Senior Research Manager

World Vision is recruiting a Senior Research Manager, to be based in Maputo, Mozambique.

Description

• The Research Manager will provide overall leadership of DFID Phase II Research/Lessons Learnt Project; This position will provide leadership to ensure a much more harmonized and streamlined research and learning, improved analysis, documentation and dissemination of lessons learnt from a retrospective, introspective and extrospective reflection of the current emergency drought response programme implemented by CHEMO and COSACA; The position will coordinate, support and ensure that the results from consultancies on Targeting and Unconditional/ Multipurpose Cash Transfers and the strengthening of SETSAN will inform and culminate with the development of a single Strategy that will be used by all actors funded by DFID in the next phase; This is a position that must ensure the use of proper framework, scientific approaches and process for designing quantitative, qualitative and/or mixed methods research

Duties

• Leadership: Build a team of highly committed, motivated and competent staff to perform effectively and ensuring cooperation and coordination among relevant staff within the Lessons Learnt/Research Project
• Create a learning environment in which Project Coordinators and other staff within the assigned Project regularly reflect, learn from mistakes and use lessons for personal growth and to revise work plans to improve ministry impact
• Ensure that staff understand and follow the WV and partner’s child protection policy and that awareness-raising on child protection, response and incident reporting is occurring
• Coordinate with programme, finance and administration staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support the Project
• Ensure that the programme systems and staff are working to achieve the project goals and objectives and that the project is maintaining World Vision, partners and donor accountability standards
• Ensuring appropriate structures, internal and external standards, staffing, resources and policies as well as all grant requirements are adhered to
• Ensure that day-to-day administrative support for the project is in place
• Ensure clear understanding of project assumptions by all partners to aim at effective and timely achievement of project goals, outcomes and outputs
• Supervise staff that report directly to this position
• Ensure high standards of stewardship and accountability for all resources Work with the Grant Finance Manager, Administration Officer and other departments to build a strong internal control environment, ensuring compliance with WV financial policies and procedures and promoting a culture of transparency and accountability
• Review and approve expenditures and contract according to assigned levels of authority
• Provide strategic direction and support to Project officers/Managers and other staff under the position
• Manage and mitigate any risks within the Program that could have financial, HR or Legal consequences or negatively impact ministry or World Vision reputation
• Supervision of Consultancy on Targeting: Develop the Terms of Reference (ToRs), ensure proper tendering and complete contract process for the right Consultant
• Ensure that the process of learning from the on-going assistance and developing agreed criteria, together with the authorities and other key stakeholders, for the next lean season, are conducted in a manner that will produce the expected results; This includes improved criteria for monitoring and profiling of residual humanitarian needs in target areas
• Review, discuss and ensure that the methodology for capturing the experience of both consortia is properly developed and that key elements are agreed with the Government and other key food security actors such as WFP
• Supervision of work on Strengthening SETSAN: Identify the right person to be placed within SETSAN to improve the qualitative food security assessment
• Provide leadership and guide discussions on strengthening of SETSAN platform to undertake a comprehensive qualitative food security assessment
• Provide leadership to assist the capacity building that will ensure that SETSAN data is complemented with qualitative data
• Strengthen a mutually beneficial partnership that ensures improved and solid needs assessment harmonized with efforts undertaken by other actors (SETSAN, Ministry of Agriculture, WFP, FAO)
• Supervision of Consultancy on Unconditional / Multipurpose Cash Transfers
• Develop the Terms of Reference (ToRs), ensure proper tendering and complete contract process for the right Consultant
• Provide guidance on the process of analysis of findings from lessons learnt of CHEMO\'s e-voucher and COSACA\'s paper-voucher systems piloted during the 2016/17 emergency drought response This includes the analysis of the political environment for using the e-system for unconditional cash instead of food vouchers
• Assist the Consultant on the analysis of the data collection instruments developed for the assessment and review the internal lessons report
• Provide leadership in the dissemination and validation of products from lessons learnt evaluations of 2016/17 CHEMO and COSACA e-voucher and paper voucher systems and assessment of the policy environment for unconditional/multipurpose cash transfers
• Review external evaluation project reports
• Strategy: Develop the Terms of Reference (ToRs), ensure proper tendering and complete contract process for the right Consultant
• Ensure that the project will generate an evidence-base for designing a tailored El Niño and La Niña emergency programme that is responsive to identified humanitarian needs in six Provinces of Mozambique
• Guide the process of designing and writing the Strategy for the next lean season that is agreed with key stakeholders such as authorities and WFP
• Ensure that the Strategy developed will guide increased preparedness for implementation of the 2017/18 lean season emergency response
• Capacity Building: Develop the capacity of the participating Government Authorities, especially SETSAN to plan, monitor and coordinate service delivery
• Identify capacity needs in the areas of humanitarian engagement for the participating stakeholders and strengthen its institutional capacity to deliver similar interventions
• Undertake pro-active on the job training and staff development. Train and Mentor project staff on effective project planning and management methodologies
• Liaison and Networking: Develop and maintain strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with key internal and external partners and actively pursue contact with government authorities, donors and other stakeholders as a means to strengthening the project results
• Establish and maintain liaison with WV Mozambique counterparts and partner agents (including steps to build open and working relationship with partners who represent the DFID consortium)
• Create an enabling environment for dialogue, information sharing, partnerships and cooperation among participating partners
• Represent World Vision in the local coordination forums and liaise with Government officials and DFID, other donors, UN-bodies and other partners wherever appropriate and required
• In conjunction with other stake holders, effectively advocate for changes standards, policies and legislations based on insights and demands from targeted communities
• Effectively represent WV Mozambique operations and mission when accompanying visitors, e.g. donor and/or Government representatives, journalists and other delegations to project sites
• Reporting: Ensure accurate quality narrative and financial reports are submitted in a timely manner and according to donor requirements
• Work closely with Program Officer in ensuring that all reports meet donor requirements
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Track the performance of the project activities and outputs against expected results and adjust implementation processes to ensure the project is progressing towards the intended outcomes
• Analyse the impact of programme and promote learning by documentation of best-practices Use this information to support decision-making processes
• Track programme progress, programmes’ expenditure against approved budgets, anticipate any deviations and recommend and take action on relevant and required adjustments

Requisites

• University Master’s degree in International Development, International Relations, or related study; PhD preferred
• Additional work experience required as a minimum qualification for this position
• Proven knowledge leading a multi-cultural team
• Experience working in a cross-cultural environment
• 5+ years of related work experience, including deployments/postings to emergency response
• Relevant professional experience managing large multi-year projects in Africa (assessment, proposal development, report writing and evaluation, etc)
• Demonstrated understanding of the NGO sector, public sector planning in African countries
• 4-6 years of experience focused in the management of humanitarian programs involving rural communities to promote humanitarian response
• Proven organizational skills and time management
• Excellent computer skills, familiarity with MS Word, Lotus Notes, MS Excel and Power Point would be an added advantage
• Understand Humanitarian Industry and have proven experience within a complex relief setting

Notes

• Only short listed applicants will be contacted