National Consultant- Research Management & MEL (Bangladesh)

Who We Are
International Justice Mission (IJM) is a global leader in protecting vulnerable people from violence around the world. Our team of over 1,200 professionals are at work worldwide in over 30 offices. Together we are on a mission to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and make justice unstoppable.

We are a global community that cares for one another. We believe that the way we work is as important as the results we achieve. We provide professional excellence with joy and celebration to all those we serve.

The Need
For over 25 years, IJM has pioneered the work to protect vulnerable people from violence. 9 out of 9 times in the last decade, IJM’s Justice System Strengthening Projects have reduced slavery and violence between 50 and 85% for very large populations of people in poverty. As we grow to expand our impact to protect 500 million people from violence, we are seeking a National Consultant- Research Management & MEL to facilitate and support the development, rollout and completion of research project(s) by external researchers, provide timely and critical information on all aspects of the research to relevant stakeholders (internal & external) and generate evidence-based insights for program development & improvement. This position will also help to design and implement monitoring, learning and evaluation frameworks to track program progress and outcomes, while facilitating cross-learning and knowledge-sharing sessions throughout the program life cycle, both in the national program and across the region.

This position is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and collaborates closely with the Regional Vice President, South Asia on work assignments. This position is only available for Bangladeshi nationals and candidates with a pre-existing unrestricted right to work in Bangladesh. This is a consultant role for a duration of 12-18 months and entails assignment-related travels as needed.

Responsibilities

Research Design and Implementation:
• Provide expertise in development and implementation of research studies (quantitative & qualitative), including developing research questions, designing data collection tools, and selecting appropriate sampling methodologies.
• Collaborate with IJM Global MERL team to establish and pursue research steering committees for Bangladesh protection measurement baseline studies.
• Provide oversight to data collection processes to ensure high-quality data collection and adherence to ethical standards.
• Provide expertise in hiring, and fostering strong relationships with, research agency/agencies while also liaising between the agencies, the Research Steering Committee(s) and the Bangladesh program team to ensure alignment on research priorities, objectives, and methodologies.
• Participate in the ‘Base Council’ responsible for managing budgets, schedules and implementation of risk management for program baseline studies.
Data Management, Reporting and Documentation
• Provide support on data management and data collection.
• Provide expertise in developing a Bangladesh program Data Protection Policy and ensure awareness of and adherence to it.
• Synthesize findings from research studies and evaluations into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Communicate research findings effectively through written reports, presentations, and other mediums to stakeholders.
• Facilitate maintenance and use of internal & external data and research to inform program goals.
• Provide steer in establishing timely reporting routines and ensure consistent input of program data into the IJM case management system.
• Provide expertise in developing and delivering high-quality program analysis in collaboration with program staff.
• Support consolidation, data mining and update of Bangladesh data as needed.

Communication:
• Collaborate with relevant Government of Bangladesh entities at national, division and district level and with regulatory bodies for project approval, budgeting and reporting.
• Participate and share insights at global forums such as quarterly MERL Unite meetings, conferences, etc.
• Provide expertise and direction to Bangladesh protection measurement baseline studies through meetings, engagements and professional emails with relevant stakeholders (both internal & external).
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL):
• Provide necessary steer and expertise on the design and integration of MERL activities, tools and rhythms into program planning, implementation, and reporting processes.
• Provide subject matter knowledge and support to monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of MERL activities, making adjustments as needed to improve outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with the Bangladesh Program Manager by providing periodic program updates, program progress reports and analysis internally & externally as needed.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing:
Provide subject matter expertise in developing and delivering training sessions and conduct workshops on research methodologies, data collection tools, ensuring the quality data collection, adhering to ethical considerations, data analysis techniques, and MERL best practices for stakeholders as and when required.
Help maintain a culture of learning and knowledge sharing by documenting and disseminating lessons learned and best practices from research and evaluation efforts.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:
• At minimum, a Master’s degree in International Development, Human Rights, Public Policy, Public Administration, Social Science, Project Management, or other related field.
• Research publications, thought papers and presentations experience are an added advantage.
• At least 5-7 years in predominantly research-related positions. Preference for those with prior experience in research alongside government research and having led research studies.
• Experienced in monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Experience working in international development, humanitarian aid, or related sectors preferred.
• Proven experience of effective cross-cultural work, and across multiple time zones.
• Excellent research management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks, manage timelines, and coordinate across teams to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex research findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders through written reports, presentations, and other mediums.

Technical Competencies:
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving.
• Well-developed analytical, data visualization and critical thinking skills.
• Planning, organizing and multi-tasking.
• Ability to use tools for monitoring, evaluation and data analysis.
• Knowledge of a statistical software package (Stata, SPSS, SAS) a plus
• Experience with hiring and managing research and data collection vendors in complex research projects.
• Knowledge and ability to create Requests for Proposals, Terms of Reference and Scope of Work documents for research projects
• Knowledge of sample frames and understanding of hidden populations preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment towards ensuring integrity of data and ethical principles of data confidentiality.
• Organized and able to work in a dynamic environment. Ability and experience of communicating technical research and evaluation methodologies and findings to lay audiences.

Critical Qualities:
• Self-starter with strong initiative;
• Disciplined with priorities;
• Strong interpersonal skills and self-awareness;
• Exceptional verbal and written communication;
• Flexible, collaborative and eager to support others
• Adept in partnership management
• Decision-making ability

Application Process: Upload Resume & Cover Letter in one PDF document and send the application to [email protected]

IJM holds strict safeguarding principles and a zero tolerance to violations of the Safeguarding Policy, Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy, and Code of Ethics. Candidate selection is based on technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring criteria subject to assessing the candidate's value congruence and thorough background, police clearance, and reference check processes.