Knowledge Management Coordinator / Research Analyst

THE COMPANY:

ARK Group is a stabilisation and development company committed to empowering local communities and beneficiaries in conflict, post-conflict, and fragile areas through the provision of evidence-based programmatic interventions, policy recommendations, research and capacity-building. Working with and through local communities, we seek to understand and then mitigate the negative effects of conflict and instability, enhancing social social cohesion and resilience whist promoting human security, development and economic opportunity with a focus on the following UN Sustainable Development Goals – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Reduced Inequalities, Gender Equality and Partnerships for the Goals.

ARK’s approach combines mixed-methods research with strong, consistent engagement with local communities and stakeholders to bridge the gap between the aspirations of local communities and the priorities of governmental and multilateral actors, thus informing the design and implementation of relevant interventions. Utilising innovative quantitative and qualitative methodologies to generate data, we deliver, monitor, evaluate and learn from our programming.

ARK believes in enabling local communities to realise their aspirations and potential through the participatory design of projects and programmes that address the drivers and causes of conflict and instability. We are responsive and accountable to the communities we work in because so many of our staff and partners are from those communities.

We value inclusive, academically-rigorous, ethically-driven research and participatory design. We are innovators and incubators, finding and nurturing solutions in cooperation with our partners, whilst seeking to bridge the gap between our donors and the communities they wish to support. To the traditional project management disciplines of Economy, Effectiveness Efficiency and Equity, we add Empathy.

With over twenty nationalities in the company, we embrace diversity, nurture opportunity and leverage the youthful enthusiasm of our staff, whilst drawing on the experience and expertise of our more senior staff. We believe in hard work, delivering results that everyone can be proud of, and caring for each other. Our staff are our biggest asset and their welfare is our first priority.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

ARK is looking for a knowledge management coordinator / research analyst to support a civil society capacity development project based in Morocco. The project works with selected local CSOs committed to institutional strengthening and evidence-based advocacy. It works in a diverse range of thematic, geographic and methodological areas and is implemented by a small project management unit (PMU) based in Rabat organised around four project components: Organisational Development, Research, Advocacy and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). The PMU, composed of dynamic, multinational professionals, is committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders and especially NGO partners to cross-pollinate skills, approaches and findings.

The key purpose of the knowledge management coordinator / research analyst is threefold: (i) to conduct mixed-methods research and analysis in coordination with the research coordinator and broader PMU team (ii) to support the generation, production, promotion, dissemination and relevant use of local insights produced to advance the objectives of the project and (iii) depending on the specific requirements and under the supervision of the project team leader, to participate in establishment of an evidence-based advocacy NGO network that is a learning organisation. Working at all three levels of intervention ( PMU, CSO partners and portfolio of projects being delivered), the knowledge management coordinator / research analyst role aims to support project component performance enhancement, insight and innovation, the sharing of lessons learned, integration and continuous improvement of the project outcomes and impact.

Note: this is a consultancy position and we are seeking expressions of interest at this time, with the timeline of recruitment to be soon confirmed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Contribute to the design of a knowledge management strategy and plan, deliverables and data tools;
• Proactively engage in discussions and brainstorming sessions about potential outputs and inform implementation activities;
• Participate in the skills development and mentoring of partners and assist with supervision of research activities and associated protocols and quality control mechanisms;
• Collect and analyse primary and secondary data and draft thematic and analytical reports;
• Edit and review PMU and partners’ research outputs;
• Review and synthesise relevant scholarly and specialist material from academic journals, policy institutes/think tanks and international organisations;
• Maintain situational awareness by keeping abreast of relevant socio-political, economic and security developments in Morocco which may directly or indirectly impact research and project implementation activities;
• Work collaboratively with coordinators of other project components;
• Contribute to the preparation of project-related presentations and attend meetings and calls with relevant stakeholders;
• Contribute to the development of a public profile for the project and network;
• Develop a public profile as an expert and strengthen those credentials by publishing analysis in relevant media and/or other specialized platforms, e.g. leading think tanks;
• Contribute to overall implementation strategy, including through meetings and conferences, and engaging with relevant stakeholders, in close coordination with project team leader.

REQUIREMENTS:

Essential

• Right to work in Morocco;
• Proficiency in Darija and professional written Arabic, French and English;
• Masters degree in the Social Sciences (Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Sociology, Social Work, Development, Conflict, Anthropology, Area Studies, or a related discipline);
• Minimum 3 years of experience utilising quantitative and qualitative, participatory and action-research methods;
• Strong interest and knowledge of Morocco and the MENA region more broadly, with regards to themes such as conflict, stability and resilience, civil society development, social cohesion, governance and local governance, development, rights and democracy.
• Mixed disciplinary interests covering a range of socio-economic rights and social policies;
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organise, analyse, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience writing reports for a variety of target audiences and collating and visualising data;

• Advanced computer literacy/skills and familiarity with relevant software such as data visualisation tools and digital media;

• Commitment to the conduct of ethical research with human subjects;

• Interest in innovative, multicultural approaches and team processes.

Desirable

• Previous experience with/advanced knowledge of other MENA countries;
• Interest in and knowledge of data management processes and relevant software.

ARK Group places human dignity at the centre of its development and stabilisation work and is thus committed to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse of children and adults. All ARK employees and related-personnel are expected to share this commitment, and only those who also uphold these values will be recruited as part of our team. This vacancy is therefore subject to a range of due diligence checks.