🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) – Research Associate

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)Research Associate

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a not-for-profit institution that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing g challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across sub-Saharan Africa, we improve livelihoods, enhance food and nutrition security, increase employment, and preserve natural resource integrity. IITA is a Member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Please visit https://www.ita.org/ for more information about 1ITA.

IETA works with other CGIAR Centers and national partners on The Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) directly contributes to improving the state of food insecurity while building resilience in the food productive base of the country.

Specifically, at the protected designated origin level, the projects seek.to increase preparedness against food insecurity and improve the resilience of food systems in Sierra Leone, which aims to strengthen seed delivery and improve Farmer access to new improved varieties, and promote consumption of nutritious foods. Following the repeated shocks experienced by Smallholder farmers over the last decade driven by the whims of climate change, health related issues like Ebola and COVID, supply chain and more, MAFS-FSRP has engaged IITA to achieve some of its goals involving phytosanitary standards (aflatoxin mitigation), Support to cassava and soybean value chains, and assisting in the scaling of climate resilient technologies.

Consequently, IITA is currently seeking to fill the below position:

POSITION:

Research Associate IITA-P4D/SLARI/MAFS-FSRP

Duty Station:

This is a Nationally Recruited Position, based in Freetown,
Sierra Leone.

Summary of Position:

Reporting directly to the Senior Food and Nutrition Scientist, this position provides professional and administrative support to the IITA/SLARI Food Systems Resilience Program project. The incumbent will provide technical support to the development of a Global food Matters Database for Sierra Leone as input to the INDDEX24 mobile application for dietary intake assessment, assessment of diet quality using the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) mobile application and promoting processing and consumption of soybean-based products at the household and SMEs levels, maintaining high confidentiality as may be required and exercising discretion and good sense of judgment.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

*Participate in the planning and conduct of activities under the E’A/ SLARI Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP) project.

*Contribute to the development of a Global Matters Food Database (Food, Recipe, and Ingredient List), conversion factors, edible portion, and estimate of portion size.

* Assist in the conduct of diet quality assessment using the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) mobile application.

* Promote the consumption of nutritious and safe food in project target communities.

.Collaborate with national research institutes, non-governmental organizations, and community-based groups to increase awareness of nutritious foods from soybean.

•Provide technical backstoppingtonon-governmental organizations and community-based organizations conducting activities on soybean processing.

.Conduct Training of Trainers Workshops on soybean processing and utilization.

* Prepare report on training workshops, and other related FSRP activities

* Perform any other duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualification, Experience and Key Skills

MSc in Food Science/Technology or Nutrition with some previous experience of work in research for development, ability to
collaborate across sectors while utilizing strong communications and interpersonal skills with evidence of the ability to productively interact with a wide range of stake holders, excellent organizational skills and attention details, knowledge of Sierra Leone foods desirable, very strong written and verbal communication skills (proficiency in English), Visual creativity including design of slides on diagrams and excellent presentation skills and knowledge of Excel necessary.

Additional position information:

This position is for two years: renewable subject to performance and availability of funds. This is a nationally recruited (NRS)position.

IITA offers a competitive remuneration package.

GENERAL GUIDANCE

Applications: Applications including a letter of application curriculum vitae, copies of certificates, telephone number, email
address, and names and addresses of two referees should be sent to the Country Representative, IITA- Sierra Leone, PMB 134, Tower Hill, Freetown with the reference of the position clearly marked in the right hand corner of the envelope or by email to IITA-SierraLeone@cgiar.org

Please note that any application without the references indicated will be automatically disqualified.

Closing date: Two weeks from the date of advertisement appearing in the newspaper. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The anticipated starting date for this position is 1st October, 2024.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) – 2 Positions

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR
TWO RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Procurement Number: NU/ MMU/ PROJECT/2024/0069

Date of First Issue: 19th July, 2024
Position Title: Research Assistant
Number of Position: Two (2)

Location: Sierra Leone River Estuary and Sherbro River Estuary Sierra Leone
Start Date: lst October 2024
End Date: 26th February 2027

Job Type: Research Assistant: 2 Positions: 1. 1 Social Science and 2. 2 Environmental Science
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR TWO RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Place of work: Njala University, Bo Campus
PROJECT TITLE:

Co-designing effective Nature-based Solutions in Coastal West Africa
PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Mangroves protect coastal communities from climate change hazards, such as flooding but human activities like cutting trees
for fuel have led to their degradation. Various initiatives, such as restoring degraded areas, reducing wood demand with
improved fish smoking technologies, and diversifying livelihoods have been employed with the aim of protecting and restoring
mangroves. These interventions can have complex downstream effects, like increasing pressure on inland forests, and create
diverse mangrove landscapes with varying effectiveness. This project aims to understand this complexity through an
interdisciplinary approach. We will engage communities to (i) explore their perspectives of interventions to protect mangroves,
ti) study the mangrove socioeconomic and its effects on livelihoods, (ii) investigate how local and catchment-scale factors
influence mangrove success and sustainability and (iv) to co-design future scenarios that will sustainably protect mangroves
and improve livelihoods.

The project is supported by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Manchester Metropolitan
University (MMU). MMU is the Lead Institution and is collaborating with Njala University as the Co-lead Institution and Reptile
and Amphibian Program Sierra Leone (RAP-SL) as a partner institution. Njala University will oversee most of the
administration and laboratory work of the project whiles all fieldwork, inception meetings, trainings will be implemented by the
Reptile and Amphibian Program Sierra Leone (RAP-SL). This project will be conducted in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and
Nigeria by an international and multidisciplinary consortium led by Njala University. The research assistant can be assigned to
cover activities in Liberia and Guinea if needed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Research Assistant – Social Science (One Position)

BSc in a relevant subject (Biology, Environmental Science, Social Science)
Experience conducting focus group discussions with communities

Experience working with international and interdisciplinary teams, including preparing results for publication, would be
desirable

Research Assistant – Environmental Science (Two Positions)
BSc in a relevant subject (Biology, Environmental Science)
Experience collecting data from mangrove and forest environments

Knowledge of different data collection protocols, such as forest plots and soil sampling
Ability to follow protocols and solve problems in the field

Experience working with international and interdisciplinary teams, including preparing results for publication, would be
desirable

Method of Application:

Interested applicants must attach an up-to-date CV to the covering letter, which should include a summary of the reasons why
you would like to be appointed and the qualifications and experience you will bring to the project, along with one referee. You
an forward your application to hrm@njala.edu.sl and copy registraranjala.edu.sl, OR use the Job Application form to apply.
Please note that the closing date is lst August 2024.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Please send the names, addresses, and contact numbers / email addresses of one
referee.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ Street Child – 10 Positions

Street ChildJob Description: Street Child (Sierra Leone) 

Job Title: PLAY Enumerator/Researcher (10 positions available)

Reporting to: PLAY Research Analyst

Hours: 37.5 Hours per week

Location: Multiple locations in Bombali, Karene, Koinadugu and Falaba Time Frame: 16-month contract (April 2024 – July 2025)

Background: 

Street Child believes that every child deserves the chance to go to school and learn. Our projects focus  on a combination of education, child protection and livelihood support to address the social, economic  and structural issues that underpin today’s education crisis. We partner with local organizations and  communities to deliver our locally rooted programmes, using evidence to drive learning and the  refinement and scale up of programmes to create maximum impact for the most children at the lowest  cost. We pride ourselves on being willing to go to the world’s toughest places where others won’t,  including remote, hard-to-reach areas and fragile, disaster-affected states across sub-Saharan Africa  and South Asia. Since 2008 we have helped over 1,000,000 children to go to school and learn.

Overview: 

This unique and vital role is an educational research position measuring the quality of child-centred  pedagogies, mainly through play and their contribution to holistic outcomes for children in 62 schools in the Northern province. This programme, Playful Learning Across the Years (PLAY 2.0), is funded by  the LEGO foundation, and is focusing research in a number of countries across Asia and Africa. The  toolkit consists of observation and survey tools for children from birth to 12-years-old and can be  applied across diverse learning settings and contexts.

This role comprises of a number of data collection cycles, and each enumerator/researcher will be  responsible for the data collection and verification of information from 5-7 schools depending on the  number of classrooms and location of the schools.

Key Responsibilities: 

Preparation for Data Collection

  • Attend the virtual and in-person training sessions to be organized prior to the Pilot Study  to understand the PLAY 2.0 objectives, methodology, and data collection tools in-depth  as well as on Street Child safeguarding conducted by Street Child, EDC and RTI.
  • Familiarize oneself with the data collection tools, guidelines, and any other relevant  documents provided.
  • Attend any subsequent training sessions.

Data Collection

  • Conduct visits to all the schools within the given locality.
  • Follow sampling instructions and research methods provided by the study team.
  •  Visit classrooms in designated programme areas to observe teacher-student engagement  and record responses in observation tool and mobile platform.
  • Use observation manual to code observations
  • Conduct interviews with teachers and students with survey tools for further analysis
  •  Utilize digital tools (Tablets) for data collection including Street Child Field Safety Gears  and ensure their safe and responsible use.
  • Submit collected data in a timely and organized manner as per the stipulated format.
  •  Address any discrepancies or inconsistencies in the data before submission.
  •  Participate in regular debriefing sessions and provide feedback on challenges faced or  suggestions for improving the data collection process.

Ethical Conduct

  • Adhere to ethical guidelines set by Street Child for data collection, especially when  interacting with minors and other vulnerable groups.
  • Ensure that all data collected is genuine, accurate, and free from personal bias.
  •  Obtain necessary permissions and consents before collecting data or conducting  interviews.
  • Respect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide.
  •  Understand and adhere strictly to Street Child’s Safeguarding Policy.
  • Report any safeguarding concerns or incidents observed during the mapping exercise to  the designated authority.

