Uganda: Research Manager

Background/IRC Summary

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees, IDPs, and others affected by war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, the IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. We address both the immediate, life -saving needs of conflict-affected people in an emergency and the reconstruction needs in post-conflict societies.

Job Overview/Summary:

As a part of the IRC’s Responsiveness Initiative, the organization is launching a research project in Uganda entitled “From Feedback to Action: Strategies to Improve the Use of Beneficiary Feedback”. The objective of the research is to identify effective strategies to increase the motivation of humanitarian agency staff to use feedback from their beneficiaries when making decisions about the program. While many agencies have acknowledged the importance of feedback and have developed feedback mechanisms, very few systematically use that feedback in their decisions. The IRC aims to address this gap through this project. The Research Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that the research is valid, contextually appropriate and of high quality. The Manager is responsible for the coordination, implementation and oversight of the research project on the ground. This includes developing project management tools and processes, supporting research activities and contributing to research products and dissemination. This position sits within the Responsiveness Initiative and reports to the REL Technical Advisor. The position will also provide updates to the Country Director of IRC Uganda, as needed. This is a limited term position for 12 months (Sept 2016 to August 2017).

Specific Responsibilities:

The Research Manager will work with the IRC Uganda staff, local stakeholders and the project’s research partners to:

Coordinate research activities:

• Catalog humanitarian NGOs operating in Uganda and develop a plan for recruiting research participants


• Review and verify feedback practices among NGOs to determine eligibility for participation


• Support the submission of research protocols for in-country ethics review


• Organize the piloting of research tools and the collection of feedback (e.g. baseline survey, decision-making tools)


• Support and monitor field research implementation schedules


• Organize logistical and administrative support for all activities led by the research partners


• Facilitate engagements between the research partners and IRC Uganda staff


• Organize early engagement meetings with a subset of research participants for the action research


• Develop monthly and quarterly implementation and donor progress reports


• Proactively identify and communicate potential challenges in research implementation


• Develop and offer contextually appropriate and feasible solutions


• Support development of a dissemination and communication plan for research products

Contribute to research inputs and outputs:

• Identify and summarize previous research and reports on beneficiary feedback in Uganda


• Review research instruments for contextual appropriateness


• Support development of in-country presentations of findings to IRC staff and local partners

Build support research network:

• Lead local outreach and networking among local stakeholders to ensure efficient implementation of the project


• Convene group discussions and attend events on beneficiary feedback with local champions


• Develop communication pieces about research process and outputs (e.g. blog posts, social media messages)

Job Requirements:

• Masters in Social Sciences, International Relations, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Development Studies or related fields


• University-level training in empirical methods, statistics or research methods (preferred)


• Experience with supporting rigorous research using quantitative methods such as randomized controlled trials in a lab or field setting (preferred). Experience with action research, a plus.


• Demonstrated interest or experience in beneficiary feedback mechanisms, NGO accountability and responsiveness


• At least 3 years of experience working within the humanitarian aid system and within NGOs in particular


• Experience working in East Africa; experience in Uganda preferred


• Previous experience managing USAID or BPRM programs or research projects preferred


• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop strong relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders


• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;


• Fluency in spoken and written English

Working Environment: This work will be carried out in a standard office environment and will include local travel within Uganda.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.