Research Associate NGO Jobs – Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Organisation: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
Duty Station: Based in Kampala with short to long stay in the field, Uganda
Reports to: Research Manager
About US:
IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding research project management, data analysis, people management and communication skills as a Research Associate, to support IPA Uganda’s digitizing local revenue collection pilot study in Northern Uganda. The study is aimed at the introduction of a digital tax assessment and collection system into local tax administration in Northern Ugandan. IPA will partner with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Ministry of Local Government to measure the impact of the digitized system on the process of tax assessment and revenue collections relative to a status quo manual and registration and collection system. The principal investigator on this study is Anders Jensen, Harvard Kennedy School.
Responsibilities: The Research Associate takes a lead role in training and managing survey teams, ensuring data collection protocols are adhered to, ensuring data collected is of highest quality, delivering clean databases, assisting in preliminary analysis, assisting in the writing of project reports and policy memos, and managing communication and relationships with stakeholders (researchers, implementing partners, donors, etc…). The position requires excellent interpersonal and organization skills. It also requires proficiency with Stata.
Specific roles
- Liaise with Principal Investigators and Research Manager in the design of survey questionnaires
- Work with the data manager to program survey tools using SurveyCTO, high-frequency checks and data flows
- Develop data collection protocols and data quality assurance protocol
- Develop a data collection plan (procurement, logistics and route plan) that ensures adherence to data collection budget
- Manage the project budget
- Supervise training of team leaders, auditors and surveyors
- Conduct daily data quality checks
- Ensure implementation of survey spot checks and back-checks
- Compile clean databases
- Assist the PI team in data analysis as requested
- Assisting in managing relationships with donors, partner organizations and researchers
- Produce technical reports for donor and/or other stakeholders (e.g. fieldwork reports)
- Keep the Research Manager and the PI team appraised of all project activities
Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Development Studies, Economics or a related field; Master’s Degree preferred
- Min one year of research project experience at a field research management or analyst position;
- Experience with SurveyCTO programming language;
- Proficiency with Stata and Microsoft Office is necessary;
- Experience managing datasets;
- Strong written communication skills;
- Excellent command of English, both spoken and written;
- Excellent management and organizational skills;
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate work effectively over email and phone
- Flexible, self-motivating and team player;
- Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with stakeholders (PI and partner organizations);
- Demonstrated commitment to IPA’s high standards of data quality;
Desired Qualifications, Skills and Experience
- Knowledge of other data analysis software is a plus;
- Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is a strong plus;
- Experience working in developing countries
How to Apply:
Please complete the online assessment here: Click Here
This form includes an assessment and requires you to upload the following documents in PDF format:
- Updated CV including 3 professional referees: Maximum 2 pages in length
- Cover letter: Maximum 1 page in length
- Your highest- level degree or diploma: Maximum 2 pages in length.
NB: Due to the high number of applications, we will only be able to contact candidates who have successfully passed the CV screening step.
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. IPA is an equal opportunity employer.
About IPA:
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy non-profit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence on which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 400 leading academics to conduct over 600 evaluations in 51 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide. The IPA website: www.poverty-action.org