Deputy Country Coordinator – Head of Research for Afghanistan, based in Kabul

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actorsthrough three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote sensing. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO with headquarters based in Paris and presence in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, which allows IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator to lead our research teams in Afghanistan. It is critical that applicants have significant research experience to be competitive for this position.

Department: IMPACT

Position: Head of Research-DCC

Contract duration: 12 months

Starting Date: September 2024

Location: Kabul

COUNTRY PROFILE

Afghanistan has endured 40 years of complex crisis, characterized by conflict, insecurity, economic uncertainty, and climate disasters, followed by the political shift in 2021 that led to a collapsed economy, unstable provision of basic services, and increasing restrictions on women. While the humanitarian situation worsened and the number of people in need increased in the years after 2021, the economic situation has recently begun to stabilize – although it remains fragile – and conversations among aid actors have shifted to include the necessity of durable, long-term solutions, climate preparedness, and nexus programming in addition to addressing existing humanitarian need.

IMPACT has been active in Afghanistan since 2016, launching its flagship REACH and AGORA initiatives in 2018. Working across all 34 provinces, the Afghanistan team’s research supports and facilitates emergency response efforts immediately following conflict or natural disaster as well as more long-term oriented humanitarian and development planning, prioritization, resilience and recovery activities. IMPACT Afghanistan has three main research portfolios that focus on programming in each of these areas: one portfolio focuses on inter-sectoral research that feeds directly into emergency humanitarian planning and prioritization, the second involves working closely with partners and coordinating bodies to improve and increase the sustainability of programs, and the third uses area-based assessments to support longer-term durable solutions in Afghanistan.

FUNCTIONS

IMPACT Afghanistan is looking for a dynamic leader with a strong background in research in fragile settings to lead its research teams across the country. As one of the primary information actors within the Afghanistan response, IMPACT’s research informs high-level conversations ranging from humanitarian prioritization, to emergency preparedness, to disaster risk reduction, to durable solutions and resilience strategies for long-displaced populations. The Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator should be able to oversee multiple cycles of research in a fast-paced environment, maintain relationships with key stakeholders in country, and represent IMPACT in high level fora to inform decision-makers about the best existing evidence for strategic decisions that will affect the entire response infrastructure.

The Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator will fall under the management of IMPACT’s Country Representative and will be based in Kabul, Afghanistan. He/she directly manages Research Managers and Assessment Specialists for each research unit and is responsible for overall management and guidance of IMPACT research programs. He/she will lead the research teams in achieving program excellence and ensuring the highest level of impact and accountability, while ensuring compliance to IMPACT guidelines, policies, and standards across the mission. He/she will also represent the mission to donors as necessary and will support the Country Representative with program development and strategic direction of the mission.

The Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide by ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration, and Logistics rules, and, in coordination with ACTED, will ensure that IMPACT staff also abide by them.

The Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator’s responsibilities will include:

Program Planning and Implementation

• Provide technical oversight to all mission research units and research cycles, advising on research techniques and ensuring that all research adheres to IMPACT global research standards, reviewing and advising on design of research outputs when necessary.
• Ensure that all IMPACT research programs are aligned with the IMPACT global strategy as well as the IMPACT Afghanistan strategy.
• Supervise all stages of program implementation and provide backstopping for issues; lead on troubleshooting and problem solving when necessary; oversee the development and adherence to workplans.
• Maintain regular coordination with ACTED as necessary, to facilitate the provision of logistic, administrative, and security support to facilitate program implementation.

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Maintain strategic relationships with external partners, including holding specific relationships with UN-OCHA, IOM-DTM, and others, establishing feedback loops for informing and being informed by broader humanitarian and development strategy in Afghanistan.
• Support the CR in the development of yearly strategic plans for the IMPACT Afghanistan mission.
• Support Research Managers in the development of unit strategies that can inform and be informed by broader response directions.
• Stay up to date on the Afghanistan context and ensure that IMPACT Afghanistan maintains an understanding of how the context interacts with the humanitarian and development systems.

Grants Management and Fundraising

• Support the CR with identifying funding to support IMPACT’s programs, representing IMPACT with donors as necessary, and presenting IMPACT programs on a regular basis to donors.
• Support the CR with drafting proposals, including program conceptualization with research teams, narrative, logframe, and any other document as required; coordinate with ACTED teams for appropriate inputs and ensure that all proposal processes are coordinated and submitted according to deadlines.
• With support from the Project Development Officer, lead on the review of program inputs to reports and ensure that all reports are of high quality and submitted on time.

Team Management and Leadership

• Direct management of Research Managers, including recruitment, conduct of appraisals and staff career management.
• Provide senior level leadership across the mission, including actively participating in the Senior Management Team and fostering a positive working environment for all members of the mission.
• Contribute to the development of ToRs with clear responsibilities for research positions; contribute to the organization of research, data, and GIS units for optimizing efficiency and effectiveness.
• Provide mentorship and support to research team members.
• Support the CR with ensuring that IMPACT research staff are recruited in a timely manner and recruited according to needs and budget.

Communication and Coordination

• Lead on the development of external dissemination plan for the sharing of research and program products/outputs, including oversight of presentations, factsheets, and other outputs as relevant.
• Facilitate strong internal communication and coordination through chairing meetings as relevant, attending ACTED coordination meetings as relevant, and ensuring that relevant parties are copied and informed on all aspects of program implementation and planning.
• Ensure that all relations with communities we work with are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner, and that research activities are clearly communicated to communities.

The Head of Research – Deputy Country Coordinator will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant discipline;
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience, should have experience conducting and overseeing research in fragile settings;
• Previous experience in a senior management role in a humanitarian setting, should be able to successfully manage international teams in a humanitarian context;
• Should be familiar with the aid system and the mechanisms for coordination;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting of findings, including experience contributing to high level presentations and briefings;
• A self-starter with proven ability to work independently;
• Ability to multi-task on tight deadlines, overseeing numerous research cycles in a complex environment;
• Ability to operate the Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, required;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural work environment requiring flexibility and interpersonal skills, required;
• Fluency in English required;
• Past experience in Afghanistan is an asset;
• Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Salary between 3’550 EUR and 3’800 EUR monthly (before income tax), depending on the level of education, security level, etc as well as a monthly living allowance of $500
• Accommodation and food provided in ACTED guesthouse
• Pension, health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance (& unemployment insurance for EU citizens)
• This is not a family duty station
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered
• R&R after 2 months in country (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 23kg and 100kg, depending on the length of the contract
• Annual leave of 36 days per year
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training Tax advice (free 30-minute call with a tax consultant)
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.
• IMPACT and ACTED prioritize the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.