Employment Advancement Research Consultant

Employment Advancement Research Consultant

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation

Unit/department: Programs Location: Amman, with frequent travel to field bases in Jordan as well as some potential regional travel with overnight stay (for example, study workshops)  

DRC Jordan office is looking for a research consultant to carry out an assessment exploring the connections between skills/ training with wage progression, job retention, and advancement in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

About the job

The individual will report directly to Economic Recovery Manager. The main duties and responsibilities will be:

 • Conduct secondary data review and issue an inception report outlining the scope of the study, proposed methodology, and initial findings based on a review of available DRC data. Create and revise all required tools for data collection and implement all data collection activities in coordination with DRC for logistical and technical support.

 • Conduct appropriate analysis of data, highlighting key findings and recommendations for DRC's livelihood programming.

 • Present findings to DRC staff and handover all qualitative and quantitative datasets as outlined below.

Deliverables:

 • Inception report describing the outline of the study, proposed methodology, and an initial secondary data review. This should include findings from a review of available DRC data regarding training and job matching.

• Interim report/ draft detailing progress of study including queries and considerations to be submitted before final draft

• Final report containing executive summary, all relevant findings and appropriate recommendations, and recommendations for broader livelihoods programming.

 • Presentation workshop with comprehensive PowerPoint presentation to explain and present findings and recommendations to relevant DRC staff.

• All qualitative recordings, Arabic transcriptions, and English summaries of each qualitative interview/ focus group discussion as relevant and tools

 • All quantitative datasets and tools: 3. raw version, 3. clean version with log of any changes made, 1. version including recordings of any analysis made as appropriate.

Travel as required, including:

• Travel to the field to assist with monitoring and data collection activities

• Potential regional travel for research-related workshops

Research Background:

This research will focus on the construction and manufacturing sectors with a geographic concentration in Mafraq, Irbid, and Amman. The primary aim of the research is to evaluate the causal link between training and employment, particularly job retention and wages. Additional questions include:

• Which types of trainings improve the in-work progression of existing, low-skilled workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors?

 • To what extent does training increase the rate of employee retention and advancement in these sectors?

• What is the relevance of soft skill training as it relates to the employees' ability to tackle day to day work challenges?

• What beneficiary groups/ individuals are better suited to skills training (both vocational and complementary) and why?

• To what extent does training impact access to and retention of jobs at the entry level?

 DANISH  REFUGEE COUNCIL

The research will be conducted from October 2018 to January 2019. DRC will request the consultant to propose and finalise the research methodology, taking into account an available budget of 3000 JOD for non-consultant service assessment costs (such as FGD transport stipends, venues for data collection etc., cars for enumerators to travel to sites).

The proposed methodological framework is as follows:

• Comprehensive desk review as well as review of existing DRC data regarding skills training and job matching outcomes.

• Key informant interviews with industry leaders to understand trends in skill demand (both complementary skills training and vocational) — this will be used to inform DRC's selection of training for the impact groups

. • Focus group discussions with employers on link between skill sets, non-experiential knowledge, and higher wages/ employment security (i.e. secure contracts) as well as the impact of nationality on access to work.

• A comparative study: the study would identify sample DRC beneficiary groups (to be determined by the consultant), separated by profile (if possible) and types of training received. A control group will also be included. The type of jobs accessed, wages offered, and rate of employment retention will be monitored over time at specific intervals within the consultancy*

• A tracer study of non-DRC beneficiaries currently employed in the construction and manufacturing sectors to assess impact of trainings, qualifications, and/ or experiential learning on wage progression and advancement*.

• Each monitoring point will be an opportunity to interview the beneficiaries about their employment status, any impacts of the training on job prospects as well as wages offered. A quantitative analysis of survey results will yield numerical rates of retentive value, and allow for identification of trends and correlations. The assessment would likely also require more in-depth interviews with beneficiaries at the end of the research to add qualitative understanding to the quantitative data sets in terms of better understanding clients' perceptions about their job retention and added value of the training

• The study will also include interviews with DRC staff who have worked with both employers and employees in the labour market to capture their observations and lessons learned.

The research consultant will be hired for an initial inception phase (October 2018) to a) conduct review of existing data and literature; b) design the specific data collection methodology and tools, and c) conduct key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The consultant will then handover quantitative data collection tools needed for the comparative and tracer studies so as to allow DRC staff conduct data collection activities. The handover process should include a training component of DRC staff on how to use the tools. The consultant will then return in a final data analysis phase (December) to implement a final evaluation including analysis of monitoring data as well as drafting of final report. The consultant will report to DRC Jordan's Livelihoods Coordinator, with access to support from the MEL Manager and MEL field staff to implement data collection.

When applying for the position, the consultant should propose an outline of methodology, days required, and daily rate as part of the application submission process.

• About you

At least 7 years of experience in assessments, research and / or MEL related to the humanitarian and/or development sectors

Required / Desirable

 • Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing assessments and research on labor markets, with a particular emphasis on displacement-affected contexts.

• Demonstrated experience in leading large-scale assessments.

• Previous experience in Jordan and the region preferred

• Strong research and analytical skills, previous experience with analytical platforms including SPSS, Stata, Tableau, Excel and/or Invivo

• Excellent communication and coordination skills

 • Experience managing teams of data collection enumerators

• Experience and skills in both quantitative and qualitative data collection in the field; robust interview and note-taking skills

• Ability to conduct trainings and capacity building on tools and processes

 • Ability to be proactive, and work with minimal supervision

• Be ready to travel to project sites in Jordan, including overnight stays

 • Excellent interpersonal skills, be sensitive to work in a multi-cultural environment and interact directly with displacement-affected populations

• Flexible, enthusiastic and willingness to learn from others

• Excellent levels of English • Arabic preferred

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies: 

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process. 

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback. 

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation. 

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly. 

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values. 

We offer

Contract length: 3 months

Designation of Duty Station: Amman

Start date: As Soon As Possible

Application process

All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.

Closing date for applications: 08 Sep 2018

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit drc.ngo/jobsupport.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.