and scale of displacement, continued movement of people within the area, and lack of vehicular access to much of the population has resulted in an extremely challenging response and significant information gaps on the humanitarian situation of refugees in these sites.
In mid-September, REACH deployed to Bangladesh in support of the Global WASH Cluster to map shelters and infrastructure in the makeshift settlements and spontaneous sites. Sites are spread across the forested hills of Cox’s Bazar district, ranging from populations of 20-30,000 to the largest site of over 310,000 people in a contiguous area. REACH has established a team of enumerators to complete infrastructure mapping, with a particular focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in all spontaneous sites and makeshift settlements in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district. REACH has furthered developed programming in household-level assessments of camp residents, community level mapping and exercises in population estimates. In 2018 REACH supported camp risk analysis to prepare for the monsoon season (May to September with heavy rain June-July). In close collaboration with the Inter Sector Coordination Group and the Refugees, Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) REACH will support disaster risk reduction and emergency response coordination during the monsoon season by seconding information management expertise to Government led crisis cells that will be set up close to the main camps near Cox’s Bazaar.
Functions
Under the supervision of the REACH Senior Assessment Officer in Bangladesh and of IMPACT’s HQ in Geneva, the REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the management and implementation of REACH assessments, including theirs preparation, implementation and follow-up. He/she is also responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in country.
In his/her mission, the REACH Assessment Officer will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the responsibility of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates. S/he and will fully abide to ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations.
Responsibilities
The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for:
- In coordination with the REACH Senior Assessment Officer, design and implement REACH assessment strategy and research cycle;
- Ensuring that assessments are planned and implemented in a structured and coherent manner, in line with project and program objectives and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
- For each assessment, draft ToRs, ensure that they are approved by management (including Geneva HQ), understood and used by assessment staff and stakeholders, and updated as required;
- Management of REACH field enumerators to ensure an effective and timely implementation of related activities;
- In line with REACH’s guidelines, coordinate and ensure timely data collection, collation, analysis;
- In partnership with the GIS team ensure that relevant collected data is geo-referenced enabling the production of maps;
- Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, which comply with REACH’s guidelines;
- Keep track of all project and program assessment and research schedules;
- Ensure regular written reporting on assessment progress and participate in coordination meetings as instructed by supervisor; Ensure that delays or identified problems for specific assessments are reported by writing and orally in a timely manner;
- Under the supervision of REACH Senior Assessment Officer, ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle
- Supporting the development/revision of assessment / program strategies, reports or new proposals;
- In coordination with REACH Senior Assessment Officer, external representation of REACH with Partners and the wider Aid Community through clusters and sectoral working groups; Other tasks falling within REACH’s functions as requested by supervi
- Confidentiality
- The REACH Assessment Officer 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 REACH or collected during his/her assignment with REACH.
Requirements
- Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
- Excellent analytical skills;
- At least 1,5 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
- Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
- Excellent team management skills;
- Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
- Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
- Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
- Fluency in English required;
- Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software;
- Advanced skills in Excel, SPSS, R or related statistical programming;
- Ability to work independently.
Conditions
- Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
- Additional monthly living allowance
- Free food and 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
How to apply:
Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV and three references to jobs@impact-initiatives.org
Ref: 18/BDG/AO01
Please indicate the above reference code in the subject line of your email.
For more information, visit us at http://www.impact-initiatives.org