WASH Benefits Project
Position: Field Manager for Information Technology (IT) and Electronic Surveying
Start Date: February
2015
Location: Kakamega
/ Bungoma; with flexibility to travel within Western Province
About Innovations for Poverty Action
(IPA): Innovations for Poverty Action
(IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting
effective solutions to global poverty problems.
In close partnership with decision
makers - the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with
the poor around the world - we design and evaluate potential solutions to
poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation
method available.
We also mobilize and support these
decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs and policies at
scale.
IPA’s WASH Benefits Project is a five
year study to evaluate the health benefits of sanitation, hygiene, household
water treatment and nutrition using a large-scale, randomized evaluation that
will take place in Western Province.
We are currently seeking a Field
Manager to manage all IT-related aspects of the WASH Benefits project,
primarily focusing on computer-assisted interviewing (CAI) for field
surveys.
Other relevant project components
include: hardware and software support for digital data collection in the
field, database architecture and maintenance, and SMS communication and
surveying with study promoters and participants.
The position will be based in
Kakamega, but will require frequent travel to project offices in Bungoma and
accompaniment of field survey teams into some rural areas.
The PM will work closely with the
WASH Benefits management team, including Research Associates and
Managers.
The PM will also periodically work or
coordinate with the IPA-Kenya headquarters’ IT and Data personnel.
Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities:
Computer and Technical Support:
- Provide help and advice to other staff on
using computer software or equipment
- Support project in technical aspects such as
data storage and internet performance and capacity
- Serve as primary liaison between WASH Benefits
staff and IPA IT support personnel in Kisumu, Nairobi and New Haven, USA
as well as any IT or programming consultants retained by the project
- Liaise with IPA IT support personnel and external
consultants as needed to procure hardware and repairs.
- Provide data base management support and
information security measures to protect data and computer network.
- Provide general technical support and
troubleshooting assistance for the WASH management team
- Maintain and backup servers across two offices
- Research and make recommendations on any
computer-related project purchases
- Help with trainings in project offices related
to computer skills and programs
- Coordinate with IPAK Information Technology and
Data personnel in the headquarters on IPAK guidelines and procedures that
may relate to WASH Benefits IT systems and inform IPAK as needed about new
IT activities
Survey Support:
- Compile and maintain documentation for all
programming and electronic surveying activities
- Contribute to survey programming, testing, and
debugging in ODK - SurveyCTO
- Liaise with IPA support personnel to format
and/or create hard disk image for hardware devices to maximize survey
capabilities and efficiency
- Assist in development of manual and trainings
for proper hardware usage and maintenance
- Train field survey staff in proper use of
survey devices and software and provide survey teams with ongoing feedback
- Assist with organization of data quality
checks
- Organize and streamline the process of
retrieving data from collection devices, storing in a secure database, and
facilitating upload into STATA analysis software
- Provide technical support and troubleshoot any
hardware or software issues arising in the course of digital data collection
Database Management
- Set up and maintain an organized, efficient,
and secure database for project data including programmatic
(implementation) data
- Ensure proper encryption and storage
procedures are followed with regard to all personal identifying data
- Help coordinate consistent database design,
maintenance, and access issues with project coordinators.
Required Qualifications and
Experience:
- At least two years of IT experience in an
office or field office setting
- Diploma in a relevant field such as Information
Technology
- Experience in programming using Survey CTO
- Excellent management, organizational, critical
thinking, attention to detail and interpersonal skills
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to work in a
team managing multiple tasks and meet deadlines efficiently
- Demonstrated proficiency using excel and other
MS Office applications
- Strong written and oral communication skills
and complete fluency in English is required.
Desired Qualifications and
Experience:
- Degree in a relevant field such as Information
Technology
- Experience in managing servers in an office or
field office setting
- Proficiency in other softwares such as MS
Access or Stata
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials
- Knowledge of statistics
To Apply: Please
send a cover letter and detailed CV including daytime phone number, email
address, and 3 professional references.
Your CV should include your scores or
grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any
relevant work experience.
Applications must be submitted by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, please ensure that the subject line reads: “FIELD MANAGER-IT REF NO: REF NO: WASH B-2015-01-03.
Deadline to Apply: February
28th 2015
WASH Benefits Project
Position: Research Associate - Data Management
Start Date: As soon as possible
Start Date: As soon as possible
Location: Western Kenya
Eligibility: This position is open to all applicants
About Innovations for Poverty Action
(IPA): Innovations for Poverty Action
(IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting
effective solutions to global poverty problems.
In close partnership with decision
makers - the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with
the poor around the world - we design and evaluate potential solutions to
poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation
method available.
We also mobilize and
support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs
and policies at scale.
The Research Associate- Data Management under the general supervision of Senior Research Associate- Data Management and within the limits of Innovations for Poverty Action-Kenya policies and procedures coordinates the facilitation of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Benefits activities and functions within IPAK.
Below is a list of some of the
general duties and responsibilities of the Data Management Research Associate,
to be carried out as needed according to the determination of the Senior
Research Associate- Data Management and the Research Manager.
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Research Associate- Data
Management for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Benefits
Project.
Currently in the midst of a five-year
study, WASH Benefits is collecting rigorous evidence on the health impacts of
improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices, alongside improved nutrition
in rural Kenya.
Low-cost technologies and behavior
change communications strategies are being implemented to promote drinking
water treatment, good sanitation practices, handwashing with soap and improved
nutrition.
The position offers an opportunity to
gain on-the-ground data management experience as part of a high-profile water,
sanitation, hygiene, and child health impact evaluation project.
This position is located in Western
Kenya, and the principal investigators (PIs) are Clair Null and Michael Kremer.
Responsibilities:
The Research Associate- Data
Management will work closely with senior project management to support and
supervise a variety of tasks across two offices (Kakamega and Bungoma)
including, but not limited to:
- Develop and supervise implementation of
systems to manage data related to evaluation, laboratory, and
implementation aspects of the project (both hardware and software),
including: supporting the development and modification of standard
operating procedures (SOPs), process documentation and tracking systems
- Supervise Programming Project Manager and data
entry clerks
- Assist with improving and modifying electronic
data collection instruments
- Compile periodic reports on the progress of
data collection activities study wide
- Supervise hiring and training of data-entry
clerks in both offices and manage the prioritization and allocation of
data-entry tasks
- Support evaluation, laboratory, and
implementation aspects of the project with form development and template
design, and ensure compliance with variable-naming and data-formatting
standards
- Develop procedures for data management and
quality assurance including: daily data downloads, data encryption and
back-up, weekly processing/compiling/cleaning of raw data, transfer of
data between project activities, storage and protection of hard-copy data,
staff productivity, and survey back-checks
- Design guidelines for compiling and reporting
results and recommendations of staff productivity to field staff and HR
- Support the Research Manager in coordinating
data tracking systems for human subjects and data safety monitoring
compliance
- Provide mentorship to all staff involved in
data collection activities (across all aspects of the study), including
contributing to trainings; closely coordinate with other project
associates and staff across offices
- Support the Research Manager in HR oversight
process and provide recommendations to management on all aspects of HR for
the data management team
- The DM PA will be required to occasionally
travel between the two offices as part of his/her responsibilities
The WASH Benefits project will be
spread over a relatively large geographic area, so willingness to travel and
ability to manage across project sites is essential.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
- Excellent Stata programming skills
- Advanced proficiency with Excel
- Experience with CSPro
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in a
quantitative social science, engineering or related field
- Minimum of two years of experience in
quantitative/qualitative research methods and data management, preferably
with large (many observations and many variables) and/or complex datasets
(many inter-related variables)
- Excellent written and oral communication
skills and complete fluency in English
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, enjoys
working with data
- Excellent management, critical thinking and
interpersonal skills
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage
multiple tasks efficiently, and team player
Desired Qualifications and
Experience:
- Proficiency in other computer programming
languages (SQL, Blaise, Java, etc.)
- Experience with relational databases
- GIS data management and analysis skills
- Experience working on WASH and/or nutrition
issues in developing countries (particularly sub-Saharan Africa)
- Swahili language skills
- Knowledge of statistics
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials
We are looking for a commitment
period of 1 year for this position with the possibility to extend.
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter and
detailed CV including daytime phone number, email address, and 3 professional
references.
Your CV should include your scores or
grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any
relevant work experience.
Applications must be submitted by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, please ensure that the subject line reads: “RESEARCH ASSOCIATE-DATA MANAGEMENT REF NO: REF NO: WASH B-2015-02-01.
Deadline to Apply: 28th
February 2015
WASH Benefits Project
Position: Research Associate - Study Respondent Retention
Start Date: As soon as possible
Start Date: As soon as possible
Location: Western Kenya
Eligibility: This position is open to all applicants
About Innovations for Poverty Action
(IPA): Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a
non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting effective
solutions to global poverty problems.
