Position 

Lead Researcher - Research Activity for USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance

Level of Effort 

200 days

Period of Performance 

Upon approval, estimated late September/early October 2024 to September 2025

Project Background 

USAID Fragile Waters, a five-year global mechanism (2023-2028) being implemented by DAI Global LLC (DAI), uses locally-led approaches and a combination of technical assistance, grants, and analysis, to increase water security in fragile contexts, working across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus. Water security encompasses water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), as well as water resources used for ecosystems, livelihoods (e.g., livestock, agriculture), and industry (e.g., hydropower). USAID Fragile Waters has four objectives within fragile contexts:  

1.       Conduct on-demand and timely analyses to inform water security programming;  

2.       Support capacity strengthening for local organizations to implement water security programming;  

3.       Provide direct assistance to support evolving water security needs; and  

4.       Advance learning for water security programming.   

USAID Fragile Waters has been requested by USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) to conduct robust and solid formative research, resulting in three key deliverables to inform efforts - across the humanitarian-development nexus – to build resilience of utilities through crises. With a focus on the continuity of water services, the deliverables will collectively provide: 

·       USAID, with a catalogue of past experience in building utility resilience across the nexus; 

·       Humanitarian and development actors and implementing partners, with increased understanding of whether, and how, utility preparedness and capacity building activities can be made fit for purpose in both times of stability and crisis by nexus actors; and 

·       The broader WASH sector, including water service providers, with collaboratively developed knowledge and guidance on how best to prepare for resilient water services, drawing on expertise across the nexus.   

 

Position DESCRIPTION 

The Lead Researcher will have primary responsibility to structure, manage, and technically contribute to the development of the three deliverables under this activity, leading to high-quality products responsive to BHA requirements.  The Lead Researcher will be supported by a Researcher (to be recruited) and by short term technical assistance. S/he will bring technical insight and experience, but also guide and manage inputs from contributing researchers. S/he will work in a collaborative way with the USAID Fragile Waters team, USAID clients, and humanitarian and development actors contributing to the analysis. S/he should expect to lead the design and implementation of two hybrid learning events.   

 

KEy Duties & Responsibilities 

The Lead Researcher is expected to:

·       Lead the technical design and development of the three deliverables.

·       Successfully manage the research process, delivering high quality products on time, through a consultative process.

·       Guide and manage inputs from contributing researchers, including from focus countries.

·       Lead, or engage, in discussions with USAID, providing updates on progress, soliciting input, and refining direction.

·       With USAID Fragile Waters team, organize and implement two learning workshops including the development of workshop materials. 

 

Deliverables 

Reflective of the increasing urban, protracted, and complex nature of humanitarian responses, the three deliverables are: 

·       Deliverable 1: Documenting Selected Experiences in Supporting Service Providers across the HDP Nexus. Deliverable 1 will capture the breadth of countries and contexts where there has been nexus activity in support of urban water provision (utility, municipal, private, community) within the last 5-10 years. The report will be constructed as a concise catalogue, enabling USAID technical advisors to identify approaches appropriate to contexts.

·       Deliverable 2: Comparative Analysis of Impact of Preparedness and Capacity Strengthening Activities when Performed with or without Participants across Humanitarian and Development Domains. Drawing from the information collected through Deliverable 1, and supplementing through additional research and outreach to development and humanitarian actors outside USAID programming, the Lead Researcher will identify a subset of 3-5 countries for comparative analysis. The deliverable will identify any common characteristics of planning/capacity-building interventions that successfully overcome barriers and span humanitarian and development contexts, providing practical suggestions for the replication of effective practices. 

 

·       Deliverable 3: Joint Analysis and framework document for humanitarian/development collaboration around utilities, municipal providers and relevant government entities outlining friction points, intersections, and comparative advantages regarding resilient services. Deliverable 3 will draw on the collective experience and expertise of humanitarian and development actors with the objective of developing a product with broad applicability across the nexus. The Lead Researcher will design an analytic framework as a guide, and produce the content through a combination of research, consultation with partners, and ground investigation as needed.

 

·       Two workshops will be conducted to inform Deliverable 3 – a hybrid workshop in the March/April timeframe and a hybrid workshop in approximately June/July. Deliverables 2 and 3 will be complete by August 2025.  

 

Initial focus will be on Deliverable 1, culminating in a discussion with USAID to refine the path forward for Deliverables 2 and 3, based on findings. Deliverable 1 and the associated discussion will be completed in January 2025 (assuming start date of September 2024). 

Deliverables 2 and 3 will be developed in tandem, in an iterative fashion, starting in January. 

 

Qualifications 

Required

·       5-7 years of experience researching and writing analytic products related to international development

·       3-5 years of development experience related to water service provision in urban contexts

·       Understanding of both humanitarian response and development priorities related to water service provision, experience with Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance strongly preferred

·       Strong written and verbal communication skills, evidenced by examples of written products

·       Ability to manage a team

·       A strong understanding of global players in the WASH development and humanitarian space preferred.

 

 

 

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