Coordination

  • Coordinate with the Research Analyst, Field-based Programme Manager and the Street  Child team to ensure the data collection’s smooth flow.
  • Update the Research Analyst on the progress regularly and highlight any challenges or  issues faced during data collection.
  • Address minor challenges on the field autonomously, and seek guidance from the  Research Analyst for major concerns.

Person Specification: 

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or higher
  • Experience in the collection of research/data collection
  • Experience and interest in the education sector
  • License and experience riding a motorcycle in tough terrain
  • Excellent communication in English and Krio
  • Experience using tablet devices to collect data
  • Experience working in the Northern province

Desirable

  • Experience in education and research programmes
  • Experience with CommCare
  • Local language skills – Temne, Fula, Susu, Loko (Southwestern Mande), Kuranko, Mandinka

Street Child’s commitment to Safeguarding  

Street Child is committed to the safeguarding and protection of the communities we serve,  our partners, our volunteers, and our staff. As part of this commitment to safeguarding, all  offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background  checks, including a Criminal Records check. Street Child also participates in the Inter Agency  Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job  applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or  sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant  left employment.

To apply:

Street Child welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race,  sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

Please submit your CV and a covering note explaining why you think you could make an  extraordinary impact in this role to info@streetchildsl.org by Sunday 10 March 2024.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and so interested candidates are encouraged  to apply early.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Laterite Research Company – Research Associate

Laterite Research CompanyJob Description

Research Associate 

Requirements in a nutshell 

Education: Master’s degree in Education, Economics, Statistics, Public Health, Public  Policy or a related field

Experience: Three years of professional research experience

Languages: English

Must-have: Experience managing data collection or research projects, including contact  with external stakeholders; quantitative data analysis skills in Stata.

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone

 

About Laterite 

Laterite is a data, research and analytics firm specialized in complex development  challenges. We work with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral  donor organizations, and government ministries and agencies. Our clients include, for  example, the World Bank, USAID, TechnoServe, Promundo, the Mastercard Foundation, and  several UN agencies.

We currently have offices in the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda,  Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Peru. The team brings together more than 80 full time local and  international staff, as well as 1,000+ enumerators across all countries. We are proud to be a  culturally diverse organization, and we welcome applications from groups currently under

represented in our team. Learn more: www.laterite.com

We work in socio-economic development research projects. We believe that impact is a  long-term endeavour that requires being embedded in the local context. Delivering high-quality  research requires building local teams and data collection systems, knowing the country, and  establishing close working relationships.

One of Laterite’s key strategic goals is to create a collaborative and rewarding working  environment for our staff, where every team member feels engaged, represented, and  heard. Laterite is committed to create opportunities for learning and career development within  the team and across our offices.

Laterite is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal  opportunities employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment  without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation,  national origin, genetics, disability, age or veteran status.

What you will do: 

As a Research Associate based in our Freetown office, you will:

  • Manage one or two research projects in Sierra Leone: coordinating the project team;  ensuring implementation according to protocols; managing the budget and timeline;  and communicating with clients.
  • Play a hands-on role in all steps of the research process: designing the technical  approach; developing protocols, research instruments, and sampling strategies;  monitoring data quality; conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis; writing  reports; and presenting to clients.
  • Contribute to the development of new business: proposing research ideas; writing  technical proposals; and pricing.
  • Improve the way we work: researching and piloting new methodologies and  technologies; standardizing and automating processes for data collection and analysis;  and supporting internal operations like recruitment and IT.

You will develop skills and experience in:

  • Technical design of research projects
  • Data analysis
  • Business development
  • Managing a portfolio of research projects

What you will bring: 

Our ideal candidates are passionate about social and economic research in West Africa. They  can quickly grasp research concepts and structure their technical approach to a problem. They  have strong analytical and interpersonal skills, self-motivation, and a drive to flourish in a fast paced environment, where timelines can often be unpredictable. Our candidates have project  coordination experience and can manage activities involving varying levels of stakeholders  and multiple team members. They are willing to develop their professional skills, contribute to  the growth of an organization dedicated to social impact, and thrive in an innovative and  collaborative organization.

An ideal candidate will have:

  • A master’s degree in Education, Economics, Statistics, Public Health, Public Policy or  a related field.
  • At least three years of professional experience in research (whether in a  project/program or academic setting).
  • Strong analytical skills, experience working with quantitative data, and proficiency in  Stata.
  • Experience communicating with external stakeholders or in a client-facing role.
  • Solid project management skills and experience coordinating projects with multiple  components or teams.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

In addition, we value:

  • Experience working with primary data (data collection or cleaning and analysis).
  • Experience with Open Data Kit (ODK) or an ODK-based platform such as SurveyCTO  or CommCare.
  • Previous work experience in West Africa. A plus if you are from Sierra Leone or West  Africa.
  • Research experience in one of Laterite’s core sectors – education, youth and labor,  public health, agriculture or urbanization.
  • Knowledge of Python and/or R

Note that where candidate’s skills and experiences are limited, he/she may be considered for  the role of Research Analyst, with commensurate responsibilities and remuneration.

What’s in it for you? 

Laterite offers a competitive remuneration package, including medical insurance and 21 days  of annual leave. We are also committed to supporting our staff’s learning, providing an annual  learning budget of up to $1,000 per person and 10 days of time off for professional learning  each year. We also provide remote work options in accordance with Laterite’s remote work  policy.

The starting salary for this role is $2,620 NET per month. The exact salary grade will be  determined based on the selected candidate’s experience and performance in interviews.  Salaries are pegged against the pay matrix. There is ample opportunity for growth both in  terms of salary scales and roles. Promotions at Laterite are reviewed during our bi-annual  performance evaluations.

What next?  

  1. Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Assessment 

The first step is to complete a 30-minute verbal reasoning and quantitative assessment for  which no special preparation is needed.

Link to the assessment: https://form.jotform.com/232001621190539 

  1. Submit application 

Successful candidates will then be invited to upload their CV and cover letter via our online  application system.

  1. Analytical assessment 

Candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be invited to complete an analytical  assessment to gauge their capacity to perform statistical analysis on a dataset and present  the findings in a short document (using STATA, R, or Python).

  1. Interviews 

Successful candidates will then be invited to a first interview. The interview stage will consist  of two rounds of interviews.

 

Deadline 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Details on rolling applications can be found  on the website: https://www.laterite.com/vacancies/  or laterite.com/careers

APPLICATION PROCESS

To complete application, Kindly use the following link:: https://form.jotform.com/232001621190539

🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Plan International – Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Manager

Plan InternationalPlan International Sierra Leone

Job Announcement (1 Position for nationals only) 

21-11-23 Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Manager

 

Plan International is an independent non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

 

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

 

Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

 

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

 

We are currently seeking to recruit:

Title:                 Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Manager

Grade:             Level 16

Location:          Country Office with 40% travel   

Department:    Programme Influencing 

Reports to:       Head of Programme Development and Quality

 

ROLE PURPOSE

Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Plan International’s purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

The program departments of Plan’s Country Offices in West Africa have MER units whose purpose is, to improve program quality and accountability through supporting and implementing high-quality MER and, to provide evidence for programme design, planning, and effectiveness.

The MER manager heads the MER unit and is accountable for all MER-related components in the development and implementation of the Country Strategy in alignment with Plan’s programme policies and standards including the Program Quality Policy. S/he makes sure that good MER practices are used within the country and are shared with the regional MER network.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

  • Responsible for leading key aspects of the Program Quality Policy (PQP) cycle: situation analysis implementation, development of MER framework for the Country Strategy, baselines, and Country Strategy review
  • Responsible for in-country and partners MER capacity building plan and contributions to the regional MERL network;
  • Responsible for managing MER activities with other agencies and government institutions
  • Accountable for the quality of planning, monitoring, evaluation, and research of Plan in the country;
  • Supports Country Strategy design and planning including reviews of the resource planning
  • Responsible for ensuring that all MER activities are conducted in line with Plan International’s child protection and ethical principles, and for promoting accountability to beneficiaries
  • Manager of MER unit: Line manages the Planning and Monitoring Specialist, the Evaluation and Research Specialist, the Programme Unit (PU) based MER Officers, and the M&E Grants Officers (depending on the number of grants in the CO).

