Are you a talented and inspired researcher, with an exceptional experience in social research?
Are you a passionate about climate change, environment and sustainable based development?
Are you willing to advance your research and development expertise by working with a senior researcher and subject matter expert? Then consider this opportunity

SUMMARY

Title	Assistant Research Lead (ARL) 2 positions
Reports to	Lead Researcher (LR) and SORADI Executive Director (ED)
Duration	6 Months (Possible extension: subject to funding & performance)
Location	Hargeisa with frequent field travel
Posted	Feb 26, 2023
Closing	March 12, 2023 at 23:59 EAT time zone

ABOUT SORADI

Social Research and Development Institute (SORADI) is an independent Social Research and Development Institute, created in 2007 by a group of professionals and academicians with the aim to bridge research, information and knowledge gap for sustainable development in Horn of Africa. Accordingly, since its creation SORADI has dedicated itself to advance democratization,
accountability, climate change resilience research and development in Somaliland, Somalia and in the Horn region at large, through; applied research, capacity development trainings, public debate conferences, knowledge dissemination and vibrant Civil Society engagement as well as MEAL and Third-Party Monitoring of development programs.

SORADI is recognized as a center of quality research, a hub of scholarly innovation and entrepreneurship, and an agent of knowledge transfer and harbinger of the democratic governance, climate change and development solutions in the Horn region. SORADI bring together a network of specialist experts, who contribute their experience, context familiarity and know-how, where and when it is needed. SORADI has a multi-disciplinary team of consultants, dedicated staff and experts who are leading in their respective areas with solid context understanding. SORADI establishes six pillars of service in which it specializes and developed solid expertise and competence which are:

1. Research, Impacts assessment and evaluations.
2. Climate change research and environmental studies.
3. Program performance monitoring & quality assurance..
4.  Culture and communication for development.
5. Capacity building and institutional development.
6. Institutionalization of Good Governance, Inclusion and Gender Empowerment.

PACCS PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION

The Somaliland society has been in their
history known to be predominantly practicing a pastoralist way of life, hence the impact of climate variability is not new to it. What is new is the ferocity and frequency of droughts, as reinforced by the progressive degradation of their natural ecological environment. That precipitates the Somali
pastoralists’ vulnerability to climatic hazards, as evidenced by their waning resilience to droughts. In the last decade, the Somaliland pastoralists have been seriously affected by the climate-related hazards, including the devastating drought of 2017-2018, followed by its milder forms in 21-2022. It is against that backdrop, that, the PACCS (Pastoralist Climate Change Resilience in Somaliland) research project is to be carried out during the five years (2022 – 2027). It is implemented by SORADI in Consortium with Hargeisa University (UoH), Roskilde University and DIIS Institute in Denmark and University of Nairobi in Kenya, with the funding support of Danish Government through DANIDA (The Danish International Development Agency).

The PAACS project aims to examine climate resultant vulnerabilities and learn pastoralist knowledge and strategies for climate change resilience (CCR) for strengthening locally relevant policy responses to climate change. With overall objective of “to generate cutting-edge theoretical & policy knowledge on pastoralist resilience to climate change”, focusing on Somaliland, an East African “climate hot spot”, and specifically targeting:

1.     To provide new research-based, theoretical and policy knowledge on pastoralist CCR strategies in Somaliland.
2.    To strengthen partner institutions’ research capacities, institutional collaboration, as well as South-South and North- South research       collaboration and partnerships.
3.    To contribute to local and international policy-making on the promotion of CCR.

PACCS research field work will mainly take place in the predominantly pastoralist regions of Somaliland, through an in-depth investigation of three core domains of Somaliland pastoralist system: (i) Markets: to investigate pastoralist relations  with the local livestock slaughter and the lucrative export markets, the evolving modern camel milk ranching, fodder production and related livelihoods issues; (ii) Land management: study the advancing natural ecology degradation, the climate and human made impact on common land use, the expanding private land enclosure phenomenon and national programmes of grazing reserves’ development; (iii) Governance arrangements: study the adequacy and gaps of the national policies and programming towards pastoralist climate change resilience. The research will also address the relationship of national policies with pastoralist society demands for
participation and engagement with their traditional institutions and livelihood strategies. In addition, PACCS will introduce PGIS (Participatory Geographical Information Systems) to be applied in tandem with these research domains.

THE PURPOSE OF THE POST

The purpose of the ARL post is to support PACCS’s Lead Researchers (LR) in the design, develop, execution, reporting and dissemination of respective project research, as well as contributing SORADI’s project and research development and implementation under the supervision of the Executive Director (ED). 

Duties and Responsibilities

Þ Research Design and conceptualization: ALR will support LR in the designing of the conceptualization of research projects, including, establishing objectives and major questions, literature review and analyses, methodologies and tools development, setting the overall protocols and approaches of the research.

Þ Research management: under supervision and in coordination with the LR and ED, leading research field activities; develop and manage field research plans,  initiating and ensuring necessary procurements, coordinating with operations teams, supervise and ensure successful data collection, oversee the translation, piloting/testing, and relevant research guidelines, support the development of training plans and quality control processes for the research, maintaining inventory including tablets, laptops, voice recorders, etc. Lead field data collection validation, analysis and initial interpretations and reporting.

Þ Field Research team management: supervise the work of field research team, co-lead the regular meetings of the research team and provide management and technical support to keep field research deliverables on track, coordinate with research participants, community partners, other stakeholders, assist in capacity building and training field research team, report the status and files of the research team.

Þ Research/projects development and delivery: actively part-take and contribute the on-going research and projects development and delivery tasks as assigned by the ED.

Þ Communications, Publication and
reporting: In close consultation and supervision of the ED the ALR will be focal point for publicizing and communication of different research activities and outcomes in different platforms and networks in the form of social and professional media posts, blogs, articles, debriefs and others.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Degree in social sciences, environment, development studies, research & statistics, IR, MEAL and other relevant fields.
•  Minimum 3 years’ experience in research, project management, international development / humanitarian programs; experience in resilience-focused and community-based programs is preferred. project management, international development / humanitarian programs; experience in resilience-focused and community-based programs is preferred.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative methodologies and techniques (in-person and remote), including planning and implementation of semi-structured interviewing, focus group discussions, and/or participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods HOA context or alike set ups. As well as, field observations, transcription/translation of interviews and qualitative data analysis
• Experience leading field work activities and managing field-based research staff responsible for data collection.
• Strong written and verbal English communication and interpersonal skills to engage a variety of audiences and interpersonal skills to engage a variety of audiences
•  Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with different stakeholders including partners, local organizations and institutions, communities, partners, etc. relationships with different stakeholders including partners, local organizations and institutions, communities, partners, etc.
• Experience and interest working in the development/humanitarian sector is an asset, but it can be substituted with substantial experience the academic, private, governmental or other sector development/humanitarian sector is an asset, but it can be substituted with substantial experience the academic, private, governmental or other sector
• Quantitative and/or mixed methods research experience, including design and data analysis experience, including design and data analysis
• Experience using qualitative and quantitative data analysis software. data analysis software.
• Attention to detail and superb note-taking
• Excellent on-line communication skills and experience using multiple communication platforms.
• Superb organizational skills and to show initiative to identify and solve problems.
• Capable of multitasking, rapid decision-making, and work under time constraints
• Flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and requirements; Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision with attention to detail.
• Strong team player with demonstrated interpersonal skills.

APPLICATION

All interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications containing; cover letter and updated resume with 3 referees via email to recruitment@soradi.org and copy  info@soradi.org with the subject of the email on “PACCS Assistant Research Lead” not later than March 15, 2023 at 23:59 EAT time zone