Job purpose:

The post-holder is expected to provide leadership to the CSF in three key areas:

• Leading on the development, production and review of high-quality research and analysis related to conflict sensitivity in Sudan, speaking to the needs of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding aid actors working on system, programmatic and activity levels and across sector siloes.
• Managing the CSF Research and Analysis Advisors and coordinate with the other technical support teams.
• Supporting the CSF team to adapt its approach to better influence donors and aid actors in Sudan around conflict sensitivity in line with its research to practise ethos.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Programme Management

Research

Ensure that the CSF is undertaking technically sound and relevant research that follows established research ethics, and considers gender at every step of the process. Delivering on this responsibility requires that the incumbent is familiar with and applies the CSF Research Ethics Guidance, as well as the CSF’s Gender and Inclusion Plan. S/he will be required to work closely with the CSF Research and Analysis Advisors, Saferworld Advisors in the CAU, Programmes and Policy Teams, and the CSF Director to flag any potential gaps in research ethics and be proactive in recommending remedial action.

Lead on the compilation and production of the CSF’s Monthly Research Update. Delivering on this responsibility includes conducting research to identify relevant articles, working with members of the CSF team to upload articles to the CSF Research Repository and writing a summary of the articles selected for the Research Update.

Lead on identifying and sharing policy lessons and key takeaways from ongoing and published research on Sudan. Delivering on this responsibility includes developing briefing or summary papers for internal and external circulation, regularly contacting and updating international and Sudan researchers on the CSF’s research agenda, in consultation with the CSF Research and Analysis Advisors, the Saferworld Advisors, and the CSF Director, developing and maintaining relationships with Sudanese research institutes, and maintaining an overview of current/planned research across Sudan, and providing guidance to the CSF team on how these could be highlighted with donors and other aid actors in Sudan and globally.

Work with Sudanese researchers and analysts to strengthen their capacity to integrate conflict sensitivity into their research and analysis, including facilitating quarterly support sessions

Lead on identifying potential research topics relevant for conflict-sensitive engagement in Sudan. Delivering on this responsibility requires working closely with the CSF Research and Analysis Advisors, the Saferworld Advisors, and the CSF Director to identify/agree research priorities, based on consultation with the broader CSF team, as well as other aid stakeholders and researchers. In addition, the incumbent will be expected to highlight opportunities for the CSF to engage with research being conducted by other stakeholders – to either contribute to the research itself, or develop conflict sensitivity guidance and policy advice for donors and other aid actors based on others research.

Lead on the development and implementation of research dissemination plans. To deliver on this responsibility, the incumbent is expected to be proactive in identifying key audiences, developing influencing messages and drafting any materials needed, including the research report, briefing papers, presentations, to support dissemination and uptake of the findings. The incumbent will need to work closely with the Outreach and Learning Manager to ensure dissemination is being coordinated and all team members are delivering similar messages.

• Coordinate reviewer inputs from both internal and external stakeholders/reviews on research reports or briefing papers. To deliver on this responsibility, the incumbent will be expected to make substantial contributions to the review and quality assurance process, highlight any critical issues and suggest resolutions to the report author, as well as to the researcher/consultant contracted and CSF Director. It will be important that good judgement is exercised to ensure that feedback passed onto the report author in a timely manner, reflects the original ToR and does not require that the report be expanded beyond the original scope of the ToR.
• Follow-up uptake of research findings and recommendations through liaising with relevant agencies and contribute inputs to the outcome harvesting processes.

Analysis

• Lead on identifying and writing analysis and briefing papers, focusing on donors and aid actors in Sudan to highlight conflict sensitivity risks and opportunities in Sudan. To deliver on this responsibility, the incumbent will need to monitor issues highlighted by CSF team members during regular meetings, planning sessions, and outcome harvesting workshops and to review analysis produced by others to identify gaps or rising issues and reach out to other aid actors as needed.
• Support the CSF Director and other team members to develop and deliver briefings and presentations on the Sudan context and CSF’s work to a range of audiences, including donors, heads of UN agencies, and senior and technical programme staff across the aid sector.
• Review and edit analysis produced by other CSF team members, ensuring it is of high quality and provides relevant and actionable recommendations for policy-makers and operational aid agencies.
• Develop relationships and partnerships with a range of actors and institutions in Sudan in order to collaboratively produce conflict sensitivity-related analysis.
• Collaborate with the Capacity-Building team to adapt and deliver context courses on a quarterly basis. Delivering on this responsibility includes supporting the team to regularly reviewing feedback received on previous context courses, reviewing and updating talking points based on this feedback and jointly delivering the context course with the Capacity-Building team, either virtually or face-to-face.

