NORRAG Job board: Data Manager & Research Assistant

The IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project will conduct impact evaluation research to assess the contribution of innovation in education financing to bringing in more and better financing to educate the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups. NORRAG will implement the research project from December 2021 to December 2026. The project will be supported by research partners – the Bertha Centre, University of Cape Town, in South Africa and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences – Centre for Education Innovation and Action Research, in India. The project will focus on Innovative Financing initiatives implemented by UBS Optimus Foundation and Volta Capital in Ghana, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda –  –  Lending for Education in Africa, Impact Bond Innovation Fund, Quality Education India Development Impact Bond, Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge, and Ghana Education Outcomes Project. The research design will utilise mixed-methods impact research on whether and how Innovative Financing mechanisms, arrangements, and programme elements will likely produce educational benefits for marginalised and vulnerable student populations. The TRANSFORM research initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the five research and implementation partners co-funded the project.

As part of this mandate, NORRAG is recruiting a Data Manager who will be responsible for the data management for the research project.

As part of the IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project team, the main responsibilities will be:

• Consolidate and manage data from individual innovative financing initiatives within IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project–  Lending for Education in Africa, Impact Bond Innovation Fund, Quality Education India Development Impact Bond, Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge, and Ghana Education Outcomes Project.
• Take the lead in data extraction, data review, data cleaning and validation and monitoring of the quality and completeness of data for documenting program performance.
• Provide feedback to the field teams, in case of questions and gaps, to ensure any qualitative inputs are consistent and accurate.
• Monitor planning to ensure data is received in time and can be processed in time to comply with the overall project objectives.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in existing data collection and management systems and propose solutions.
• Provide regular reporting to the IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project team:
  • Develop periodic dashboards related to programmatic ratings and KPIs
  • Provide qualitative reporting and analysis related to programmatic performance
• Support the initiative implementation teams to ensure inputs and reviews are captured and contextualise the data collection and analysis.
• Present and communicate results and ideas clearly and concisely to the research team members.
• Support the research team in clarifying aspects of the financial and legal structure and results with experts from the private sector partner teams.
• Contribute to and provide relevant data points for knowledge products- research papers, articles, presentations and blogs.
• Support the review process of key research deliverables.

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience in finance, monitoring and evaluation, management consulting or as a program analyst.
• Master’s level degree in economics, finance, statistics, data science, international development, or project management.
• Experience in database management, information analysis, research techniques and methodologies and report writing. Grant-making and/or program management experience are a plus.
• Experience in the education field is a plus
• Demonstrated basic understanding of financial instruments (debt/equity) and accounting (Profit & Loss and Balance sheet)
• Demonstrated analytical and assessment skills in quantitative and qualitative data.
• Strong analytical and qualitative problem-solver; able to quickly get up to speed on a new area, and identify issues and key focus areas.
• Strong partners and stakeholder relationship management skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English (additional languages like German, French and Spanish a plus)
• Strong MS Office skills including advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills. Additional statistical software skills are a plus.
• Comfortable working with a wide range of partners including private foundations, academic researchers, and other development stakeholders.
• Team-oriented, flexible working style, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Possessive of superior work ethic; willingness to work in a demanding environment both proactively and independently.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, marital status, disability status, race, national origin, color, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

CONTRACT: until the 31.12.2023

ACTIVITY RATE: 60% 24 h / w

APPLICATION DEADLINE : 25.05.2023

STARTING DATE : 01.06.2023
About the IFE-2-Leave No One Behind

The IFE-2-Leave No One Behind project will conduct impact evaluation research to assess the contribution of innovation in education financing to bringing in more and better financing to educate the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups. NORRAG will implement the research project from December 2021 to December 2026. The project will be supported by research partners – the Bertha Centre, University of Cape Town, in South Africa and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences – Centre for Education Innovation and Action Research, in India. The project will focus on Innovative Financing initiatives implemented by UBS Optimus Foundation and Volta Capital in Ghana, India, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda –  Lending for Education in Africa, Impact Bond Innovation Fund, Quality Education India Development Impact Bond, Sierra Leone Education Innovation Challenge, and Ghana Education Outcomes Project.  The research design will utilise mixed-methods impact research on whether and how Innovative Financing mechanisms, arrangements, and programme elements will likely produce educational benefits for marginalised and vulnerable student populations. The TRANSFORM research initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the five research and implementation partners co-funded the project.

 

The role:

As part of this mandate, NORRAG is recruiting a Research Assistant (60%) with data analysis skills to work on the research project “Innovative Financing to Leave No One Behind” (IFE-2-LNOB).

Key responsibilities:

As part of the IFE-2-LNOB project team, the main responsibilities will be:

1. Literature Review
   • Work closely with the Project Director, Research Associate and other Research Assistants to conduct a systematic literature review on Innovative Financing.
   • Support the development of a database on innovative financing literature including evaluation and program implementation experience.
2. Research Analysis
   • Conduct a thematic analysis of literature found through the systematic literature review.
   • Conduct analysis on evaluation methodologies utilized in innovative financing initiatives.
   • Support the quantitative research design for the IFE initiatives being studied in the project.
   • Support the team with quantitative data analysis and research paper writing.
   • Provide feedback and suggestions for program research design based on literature analysis.
   • Search for secondary data from the literature review and propose potential secondary data research analysis.

3. Data Entry and Management

• Support the development of a data entry system for the various IF initiatives data, including designing guidelines on the specific processes to be followed by research teams.
• Enter periodically collected primary data from various IF initiatives into the research framework.

4. Research collaboration
   • Work closely with other researchers working in IFE-2-LNOB research, including those based in UCT-GSB and TISS-CEIAR. This includes a virtual monthly meeting to share learnings, discuss research ideas, and consolidate feedback and suggestions for the research design and knowledge products.
   • Whenever needed, participate in project research meetings and in periodical Steering Committee meetings, updating partners on the status of the research, learnings to date and next steps sharing.

 

To be successful in this role, you should have:

• Current or recent PhD student
• Advanced statistical skills (multiple regression, time series, factor analysis, simultaneous equation, propensity score matching, regression discontinuity, difference-in-difference, hierarchical linear modelling, etc.)
• Understanding of cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, internal rate of return and other quantitative financial analysis
• Understanding and ability to provide input for causal inference research design (experimental and quasi-experimental designs)
• The ability to design and conduct Social Network Analysis is a plus
• Excellent writing skills in English
• French, German, Spanish and Portuguese writing skills are a plus
• Team-oriented, flexible working style, able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Possesses superior work ethic; willingness to work in a demanding environment both proactively and independently