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 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 Data/R Officer to support our REACH team in Nigeria.
Position: Data & R Innovations Officer
Department: REACH
Contract duration: 6 months
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Starting Date: ASAP
COUNTRY PROFILE
In North East Nigeria (NEN), the ongoing crisis continues to have a profound impact on the population, leading to displacement both within and out of the region and high rates of unmet needs among internally displaced persons. The conflict additionally exacerbates prior unmet needs among non-displaced and host communities. While the primary driver of the conflict remains violent conflict, including ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa
Province), JAS (Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) and associated armed opposition groups (AOGs), other underlying factors, such as climate change, poverty, and disease outbreaks, exacerbate need and further complicate aid delivery.
Against the backdrop of this protracted crisis, UNOCHA estimates 7.1 million people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are in need of humanitarian assistance.[1] Major incidents at the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019, led to mass displacements and severely affected the provision of humanitarian assistance in the region.
According to the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix, more than 1.9 million people were displaced with an estimated 80% being women and children.[2] Currently, Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, hosts the largest proportion of IDPs (over 1.4 million).[3]
The sudden influx of arrivals added strain to the existing infrastructure of the humanitarian community, resulting in high rates of unmet needs, overcrowding in camps, and exposure to protection risks for vulnerable groups. The congestion status of the camps has resulted in over 60% of IDPs residing outside of camps within host communities, further complicating service delivery.[4] The intensity of needs within Maiduguri and the instability of the security situation in more remote regions has resulted in increased focus on populations in accessible areas; however, populations in the less accessible areas are presumed to have even greater needs.
As such, the needs for evidenced-based Humanitarian Aid and information on populations in both accessible and inaccessible areas is paramount to a coordinated response. REACH has been present in Nigeria since 2017, providing a growing evidence base for humanitarian response planning through sectoral, multi-sectoral and area-based assessments as well as information management services. In 2021, REACH is looking to continue to provide the humanitarian community with relevant and reliable information to strengthen strategic programming and needs-based targeting in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.
Broadly, REACH NIGERIA implements assessments across three core units:
- Inter-Sectoral needs analysis through 1) conducting an annual representative Multi Sector Needs Assessment in both Northeast and Northwest Nigeria to provide a snapshot of needs northeast and northwest of the country, and 2) monitoring of the humanitarian situation in inaccessible areas in Nigeria, through monthly assessments 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 in Nigeria, including doing area-based assessments in areas of return, intentions surveys and analyzing large-scale displacement, returns and seasonal movements as well as assessing the perceptions of affected populations on the humanitarian response in Nigeria.
- 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 Nigeria. **
POSITION PROFILE
The Data/R Innovations Officer would support across all three units and streams of work. More information on REACH’s work in Nigeria can be found here: https://www.reach-initiative.org/where-we-work/nigeria/.
Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the REACH Inter-Sectoral Unit Research Manager and IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator, the REACH Data/R Officer will be responsible for the design of data processes, the management of large sets of data, and primarily supporting of the Inter-Sectoral Unit with data-related tasks, including cleaning, analysis, reporting, and automating recurring tasks. This encompasses:
1) Designing Innovative Data Solutions
· Taking the lead on engaging creatively with new and existing data collection cycles to identify opportunities for innovation, improved data quality, and increased strategic engagement with data;
· Improving data quality by automating data checking and cleaning processes in R, including for large country-wide assessments;
· Automating recurrent data analysis processes to reduce the amount of time between data collection and the creation of information products;
· Designing products and technical processes to improve the use of and engagement with REACH data within the humanitarian response;
· Supporting the development of innovative frameworks for data analysis, such as early warning systems and methods for needs prioritisation, by providing technical expertise.
2) Assessment Support
· Supporting team members with designing and implementing assessment strategies and methodologies, including sampling frameworks, data analysis plans, data collection tools, and data quality checks;
· Ensuring the quality and accuracy of REACH data as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information;
· Managing the analysis of data in line with IMPACT’s guidelines;
· Designing and producing engaging information products, including dashboards, reports, and maps;
3) Technical Support
· Advising staff on IMPACT Initiative’s R based analysis packages, developed by IMPACT headquarters in Geneva;
· Working with staff to troubleshoot issues with existing scripts and data processes;
· Training staff on statistical analysis and programming;
· Pro-actively identifying data support needs across the mission and addressing them.
REQUIREMENTS
- Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Management Systems, Statistics, Mathematics, etc.) including Master’s level Statistics courses in R required;
- Strong analytical skills, including the ability to identify key trends and to situate findings in a wider context is required.
- Analyzing complex data with R required;
- Advanced understanding of database management required;
- Strong skills in Excel required;
- Experience with cleaning large datasets required;
- Experience conducting temporal or spatial trends analysis required;
- Good understanding of various sampling frameworks;
- Experience writing R packages an asset;
- Knowledge of other statistical programming languages and packages an asset;
- Experience with Geographic Information Systems (QGIS, ArcGIS) an asset;
- Experience with JavaScript an asset;
- Experience with Tableau an asset;
- Experience conducting data collection an asset;
- Ability to design and operate Kobo, ODK or similar mobile data collection tools an asset;
- A self-starter with a strong existing ability to work independently;
- Good attention to detail, and commitment to producing high quality work;
- Openness to feedback and willingness to learn;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
- Ability to operate in a cross-cultural and cross-country environment, requiring flexibility
- Flexibility and adaptability to ever-changing needs and responsibilities;
- A sense of humour with bugs and bucket showers required!
CONDITIONS
· Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
· Additional monthly living allowance
· Food allowance and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse
· Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
· Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package
How to apply
Kindly submit to the following link: REACH Data & R Officer | Impact (impact-initiatives.org)
In case you encounter challenges using the application form, please contact us via [email protected]
