Data Associate Job – Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Job Title:   Data Associate   

Organisation: Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Start date: Preferably February 20, 2023

Duration of engagement:  1 year (Full-Time engagement subject to extension based on performance)

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy non-profit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence on which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 400 leading academics to conduct over 600 evaluations in 51 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

Job Summary:  The Data Associate performs their position responsibilities to ensure a coherent implementation of IPA data protocols and policies. The Data Associate reports to and falls under the supervision of the Research Manager.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Survey programming

• Take lead in development of data collection instruments for computer-aided interviews (CAI using Survey CTO), phone surveys
• Lead in Survey programming, Troubleshoot programming related problems and fix bugs Support staff in daily use of data collection platforms

Data management

• Standardizes and automates data flow and data quality tools, using Stata and Python scripting in sorting, updating, and merging datasets from various sources.
• Implements standard templates for data quality control (e.g. high frequency checks and back-checks do files) to evaluate data quality and perform data cleaning operations.
• Develops and applies data quality standards and procedures (e.g. data management, data security, quality controls, analyses, etc.) to strengthen IPA’s research quality.
• Encrypt sensitive information and data according to IPA standard practices.
• Ensure proper storage of all computer data including regular backups
• Develops standardized procedures and guidelines to pilot, roll out, and integrate digital data collection platforms into IPA’s research process.
• Ensure projects data cloud repository is up to-date

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Data support

• Technical lead on data quality protocols and policies.
• Point-person in office for technical assistance on digital data collection platforms (e.g. survey programming in SurveyCTO).
• Assists with Stata or R programming, mainly on data management and quality checks.
• Supports data analysis and visualization for presentations or publications on specific projects assigned by the Research Manager.
• Use Stata to process and clean data and prepare Summary statistics when necessary
• Leads geospatial data analysis and visualization using QGIS or ArcGIS.
• Helps with data cleaning activities using Stata and Ms Excel depending on projects’ demands.
• Supports in enforcing data protection and privacy

Capacity building:

• Supports onboarding of research staff regarding IPA data quality protocols and policies.
• Designs and conducts training modules to help staff develop their technical skills. This includes training in data collection software (i.e. SurveyCTO) but is open to other relevant software for research and data quality purposes (e.g. programming in R, geo-analysis with QGIS, data visualization with Power BI, etc.).

Other Duties: As assigned by your supervisor, perform other tasks, which are consistent with your level in the organization.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A minimum of bachelor’s degrees in Information Technology, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluations, Statistics, Social Sciences, Business Management or equivalent.
• At least three years of work experience in a similar position, preferably with an International NGO or UN Agency with a good understanding of Research Principles.
• Computer Literacy in MS Word and MS Excel.
• Ability to handle large amount of data
• Excellent team skills and abilities
• Ability to plan resources and actions to ensure timely and efficient service delivery.
• Ability to assimilate and analyze situations, plus skill in handling unexpected situations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead and to maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Ability to interact effectively with internal and external counterparts at various levels.

Other Work Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience in data management or working with large datasets.
• Strong proficiency in Excel (advanced functions, pivot tables, Macros) for survey programming.
• Strong proficiency in STATA (advanced functions, programming).
• Experience in geospatial data visualization using QGIS or ArcGIS is a plus.
• Experience with a scripting language such as Python is a plus.

How to Apply:

All interested applicants meeting the requirements should fill in an online application   and attach academic certificate, cover letter and CV through the following link:

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