Data Research Associate
POSITION: Data
Research Associate (1 position) REPORTING TO:
Data Coordinator
START
DATE: 1st October
2021
LOCATION: Nairobi/Busia
DURATION: 1 Year
DEADLINE: 31st August
2021
ELIGIBILITY: Position
open to local Kenyan hires only
About Innovations for
Poverty Action:
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 — 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 Data Department:
The Data Department
supports IPA Kenya projects to collect, process and manage survey data. The
Data Department does this directly by programming computer-assisted interviews
(CAI), computer- assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), preparing data quality
checks using IPA’s Data Management System (DMS) and cleaning data. The
department further supports in training project staff to complete these tasks
themselves. At all times, the Data Department ensures compliance to the data
protection law by adhering to high standards of data security protocols and
management to ensure the proper handling of sensitive respondent information.
About the Position:
This position is
intended to support the data team, as a Data Associate, while also acting as a
roving Research Associate. Therefore, duties are more data-focused than a
typical Research Associate at IPA-Kenya, but the position will also require
skills in research oversight. Below is a list of some of the general duties and
responsibilities of the Data Research Associate, to be carried out as needed
according to the determination of the Data Coordinator.
Duties and
Responsibilities
Data management & survey programming
- Developing
data collection instruments for CAI using Survey CTO and Qualtrics for
surveys to be conducted in the field or over the phone (CATI), including
bench-testing
- In
collaboration with the project management teams, train teams on electronic
survey implementation observing the SurveyCTO best practices
- Design
and develop data quality assurance tools including back checks, high
frequency checks, and spot- checks, using STATA and SurveyCTO
- Use
STATA to process and clean data, prepare summary statistics, and assist in
preliminary analysis on well documented .do/.ado files
- Develop
and set up projects on the use of IPA’s Data Management System (DMS),
automating the projects’ data flow
- Ensure
all projects and staff comply with all policies and procedures related to
data protection
- Ensure
appropriate computer security on devices handling data using password
protection and encryption
- Design
smooth, functioning and timely data flow between various project
activities according to Standard Operating Procedures
- For
all areas of responsibility, contribute to the development of policies,
manuals and other documentation
Project management (in addition to data tasks listed above)
- Ethical
review boards and approvals
- Assist
with coordination of submissions for ethical approval and research permits
- Keep
up-to-date record of all approval letter and submission materials
- Obtain
any introduction and permission letters required for fieldwork
- Design
and outreach
- Develop
and maintain close relationships with partners
- Help
develop and revise study materials for local context and edit survey
instrument(s) with PI feedback
- HR
and financial work
- Manage
day-to-day expenditures and maintain timely communication with
appropriate IPA staff on budget management and in-country finances
- Lead
recruitment and hiring for project fieldwork positions including
shortlisting and interviewing top candidates
- Oversee
the drafting of contracts and payroll for field staff over their period
of hire
- Supervise
and finalize all DSA payments being requested for any field staff who are
working away from their
- Field
Management
- Lead
trainings for field staff on all aspects of data collection
- Manage
field team, including development of effective reporting channels
- Supervise
timely implementation of developed field plan, ensuring it is within
budget
- Closely
monitor team day-to-day in the field and oversee problem-solving efforts
- Develop
and implement data quality measures and manage arising issues in the
quality of data, resolving any data-related discrepancies
- Ensure
adherence to data quality protocols, including overseeing field teams,
monitoring data collection, conducting data quality audits and ensuring
data security
- Reports
and Meetings
- Assist
in consolidation of findings from pilot and sharing information with PIs
for protocol revisions prior to launch
- Assist
in consolidation and cleaning of raw data received from the field
- Ensure
timely exchange of data and information between IPA and partners
- Help
write and prepare field and partner reports for presentation to partners
- Attend
all conference calls during fieldwork preparation, implementation, and
analysis/reporting
- Create
financial tracking systems to ensure spending is as budgeted
- Write
and disseminate financial reports to PIs and partners in a timely manner
QUALIFICATIONS AND
EXPERIENCE:
- Preferably
Master’s degree in management, social sciences, public policy, economics,
or related
Bachelor’s degree (required).
- Proven
minimum 5 years of field and data management Extensive experience
supervising, designing, and implementing data collection and/or field work
activities, and managing teams of field workers.
- Experience
in training staff to improve data collection efforts and their accuracy
(required)
- Advanced
experience in programming long surveys that include randomization, repeat
groups and skips using surveyCTO (required).
- Experience
implementing data flow processes and setting up and running quality checks
as required
- Strong
ability of complex problem solving and good understanding of team
- Proven
experience in managing IRB for a
- Ability
to manage and clean complex datasets, preferably, using
- Proven
experience in coordinating and managing large
- Excellent
management and organizational
- Ability
to effectively manage multiple data collection and data management tasks
will be a
- Excellent
financial management
- Flexible,
self-motivating, able to manage multiple teams in different locations and
across different complex activities efficiently, and team
- Demonstrated
ability to manage high-level relationships with stakeholders including
multiple PI team(s), partner organizations and policy
- Advanced
user of Microsoft Office suite especially MS Excel to generate summary
productivity reports (Required).
- Excellent
supervisory and management experience related to fieldwork and data
collection
- Excellent
oral and written communication skills in both English and Kiswahili and
proven ability to make presentations of field reports to the
How to Apply
Please click here to apply. Only
shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature
and level of the work being performed by the Data 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.
