Senior Officer - Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

Responsibilities and Duties:

Research Design

• Provide technical and commercial input into proposals in terms of research design, methodologies, costs, deliverables and timing.
• Ensure that industry and research knowledge is integrated from other projects, desk research and other sources to obtain consolidated, competitive research designs
• Coordinate the workflow of Research Officers and provide input on questionnaire/topic guide design, sample design, report format, analysis plans, reports and presentations.

Preparation of Research Instruments

• Skills transfer to and supervision of Research Officers and Enumerators.
• Input into: samples, questionnaires, report templates, analysis plans, focus group/IDI topic guides, analysis templates and presentations.
• Ensure proper documentation of all necessary project materials.
• Design research instruments/tools in accordance with requirements and objectives in proposal and scope of work and relevant Stratcomm Africa Standards
• Ensure that all research instruments are designed in conjunction with their analysis plans. Obtain input from Superiors or relevant experts in this regard.
• Seeks the approval of questionnaires, discussion guides, samples etc from Supervisor
• Obtain “questionnaire pilot” feedback and ensure suggested viable changes are made to questionnaire from Enumerators. Obtain input from Supervisor regarding viability of changes.
• Monitor “time and content pilot” to ensure project specifications are met. Ensure interview/group length is in accordance with proposal and costs
• Ensure suggested viable changes to questionnaires are carried out before they are sent to field
• Ensure final changes requested by client are made (if applicable)
• Ensure final questionnaire/discussion guide is formatted and quality checked
• Obtain final written / verbal approval from client
• Arrange for fieldwork budgets from operations and/or finance team under supervisor’s direction
• Compile code lists and approve final code lists provided by the coding team
• Ensure that final version of all questionnaires are saved to the right folder on the shared network
• Ensure that Show cards and other field materials are prepared
• Ensure that Field Enumerators and Coders are briefed on all questionnaires and their changes implemented before sending the questionnaires to field.

Research Design Deployment

• Design sample specifications and the data collection methodology in conjunction with Supervisors. Ensure this is in accordance with proposal and the objectives
• If the client has specific sampling procedures, ensure that these are adhered to.
• Discuss sample with Supervisor before this is rolled out
• Obtain approval from client for deployment of sample and sampling instruments
• Write up interviewer brief for fieldworkers and enumerators
• Ensure changes in line with pilot feedback are carried out
• Finalize interviewer brief for use by fieldworkers and enumerators
• Brief field interviewers and supervisors with the Principal Research and Monitoring Officer
• Ensure that the latest version of the interviewer brief is saved to the shared network folder
• Ensure that Research Officers and Enumerators complete all steps in the research process on time and to the expected quality standards
• Set up and manage all logistics for qualitative research (i.e. FGDs, IDIs, listening surveys, observations, etc)
• Design all qualitative instruments/projective techniques and stimulus material
• Moderate FGDs
• Ensure appropriate audio/video recordings are carried out at venues

Research Analysis and Reporting

• Prepare draft data processing instructions and analysis plans
• Design table specifications and analysis plan based on questionnaire in order to meet the requirements and objectives of the proposal
• Conduct logical checks on tables and reports received from data analysis to ensure accuracy.

Media Monitoring and Reporting

• Coordinates all media monitoring activities of Stratcomm Africa
• Supervises the daily print media clipping process
• Marks and ensure photocopying of all required print media clippings and stories for scanning purposes
• Scans and clean all clippings requested by the communication team and other departments of the company
• Converts all clippings into clients’ (both internal and external) usable formats
• Monitors and reports on client related stories on the electronic media (online, radio, television, etc) to the communication team in the required format
• Assists the communication team in media monitoring analyses and reporting
• Enhance and add value to current media monitoring and reporting processes.
• Provide market insights on the various industries of clients to help inform strategies.

General

• Maintains a neat working environment.
• Attends training and other organizational meetings as and when required by the organization.
• Adheres to all relevant Stratcomm Africa standards, policies and procedures and task instruction manuals.
• Adheres to budgeted project timing.
• Maintains documents and records as required by the company.
• Client confidentiality is to be adhered to by all members of the team.
• Ensures that all members of the team follow procedures for handling company money and that all money is accounted for.
• Ensures quality of all work and deliverables.
• Keeps up to date with industry and research knowledge and contributes to a database of relevant articles of the company.
• Performs any other tasks as assigned.

Job Holder Entry Requirements

Education & Related Experience:

• First Degree with Second Class (Upper Division) honours in Social Science, Management, Development Studies, Planning, and any other research, monitoring and evaluation related field
• At least 5 years experience in market and/or social research
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and Word and SPSS and other survey analysis systems like STATA, Python

Skills - Special Training or Competence:

• Strong communication and influencing skills with proven ability to effectively communicate insights to all levels of the business in a practical, user friendly and meaningful way
• Ability to turn data into actionable intelligence/insights
• Strong research relationships and networks
• Sound knowledge of interpreting and analyzing information
• Able to work within a multi-cultural environment
• Understanding of systems and processes
• Ability to work and deliver under pressure
• Good report writing skills
• Good management and supervisory skills
• Time, costing and project management skills
• Self-driven, results oriented, shows exceptional initiative and is focused on quality and profit
• Mature, credible and comfortable in dealing with clients

Core Behaviors:

• Team player
• Organized
• Attention to detail
• Multi-tasking
• Optimistic and resilient
• Customer Focus
• Developing People
• Innovative
• Time Management

Key Relationships:

Internal:

• Research Team
• Operations
• Finance
• Human Resources
• IT
• Communication Team
• Brands and advertising Team

External:

• Global Research Specialists and industry associations
• Clients
• Suppliers / Vendors

Location: Accra

Employment Type: Full Time

Salary Range: Attractive