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Technical MERL Support in:
  • Country Strategy (CS)
  • Lead CS evaluation
  • Support context analysis study and baseline for new CS
  • Lead monitoring, annual review or mid-term review of the CS and produce related reports
  • Support the roll-out and establishment of the MERL system in Plan International Sierra Leone

 

Country Programmes

  • Plan and implement the annual research and learning agenda
  • Adapt and share results frameworks per Area of Global Distinctiveness (AOGD)
  • Develop monitoring tools and support full utilization across all programmes

 

Projects

  • Support project design and ensure alignment and contribution of results to CS
  • Input in funding proposals and support strong log-frames and theories of change
  • Support project M&E planning at start-up and annually
  • Lead implementation of project baselines and evaluations
  • Support regular review of project performance progress and reviews, and undertake field monitoring visits

 

Key Responsibilities – Key End Results of Position

 

  • Plan International Sierra Leone can provide evidence of the results and effectiveness of their country strategy (CS) 

 

Activities 

  • Lead the development of the MER framework for CS and model MER frameworks for projects
  • Lead the implementation of the Situation Analysis to inform the CS development
  • Lead the development of the Terms of Reference (ToR)
  • Dissemination of Situation Analysis results and designed CS
  • Manage the review process for the CS, from the development of the TOR to the dissemination of CS review report

 

  • High-quality and evidence-based projects through excellence in situational analysis, planning, monitoring, evaluation and research practices and knowledge management

Activities 

  • Identify research opportunities
  • Ensure that all research and evaluation initiatives comply with global standards
  • Prepare management responses for all evaluations
  • Conduct annual quality analysis of all evaluation reports against criteria defined in Plan’s evaluation standards and identify trends in findings for review and follow-up by Senior Management
  • Fill out the MER quarterly report for the regional office
  • Set up and implement a knowledge management plan for the MER unit
  • Put in place a mechanism to collect good practices and lessons learned from programme implementation
  • Share annually at least one good practice or lesson learned with the regional MER network and contribute regularly to discussions and announcements on the WACA MER workspace
  • Ensure collaboration with other agencies and manage partnerships for MER-related purposes

 

  • Plan International Sierra Leone programme staff and partners have increased MER capacity

Activities

    • Set clear objectives for MER unit including budget
    • Conduct MER capacity assessment with relevant positions at PU, CO, and partner levels to identify gaps and training needs
    • Develop and organize the implementation of a MER capacity-building plan for the country
  • Coach and mentor PU and CO MER staff to leverage learning

Safeguarding Commitments:

  • Commit and contribute to an environment where children and adult program participants feel respected, supported, safe, and protected;
  • Never act or behave in a manner that results in violence including SHEA against a child, young person, or adult or places them at risk of such violence;
  • Be aware of and adhere to the provisions of the Safeguarding Policy, PSHEA Policy, and COC of Plan International;
  • Report and respond to safeguarding and SHEA concerns and breaches in line with the applicable procedures of Plan International;
  • Maintain confidentiality of safeguarding and PSHEA concerns reported;
  • Never participate in or support child marriages.

 

 Dealing with Problems

The complexity of problems handled, and the degree of investigation, analysis, and creative thinking required to solve them

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research (MER) are crucial components for ensuring high-quality outcomes and impact in rights-based programming. Barriers that the MER manager will have to deal with include:

  • The technical capacity for MER is low at CO and PU levels, hence, the quality of M&E in sponsorship and certain grant projects is low.
  • There is an increasing demand for high-quality MER by donors.
  • There are misconceptions and a lack of clarity on what the MER unit should be doing
  • Most data collection is done using pen and paper methods meaning inefficiencies and data reliability issues

 

The MER manager needs to be able to:

  • Convince other staff of the benefits of implementing high-quality MER
  • Be capable of driving organizational change regarding MER practices forward
  • Communicate concisely on what needs to be done in terms of MER
  • Handle challenges with pragmatism and flexibility

 

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/Experience

  • Understanding of integrated development issues and critical analysis of child poverty
  • Understanding of gender transformative program/projects
  • Knowledge of measuring influencing project outcomes
  • Knowledge of theories of child-rights programming and child protection (programmatic and safeguarding)
  • Knowledge of development issues, trends, challenges and opportunities, and implications to community development
  • Demonstrated experience as a development professional in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs/ projects including gender aware
  • Knowledgeable on participatory M&E tools and systems
  • Knowledgeable in tool design for qualitative and quantitative research
  • Knowledgeable in strategic planning processes
  • Demonstrated experience in team management

 

Qualification 

  • Master’s degree in demography, measurement, planning, monitoring and evaluation, development studies, social sciences, or other relevant field;
  • At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in design, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and research in international development, preferably in education, health, child protection, household economic security, DRM, gender and inclusion

 

Skills

  • Strong planning and organizational skills
  • Skills in managing decentralized teams
  • Skills in managing qualitative and quantitative data collections
  • Working experience in community participation in development/programming
  • Skills for database management (design, entry, analysis)
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Ability to deliver to tight deadlines
  • Demonstrated facilitation and active listening skills
  • Strong facilitation and coaching skills
  • Solid writing skills (report writing, concept paper writing etc.)
  • Able to read and write in English, fluency in English an advantage
  • Skills in using Microsoft Office and other software applications relevant to MER (e.g. MAXQDA, SPSS, epi-info, CSPro, or similar

 

Behaviors

  • Coaches and builds capacity of staff in COs and PUs
  • Promotes innovation and learning
  • Communicates clearly and effectively
  • Strong team-building and motivational skills
  • Demonstrates clear respect to all especially children and women without discrimination
  • Involves others in setting and achieving goals
  • Demonstrates honesty and transparency in holding self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and Plan’s standards of behavior
  • Balances future vision with practical delivery
  • Acts as a team player, willing to get the best outcome overall, adjusting own priorities if necessary
  • Promotes a strong learning culture in the organization
  • Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations

 

Key Relationship

 

Internal:

High-level contact:

Internal: The Country Office and PU level program team, in particular, the other members of the MER unit;

External: Partners and consultants

Medium-level contact: The Country Office operations team, the RO MER unit

Low-level contact: NO staff, IH

 

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

  • Typical office environment with 30% travel to program units. There will be occasional travels to West and Central African Region countries for peer assistance purposes.

 

Level of contact with children

  • The position will be based at the Country Office and the level of contact with children is medium of interaction

Other

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

 

Ensure staff understands Plan International’s commitment to driving a feminist agenda within the organization, and the ambition for gender equality and gender transformative leadership is embedded in our value-based leadership framework.

 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES 

We are open and accountable

  • Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
  • Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
  • Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
  • Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
  • Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organization for all children, girls & young people.

 

We strive for lasting impact

  • Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
  • Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
  • Focuses resources to drive change and maximize long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
  • Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

 

We work well together

  • Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
  • Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
  • Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners, and communities.
  • Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

 

We are inclusive and empowering

  • We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
  • We respect all people, appreciate differences, and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
  • We support children, girls, and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

 

Applications: 

Last date for submission of Applications (CV and cover letter) is: 4th December 2023 by 5:00 pm

Your application should include:
·         A cover letter
·         A comprehensive CV including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current of most recent supervisor

  Send applications to the below link: Sierra-Leone.Recruitment@plan-international.org

 

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy.

 

Plan International follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with disability.

 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the  advert early.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ Welbodi Partnership – Research Assistant CRADLE

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 

POSITION Research Assistant CRADLE
LOCATION Freetown, Sierra Leone
START DATE 27th November 2023
DURATION 9 months – with the possibility of an extension
APPLICATION DEADLINE 15th November 2023 (only those shortlisted for interview will be  contacted)

 

WelbodiBACKGROUND 

Welbodi Partnership is a UK-registered charity working to reduce maternal and child mortality and  morbidity in Sierra Leone. Since 2008, Welbodi Partnership has worked in partnership with hospital  management, health facility staff, and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to improve maternal and child  health outcomes in Sierra Leone. We do this through a range of health system strengthening activities,  staff training, hospital improvement projects, community engagement and Research.

Our vision is that all women and children in Sierra Leone will have access to effective essential healthcare  services characterised by respect and dignity for all, including patients, communities and staff. Our mission  is to build the capacity of the health system in Sierra Leone to reduce the number of women and children  who are sick, suffer, or die unnecessarily.

For further information about our work, please see: www.welbodipartnership.org 

ROLE PURPOSE

The post holder will join Professor Shennan and Professor Gevao’s NIHR Maternal Health Research  Group, to support coordination and delivery of the CRADLE 5 trial: a type 2 hybrid implementation  effectiveness cluster randomised controlled trial of the CRADLE intervention across eight rural  districts in Sierra Leone (www.cradletrial.org).

The NIHR Maternal Health Research Group (CRIBS) is funded by the Global Health Research strand  of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and aims to improve maternal and neonatal  outcomes in Sierra Leone by developing and implementing life-saving maternal health interventions  and building research capacity.

This is a full-time post; the post-holder will be based in Freetown, with frequent (monthly) up-country  travel required. 

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

RESEARCH BACKGROUND

The CRADLE Vital Signs Alert device (VSA) measures blood pressure and heart rate and was  developed for use in low-income countries by the team at King’s College London. It has now been  used in over 50 countries. It is portable, cheap, charged with a micro-USB and easy-to-use, even  by healthcare providers (HCPs) who are not medically trained. A novel, in-built traffic light system  alerts the healthcare provider to abnormal readings and the need to act. We have shown previously  within an urban setting that use of the device (with training) in Freetown, Sierra Leone (as well as  urban settings in seven other LMICs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti & India) can lead to more women  receiving the most appropriate care. Significantly fewer women died (60%) and 40% less became  seriously unwell when the CRADLE VSA device was introduced in Sierra Leone. The CRADLE-3 trial  provided sufficient evidence for the potential impact on maternal morbidity and mortality,  warranting scale up of the intervention in Sierra Leone. Following successful completion of the first  Phase of the national CRADLE VSA rollout to over 717 PHUs (across the 8 districts of Western Area  Urban and Rural, Bo, Bombali, Kenema, Kambia, Port Loko and Pujehun) in July 2021; the MoHS,  Welbodi Partnership and King’s College London undertook a second Phase of the national rollout  to the rest of the country in 2022 and 2023. As part of the second Phase, the programme targeted the districts of Tonkolili, Koinadugu, Kono, Kailahun, Bonthe, Moyamba, Karene and Falaba  and be collected detailed data on clinical health outcomes at both PHU and hospital facility – levels alongside the project’s device distribution and emergency obstetric training. We have now moved  on to data analysis and sustainability work.

