Associate/Sr. Associate – Research & Data Analysis – Evidence Action
Organization
Evidence Action
Country Kenya
Education Bachelor’s
Master’s
Language Requirement English
Start Date October 01, 2018
Evidence Action aims to be a world leader in scaling evidence-based and cost-effective programs to reduce the burden of poverty for hundreds of millions of people in the poorest places. Our two flagship at-scale programs, Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, reached over 270 million people this year. Three of our programs – Deworm the World, No Lean Season, and Dispensers for Safe Water – have been named “Top” or “Standout” charities by GiveWell in 2017, with Deworm the World being named a Top Charity for the 5th year in a row.
Evidence Action’s Beta incubator explores interventions with initial evidence of impact that might be suitable for massive scale up to become our next flagship programs. Similar to beta testing for software, we pressure-test interventions to ensure that they can deliver cost-effective impact at scale without unintended consequences. Beta explores the mechanisms at work behind compelling results, runs fit-for-purpose experiments to find appropriate models for scaling, and builds service delivery and financing models suitable for the contexts where there is demand. The Beta portfolio includes a diverse range of initiatives, ranging from programs in the later stages of incubation such as No Lean Season (seasonal migration) and Winning Start (remedial education) to earlier-stage incubation efforts, such as our collaboration with the Government of India on strengthening its national school-based iron-folic acid supplementation program.
Evidence Action has a presence across 10 countries, with major offices in Nairobi, Kenya; Delhi, India; and Washington, D.C.
What We’re Looking For
Evidence Action seeks one or more highly motivated Associates/Senior Associates, Research and Data Analysis, to provide research assistance and conduct data analysis in support of the growing Beta portfolio. S/he will be deeply involved in experimental and non-experimental research design, project management, and data analysis of Beta programs. The Associate/Senior Associate will assist in developing and updating program monitoring frameworks and data systems. This role requires systematic engagement in and documentation of the analytical efforts used to reach evidence-based recommendations and will contribute to developing appropriate measurement, sampling, and survey strategies to gather quantitative and qualitative data.
Whether a candidate is considered at an “Associate, Research and Data Analysis” or “Senior Associate, Research and Data Analysis” level will be based on our assessment of the candidate’s overall qualifications and experience. As Beta is continuing to grow, we expect that we will hire more than one Associate/Senior Associate from the candidate pool in this open call, with the specific program focus and location of a particular new hire to depend on both Beta’s needs and a candidate’s experience and interests.
Our most immediate need under this open call as of August 2018 is for an Associate/Senior Associate, Research and Data Analysis, to be based in Nairobi and focused on Winning Start, is a late-stage pilot program being incubated within Beta.
Winning Start connects a community workforce of highly educated volunteers to primary schools, where they offer competency-based remedial support to struggling children using the evidence-based ‘Teaching at the Right Level’ approach. The research behind Winning Start has pointed towards an incredible opportunity to positively and substantially improve the lives of millions of children. Designed around evidence showing volunteer-led models to be among the most effective, this large-scale youth volunteer model leverages governments’ political appetite to engage their working age youth while improving learning outcomes, and may lend itself to the distribution of other public goods and services.
The evaluation of Winning Start is being conducted in partnership with Michael Kremer (Harvard University), Willa Friedman (University of Houston) and Guthrie Gray-lobe (Harvard University) and in collaboration with the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics. The Associate/Senior Associate will support the critical day-to-day data management and analysis needs of the evaluation and will serve a crucial role in analyzing implementation processes and program performance.