Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) est un organisme de recherche et de politique à but non lucratif qui découvre et promeut des solutions efficaces aux problèmes de pauvreté dans le monde. L’IPA rassemble des chercheurs et des décideurs pour concevoir, évaluer rigoureusement et affiner ces solutions et leurs applications, en veillant à ce que les preuves créées soient utilisées pour améliorer la vie des pauvres dans le monde. Au cours des dernières décennies, des milliers de milliards de dollars ont été dépensés dans des programmes destinés à réduire la pauvreté dans le monde, mais les preuves claires de la réussite de ces programmes sont rares et, lorsqu’elles existent, les décideurs n’en ont souvent pas connaissance. La raison d’être de l’IPA est de réunir des chercheurs de premier plan et ces décideurs pour faire en sorte que les preuves que nous créons aient un impact tangible sur le monde. Depuis sa création en 2002, l’IPA a travaillé avec plus de 600 universitaires de premier plan pour réaliser plus de 830 évaluations dans 52 pays. Ces recherches ont permis d’élaborer des centaines de programmes fructueux qui ont maintenant un impact sur des millions de personnes dans le monde.
As an immediate consequence of its fast-growing portfolio of long and short terms impact evaluation projects in Francophone West Africa, IPA seeks a highly motivated, solid and qualified individual with outstanding research and impact evaluation project management, data analysis and communication skills as Research Associate (RA) to oversee a portfolio of two to three research projects with small to medium grant per year, working closely with several Principal Investigators (PIs) and other field staff to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to: designing survey questionnaires, conducting qualitative research, running extensive piloting exercises, refining surveying instruments, managing survey teams, checking and analyzing data.
IPA portfolio in Francophone West Africa covers various sectors including education, financial inclusion and agriculture and may include other sectors depending on IPA evolving vision. The Research Associate leads Field Managers in the implementation at field technical level of impact evaluation activities using Randomized Control Trial (RCT).
The Research Associate will contribute through engagement at data collection level to strengthening the competitiveness of IPA in the creation, strategic sharing and use of strong evidences to constructively influence policies and programs that aim at alleviating poverty in Francophone West Africa.
This Research Associate position offer a unique opportunity to gain in-depth research experience through multisector studies with visible outcomes that have an obvious policy impact in near future. The role is perfect for a candidate who wants to build a great deal of world class research technical expertise working with world class researchers from highly prestigious universities and want to impact development processes.
The position will be based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso or Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire but may be asked to act as Roving Research Associate as requested by the line manager for projects in other countries but managed from Francophone West Africa.
Responsibilities
Working closely with IPA Research Coordinator and Research Manager, the RA contributes to coordinating high quality data collection using moderns approaches and technologies in partnerships with national, regional and global academic researchers, policymakers, and staff implementing research on the ground. He / She will join the dynamic and committed IPA Francophone West Africa team and contribute to the successful implementation of research projects, development of new projects and capacity building of team members. He will also contribute to developing and fostering good relationships with local stakeholders and implementing partners. He /She will work with several PIs and other field staff to perform a variety of tasks including, but not limited to: designing survey questionnaires, conducting qualitative research, running extensive piloting exercises, refining surveying instruments, managing survey teams, checking and analyzing data.
In particular, the Research Associate will:
• Implement Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI) for surveys using SurveyCTO and STATA;
• Develop and pilot survey instruments; manage translation into local languages;
• Lead field team training and prepare high quality training materials;
• Manage data entry and assure smoothness of daily data quality checks;
• Ensure adherence to data quality protocols, including auditing enumerators, monitoring data collection, and conducting data quality audits;
• Perform related duties as assigned by supervisor; and
• Maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures.
• Onboarding internships or junior research associate
Qualifications
• At least 2-3 years of fieldwork management experience. This includes training and managing large teams in the context of large data collections.
• A Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, public policy, or related fields;
• Excellent management and organizational skills along with strong quantitative skills;
• Working experience with two or more developing countries is a strong plus;
• Technical influencing abilities
• Fluency in English with strong communication skills;
• High level of STATA knowledge;
• Strong SurveyCTO skills;
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials preferred;
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and team player.
Application Instructions
Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application (https://apply.povertyactionlab.org/). After completing a brief registration, choose the Research job category, then select “Research Associate, Francophone West Africa”. Applications require you to include two letters of recommendation, statement of purpose (cover letter), CV, and transcripts. Note that you are able to submit your application without the recommendation letters. However, please be advised that we will be requiring them should you be invited for an interview.
Given the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview
