Aspirations Project
Position: Research Associate
Location: Homabay, Kenya
Deadline to Apply: 7th June 2015
Start Date: 19th June 2015
About Innovations for Poverty Action: 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 -- IPA designs and evaluates 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
About the Job: IPA
Kenya seeks qualified applicants for the position of Research Associate for an
evaluation of a behavioral intervention geared towards increasing self-efficacy
among the poor
The project will begin in mid-June
2015 and its activities will take place in Western Kenya.
About the Project: Development
assistance tends to focus on the ‘external’ constraints that poor people face,
while largely ignoring ‘internal’ ones.
However, social psychology suggests
that poor people’s sense of self-efficacy and control may be beaten down by the
nature of living in poverty, limiting the options they consider.
The project aims to do a randomized
controlled trial to examine the combined effect of lifting external and
internal constraints simultaneously, providing a cash transfer and an
intervention to boost poor people’s sense of self-efficacy and alter their
understanding of their opportunities, encouraging poor people to set and pursue
their own goals without directing their choices.
The research will test if a brief,
standardized psychological intervention can alter psychological outcomes and
future-oriented behaviors in a developing country and examine if such
interventions can enhance the already-known benefits of cash transfers
Responsibilities:
- Manage multiple project data collection
activities, including baseline, midline, and endline surveys of households
- Manage implementation of a large scale
behavioral intervention.
- Develop and pilot survey instruments
- Design forms for electronic data collection
(using SurveyCTO) and manage survey data
- Train and manage teams to conduct surveys
- Ensure all aspects of data quality and assist
with data cleaning and preliminary analysis
- Manage logistics for new pilot activities
- Manage project budget, including tracking
project expenses and adherence to the project budget
- Work closely with principal investigators and
the local partners to ensure study protocols are followed
- Assist with donor reporting and proposal
writing
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree
preferred
- Excellent verbal and written communication
skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and
external customers
- Excellent computer proficiency (MS Office –
Word, Excel and Outlook)
- Must be able to work under pressure and meet
deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary
customer service
- Ability to work independently and to carry out
assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given,
prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices
- Basic Stata skills preferred.
- Luo speakers preferred
Desired Qualifications:
- Ability to safely and successfully perform the
essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal,
state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or
quantitative productivity standards.
- Ability to maintain regular, punctual
attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and
local standards
- Must be able to talk, listen and speak clearly
on telephone
To Apply:
Please send a cover letter, CV, 3
references, daytime phone number(s), and email address.
Your CV should include your scores or
grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any
relevant work experience.
Applications can be submitted to any of our branch offices, or by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, if you submit by email, please ensure that the subject line reads: “RESEARCH ASSOCIATE.” REF NO: ASPIRATIONS-2015-05-01.
Only short-listed 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. 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.
