Senior Field Officer at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

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POSITION – SENIOR FIELD OFFICER (MALAWI)

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit 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 600 leading academics to conduct over 830 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Position Summary

IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding data collection, people management and communication skills as a Field Officer (or enumerator) to support a project titled Measuring Chlorination in Areas with Active Evidence Action Chlorine Delivery Interventions in Malawi. The Field Officer will be responsible for collecting data by conducting phone interviews with respondents. He/she has direct contact with participants and have a significant bearing on the quality of data collected and ultimately on the quality of data output. Below is a list of some of the general duties and responsibilities of the Filed Officer, to be carried out as needed according to the determination of the Field Manager.

Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule interviews with study participants.

• Ensure that all the teams have all necessary materials/tools required for data collection. These must be made available on time.

• Ensure completion of scheduled activities each day in a timely manner including keeping logs of work accomplished while rigorously following the study protocol with minimal supervision.

• Complete data collection and data quality checks by sitting in interview sessions and ensure that data integrity is always maintained and minimize errors in data collection and transmission.

• The SFO will provide feedback on SurveyCTO programming, assist in troubleshooting issues related to the questionnaire and other survey tools as they arise, assist in survey translations, overseeing, monitoring, and conducting data collection.

• Solicit appointments and do follow up for scheduled interviews with local officials and community members.

• Work closely with staff to develop work schedules before any activities begin. Discuss and seek the approval of the project management team on work schedules, make changes/adapt if necessary, following the outcomes of these discussions.

• Communicate arising challenges/concerns/emergencies promptly to the project management team to complete the assigned task in a timely manner.

• Interacting with respondents with the highest level of integrity and understanding.

• Conduct spot checks, back checks, sit-ins, listen to audio audits, and give feedback to the field officers and management team that will inform and monitor improvements.

• Human resource management which includes supervision, monitoring, and appraisal of FOs.

• Complete interviews and collect data with respondents, community leaders and partners whenever necessary.

• Other tasks as assigned by the project management team.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree or a diploma recognized in Malawi with two years’ experience.

• Excellent oral and written communication in English and Chichewa.

• Prior work experience in data collection using SurveyCTO and managing electronic data collection systems.

• Prior experience leading data collection teams and demonstrated ability to manage data collection at various levels (planning, collecting, backchecking and reporting)

• Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player.

• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word) and google sheets.