Job Description

Position: Research Analyst – Anticipatory and Risk, Colombia Analysis Hub  

Reports to: Project Manager or Senior Analyst                                                     

Supervision of: None                                                             

Budget responsibility: None                  

Duty Station: Colombia                                       

Travel: No travel required / ad hoc travel                                                    

Duration & contract type: Start date ASAP, until 30th April 2024 – national position 100%

About ACAPS

ACAPS is dedicated to helping humanitarians make better decisions. We want to put evidence at the heart of decision-making. To achieve this, we collaborate with a variety of partners across the humanitarian sector and beyond. We strive to be an evolving platform providing:

• Independent analysis to support evidence-based decision making for humanitarian operations.
• Deployment of experts to support assessments and analysis in crisis.
• Innovative approaches to collect more reliable and timely data and conduct rigorous analysis
• Capacity development of humanitarian actors to carry out better needs assessments and analysis.

Colombia Analysis Hub

In 2021, ACAPS joined the Mecanismo Intersectorial de Respuesta en Emergencias (MIRE – Intersector Emergency Response Mechanism), composed of NRC, AAH, ApS, and MdM and funded by ECHO. The ACAPS Analysis Hub provided analysis on the armed conflict in Colombia and its humanitarian impact and an evidence base for humanitarian decision-making, enabling a more effective and more efficient humanitarian response. The analysis produced by ACAPS furthermore helped to provide visibility to the humanitarian impact of the conflict.

The analysis produced by ACAPS includes analysis of humanitarian needs and trends, thematic analysis, and forward-looking analysis, including risk analysis. ACAPS furthermore provides technical support and methodological advice to the consortium partners.

The project ended in March 2023. Following this first experience, ACAPS established a new consortium with IMMAP and REACH, focused on information management and analysis and led by IMMAP: the EVIDEM consortium (Evidence-based Decision-making). Through this new collaboration, ACAPS will provide independent analysis and technical support to contribute to a strengthened humanitarian response, creating a robust evidence base for strategic, program and operational decision making. ACAPS analysis products are multi-sectorial in scope, and integrate descriptive, contextual, in-depth anticipatory analysis, using human-centered approach to understand how diverse population groups in complex environments are affected by multiple risks, including a gender and protection approach. The association of those 3 partners will allow better coherence and efficiency in delivering information management and analysis products to the wider humanitarian sector in Colombia, including continued support to the MIRE mechanism, and will support better decision making.

Purpose of the position 

Contribute to ACAPS’ timely analysis of the Colombian humanitarian crisis, thus enabling crisis responders to make better informed decisions. This is a position for people interested in a career in the humanitarian sector and who are specifically interested in qualitative and quantitative analysis, humanitarian planning, and in promoting evidence-based decision making. The research analyst will develop valuable knowledge in analysis techniques, including secondary data review, joint analysis, and data management.

ACAPS’ product portfolio includes regular and non-regular reports, including humanitarian needs analysis, thematic analysis, and anticipatory analysis. This position will be focusing on anticipatory and risk analysis.

Role and responsibilities

Generic responsibilities 

• Research and Analysis: Conduct monitoring of information on Colombian political, economic, social, and humanitarian developments and design and write analytical reports about them, especially related to anticipatory and risk analysis.
• Methodology and quality assurance: Support the development of ACAPS knowledge and guidance on better data collection, data preparedness activities, analysis, and reporting.
• Collaboration and Networking: Build network of key informants to help to improve the quality of analysis, represent ACAPS and provide visibility to ACAPS’ work.

Specific responsibilities 

Research and Analysis

• Review, compile and synthesize all assessments, reports and information products on humanitarian crises in Colombia to understand the information landscape and current gaps.
• Ensure that crisis monitoring feeds into the design of analytical products.
• Lead the design and delivery of multi-sector and thematic analytical products, which includes all phases of analysis production, such as ideation, research, and drafting, and coordinating technical support from other teams within ACAPS.
• Support other team members with the development of analysis products.

Methodology and quality assurance

• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of the team’s information management systems and ensure that internal and external needs for information are processed in a structured and efficient manner. This includes maintenance of ACAPS’ internal monitoring tracking sheet.
• Contribute to the creation of tools to facilitate the ongoing analysis and sharing of data and information that support evidence-based decision making.

Networking

• Establish a network of key informants at regional and local level and conduct regular interviews to integrate and support analysis and research.
• Participate in regional meetings related to Colombia Analysis Hub on behalf of ACAPS.

Any other tasks which are jointly agreed upon may be added to the job description, as per the project needs. 

Competencies

Professional competencies

• Relevant Master’s degree (or Bachelor’s degree with at least 3 years’ experience in relevant sectors) preferably in humanitarian action, social sciences (anthropology, sociology, economics, political science, psychology, geography, etc.), international relations, public health, epidemiology or other relevant education.
• Previous experience (minimum 2 years) in research, analysis, information management, advocacy, or other relevant experience in the humanitarian sector or related fields (development, international relations, social science, etc).
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis methods (mixed and multi) and ease with handling, large amounts of quantitative data.
• Written clarity, including ability to analyse complex concepts and synthetize information.
• Ability and confidence to make judgment calls when interpreting ambiguous data.
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles of emergency preparedness, response and early recovery.
• Demonstrated understanding of needs assessments in humanitarian crisis.
• Fluent written and oral communication skills in English. Any other language is an asset.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite particularly Excel.
• Familiarity with R, Python, Tableau, PowerBI, or similar software is preferable.

Behavioural competencies

• Planning and delivering results: Ability to work efficiently under pressure, manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines, while maintaining attention to detail. Ability to work autonomously and proactively.
• Working with people: Proven cooperation and inter-personal skills, including proven capacity to work very efficiently in a team.
• Communicating with impact and respect 
• Active listening 
• Adapting and responding to change: Flexible, including willingness to work overtime

Operate in line with the ACAPS values

ACAPS is a dynamic and independent organisation. Our culture is enshrined in the ACAPS values (here). The post holder is expected to develop the position in line with these values. The ACAPS values live in the way we manage our teams, create our content and engage with stakeholders.

Performance Management 

The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• The Job Description
• The Work and Development Plan
• The Performance Review Template