This project provided a timely opportunity to deliver embedded implementation research and  evaluate the clinical impact of the CRADLE device in a real-world setting. The project used a mixed  methods approach to evaluate the intervention, whilst exploring the mechanisms and contextual  factors influencing implementation and outcomes. The evidence accrued we hope will provide a  blueprint for adoption and impact in other geographies.

APRICOT/SIPHRE/PINEAPPLE 

These projects aim to validate the feasibility of novel point-of-care technologies to enable earlier  detection of haemorrhage, sepsis (CRADLE VSA measuring shock index), and pre-eclampsia (RONIA  and LEPZI, both POC Placental growth factor devices for diagnosis of pre-eclampsia). Point of care  testing has numerous benefits in an LMIC setting; it provides immediate results without the need for  expensive laboratory infrastructure or venepuncture skills and can be undertaken in remote and  resource-limited settings.

The successful candidate will have a background in maternal health, a passion for mixed-methods  research, a willingness to engage in all aspects of this project including regular in-country travel  and have experience of implementing and evaluating health programmes in Sierra Leone.

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Welbodi programs manager and technical guidance from a  team of maternal health researchers at King’s College London the role of the Research Assistant will  be to oversee the smooth running of the CRADLE project and to work with the study team to assess  the CRADLE Intervention through mixed methods research design, execution, analysis and write up

while building and maintaining relationships with key partners.

Specific responsibilities are listed below but the role may include other duties necessary for the  success of the overall CRADLE trial:

  • Involvement in focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews to explore  women’s and community members’ views on the barriers and facilitators to quality  healthcare
  • Working with the study team to contribute to reporting of the CRADLE project • Inputting data into a secure database, supporting data collection, data validation and  monitoring and maintaining security of data.
  • Establishes and maintains close working relationships with the DHMT Management  Team, the

Medical Superintendents and other health facility managers, the Ministry of Health  and Sanitation, key health sector stakeholders, partners at health care facilities, other  NGO representatives and donors and Kings College London Co-Investigators.

  • Supports management of district data with collaboration from district M&E team  members
  • Supports the delivery of timely and high-quality progress reports for donors, in  collaboration with the Programmes Manager.
  • Contribute in monitoring and evaluation of the project through timely update of primary  and secondary outcome data in conjunction with the M&E 

 Contribute to the SIPHIRE and APRICOT studies through;

  • Data collection of patients’ vital signs and clinical outcomes from the PCMH medical  hospital notes.
  • Inputting data to a secure database, supporting data collection and data validation  and maintaining security of data.
  • Assisting with data checking and cleaning as required.
  • Assisting with health economic analysis and write-up.
  • Performing their duties in keeping with the organisation’s values, recognizing and  reporting in a timely fashion any problems in obtaining data.
  • Establishing and maintaining close working relationships with the hospital  management team, ward staff, and colleagues from Welbodi Partnership and  King’s College London research team

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to  undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading  of the post.  

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as public health, CHO sciences, nursing, epidemiology,  social sciences, or a related discipline. A Master’s degree in is a plus.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES.

  • Research Experience: Demonstrated experience in conducting mixed-methods research, including designing research studies, data collection, and data analysis. Experience in maternal health research is highly desirable.
  • Sierra Leone Expertise: Knowledge of the Sierra Leone healthcare system, its challenges, and maternal health issues in the country.
  • Data Management Skills: Proficiency in data collection, data entry. Experience in analysis tools and software, such as statistical analysis software (e.g., R, or Stata), and qualitative analysis software (e.g., NVivo) would be a plus but not mandatory.
  • Fieldwork Experience: Prior experience with fieldwork, including conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and data collection in a real-world setting.
  •  Project Management: Strong organisational, time and project management skills.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

  • Passion for Maternal Health: A genuine interest and passion for improving  maternal health and a commitment to making a positive impact in this field. • Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to identify challenges, propose solutions, and  implement strategies to overcome obstacles in the research process.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Cultural awareness and sensitivity, especially regarding the  diverse communities in Sierra Leone.
  • Excellent Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including  the ability to effectively communicate research findings and insights to diverse  audiences.
  • Team Player: Collaborative and able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team,  including researchers, healthcare professionals, and community members.
  • Travel Readiness: Willingness and ability to undertake frequent up-country travel  within Sierra Leone, as the role requires.
  • Language Skills: Proficiency in English and Krio.
  • Adaptability: The ability to work effectively in a dynamic and fast-paced research  environment, adapting to evolving research needs and priorities.
  • Strong Ethical Standards: Adherence to high ethical standards, particularly in  research involving human subjects, and a commitment to safeguarding and  promoting the welfare of vulnerable populations.

Vacancy Announcement: Research Assistant CRADLE

GENERAL POLICIES PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES

All employees and volunteers at Welbodi Partnership are expected to comply with the general  duties outlined below and detailed in full in our policies.

Safeguarding

Welbodi Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young  people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are therefore expected to behave in such a  way that supports this commitment. Applicants for this position should be aware that if successful,  they will be requested to complete a police check.

Data protection

Welbodi Partnership complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Equality and Diversity

Welbodi Partnership is committed to a comprehensive policy of Equal Opportunities in volunteering  and employment in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits  and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the organisation. It is the Welbodi  Partnership’s policy as an employer to treat all people equally irrespective of race, ethnic origin,  nationality, gender, sex, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, creed, disability, age or  political belief.

Job revision

This job description is a guide to the duties required and is not definitive or restrictive in any way.  The duties of the post may be varied from time to time in response to changing circumstances.

APPLICATION PROCESS 

The closing date for applications is the 15th November 2023 – we encourage potential applicants to submit as soon  as possible.

To apply for this position please send your cover letter, CV and contact details of 3 referees in one email to  jobs@welbodipartnership.org using the following subject title: Application – Research Assistant CRADLE.  For any queries relating to the position, please email jobs@welbodipartnership.org

WOMEN ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ BBC Media Action – 9 Positions

BBC Media Action is recruiting to fill the following positions:

1.) Freelancer Qualitative Researcher (x6)
2.) Fixer/Runner (x3)

 

See job details and how to apply below.

1.) Freelancer Qualitative Researcher (x6)

Job Description for Qualitative Researcher

Job title:         Freelancer Qualitative Researcher (x 6)

Department/Business unit:     Research and Learning 

Report to:                                        Senior Research Officer

Location:   Western Area, Pujehun and Koinadugu

Date of Issue:                                  18 September 2023

Contract duration: 10 – days contract on local terms and conditions

Likely dates of work: November 2023

Overall, the Purpose of the Job

Job Context:

BBC Media Action is recruiting a Freelance qualitative researcher to support the research activities on Social Norms and Power Dynamics Influencing Adolescent Pregnancy and Behaviours around Family Planning Services and Contraception among Adolescents and Youth in Sierra Leone. We are looking for a talented and committed researcher to carry out field data collection.

The Freelancer will be working with groups of men, women, and girls. This is a sensitive area of research, with potentially vulnerable participants. For the successful candidates, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check will form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.

Purpose of Job:

The Freelance qualitative researcher will be responsible for fieldwork as part of a broader team.  They will be required to conduct Focus Group Discussions, In-depth Interviews, and Rapid Interviews, in three districts (Western Area, Pujehun, and Koinadugu).

 

Specification (requirement) for a Qualitative researcher: 

  • Experience in conducting Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and In-depth Interviews. Knowledgeable in moderating skills, and practical use of projective techniques in Focus Group Discussions.,
  • Must submit an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and covering letter.
  • Should have experience working on a Sexual Reproductive Health project.
  • Candidates who live in or have experience in the research districts are highly encouraged to apply.

 

*Women are encouraged to apply for this role.

 

MAIN DUTIES:

Conducting Focus Group Discussions and In-depth in (Western Area, Koinadugu and Pujehun Districts), 

 

  • Conducting fieldwork: Lead in moderating focus group discussions and conducting in-depth interviews as well as rapid interviews.
  • Take notes during interviews/FGDs and share detailed field reports after fieldwork.
  • Debrief each day after conducting interviews/FGDs.
  • Follow the sample frame for the research, during interviews/FGDs based on the demographics and categories of participants.

Reporting:

  • To submit field notes and field reports at the end of the field exercise.

Knowledge and skills 

  • Good working knowledge of research techniques, qualitative (focus groups, interviews, rapid interviews, etc.) research techniques.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately both to colleagues and interviewees from a wide range of backgrounds and a good understanding of how to build a rapport with participants.
  • Good understanding of how safeguarding issues related to research ethics and practice, with specific reference to working with vulnerable groups of people.
  • Willingness to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities while in the field.
  • Fluent in at least one local language of the research district.
  • Ability to work in a team with others.

 

How to apply

Please Send an updated CV, cover letter and certificates with your most recent transcripts to recruitment@sl.bbcmediaaction.org before 29th September 2023.

No hard-copy applications will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.


2.) Fixer/Runner (x3)

Job Description for Fixer/Runner

Job title:         Fixer/Runer x3

Department/Business unit:     Research and Learning 

Report to:                                        Senior Research Officer

Location:   Western Area, Pujehun and Koinadugu

Date of Issue:                              18 September 2023

Contract duration: 6-day contract on local terms and conditions

Likely dates of work: November 2023

Overall, the Purpose of the Job

Job Context:

BBC Media Action is recruiting a Freelance Fixer/Runner to support the research activities on Social Norms and Power Dynamics Influencing Adolescent Pregnancy and Behaviours around Family Planning Services and Contraception among Adolescents and Youth in Sierra Leone.

We are looking for talented and committed Fixers to carry out field recruitment of participants for the Focus Group Discussions in three districts (Western Area, Pujehun, and Koinadugu).  The Fixers will be working with groups of men, women, and girls. A sample frame will be provided for the recruitment process.

