occupied Palestinian territory: REACH CASH AND MARKETS ASSESSMENT OFFICER - GAZA

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 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. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through 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 and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for aREACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer to supportour REACH team inGaza.

Department: REACH

Position: REACH Assessment Officer

Contract duration: 6 months

Location: Gaza City, Palestine

Starting Date: February 2019

Country profile

Gaza is facing high unemployment and poverty; shortages in electricity, water, and fuel; increased tensions with Israel and the Palestinian Authority; and a drastic reduction in aid from external donors; all of which have combined to erode households’ resilience. These issues combine with protection concerns related to ongoing International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) violations, resulting in households being pushed further into poverty and being unable to meet their basic needs.

REACH has worked in the oPT on a project basis since 2016, including an evaluation of the outcomes of different types of shelter assistance delivered to conflict affected population following 2014 events in Gaza, as well as monitoring the impact of cash assistance. REACH has coordinated its actions through the cluster system to define locations for assessment and mapping activities, and has worked in both the West Bank and Gaza.

In 2019, REACH aims to establish a permanent presence in Gaza to support the humanitarian market- and cash-based response through the Gaza Cash Working Group, including the development of joint market and household needs assessments, a market monitoring system, and related research and information management systems. With partners, REACH will establish an assessment framework that will allow the humanitarian sector in Gaza to identify the feasibility of cash transfers, understand beneficiary needs, as well as monitor the price of MEB commodities, track market distortions, and update its multi-sectoral multi-purpose cash grant transfer values. REACH has established similar initiatives with relevant clusters and CWGs in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, and Somalia - all of which are currently ongoing.

Position profile

Based in Gaza, under the supervision of the REACH Global Assessment Officer, the REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for the management and implementation of the REACH cash- and market assessments in Gaza, including their preparation, implementation and follow-up, if relevant. S/he will also be responsible for liaising with relevant stakeholders, including the CWG, cash consortia, and other key stakeholders. S/he will manage related logistics, partner coordination, reporting and finance requirements and will be required to provide input to the strategic development of REACH in country and region.

Functions

Under the supervision of REACH Global Assessment Manager, the REACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer in Gaza shall be responsible for:

• Designing and implementing REACH cash and markets assessment strategy and methodology and corresponding analytical frameworks in Gaza, in collaboration with local partners;
• Provide information management support through in-depth data analysis, technical training development, macro development, IM platform management, and/or geo-referencing, when possible.
• Ensuring the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets with integration of cluster and/or partner feedback;
• Manage project timeframes and assessment schedules and work with field staff to design and implement REACH assessment procedures;
• Supporting the development/revision of assessment/programme strategies, reports or new proposals;
• Liaising with programme staff of other ACTED departments to ensure close coordination is maintained;
• Under the supervision of REACH Global Assessment Manager, external representation of REACH with Donors, Partners and the wider Aid Community through clusters and sectoral working groups;
• Coordinate timely and accurate reporting to REACH Global Assessment Manager
• Managing of REACH assessment field staff to ensure a smooth and timely implementation of activities;
• Ensuring that assessment strategies are implemented in a structured and coherent manner in line with project and strategic objectives;
• Coordinating and ensuring timely data collection, analysis and, in partnership with GIS/DB team, mapping of datasets and ensuring that all collected data are geo-referenced

I. Reporting

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for supporting the consolidation of all analyses and conclusions from each activity into REACH products such as factsheets, profiles, reports and briefs using standard formats. S/he will liaise with the REACH GIS/Database (DB) team in order to represent data, as relevant.

The REACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for following the designated timeline of reports to be submitted to project partners and donors. S/he must ensure the writing of timely and accurate assessment reports and factsheets, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information. S/he will ensure that assessment reports contribute to aid coordination and planning and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the areas.

S/he will also manage the drafting of narrative reports and contribute to the development of financial reports through regular budgetary follow-up.

II. Representation

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer will store, organize and disseminate assessments, project documents and best practices among ACTED and Implementing Partners (IPs). S/he will coordinate timely and accurate field-level information, when needed, and support oPt-level dissemination activities. The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer should be well-versed in the oPt/Gazan context, project activities and outcomes. More generally, the REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer is expected to have well developed communication skills to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors

Representation of ACTED/REACH in cluster and multi-sector meetings/ technical working groups in country and follow up on technical issues identified in cluster meetings in other parts of the country. This specifically will include liaising with external partners to identify potential for data sets to be integrated into existing databases and mapped to support the coordination of the broader humanitarian community.

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer will further represent ACTED/REACH vis-a-vis current and potential donors and communicate relevant information to the ACTED Project Development Officer and Country Director. S/he will participate in inter-NGO meetings and those of UN agencies and any other relevant inter-governmental institutions at the national or local level.

III. Project Support and Coordination

· Objective 3.1: Management of assessments process

The REACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for contributing to the implementation of assessment projects, providing support to the development of assessment, database and GIS tools with the REACH team. This will specifically include, with the GIS/DB team, designing of data collection tools (household surveys, focus groups, and more); development or review of databases, and; contributing to GIS data collection procedures.

REACH is planning to develop a Joint Market and Household Needs Assessment, Joint Price Monitoring Initiative, and other market-related assessments in Gaza. The REACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for leading the design of the methodology and tools associated with each of these assessments, according to REACH requirements and principles. S/he will manage the planning, implementation, and follow-up of all REACH and projects specific assessment activities conducted in country.

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer will need to support logistics, financial, administration and HR processes directly related to REACH and liaise accordingly with the relevant ACTED counterpart. S/he is directly responsible for the implementation of proper ACTED FLAT procedures in all REACH interventions.

· Objective 3.2: Implementation

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for the preparation of project ToRs, observation of field-level procedures. The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer will ensure that all field teams are comprehensively briefed on the objective, expected outputs and that the overall implementation strategy of any given activity is clearly understood. S/he will ensure that project/field staff are given training and complete all the necessary documentation in line with program requirements set by REACH.

IV. Overall Coordination

The REACH Cash and Markets Assessment Officer may be required to provide technical support to the relevant ACTED department in terms of the preparation of new project proposals, development of programme strategies, implementation of projects activities, and any other required REACH input to ACTED projects for added-value.

The REACH Cash- and Markets Assessment Officer is responsible for the timely and accurate preparation of narrative and financial reports related to REACH activities in country through close liaison with the Project Development and Finance departments.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master degree in economics, international development, or social sciences;
• At least 1.5 years of relevant working experience in humanitarian or development settings;
• Excellent quantitative analytical skills, including SPSS, R, and/or related statistical programming;
• Excellent qualitative skills an asset;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
• Excellent team management skills;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
• Prior knowledge of the region, particularly Gaza, an asset;
• Fluency in English required;
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset;
• Ability to operation Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software;
• Ability to work independently.

Conditions

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance provided in country by IMPACT’s partner ACTED
• Food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

How to apply

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV and three references to jobs@impact-initiatives.org

Please indicate in the subject line of your email:

• The reference of the position : Ref: 19/PAL/AO01

• An indication of where you first found this vacancy: IMPACT website / Reliefweb / CAGI / Coordination Sud / Georezo / Universities’ career website / personal contact / other.

For more information, visit us at http://www.impact-initiatives.org