Background
The Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI) is a not-for-profit independent research institute established in 1994, which specialises in the design, implementation and evaluation of child-sensitive social protection programmes and provides capacity building and policy advisory services to government and civil society. EPRI is committed to inclusive economic growth and to social protection for vulnerable people as a human right based developmental response. Through capacity-building work and technical assistance to country-led policy formation, EPRI endeavours to build environments that foster long-term development by investing in children and enable better outcomes throughout the lifecycle.
EPRI has a wealth of global knowledge and experience that is paired with its unique position as one of the preeminent research institutions in the developing world with a global footprint of over 50 countries. In 2019 alone, EPRI’s team worked in 28 countries. EPRI’s unique focus on evidence-based research and policymaking has contributed significantly to EPRI’s recognition as the top-ranked small think tank in Africa. In 2018 EPRI ranked 4th in the world in the category “Top Think Tanks with Annual Operating Budgets of Less Than $5 Million USD,” taking the leading position in the developing world. EPRI has ranked within the top 10 since 2011 and in the top 5 since 2014.
Driven by teams of dynamic Social Policy Advisors team since 2016, EPRI has accelerated its growth with a focus on providing technical assistance in social protection and child protection to governments and development partners around the world. The team is composed of international, ambitious and innovative Social Policy Advisors working full-time or on a consultancy basis. The team is currently engaged in projects across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.
Selected recent and on-going projects within the Social Policy Advisors team include:
Formative Research and Policy Development: Technical assistance to develop India’s National Social Protection Strategy; development/drafting of South Africa’s EPWP policy; review of the DRM framework for cash-based disaster relief in Nepal
Policy Advisory: Long-term technical assistance for strengthening Myanmar’s social protection system, long-term technical assistance to support in the high-level advocacy, the development of a long-term framework of Social Protection, and tracking the overall implementation status of NSPSP/CSPSP in Myanmar; technical assistance through research and evidence-based policy advisory services for developing integrated social protection system in India; policy advisory for the development of a child benefit package in Viet Nam
Vulnerability Assessments and Systems Reviews: vulnerability assessments and systems review of social protection systems in four countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic) and in three states in India, Social protection systems review using CODI framework in Montenegro.
Quantitative Modelling and Analysis: Cost of financing the achievement of child-sensitive SDGs in Ethiopia, complex microsimulation modelling for the development of optimal social protection packages for children in India; complex productivity functions to review the long-term impact of investments in children on a broad set of indicators of interest;
Programme Design and Integration: Development of evidence-building cash-plus pilot design, design of a cash transfer for pregnant women and young children in Cambodia, designing an integrated
Evaluations and assessments: Assessment of disaster relief efforts in Nepal, impact evaluation and process review of Nepal’s Child Grant, impact evaluation, targeting assessment and process review of Thailand’s Child Support Grant, impact evaluation and process review of Bangladesh’s CPSP CCT; Review of Ethiopia’s National Child Policy and its implementation
Scope of work
With a continuously evolving and growing demand for technical assistance in social protection and child protection, and particularly in the area of policy and programme assessments and evaluations for international donor agencies and/or governments, EPRI is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic researcher with strong qualitative skills to join EPRI’s Social Policy Advisors team on a consultancy basis as a Qualitative Social Policy Officer. The Qualitative Research Officer’s tasks and responsibilities will include, however not be limited to, the following:
- Support summative and formative qualitative research projects (such as project/programme assessments, evaluations, formative studies, etc.) and policy advisory services through a range of activities:
- Carrying out of structured desk research activities and mapping of available literature and information;
- Development of tools for qualitative research, including key informant interview guides and focus group discussion guides;
- Supporting in-country participatory research in the form of discussions, interviews, focus group discussions;
- Coding and analysis of available information and data, at times with the help of software such as NVivo; and
- Writing up of research analysis and findings, for example in the form of reports, policy briefs, research papers, PowerPoint presentations.
- Support and lead the development of research proposals and concept notes for new projects, as required;
- Provide inputs to and support other team activities, such as the development of training materials for EPRI’s social protection courses.
Requirements
EPRI is looking for candidates meeting the following requirements:
- Advanced university degree (Masters at a minimum) in one or more of the disciplines relevant to social and political sciences, public policy, international development, economics;
- Strong qualitative research skills and experience in conducting participatory research, for instance in the form of key informant interviews, stakeholder discussions and focus group discussions;
- Excellent writing and communication skills (in English), with experience in writing research papers or reports, are a pre-requisite;
- Knowledge of NVivo or similar software that support and facilitate qualitative research will be an asset;
- Understanding of technical aspects of social protection and knowledge of poverty and inequality indicators is an asset;
- Independent, flexible and problem-solving qualities, with the ability to effectively manage the own working time to safeguard that tasks are completed successfully and on time are indispensable.
Conditions of involvement
EPRI’s Social Policy Advisors team is an international, ambitious and innovative team of consultants that currently works on projects in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. With no physical workspace existent in the project locations, the Officer will be home-based. Thus, the candidate enjoys a high degree of freedom and independence; in turn, EPRI expects high levels of responsibility, motivation and self-disciple and regular communications. EPRI offers and prefers:
- Full-time consultancy position, for an initial duration of 6 months, with an extension highly likely after a satisfactory 6-months involvement.
- The candidate will be mostly home-based, however, should be willing and flexible to travel to project locations, if required, potentially on short notice. Travel might be required on a monthly basis; the frequency of travel, however, will depend on specific project needs.
- The candidate should also be comfortable with travelling to and staying in project locations (national and sub-national level) for an extended period. In some cases, it might be required that the candidate is present in a project location for 2-3 weeks.
- A competitive remuneration is offered, sensitive to the skills and experience of the candidate. Increase likely upon successful extension past initial 6-months involvement.
Interested candidates are encouraged to send their CV and cover letter to preksha@epri.org.za until 10 August 2020. The email must be clearly marked with “Qualitative Research Officer” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidate will be contacted