Senior Field Officer - Kenya Life Panel Survey Project Job Vacancy in Kenya

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Position Title: Senior Field Officer - Kenya Life Panel Survey Project 

Reporting To: Field Manager

Start Date: 2nd January 2023

Location: Busia

Duration: 6 Months renewable subject to satisfactory performance and project need

Deadline: 25th October 2023

Eligibility: Position open to local Kenyan hires only

About Innovations for Poverty Action: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty problems.

In close partnership with decision makers -- the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with the poor around the world -- IPA designs and evaluates potential solutions to poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation method available.

We also mobilize and support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs and policies at scale.

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy.

We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with.

As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives.

We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically and underrepresented groups to apply.

Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

About the Project: The Kenya Life Panel Survey is a longitudinal study that seeks to rigorously examine the medium- to-long term impacts of several programs that invested in rural Kenyan youth then (now young adults).

These programs include the Primary School Deworming Project (PSDP), which provided deworming treatment to primary school students in rural Kenya between 1998 and 2002, the Girls’ Scholarship Program (GSP), which provided merit based scholarships to young women in a separate set of primary schools in rural Kenya in 2001
and 2002, and the Vocational Training Voucher Program (VTVP), which provided vouchers to a subset of PSDP and GSP participants allowing them to obtain vocational training between 2009 and 2010 and lastly Start-up Capital for Youth (SCY) program which subsequently randomly allocated unconditional cash grants to support the start-up or expansion of small businesses, among the same sample of individuals who were part of the TVVP.

The KLPS panel data collection effort seeks to follow recipients of these programs into adulthood and collect information on a range of life outcomes, with particular focus on expenditure, income, health, education, labor market participation, migration, fertility, and marriage among others.

We are prepping to start of the second visit of the round-5 of data collection that is focused on the aging of the participants and will have both Dried Blood Spots (DBS), Kids modules components.

About the Position: The Senior Field Officer under the general supervision of the Field Manager within the limits of Innovations for Poverty Action-Kenya policies and procedures will assist to coordinate and facilitate survey field activities and functions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Below is a list of some of the general duties and responsibilities of the Senior Field Officer, to be carried out as needed according to the determination of the Field Manager.

  • Assist bench testing and piloting of the survey tool on Survey CTO to ensure it is up to standard.
  • Data collection management which includes leading a team conducting surveys and provide feedback on Survey CTO programming and conducting data collection.
  • Work closely with the Field Manager to ensure that all work schedules are received by the enumerators every morning before any activities begin.
  • Ensure all teams have sufficient work for the day based on the work schedules and make changes/adapt if necessary.
  • Ensure that all the teams have all necessary materials tools required for data collection. Keep track of KLPS DBS supplies, equipment, and inventory levels.
  • Coordinate with KLPS Field Manager(s) to ensure a continuous supply of necessary materials and available on time.
  • Lead a team of FOs during pilot practice and provide feedback on questionnaire and Survey CTO programming.
  • Ensure completion of scheduled activities each day in a timely manner including update in reports of work accomplished.
  • Oversee the transportation and storage of collected DBS samples from the field to the designated office. Ensure proper handling, packaging, and documentation to maintain sample integrity.
  • Monitor all aspects of the KLPS DBS process, including collection, packaging, transportation, and storage. Ensure that established protocols and procedures are followed consistently and continuously provide a timely report to the Field Manager(s) and the Research Associate on the progress of DBS, areas for retraining and performance of the staff in the DBS collection.
  • Organizing data collected by enumerators, providing feedback on day-to-day operations and survey instruments.
  • Human resource management which includes Supervision, monitoring, and evaluation of FOs.
  • Develop and discuss a supervision plan with the project management.
  • Monitor staff attendance and updating attendance records including leave and to enforce all human resource policies and procedures in coordination with IPAK’s Human Resource Manager and the Research Associate.
  • Diligent completion of checklists and other means of monitoring data.
  • Ensure proper use and maintenance of the assigned project equipment (tablets, weighing machines, field gear, DBS equipment’s etc.)
  • Perform any other duty assigned by the supervisors.

Qualifications and Experience

  • Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Nursing with a valid nursing license.
  • 2- 3 years of field experience in data collection.
  • Experience in supervising, implementing data collection and managing field officers.
  • Prior experience in data collection using Survey CTO and supervising electronic data collection systems.
  • Excellent supervisory, planning, and organizational skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage data collection at various levels (planning, piloting, collecting, back checking, reporting, and team supervision).
  • Flexible, self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently and a team player.
  • Advanced user of MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Excellent communication skills with fluency in English, Kiswahili, and the local languages (Luhya or Luo)
  • Demonstrated ability in community sensitization.

Preferred

  • Experience in kids anthropometric measures
  • Experience in DBS collection

How to Apply

Please CLICK HERE to apply online.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a ROLLING BASIS.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Senior Field Officer- KLPS Project. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA.