South Sudan: Reach Assessment Officer - Food Security and Livelihoods

Apr 15, 2019 | IMPACT Initiative
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REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations 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. 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 and GIS. 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, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a REACH Assessment Officer to support our REACH team in South Sudan.

Department: REACH

Position: REACH Assessment Officer

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Juba, South Sudan but with minimum 25% of the time in field and deep field settings

Starting Date: ASAP

COUNTRY PROFILE

IMPACT, through its own activities, or 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.

2018 has seen the expansions of both IMPACT and REACH programming to 10 out 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.

Project:

The FSL Assessment Officer will be responsible for continued development and maintenance of the Integrated Needs Tracking (INT) system, a multi-sectoral information management and analytical framework developed by REACH with technical input from multiple agencies and clusters, and the Shocks Monitoring Index. In addition, the FSL Assessment Officer will be responsible for analysing REACH FSL data and collaborate with FSL partners on standardized tool development and analysis. This will be used to inform the prioritization and understanding of the food security situation in South Sudan, specifically ensuring regular and reliable data is fed into the IPC process in-country. When requested by the Needs Analysis Working Group (NAWG), the assessment officer will be expected to conduct rapid assessment in priority “hot spot” food security areas. Further the assessment officer will be expected to conduct trainings on assessment methodology and ODK mobile phone data collection to FSL cluster partners.

POSITION PROFILE

Functions

Under the supervision of, and in close coordination with, the assessment manager for the FSL, WASH, Health and Nutrition Unit, IMPACT Country Coordinator and IMPACT HQ in Geneva, the REACH FSL Assessment Officer will be responsible for the management and implementation of South-Sudan wide food security analysis using the REACH Area of Knowledge data collected on a monthly basis. He/she will be responsible for the implementation and completion of the Integrated Needs Tracks system and Shocks Monitoring Index. Moreover, he/she will be responsible for the implementation and completion of all REACH activities requested by the NAWG, including designing, planning, data collection and analysis of rapid food security assessments. He/She will be responsible for engaging with cluster partners, assisting in FSL related tool design, and provide technical support in validating and analysing FSL data during the IPC. He/she will also be 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 and region.

Summary

The REACH FSL Assessment Officer shall be responsible for:

  • Under the guidance of the assessment manager for the FSL, WASH, Nutrition, and health unit, compile and analyse available REACH data related to food security to produce countrywide food security situation
  • In collaboration with the REACH GIS officer, continued development, implementation and dissemination of the Integrated Needs Tracking system, including engaging with technical experts for feedback.
  • Development and implementation of the Shocks Monitoring Index.
  • Actively advocate for the establishment of a community of practice around common methodologies, tools and analysis.
  • Actively participate in regular FSL cluster and FSL Analysis working group meetings.
  • Responsible for food security rapid assessments - including assessment design and execution, mobile data collection, and IM best-practices - which focus on building FSL partner capacity to fill information gaps for IPC analysis.
  • Working in close collaboration with South Sudan Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System partners in the design, implementation, data cleaning and analysis survey.
  • Engage and provide technical support during IPC workshops, including training, planning and preparing REACH teams for the workshop.
  • Provide technical backstop for other REACH Assessment officers regarding correct FSL terminology and analysis.
  • Ensuring that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives
  • Coordinate logistical aspects of assessments with partner organisations; manage and direct data collection teams in the field
  • Provide oversight of data analysis and reporting from the collaborative assessments
  • Ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets from collaborative assessments
  • Work to ensure the harmonisation of FSL-related indicators between the FSL Cluster common tool and other critical, nation-wide assessments (REACH AoK, IOM VAS, ICWG IRNA, FSNMS, SMART).
  • Supporting the development/revision of assessment / programme strategies, reports or new proposals;
  • In coordination with the Country Coordinator external representation of REACH with Donors, Partners and the wider Aid Community through clusters and sectoral working groups;
  • Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to IMPACT Headquarters.

REQUIREMENTS

  • A good sense of humour about bugs and bucket showers required;
  • Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
  • Excellent analytical skills;
  • At least 2 years’ experience working in humanitarian settings required;
  • At least 6 months’ experience leading FSL related assessment required;
  • Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
  • Excellent team management skills;
  • Ability to implement multi-sectoral assessments, both qualitative and quantitative.
  • Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
  • Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
  • Familiarity with early warning systems
  • Familiarity with the IPC – level 1 certification an asset
  • Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
  • Fluency in English required;
  • Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software;
  • Ability to operate SPSS, related statistical programming required
  • Ability to operate R is an asset
  • Ability to operate GIS is an asset;
  • High level of autonomy and willingness to spend time in deep field locations during rapid assessments away from IMPACT/ ACTED support;
  • 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