For the successful candidates, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check will form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.

 

Purpose of Job:

The Freelance fixer/runner will be responsible for recruiting and mobilizing research participants as part of a broader team.  They will be required to recruit and mobilize research participants for Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), In-depth Interviews, and Rapid Interviews, in three districts (Western Area, Pujehun, and Koinadugu).

 

Specification (requirement) for a fixer is: 

  • Must submit an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Experience in recruitment, mobilization, and data collection is an added advantage.
  • Candidates who live in or have experience working in the research districts are highly encouraged to apply.

 

MAIN DUTIES:

Recruitment of Focus Group Discussion Participants and in-depth interviews

  • To recruit Focus Group Discussion (FGD) participants and community stakeholders for In-depth Interviews (DIs), in each district based on the recruitment screener guide provided by BBC Media Action.
  • Compile details of recruited participants in each location based on their required categories.
  • To follow the sample frame for this research, to recruit (FGD) participants based on their demographics and categories.

 

Reporting:

  • To submit lists of recruited participants and community stakeholders with all details specified in the sample frame and screener guide.

 

How to apply

Please Send an updated CV, cover letter and certificates with your most recent transcripts to recruitment@sl.bbcmediaaction.org before 29th September 2023.

No hard-copy applications will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ Plan International – 4 Positions

Plan International is recruiting to fill the following positions:

1.) Livelihood Coordinator (x2)
2.) Project Manager – Sponsorship Programme (SPADs)
3.) Evaluation & Research Coordinator

 

See job details and how to apply below.

1.) Livelihood Coordinator (x2)

Title:                 Livelihood Coordinator (X 2)

Grade:             Level 14

Location:          Port Loko & Moyamba 

Department:    Programme 

Reports to:       Project Manager – SPADs

 

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

Plan International is an independent non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. Child sponsorship is a means Plan International employs to generate long-term and reliable income and support for Plan International’s child-centered community development (CCCD) and rights-based programmes. It is the cornerstone on which the organisation was established and it remains the foundation aspect of the work we do. Sierra Leone implements SPADs in Pork Loko and Moyamba districts.

 

Plan International Sierra Leone is recruiting a Livelihood Coordinator – SPADs to lead the coordination and implementation of the Livelihood component of the SPADs intervention.

 

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

The Livelihood Coordinator is responsible for managing of the livelihood component of the SPADs project in Port Loko and Moyamba respectively. He/she will work very closely with communities, Project participants, Local Authorities, National and International NGOs, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to ensure effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Livelihood activities for Plan in the district. The Coordinator will ensure that projects are implemented as per the approved proposals and Plan International programming approach. He/she is also responsible for the preparation of high-quality reports in a timely manner

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Livelihood Coordinator will be responsible for the following:

  • Overall supervision of Livelihood activities within the SPADs program
  • Undertake community vulnerability assessments in targeted communities to define community gaps and provide basis for planning.
  • Lead the identification and selection of the project participants jointly with the communities, village agents and local leaders/authority using set of criteria.
  • Facilitate planning, organizing, and management of agricultural-related activities including village savings and loan associations (VSLAs), women farmers groups, women vocational training and promote life skills at the community level
  • Facilitate integration of agricultural activities into other related projects in the organization especially the food security section of the Integrated School Feeding Programme (ISFP) in sponsoring communities.
  • Networking with relevant government departments, ministries, and agencies e.g. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Services, Ministry of social welfare, and District Councils.
  • Strive to ensure marketing for the produce of the women farmers group and women’s vocational training
  • Ensure sustainability of the VSLA and farmers groups and improve their financial capacity.
  • Facilitate women’s vocational skills process and monitor the distribution of start-up kits.
  • Facilitate training of project participants and village agents on climate-smart approaches in farming and VSLA principles, procedures and actions, financial literacy and recording, and related topics.
  •  Develop work plans (Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly) to ensure effective implementation of all livelihood-related activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan.
  • Conduct an assessment of financial service providers and challenges in reaching vulnerable groups.
  • Link the VSLA groups to Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies and Micro Financial Institutions (MFI) services for further financial access.
  • Regularly monitor, follow up and provide technical support to VLSAs members and ensure quality practice and function as per standard.
  • Facilitate the identification of village level VSLA agents to enhance community awareness and ownership/sustainability of VSLA approach.
  • Supervise the livelihood component of the project including VSLA Agents and women farmers groups and women vocational skill development at all levels.
  • Effectively represent Plan International at all levels.
  • Participate in workshops, trainings and meetings organized by Plan International and other agencies and contribute effectively to the success of the events.

 

Key technical tasks and areas of Accountability include:            

  • Lead and provide technical inputs on VSLA, Agriculture, life skills and financial inclusion in the design and preparation of new livelihood proposals.
  • Facilitate and ensure establishment of VSLA groups in targeted communities, conduct trainings as necessary on Livelihood including VSLA implementation and principles, risk management, etc.
  • Oversee, provide coaching mentorship within all components of VSLA, Agriculture and Life skills sessions in the project
  • Ensuring technical quality and standards are considered and respected during implementation.
  • Ensure the full participation, awareness of the project by engaging with key partners (donor, Government offices, the community, and targeted participants) in all stages of implementation
  • Ensure that all activities meet community needs; promote gender equality and ensure full and equal participation of women in all aspects, making sure that the program is an opportunity for peace making, not community division.
  • Facilitate and organize exchange visits and any other events for the VSLA participants and leaders to share learning and experience.
  • Identify high-capacity vocational skills training center for the youth and women to learn different skills as per market demand/market survey results in order to equip with required skills for self-employment.
  • Collaborate with the SPADS Project Manager for all decisions related to VSLAs and pre-urban livelihoods and carry out any other duties as may be assigned by the Line supervisor.
  • Work closely in teamwork with livelihoods such as the School Feeding program, Logistics and finance.

 

Monitoring and Evaluation of Livelihood in Spads

 

  • Undertake regular monitoring field visit to all Livelihood interventions where SPADs is implemented
  • Conduct regular follow-up and provide support to VSLAs graduates to see if they are applying the technologies and practices and provide technical assistance where there are gaps.
  • Track progress of livelihood related activities, savings groups and VSLAs activities to measure progress against targets
  • In collaboration with the MERL unit, facilitate the development of tools and data collection from savings groups, women farmers groups.
  • Monitor all women that are empowered through vocational training
  • Undertake regular monitoring and supervision of VSLA, Agriculture and life skills interventions in the project
  • Consolidate/compile monthly, quarterly, and annual activity reports and special events showing achievements, lessons learnt, constraints, and recommendations and submit to supervisor on agreed time
  • Carry out quarterly/annual review meetings to assess performance of activities against set targets at the community and program level.
  • Conduct assessment using appropriate tools to collect information and document the impact and benefits of the intervention by producing case stories
  • Participate in field level assessment and or evaluation of project performance/evaluations.
  • Arrange and facilitate program visits for Plan International staff, partners, and donors
  • Work closely with the Project Manager for SPADs to ensure KPIs on Livelihood are reported in SAP/ PMERL

 

Project Reporting

  • Prepare high quality timely project field activity monthly, quarterly and annual reports on Livelihood interventions
  • Prepare monthly budget of VSLA and livelihood activities submit to the supervisor for approval
  • Prepare detail implementation workplan and ensure the respective team members are aware and is properly implemented and targeted indicators achieved
  • Work closely with Plan Comms department to share case stories and achievement on Livelihoods

 

Networking and Advocacy

  • Work closely with the comms department for the review and finalization of SPAD’s case stories including the documentation of references and learning materials
  • Strengthen interdepartmental collaboration to aid information exchange within the organization, while utilizing the knowledge management base resources
  • Coordinate with partners to create effective synergies that contribute to maximizing the project impact.
  • Contribute to Plan efforts in influencing and advocacy and ensure mainstreaming of participatory approach within the project.

 

Partnerships and Capacity-Building  

  • Roll-out capacity-building plans and activities for staff and partners as appropriate
  • Contribute to the review of technical tool and capacity-building resources and ensure they are adapted and contextualized to the SPADs interventions context.
  • Regularly deliver capacity-building sessions, such as on-the-job coaching, mentorship, and trainings, to staff and volunteers, and other stakeholders.
  • Support ongoing identification of technical capacity gaps among programme team.
  • Regularly updated the Sector Specialists on progress related to partner capacity-building and feedback on technical tools and resources

 

Key Relationship

Internal:

  • Gender Transformative Animators
  • Livelihood Coordinators
  • Team Leader, Integrated School feeding Project
  • Head of Programme Implementation
  • Programme Implementation and Influencing Area Managers
  • Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning Specialist
  • Gender Equality and Inclusion Advisor
  • Child Protection/Safeguarding Specialist
  • Business Development Manager
  • Other Technical Specialists

 

External:

  • Engage with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Education, and other relevant line ministries
  • Other relevant actors in VSLA, Food security, youth empowerment, etc

 

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/Experience

  • Education/Professional Background:
  • BA/BSc degree in Cooperative and marketing development, Rural development, International Development, Economics, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Sociology, Social Science, and/or related relevant field of studies and at least 3 years’ work experience.
  • Substantive knowledge and practical experience of VSLA/, Marketing Cooperative, Youth Employment, food security and resilience programs
  • Proven records of effectiveness in planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring/oversight of financial inclusive project including VSLA or rural micro-finance
  • Validated experience of integrating gender, protection, and diversity into programs.
  • NGO experience is a plus
  • Relevant and effective communication and mobilization skills to work with the local community, local Government and other partners
  • Project planning and implementation experience
  • proposal and report writing skills
  • Effective communication internally and externally towards government, NGOs, donors, etc.
  • Able to work in a team and independently
  • Decision making and analytical skills
  • Solutions orientated focused on program outcomes
  • Attention to detail and a problem solver—able to think out of the box
  • Able to keep the big picture in mind
  • Able to give clear direction and manage competing priorities
  • Situational leadership skills including being able to lead by example
  • Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations
  • Aware of impact on others and adjusting own behaviour accordingly

