Senior Research Assistant - IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) - Washington, DC

Summary:
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a Senior Research Assistant within the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) team of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) program in its Environment and Production Technology (EPTD) Division. This is a one-year, exempt, fixed-term, renewable appointment (depending on project funding and performance) based in Washington D.C.

Africa RISING program comprises three research-for-development projects supported by the USAID as part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative. Through action research and development partnerships, the Program will create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base. The three projects are led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in West Africa (Ghana and Mali) and East and Southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia) and by the International Livestock Research Institute in the Ethiopian highlands. The International Food Policy Research Institute leads an associated project on monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment across all the Program countries. To aid with its monitoring activities, the M&E has developed a web-based project monitoring and mapping tool (PMMT). Additional information about the PMMT can be found here . Additional information about the Program can be found here and here .

Essential Duties:
The M&E team has recently conducted household and community surveys in five of the six Program countries. The SRA will mainly be responsible for assisting the team with compilation of survey documentation, conducting literature reviews, analysis of household and community data, write up of analysis results, and co-authoring research papers. In analyzing the data sets, particular emphasis will be placed on characterization and (early) impact assessment of sustainable agricultural intensification practices being implemented across program countries. In addition, the SRA will assist the team with management and analyses of data collected through the PMMT, and help with the daily duties of data management across the Program. The SRA may also be expected to interact with Africa RISING program implementers in the six focus countries, especially to facilitate project monitoring activities through the PMMT. Finally, the SRA may be required to assist the team with statistical analysis of various household data available in-house. This position may require travelling to one or more of the Program countries to share research finding with program implementers, attend meetings with relevant stakeholders, participate in various policy fora, and interact with research teams on the ground.

Required Qualifications :
Master’s Degree in international development, development economics, agricultural and applied economics or a very closely related field

Significant experience in conducting quantitative household-level analysis in a development context, preferably on the agriculture development sector

Experience in survey methodologies, data management, analysis and compilation

Fluency in written and spoken English

Strong writing skills and capacity to analyze complex phenomena and publish findings in various forms

Advanced knowledge of statistical software packages (in particular STATA), good econometric skills and strong familiarity with data production processes.

Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience in effective interactions and negotiations in a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment setting with researchers

Willingness to travel to Program countries: Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia

Ability to work independently

Good organizational and follow-up skills, to be able to meet deadlines satisfactorily

Desired Qualifications

Good knowledge of the agriculture and livestock sector and technologies in sub-Saharan Africa
Experience with methods of analysis of spatially-disaggregated data (i.e. mapping)
Working knowledge of a second language of relevance to the geographic areas of research focus (e.g., French, Amharic, Swahili, or Chichewa)

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