Job Title: Research Coordinator
Hiring Organization: Mercy
Corps
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full
Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 05/01/2024
Mercy Corps’ Sudan crisis response seeks to meet the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Sudanese and other conflict-affected people across the country. Mercy Corps Sudan is recognized as a leader in market systems, agricultural, and food security and building on this experience, the MC Sudan humanitarian program will layer in resilience and other program activities where appropriate and feasible to do so. Assistance is delivered with a focus on needs, in partnership with local actors and civil society.
The Program / Department / Team
The Cash Consortium of Sudan (CCS) is a collaborative platform to advance a progressive vision of the potential of cash assistance to transform humanitarian response and recovery in partnership with vulnerable conflict-affected populations. CCS is led by Mercy Corps, building on its global experience and learning on leading cash consortia in multiple country contexts, as well as general expertise in cash coordination and breadth of technical resources. International partners include Acted, CARE, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), each of which bring strong cash and complementary technical competencies, as well as expansive operational coverage in Sudan. The CCS also includes nine Sudanese NGOs as partners in alignment with global aid sector commitments to enhance the prominence of local actors in driving humanitarian response and recovery. IMPACT is a non-implementing partner dedicated to Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning. IMPACT will support quality data systems and an objective evidence base that will be essential to CCS’ accountability and adaptive management to refine programming approaches to enhance impact as the Sudan crisis context evolves. The CCS will work closely with other consortia and actors in Sudan to deliver an effective CVA response for communities affected by the crisis.
The core pillars of the CCS response include: 1) basic needs through cash assistance both at the community level through Group Cash Transfers (GCTs) delivered to Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), as well as at the household-level through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA); 2) strengthening market systems to ensure resilience of key market actors and supply chains as well as strengthening the availability and affordability of key commodities; 3) strengthening capacity of local partner organizations with an emphasis on accompaniment and mentorship; and 4) generation of learning and evidence to inform broader response efforts.
The
Position
The
Research Coordinator is focused on increasing the impact of CCS programming
through research and learning. The Research Coordinator will work with the CCS
Secretariat, CCS partner technical leads and senior management to establish a
consortium-level Research & Learning Agenda – aimed at both informing
programming and supporting advocacy objectives – and with CCS teams to design
research methods and disseminate, implement and apply findings from research
and learning initiatives. The Research Coordinator will also work with regional
and global-level stakeholders as relevant to link Sudan objectives with
emergent themes in the regional and global discourse. The Research Coordinator
will coordinate with the CCS Director and Secretariat team to support strategic
representation of the partnership in key national and global coordination fora.
Essential
Job Functions
Applied
Research And Learning
- Develop
and maintain the CCS Research & Learning Agenda (inclusive of themes
that can be addressed both through ongoing program M&E data, ad hoc
exercises such as FGDs and KIIs, as well as other initiatives that might
require more intensive resources)
- Lead
on the design, planning, and implementation of in-house CCS research and
learning initiatives, and coordinate on-going and planned research
initiatives with CCS partners and third-party consultants.
- Identify
key topics for future research that are under-researched, and contribute
knowledge to the wider cash sector (for example as relates to use of Group
Cash Transfers, improving commitments to localization with cash
programming, strategic development of financial services in Sudan’s crisis
setting, potential linkages to existing social protection architecture,
etc).
- Produce
regular practitioner-oriented briefs on key takeaways from CCS program
data and research & learning initiatives.
- Facilitate
discussions with CCS Secretariat and partner team leads on how to
integrate learnings within program design for greater impact.
Representation
And Coordination
- With
the CCS Director, promote awareness of CCS programming and best practices
in all relevant forums.
- Maintain
good working relationships with key global cash actors including CaLP,
CCD, and high and level partners for cash financing. Develop relationships
with the IASC and global UN agencies to influence where cash sits globally
in coordination, with key donors, and key cash implementers. Identify
areas of collaboration and cooperation.
- Develop
strategic partnerships with local/national organisations, the private
sector, academic institutions, and other international organizations, in
order to strengthen research and advocacy initiatives, to test innovative
approaches, and replicate and scale successful models and methodologies.
Advocacy
- Present
research results through events (study launches, workshops), and advocacy
products including success stories, briefs and reports on effectiveness of
CCS programs.
- Partner
with CCS Policy & Advocacy Coordinator to ensure advocacy initiatives
are supported with strong evidence base.
Organizational
Learning
- As
part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our
understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient
and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to
commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as
well as themselves.
Accountability
To Beneficiaries
- Mercy
Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards
accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international
standards guiding international relief and development work, while
actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design,
monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Knowledge
and Experience
- BA/BS
or equivalent in international studies, economics, social science/research
or other relevant field; MA/S preferred
- 5-7
years of international relief and development research & learning
experience
- Strong
policy awareness regarding humanitarian aid and development landscape;
preference for past engagement with cash, markets and localization policy
agendas
- Combination
of direct and remote management experience preferred
- Demonstrated
ability to communicate effectively across multiple stakeholders
- Strong
interpersonal and communication skills with an ability to consistently
work with
- a
diverse range of stakeholders with tact and diplomacy.
- Demonstrated
flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving
- Experience
working with local authorities, national and international NGOs
- Flexible/willing
and able to adapt priorities in order to respond to changing demands,
including to shifts in organizational priorities.
- Effective
verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and
prioritization skills
- Excellent
oral and written English skills required, Arabic skills preferred
- Ability
to simplify complex concepts both verbally and orally in order to
influence others.
- Experience
in media and advocacy in I/NGOs desirable.
- Ability
to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive
environment.