In close partnership with decision
makers - the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with
the poor around the world - we design and evaluate potential solutions to
poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation
method available.
We also mobilize and
support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs
and policies at scale.
The Research Associate- Study
Respondent Retention under the general supervision of the Implementation
Manager and within the limits of Innovations for Poverty Action-Kenya policies
and procedures, coordinates the facilitation of assigned Water, Sanitation
& Hygiene (WASH) Benefits project activities and functions within
IPAK.
Below is a list of some of the
general duties and responsibilities of the Research Associate- Study Respondent
Retention, to be carried out as needed according to the determination of the
Implementation Manager and the Research Manager.
Depending on the qualifications of
the accepted applicant, the position offered could be for a Senior Research
Associate.
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Research Associate - Study Respondent Retention for the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Benefits Project. Currently in the midst of a five-year study, WASH Benefits is collecting rigorous evidence on the health impacts of improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices, alongside improved nutrition in rural Kenya.
Low-cost technologies and behavior
change communications strategies are being implemented to promote drinking
water treatment, good sanitation practices, handwashing with soap and improved
nutrition. Study respondent retention and tracking is of paramount importance
for data collection and quality.
The position offers an opportunity to
gain on-the-ground data collection and management experience as part of a
high-profile water, sanitation, hygiene, and child health impact evaluation
project.
The Study Respondent Retention RA
will work with several WASH Benefits teams to maximize efficiency in tracking,
maintaining contact and carrying out data collection activities with study
respondents who are no longer in the villages in which they were originally
enrolled.
This position is located in Western
Kenya, and the principal investigators (PIs) are Clair Null and Michael Kremer.
Responsibilities: The
Research Associate- Student Respondent Retention will work closely with senior
project management to support and supervise a variety of tasks across two
offices (Kakamega and Bungoma) and remote locations including, but not limited
to:
- Analyzing data to determine most
cost-effective use of resources to boost sample size and reduce bias due
to attrition and migration of study respondents
- Developing protocols for locating respondents
and subsequent data collection, including coming up with the most
cost-effective methods for assigning field staff to respondents
- Liaising with the data management team to
develop procedures for managing data flow so that data collected during
tracking visits can be integrated with the main WASH Benefits dataset
- Lead in developing, improving and modifying
and complex electronic data collection instruments in SurveyCTO
- In consultation with the Implementation
Manager, developing necessary policies to govern field staff who work
remotely
- Hiring, training, and managing the field teams
that will conduct the tracking visits.
- Supervise one Project Manager, field staff,
and data entry clerks
- Compile periodic reports on the progress of
data collection activities with respondents who have left their study
village
- Support the Research Manager in coordinating
data tracking systems for human subjects and data safety monitoring
compliance
- Provide mentorship to all staff involved in
data collection activities (across all aspects of the study), including
contributing to trainings; closely coordinate with other project
associates and staff across offices
- Any other tasks assigned related to the WASH
Benefits project
The WASH Benefits project will be
spread over a relatively large geographic area, so willingness to travel and
ability to manage across project sites is essential.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
- Advanced proficiency with Excel
- A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in a
quantitative social science, engineering or related field
- Minimum of two years of experience in with an
emphasis on complex logistical planning, field team management and data
management
- Excellent written and oral communication
skills and complete fluency in English
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, enjoys
working with data and people
- Excellent management, critical thinking and
interpersonal skills
- Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage
multiple tasks efficiently, and team player
Desired Qualifications and
Experience:
- Stata programming skills
- Experience with creating data collection tools
in SurveyCTO, Open Data Kit (ODK) or similar software
- Experience with relational databases
- GIS data management and analysis skills
- Experience working on WASH and/or nutrition
issues in developing countries (particularly sub-Saharan Africa)
- Swahili language skills
- Knowledge of statistics
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials
We are looking for a commitment
period of 1 year for this position with the possibility to extend.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter and detailed CV including daytime phone number, email address, and 3 professional references.
Your CV should include your scores or
grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any
relevant work experience.
Applications must be submitted by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, please ensure that the subject line reads: “RESEARCH ASSOCIATE- STUDY RESPONDENT RETENTION REF NO: REF NO: WASH B-2015-02-02.
Deadline to Apply: 28th February 2015
Shortlisted candidates will be
contacted by email for an interview.
Applicants are encouraged to apply
early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Research Associate _ Study Respondent Retention. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org.