 

Knowledge and skills

 

  • Good supervision of personnel
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Monitoring and evaluation skills
  • Project management skills
  • Planning and organizing skills
  • Training delivery and facilitation skills
  • Team building skills
  • Good communication skills
  • Good command of the English Language

 

Behaviors

  • Continuous commitment to high performance and improvement
  • Have the sense of responsibility and deadlines
  • Ability to work as a team
  • Being committed to the protection of the rights of the child;
  • Humility towards staff, children, community members and all Plan associates
  • Coaching of staff and Volunteers to ensure improvement
  • Understanding of how INGOs work in general

 

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

  • The role is based in Port Loko and Moyamba to lead the coordination and implementation of the Livelihood component of the SPADs intervention in the sponsorship communities

 

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

  • Maximum interaction with children

 

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

 

Ensure staff understands Plan International’s commitment to driving a feminist agenda within the organization, and the ambition for gender equality and gender transformative leadership is embedded in our value-based leadership framework.

 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES 

We are open and accountable

  • Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
  • Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
  • Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
  • Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
  • Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organization for all children, girls & young people.

 

We strive for lasting impact

  • Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
  • Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
  • Focuses resources to drive change and maximize long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
  • Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

 

We work well together

  • Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
  • Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
  • Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners, and communities.
  • Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

 

We are inclusive and empowering

  • We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
  • We respect all people, appreciate differences, and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
  • We support children, girls, and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

 

Applications: 

Last date for submission of Applications (CV and cover letter) is: 17th August 2023 by 5:00 pm

Your application should include:
·         A cover letter
·         A comprehensive CV including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current of most recent supervisor

  Send applications to the below link: Sierra-Leone.Recruitment@plan-international.org

 

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy.

 

Plan International follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with disability.

 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.


2.) Project Manager – Sponsorship Programme (SPADs)

Title:                 Project Manager – Sponsorship Programme (SPADs)

Grade:             Level 15

Location:          Port Loko or Moyamba -50% travel to support the project

Department:    Programme Implementation

Reports to:       Head of Programme Implementation

 

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

Plan International is an independent non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

 

Child sponsorship is a means Plan International employs to generate long-term and reliable income and support for Plan International’s child-centered community development (CCCD) and rights-based programmes. It is the cornerstone on which the organisation was established and it remains the foundation aspect of the work we do. Sierra Leone implements SPADs in Pork Loko and Moyamba districts.

 

Plan International Sierra Leone is recruiting a Programme Manager – SPADs to lead the coordination and implementation of SPADs interventions.

 

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

The project Manager is responsible for the overall coordination and management of the gender transformative, programmatic, and financial of all SPADs interventions in Moyamba and Port Loko in accordance with all relevant programme documents. The post holder will also support the development of strategic documents including SPADs Programme Strategy and Annual Workplan. The SPADs Project Manager will report to the Head of Programme Implementation. The post holder will frequently move between Port Loko and Moyamba districts

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Ensure SPADs programme implementation aligns with PII programme quality standards including the Global Programming and Influencing Strategy and Country Strategy.
  • Provide technical support to Gender Transformative Animators and Livelihood Coordinators members with insight on quality project implementation standards policies, strategies, research, and other resources to improve project quality.
  • Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular coordination meetings and learning events.
  • Ensure the logical framework of the project and M&E components are well conducted in order to help decision-making for the smooth running of the project.
  • Oversee project budget including generating funds forecasts, tracking expenditures, and maintaining all necessary information for timely development of financial reports. He/she will also be responsible for ensuring that the financial reporting is aligned with the narrative one
  • Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.

Project Implementation

  • Execute overall project management and partner implementation of SPADs projects on Livelihood, Child Protection, Gender and Inclusion, and Inclusive Quality Education within the deadlines and standards required by Plan International.
  • Oversee project budget including generating funds forecasts, tracking expenditures, and maintaining all necessary information for the timely development of financial reports. He/she will also be responsible for ensuring that the financial reporting is aligned with the narrative.
  • Ensure that the logical framework of the project and M&E components are well conducted in order to help decision-making for the smooth running of the project.
  • Make frequent trips to the project areas to monitor project activities, identify opportunities and constraints, and make any necessary adjustments, including capacity strengthening.
  • Regularly update the progress, priorities, and constraints of project implementation.
  • Track monitoring of expenditure and ensure adaptations to project activities as required to ensure full expenditure of the portfolio.
  • Work with the finance and MERL teams to set the project outline on SAP.
  • Support the development of the detailed implementation plan (DIP) to align with the approved log-frames.

 

Representation and Monitoring

  • Represent Plan in internal/external meetings including line ministries.
  • Monitor the performance of the programme teams and internal Plan staff assigned to the projects to ensure all milestones set in the annual work plan are met, develop mitigation plans to reduce risks, and take corrective actions to remedy any deviation from the work plans;
  • Account and report to Plan International and the donor on project performance;
  • Implement portfolio according to Plan’s project cycle
  • Ensure planned activities and budgets are aligned with planned project results and budget parameters.
  • Support effective monitoring and evaluation for measuring the effects/impacts of the projects in the portfolio, and that program data and information are included in national data/statistics
  • Ensure compliance with effective budget monitoring and management including tracking project budget in SAP/PMERL ensuring efficient resource utilization and cost-effectiveness, as well as providing the required explanation should there be any variance reported.
  • Monitor project progress, identifying and addressing any issues or risks that may impact timelines or quality.
  • Monitor project progress, identifying and addressing any issues or risks that may impact timelines or quality.

 

Project Reporting

  • Liaise with Programme Team and Sector Specialists to ensure monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements are clearly met.
  • Responsible for providing narrative and financial reports for the overall SPADs and uploading all KPIs into Plan International systems (SAP/PMERL)
  • Coordinate and follow up on programme team reporting deadlines and support reporting revisions where necessary, including receiving reports from local partners, coordinating comments and feedback, and sending the final version to the national office.
  • Support the Program Functions in start-up workshop planning, preparation, and coordination
  • Ensure that mutual co-learning plans are on track and that partnership monitoring tools are being appropriately used for all partners, with support from technical specialists

 

Networking and Advocacy

  • Work closely with the comms department for the review and finalization of SPAD’s case stories including the documentation of references and learning materials
  • Strengthen interdepartmental collaboration to aid information exchange within the organization, while utilizing the knowledge management base resources
  • Coordinate with partners to create effective synergies that contribute to maximizing the project impact.
  • Contribute to Plan efforts in influencing and advocacy and ensure mainstreaming of participatory approach within the project.

 

Partnerships and Capacity-Building  

  • Roll out capacity-building plans and activities for programme teams.
  • Contribute to the review of technical tools and capacity-building resources and ensure they are adapted and contextualized to the SPADs interventions context.
  • Regularly deliver capacity-building sessions, such as on-the-job coaching, mentorship, and training, to staff and volunteers, and other stakeholders.
  • Support ongoing identification of technical capacity gaps among the programme team.
  • Regularly updated the Sector Specialists on progress related to partner capacity-building and feedback on technical tools and resources

 

Monitoring and Evaluation of SPADs Interventions

  • Undertake regular monitoring field visits to all sponsorship communities where SPADs are implemented
  • Track project performance using the log frame and report
  • Work closely with the MERL unit to develop and share tools among project teams for data collection and reporting
  • Responsible for reporting project KPIs in SAP and PMERL
  • Responsible for facilitating project yearly evaluation
  • Responsible for conducting project quarterly/ annual review and feedback meetings with the Team on the SPADs

 

Key Relationship

Internal:

  • Gender Transformative Animators
  • Livelihood Coordinators
  • Head of Programme Implementation
  • Programme Implementation and Influencing Area Managers
  • Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning Specialist
  • Gender Equality and Inclusion Advisor
  • Child Protection/Safeguarding Specialist
  • Business Development Manager
  • Other Technical Specialists

 

External:

  • Engage with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education, MBSSE, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, MHTE, and Teacher Service Commission, TSC.
  • UNICEF and other relevant UN and donor Agencies
  • Other relevant actors in the education sphere in Sierra Leone.

 

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/Experience

  • Advance degree, or equivalent practical experience in interdisciplinary areas within project management, social science, international development, and leadership.
  • Experienced in gender transformative and child rights approaches to development interventions.
  • At least five (5) years of demonstrable experience in project management.
  • At least five (5) years of experience in a managerial role, preferably in a social development setting.
  • Experience in Livelihood and Education programming.
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Good communication and facilitation skills
  • Ability to undertake strategic and programme planning
  • Strong understanding of gender equality programing and meaningful child participation.
  • Knowledge of development challenges and contexts in Sierra Leone, particularly child rights, girl’s rights, child protection, and youth livelihood.
  • Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and supportively without the need for close supervision.
  • Proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications (e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, internet, SAP).

 

Desirable

  • Believe in the potential of all people to succeed if given the right support and willingness to multi-task.
  • Ability to perform under stress, innovative, build relationships, coach and mentor, facilitate change, develop teams, initiate action, strategic decision making, planning, and organizing.
  • Lead through vision and mission and a personal commitment to children’s development and protection.
  • Knowledge of donor rules and regulations
  • Work experience in similar position in an International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) 

 

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

  • The role is based in Port Loko or Moyamba to lead the coordination and implementation of the Livelihood component of the SPADs intervention in the sponsorship communities.

