DEPARTMENT:                          Research

SUPERVISOR:                            Research Manager

LOCATION:                               Based in Kampala with frequent travels (~50%) to project sites

COMMITMENT:                                4 months, with the possibility of extension

DESIRED START DATE:               June 10, 2019

Background on the study:

IPA is collaborating with the University of Osnabrueck, Utrecht University and a local nonprofit Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) for follow-up study of the impact evaluation of a Payment for Eco-Systems (PES) program on forest conservation which was a 2-year project from 2011 to 2013. This study was a randomized evaluation that was implemented to measure the causal impacts on forest cover. The PES program offered private owners of forest in western Uganda payments if they refrained from clearing trees. And was carried out in 121 villages with private forest owners (PFOs) within the Hoima and Kibaale districts. The data collection for the follow-up study is expected to take place over the July 2019 – August 2019 period. Principle Investigators on the study are Joost de Laat, Tobias Vorlaufer and Stefanie Engel.

Job summary:

IPA is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual with outstanding research project management, data quality assurance, people management and communication skills as Research Associate, to lead this new research study. The Research Associate (RA) will contribute to the refinement of the survey instruments through piloting exercises to inform study and/or questionnaire design, supervise the sampling process, manage survey teams, ensure data collection protocols are adhered to, ensure data collected is of highest quality, contribute to the cleaning of the databases, act as a liaison between the research team and CSWCT officials and manage communication and relationships with Principle Investigators and other members of the research team. The position requires excellent interpersonal and organization skills. It also requires proficiency with Stata software package.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor (or Master’s) degree in Statistics, Environmental science, Social sciences, or related field;
• Minimum two years of research project experience at a field research management or analyst position; Proficiency with Stata, SurveyCTO programming language and Microsoft Office tools;
• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships with stakeholders (especially district officials, principal investigators, partner organizations);
• Strong written communication skills;
• Excellent command of English, both spoken and written;
• Demonstrated commitment to IPA’s high standards of data quality; Excellent management and organizational skills;
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate work effectively over email and phone
• Flexible, self-motivating and team player;

Desired Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Knowledge of another data analysis or software is a plus;
• Familiarity with randomized controlled trials is a strong plus;

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence on which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 575 leading academics to conduct over 650 evaluations in 51 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.