Overview
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) seeks a Research Associate (RA) to support IPA-Tanzania, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Imagine Worldwide (Imagine) on the project “Autonomous Learning for Remedial Education.”
This project will rigorously evaluate the impact of innovative tablet-based literacy and numeracy instruction on learning outcomes for primary school aged children in a refugee camp and nearby host community in Kigoma, Tanzania. The RA will support implementation pilots followed by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in three afterschool learning centers. This mixed-methods efficacy study will fill gaps in rigorous research on education technology (EdTech), particularly in emergency settings. The study builds on prior research conducted by the Imagine Worldwide research team in a refugee camp and in government primary schools in Malawi.
The Research Associate will report directly to the IPA-Tanzania Research Associate and work closely with Principal Investigators, staff from the IRC and Imagine, and other IPA-Tanzania country office staff. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in humanitarian settings in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research and design work. The work will develop your analytical and management skills and require your full commitment in a challenging environment. This position will be based in Kasulu town, Kigoma, Tanzania and requires frequent travel to the field sites (in line with IPA’s Covid-19 response protocols, all travel will be pre-approved by IPA-Tanzania Country Director, IPA Regional Director for East Africa, and IPA Global Programs).
Responsibilities
The Research Associate will perform a variety of tasks in leading the implementation of this study including, but not limited to:
- Working closely with the research team (IPA, IRC, Imagine) to maintain integrity of the research design and communicate any issues early and clearly with the research team to joint problem solve;
- Managing, often within a humanitarian setting, the day-to-day research activities, from planning to implementation, and monitoring quality. This includes recruiting, training, and supervising field-based enumeration teams;
- Refining survey questionnaires and programming them;
- Measuring and enforcing adherence to data quality protocols to ensure the collection of high-quality data;
- Assisting in data cleaning, documenting of data cleaning procedures, preliminary analysis, and ensuring ready access to all data by the research team, especially Imagine, who is leading the research;
- Providing timely updates and responses to partner organizations, and participating in meetings with key stakeholders;
- Maintaining accurate records of interviews and safeguarding the confidentiality of subjects
- Monitoring project expenditures and timeline;
- Ensuring that all team members follow necessary protocols and procedures;
- Performing related duties as assigned by supervisor; and
- Maintaining compliance with IPA policies and procedures
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in economics, international development, public policy or related field required; Master’s degree preferred
- Minimum of 1+ year of relevant work experience required; specific experience managing field staff in developing countries and/or supporting rigorous field research preferred
- Excellent project management and organizational skills; meticulous attention to detail
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; communication skills in Kiswahili and/or French is an advantage
- A strong understanding of research methods and prior training/experience in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research
- Proficiency in Stata or similar data analysis software and MS Office
- Flexible, independent, self-motivating, ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and work under pressure
- Demonstrated knowledge of humanitarian settings
- Ability to work in a diverse, multi-cultural environment
