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 organization 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 in its fields of intervention.

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 that is both global and local and adapted to each context. Their 3,300 staff is committed to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

We are currently looking for a REACH Assessment Officer

Department: REACH

Position: REACH Assessment Officer

Location: Somaliland/Somalia

Starting Date: April 2021

Country profile

REACH has been operational in Somalia/Somaliland since 2012, providing information management support to humanitarian actors in a complex environment through assessment capacity, GIS services, and support to Cluster IM practices. Projects have included tri-cluster assessments in support of the WASH, Shelter and Education Clusters, support to Food Security response analysis, and development of a Shelter Cluster M&E Framework.

In 2021 and beyond REACH Somalia/Somaliland is looking to expand information support to the humanitarian response in several key areas, including IDP settlement profiling, multi-cluster needs assessment, and improved remote data collection. Key strategic aims are to increase geographic and sectoral coverage and to enhance advocacy capacity through strengthened data collection and information targeting.

Position Profile

Under the supervision of the REACH Senior Assessment Officer (SAO), the REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the management and implementation of all REACH assessments in-country, including their preparation, implementation, and follow-up, if relevant. he will also be responsible for related logistics, partner coordination, and reporting, and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in the country and region.

The REACH Assessment Officer shall be responsible for:

Under the supervision of REACH SAO, the REACH Assessment Officer shall be responsible for:

• Provide information management (IM) support through in-depth data analysis, technical training development, macro development, IM platform management, and/or geo-referencing, when possible.
• Ensuring the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets with the integration of cluster and/or partner feedback;
• Manage project timeframes and assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures;
• Supporting the development/revision of assessment/program strategies, reports, or new proposals;
• Liaising with program staff of other ACTED departments to ensure close coordination is maintained;
• Under the supervision of REACH SAO, external representation of REACH in clusters and sectoral working groups;
• Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to REACH SAO;
• Managing of REACH assessment field staff to ensure a smooth and timely implementation of activities;
• Ensuring that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
• Coordinating and ensuring timely data collection, analysis and, in partnership with the GIS/DB team, mapping of datasets and ensuring that all collected data are geo-referenced

I. Reporting

• The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for supporting the consolidation of all analyses and conclusions from each activity into REACH products such as factsheets, profiles, reports, and briefs using standard formats. S/he will liaise with the REACH GIS/Database (DB) team in order to represent data, as relevant.
• The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. S/he must ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information. S/he will ensure that assessment reports contribute to aid coordination and planning and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organizations working in the areas.
• Manage the drafting of narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow-up.

II. Representation

• The REACH Assessment Officer will store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents, and best practices among ACTED and Implementing Partners (IPs). S/he will coordinate timely and accurate field-level information, when needed, and support Nairobi-level dissemination activities. The REACH Assessment Officer should be well-versed in the base context, project activities, and outcomes. More generally, the REACH Assessment Officer is expected to have well-developed communication skills to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values, and stand-point with regard to other actors
• Representation of ACTED/REACH in the cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in the country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings in other parts of the country. This specifically will include liaising with external partners to identify the potential for data sets to be integrated into existing databases and mapped to support the coordination of the broader humanitarian community.

III. Project Support and Coordination

• The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for contributing to the implementation of assessment projects, providing support to the development of assessment, database, and GIS tools with the REACH team. This will specifically include, with the GIS/DB team, designing of data collection tools (household surveys, focus groups, and more); development or review of databases, and; contributing to GIS data collection procedures.
• The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for supporting the design of the methodology and tools associated with each assessment, according to REACH requirements and principles. S/he will manage the planning, implementation, and follow-up of all REACH and projects specific assessment activities conducted in-country. In operations in which REACH is a project component of a wider ACTED intervention, the REACH Liaison Officer is required to contribute to the preparation and follow up of the Project Management Framework and ensure that activities are properly coordinated and implemented as per the Project Cycle Management.
• The REACH Assessment Officer may need to support logistics, financial, administrative, and HR processes directly related to REACH and liaise accordingly with the relevant ACTED counterpart. S/he is directly responsible for the implementation of proper ACTED FLAT procedures in all REACH interventions.
• The REACH Assessment Officer will ensure that all field teams are comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. S/he will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by REACH.

IV. Overall Coordination

• The REACH Assessment Officer may be required to provide technical support to the relevant ACTED department in terms of the preparation of new project proposals, development of program strategies, implementation of project activities, and any other required REACH input to ACTED projects for added-value.
• The REACH Assessment Officer is responsible for the timely and accurate preparation of narrative and financial reports related to REACH activities in-country through close liaison with the Project Development and Finance departments.

V. Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

• The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work in are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about ACTED program objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every ACTED staff member.

VI. To perform any other duties as requested.

Qualifications/Skills Required

• Excellent academic qualifications including a Master’s Degree in relevant Discipline
• 5 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian settings;
• Experience managing large data collection teams;
• Experience developing assessment methodology and analytical frameworks;
• 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
• Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel, and Data visualization and analysis software.
• Fluency in English required
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Ability to work independently