 

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

  • Maximum interaction with children

 

Applications: 

Last date for submission of Applications (CV and cover letter) is: 17th August 2023 by 5:00 pm

Your application should include:
·         A cover letter
·         A comprehensive CV including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current of most recent supervisor

  Send applications to the below link: Sierra-Leone.Recruitment@plan-international.org

 

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy.

 

Plan International follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with disability.

 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.


3.) Evaluation & Research Coordinator

Job Announcement (1 Position for nationals only) 

4-08-23 Evaluation & Research Coordinator

 

Plan International is an independent non-profit development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

 

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

 

Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

 

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

 

    We are currently seeking to recruit:

Title:                 Evaluation & Research Coordinator

Grade:             Level 13

Location:          Country Office with 40% travel   

Department:    Programme Influencing 

Reports to:       MERL Manager

 

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

  • Responsible for ensuring quality in E&R initiatives including Annual Review and post-intervention studies.
  • Supports the rollout of other key Program Quality and Influencing Policy (PQIP) components (Situation analysis, country strategy development, review, and revision).
  • Responsible for ensuring that all E&R activities are conducted in line with Plan International’s safeguarding and ethical principles, and for promoting accountability to beneficiaries.
  • Responsible for disseminating key research or studies published on PISL key thematic areas
  • Member of Country Office MERL unit

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Promote evidence gathering for program success or failure and knowledge of what works well and what doesn’t through the designing, planning, and implementation of high-quality evaluation and research 

Activities 

  • Facilitate the development of annual evaluation and research planning in a participatory manner
  • Ensure that all research and evaluation initiatives comply with Plan’s global standards
  • Develop/ revise Terms of Reference (ToR) for E&R initiatives
  • Submit research ToR to the global Research and Knowledge Management (RKM) team for approval
  • Organize ethical clearance for research projects in compliance with Plan’s global research standards
  • Support the recruitment of consultants for E&R initiatives; assess their work and make recommendations about future recruitment
  • Ensure quality of evaluation and research initiatives whether internal or external
  • Develop implementation plans for evaluation initiatives
  • Provide input and quality control for E&R data collection tools as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis
  • Lead baseline and post-intervention studies
  • Review evaluation and research reports and give recommendations regarding follow-up actions for program management
  • Coordinate the implementation of internal evaluation and action research initiatives, including the design of tools
  • Support the Annual Review process (TOR and budget development, organization of data collection and workshops)
  • Support annual review reporting

 

  • Support evidence-based decision-making, learning, and corrective actions in projects and program through the use of knowledge from and capacity building on E&R 

Activities 

  • Organize internal and external dissemination of findings in collaboration with study commissioners for E&R initiatives
  • Monitor the implementation of management responsibilities for evaluations
  • Conduct after-action reviews for research projects to reflect on the findings and recommendations
  • Organize internal and external dissemination of Annual Review results
  • Coach and train other staff on high-quality E&R practices
  • Document and disseminate internal, practices on MERL and program quality
  • Contribute to E&R practices sharing within the regional Plan MERL network
  • Performs any other tasks assigned by the supervisor

 

Monitoring, Evaluation Research, and Learning (MER) are crucial components for ensuring high-quality outcomes and impact in rights-based programming. Barriers that the Evaluation and Research Coordinator will have to deal with include: 

  • Strengthening Staff Capacities: Implement comprehensive training and capacity-building initiatives for staff at the Country Office and Programme Unit levels to enhance their knowledge and application of professional evaluation and research practices.
  • Establishing Clear Mandates: Clarify and communicate the specific roles and responsibilities of the MERL unit to all stakeholders to ensure a common understanding of its purpose and contribution to the organization’s overall goals.
  • Enhancing Budget Allocations: Advocate for increased budget allocations for evaluation and research activities in both grants and sponsorship projects to ensure adequate resources are available to conduct robust evaluations and research studies.
  • Improving Data Quality: Develop mechanisms to enhance the quality and availability of secondary data from programs and projects, enabling their use for baselines and project evaluations.

 

The Evaluation and Research Coordinator needs to: 

  • Be able to communicate clearly the remits of the work
  • Be capable of providing capacity building and coaching on E&R practices and processes
  • Convince people to modify practices and procedures that they have grown accustomed to
  • Handle challenges with pragmatism and flexibility.

 

Key Relationship

 

Internal:

  • Country Office / Freetown staff
  • Program team in the progrmme unit particularly other staff of the MER unit
  • National Office (NO) staff, the RKM team at International Headquarters (IH)
  • Regional Office (RO) MER team

 

External:

  • Partners and consultants

 

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in demography, measurement, statistics, monitoring & evaluation, development studies, social sciences, or other relevant field; master’s degree preferred
  • At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in evaluation and research of international development projects, preferably in education, health under five, child protection and household economic security, DRM, gender and inclusion
  • Knowledge of theories of child-rights programming and child protection (programmatic and safeguarding)
  • Knowledge of development issues, trends, challenges and opportunities, and implications to community development
  • In-depth knowledge of results-based management and demonstrated experience as a development professional in E&R
  • Knowledgeable on participatory and gender-sensitive evaluation and research tools
  • Understanding of gender transformative programs/projects.
  • Understanding of measuring influencing project outcomes

 

Skills

  • Skills in developing and managing qualitative and quantitative data collections
  • Working experience in community participation in projects and child participation in E&R processes
  • Skills for database management (design, entry, analysis)
  • Strong analytical skills and ability to translate key findings into concrete programmatic recommendations;
  • Ability to deliver to tight deadlines
  • Good presentation skills
  • Language skills necessary for the recruiting Country Office
  • Skills in using Microsoft Excel and other statistical software applications relevant to MER (e.g. Kobo Toolkit, SPSS, Telerivet, and similar tools)

 

Behaviors

  • Coaches and builds the capacity of staff at CO and PU level
  • Promotes innovation and learning
  • Communicates clearly and effectively
  • Demonstrates clear respect to all and especially children and women without discrimination
  • Acts as a team player, willing to get the best outcome overall, adjusting own priorities if necessary
  • Good listening skills
  • Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations

 

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

  • Typical office environment with 40% travel to program units.

 

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

  • The position will be based at the Country Office and level of contact with children is medium

 

Applications: 

Last date for submission of Applications (CV and cover letter) is: 17th August 2023 by 5:00 pm

Your application should include:
·         A cover letter
·         A comprehensive CV including details of two referees, one of whom should be your current of most recent supervisor

  Send applications to the below link: Sierra-Leone.Recruitment@plan-international.org

 

Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People’s Policy.

 

Plan International follows an equal opportunity policy and actively encourages diversity welcoming applications from all especially women and people living with disability.

 

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancies @ FG Gold – 2 Positions

FG-Gold is recruiting to fill the following positions:

1.) Surveyor
2.) Light Vehicle Driver

 

See job details and how to apply below.

1.) Surveyor

VACANCY: SENIOR SURVEYOR

 

ABOUT US:

FG Gold Limited was recently awarded the Baomahun Gold Concession located in Valunia in Bo District and is currently in the development stage. To support the project development, FG Gold Limited is recruiting a qualified Sierra Leonean to fill in the vacant position of Senior Surveyor.

 

The Senior Surveyor is responsible for the completion of all Survey tasks throughout all areas of the Baomahun Mine Site to ensure all spatial activities are either controlled or captured to an acceptable level of accuracy.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Functional Planning/Scheduling:

  • Provide leadership and mentorship for the subordinates.
  • Schedules tasks for Surveyors and ensures timely completion of the same.
  • Maintain up-to-date digital maps of the mine and site infrastructure.
  • Prepare Pit Bench Certificates and Ore Stockpile Balance Certificates.
  • Provide EOM physical data to Geology and Mine Planning for period reconciliations and subsequent government audits.
  • Providing spatial data demands from other departments: Geology, Mine Planning, CSR, etc.
  • Ensure field collected data by Surveyors is correct and accurate.
  • Provide spatial data to external consultants as and when required.
  • Ensure a sufficient supply of consumables for the field teams.
  • Schedule equipment for service and calibration
  • Prepare maps for use within the department and other departments.
  • Carry out surveys in a timely manner.
  • Establishing and maintaining survey control across the site for all activities
  • Ensure that survey data is entered correctly.
  • Ensure that surveys are completed to an appropriate standard.
  • Assist other departments with survey and drafting requirements.
  • Ensure that survey equipment is used and maintained correctly.
  • Keeping up-to-date plans and sections of all areas requiring survey control
  • Marking up dig plans and blast holes pattern in a timely manner so as not to affect development advance.
  • Monthly and weekly processing and reporting of Open Pit and stockpile surveys and volumes
  • Accurate processing of survey data
  • Conducting survey measures to enable contractual payments to be made.
  • Use Survey software to present the pit pick-up plan.
  • Use of drone for pick up for monitoring.

 

Compliance / Quality Control:

  • Promote and adhere to appropriate internal methodologies, policies, procedures, and standards.
  • Consistently maintain a high quality of work across all allocated functions.

 

Reporting :

  • Assist in developing and preparing the monthly End of Month reports on material movement and all stockpiles quantified.
  • Assist in the preparation of plans and drawings for various regulatory bodies (i.e. Mine plans, accident investigation plans, etc)

 

Qualification and Skills Requirements:

  • University Degree in Surveying/Geomatics Engineering from a recognized tertiary institution.
  • Advanced proficiency in the use of modern survey equipment: Robotic Total Stations, RTK GPS, and Drones.
  • Advanced computer literacy and proficiency in the use of mining and construction software e.g. Surpac, AutoCAD Civil. 3D, Covardis, Leica Geo Office, Spectrum Survey Office, etc.
  • A minimum of 5 years post-qualification survey experience in open-pit mining.
  • Proven work experience in mine development and construction environment.
  • Experience working in a multicultural environment.
  • Able to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
  • Possesses strong training and mentoring skills with the ability to develop an effective team.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to respond to a changing work environment.
  • The ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time.
  • A reputation for integrity and ethics.

 

How to apply?

You can send your application with your most recent curriculum vitae to this following email address not later than 5th August 2023: recruitment@fg-gold.com or you can drop your hard copy application and CV to our application box at our FG Gold project site.

 

The company provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate in employment regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, tribe, gender, or age.

 

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.


2.) Light Vehicle Driver

JOB VACANCY:

LIGHT VEHICLE DRIVER

 

ABOUT US:

FG Gold Limited was recently awarded the Baomahun Gold Concession located in Valunia in Bo District and is currently in the development stage. To support the project development, FG Gold Limited is recruiting a qualified Sierra Leonean to fill in the vacant position of Light Vehicle Driver

 

Role Purpose

The LV Driver will be responsible for driving the company’s Minibus in Freetown and a wide range of driving and logistical support services which will include ensuring the safe transportation of people and goods promptly, as well as maintaining the vehicle in a good state and reporting data regarding vehicle use and fuel consumption.

 

 The responsibilities: 

  • Transport company staff as well as various products and materials to and from specified locations in a safe and timely manner.
  • Assist with the loading and offloading of staff luggage, products, and materials.
  • Adjust travel routes to avoid traffic congestion or road construction.
  • Promptly inform the company of any tickets or fines issued against the company vehicle during work hours.
  • Ensure that the company vehicle is parked in safe designated areas.
  • Perform any other duties deemed necessary by the FG Gold Management.
  • Record daily movement on the company-provided logbook.
  • Record fuel consumption on the company-provided logbook.
  • Report any accidents, injuries, and vehicle damage to management.
  • Perform daily pre-inspection for the vehicle before use.
  • Report any issue adversely affecting the performance of the vehicle to the Line Manager.
  • Ensure strict compliance with safety including the use of seat belts in the vehicle as well as speed limit.
  • Ensure all passengers are in compliance with the company’s safety policy.
  • Keep the vehicle clean.
  • Observe traffic rules and drive safely taking into consideration the road conditions.
  • Must be physically fit and mentally stable to drive.
  • Zero tolerance for alcohol use in driving.

 

Safety & Sustainability Expectations

Maintain a cooperative interest in the health and safety of self, fellow workers, and local communities. Wear PPE where required. Be alert and observe, correct, and report unsafe conditions. Follow all safe work procedures and comply with all regulatory requirements. Ensure that work areas comply with all of FG Gold’s Health and Safety policies. Intervene as necessary, to ensure the safety of others in the workplace.  Provide safety leadership by always setting a good example.

 

Qualifications & Skill Requirements

  • Must have completed senior secondary education.
  • Valid Driving License required
  • Clean Driving record
  • First aid and basic fire extinguisher training is an advantage.
  • Defensive driving certificate is an advantage.
  • At least 5 years of experience
  • Strong experience in 4WD/AWD Driving Skills
  • Experience driving in a remote area.
  • Driving experience within the Mining sector
  • Good vision, hearing, and reactions are required.
  • Sound knowledge of road safety regulations.
  • Working knowledge of local roads and routes.
  • Demonstrated Safe Driving Behaviour and Performance
  • Effective communication skills.
  • Punctual, and reliable

 

How to apply?

You can send your application with your most recent curriculum vitae to the following email address not later than 28th July 2023: recruitment@fg-gold.com or you can drop your hard copy application and CV to our application box at our FG Gold project site or head office at No. 3 Hill Cot Road, Freetown.

The company provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate in employment regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, tribe, gender, or age. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

 

Please Note: The successful candidate will be based in Freetown.

🇸🇱 Job Vacancy @ BBC Media Action – Freelance Research Officer

BBC MEDIA ACTION – SIERRA LEONE

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Job Title: Freelance Research Officer 

Department/Business Unit: Research and Learning

Reports To: Senior Research Officer

Date of Issue: July 2023

Contract: 2-month contract on local terms and conditions

About us

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development organisation. We use media and communications to reduce poverty and promote human rights in developing countries. We partner with civil society, local media, and others to produce creative programmes in multi-media formats which inform and engage audiences around key development issues; and strengthen the media sector through capacity building. Our work is built on insights from our research and engagement with communities and is focused on three key themes: governance and rights, health, and resilience.   We have been in Sierra Leone since 2007 supporting media development, and creative content production across media houses in the country on issues around governance, accountability, health, education, empowerment, etc.

Our current and planned projects address a range of themes, including media governance, health, and education. In addition to our capacity support to local media, we produce creative programmes in multiple formats – such as radio, and social media, based on robust research – that inform and engage audiences around key development issues and seek to strengthen the media sector through capacity-building partnerships, with ongoing partnerships with over 60 radio stations across the country, as broadcast and/or capacity strengthening partners.

 

Job Context:

BBC Media Action is recruiting a Freelance Research Officer to support the research activities under our Women and Girls’ empowerment project titled ‘Women Arise and Shine’ (WAS). We are looking for a talented and committed researcher to work on all stages of research on this project and provide support on other assignments.  The Freelance Research Officer will be line managed by the Senior Research Officer and will work with BBC Media Action’s Research & Learning Group in London.

The Freelancer Research Officer will be working with groups of Adult Women and Girls. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check will form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.

 

Purpose of Job:

As part of a team based in Freetown, with some up-country travel, the Freelance Research Officer will be responsible for implementing research activities – from research design and planning to fieldwork, data analysis, and report writing.

 

MAIN DUTIES:

 

The main duties of the Research Officer will include but not be limited to: 

 

  • Planning Research: To plan research activities in consultation with the Senior Research Officer and to work with the Projects team and Production team to ensure planned research meets project requirements. This may include updating and tracking research activity work plans. Working with other team members on planning and managing the logistics of field research and recruiting research participants.

 

  • Designing Research: To develop research designs and draft research instruments for a range of qualitative and/or quantitative activities supported by the Senior Research Officer and with technical advice from a London-based research team.

 

  • Conducting fieldwork: Lead in moderating focus group discussions and conducting in-depth interviews, as well as piloting and administering quantitative surveys where necessary.

 

  • Support and Training: Providing and/or supporting the training of research agencies or freelancers, mentoring and supervision for freelance researchers, such as transcribers and facilitators, and supporting them to conduct qualitative fieldwork, to ensure work is delivered to BBC Media Action and donor standards.

 

  • Analysis: To analyse qualitative and/or quantitative data, with support from the Senior Research Officer and the London-based research team.

 

  • Reporting: To structure and write clear and compelling reports, summarising research findings, in a format appropriate for the internal and/or external audience, such as donors, INGOs, and government agencies, and present the findings to donors and all key project stakeholders.

 

  • Communicating effectively: To provide verbal briefings on research findings for the Projects and Production departments to ensure that research findings feed into ongoing project design and production and to ensure effective communication at all stages of research with the Senior Research Manager and Projects department in Sierra Leone.

 

  • Perform any other duties or tasks that may be assigned.

 

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

  • Understand and comply with the BBC Media Action Safeguarding policy and the staff Code of Conduct.
  • Participate in relevant mandatory training on Safeguarding and Respect at Work.
  • Report any Safeguarding concerns immediately, either to the Country Director or using the Whistleblowing Policy.

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

 

Required:

  • Good working knowledge of research techniques, ideally both quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (focus groups, interviews, etc.) research techniques.
  • Ability to plan and design research with support.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and appropriately both to colleagues and interviewees from a wide range of backgrounds and a good understanding of how to build a rapport with participants.
  • Ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and work as a member of a team, demonstrating good interpersonal skills.
  • Good attention to detail and the ability to work speedily and accurately under pressure.
  • Good organizational and administrative skills: responding flexibly to rapidly changing priorities, planning and prioritizing activities, and tailoring outputs effectively.
  • Ability to select relevant data, identify key trends, issues, and solutions, and present key information in easily understandable formats.
  • Ability to think logically, take an analytical approach, critically evaluate ideas and interpret information from different sources.
  • Good IT skills, including use of internet search engines, MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Good presentation skills with the ability to develop electronic and paper-based presentations, communicate effectively with audiences, and respond to questions.
  • University degree in a subject that is relevant to the application of research and learning theory and practice.
  • Fluent in spoken Krio and in spoken and written English, with the ability to write high-quality reports in English.
  • Good understanding of how safeguarding issues related to research ethics and practice, with specific reference to working with vulnerable groups of people.
  • Willingness to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities.

 

Desirable(requirements):

  • In-depth working knowledge of the education sector and ideally of behaviour change communication.
  • An understanding of, or enthusiasm to learn about, communication strategies, media formats, and journalism.
  • Experience working closely with a production team in applying research findings to media formats and outputs.
  • Working knowledge of SPSS or similar statistical tools.
  • Fluent in at least one other local language.

 

NOTE: Familiarity with the BBC’s Values and Editorial Policy is highly regarded.

 

How to apply

Please Send an updated CV, cover letter and certificates with your most recent transcripts to recruitment@sl.bbcmediaaction.org before 14th July 2023. No hard-copy applications will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.