Staff Management

• Line manage two staff members (Research and Analysis Advisors) and ensure that direct reports understand and are able to perform their roles during times of stability and crisis.
• Actively coach direct line reports to become independent managers leading on initiatives, tasks and representing the CSF, internally and externally.
• Inspire team members to internalise, respect, and practise Saferworld’s core values; lead and encourage a team culture of learning, sharing, creativity and innovation.
• Manage consultants as part of Research processes, including drafting of scope, identification and process management.

Budget Management

• Act as budget-holder for the CSF’s research and analysis activity budget, overseeing activity expenditures and financial reporting in line with Saferworld’s policies and procedures and donors’ requirements and in coordination with the CSF Director (as overall programme budget holder) and Sudan and Central Finance Teams.

Representation and Stakeholder Relationships

• Lead on establishing collaborative working relationships with academics and other researchers working on Sudan, specifically Sudanese researchers and analysts.
• Represent the CSF at external meetings in the absence of the CSF Director, as requested.
• Take up any leadership, representation or reporting roles from time to time, as assigned by the CSF Director.
• Support the CSF Director and other CSF team members to develop and maintain strong working relations with CSF donors and their implementing partners, and other operational agencies in Sudan.
• Coordinate the inputs of staff from other Saferworld teams, notably the Senior Adviser/s supporting the CSF activities.
• Support the sharing of lessons, analysis, and skills development opportunities between CSF staff and other Saferworld staff in Sudan.
• Ensure that project activities and collaboration with partners adheres to Saferworld’s global and Sudan safety and security policies and procedures.
• Identify potential Conflict of Interest risks that may arise, and work with the CSF Director to mitigate or otherwise address these.
• Identify potential risks to the CSF, staff or partners and work with the CSF Director to mitigate or otherwise address these.
• Safety, Security and Risk Management

Key working relationships

• CSF – work collaboratively with the CSF partners to link the research and analysis agenda with the CSF’s outreach and learning and capacity-building work
• Saferworld Conflict Advisory Unit – work collaboratively with the CAU and other facility teams (CSRF, ACSM) to share findings, experiences, and learning, and support the delivery of activities that align with CSF’s strategy and goals
• Saferworld Programmes and Policy Advisors – work collaboratively with Advisors in the Sudan country progamme, other programme and policy teams to share research and analysis that can be used in global policy and advocacy spaces, especially on aid and Sudan and to integrate global experiences and evidence into CSF’s programming
• Donors, UN Agencies and I/NNGOs – develop and maintain relationships with donors and other organisations working in Sudan, on conflict sensitivity issues, or on the Sudanese context more broadly
• Aid workers – network with individual aid workers to get inputs into CSF’s research and analysis agenda and specific products and share findings, lessons, and recommendations
• Scope and accountability

Decision-making and limits of authority

• Decisions relating to design and management of CSF’s research and analysis agenda, with input and approval from CSF Director and Saferworld Advisors
• Decisions relating to design of research methodologies and data collection
• Decisions relating to the dissemination of research and analysis and influencing messages

Financial resources

• Budget-holder for research and analysis activities

Other resources

• Management of CSF research and analysis products
• Contributions to report writing, and quality and accurate information sharing
• Responsible for and in custody of Saferworld equipment, such as a laptop and mobile phone

People management

• Research and Analysis Advisers (2)
• Legal, regulatory and compliance responsibility
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• Compliance with Saferworld’s policies and procedures, including HR and safeguarding and safety and security policies
• If and when authorised in the absence of the CSF Director, act as the senior Officer-in-Charge with corporate responsibility
• Ensure all of CSF’s research and analysis activities are compliant with donor requirements and regulations
• Safeguarding compliance for consultants and independent researchers contracted by CSF

Person specification

• Knowledge, qualifications and experience
• A Master’s degree in relevant field with commensurate professional experience [required]
• Deep knowledge and experience of navigating the international aid system, including understanding of current humanitarian reform processes, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), triple nexus/humanitarian-development-peacebuilding (HDP) framework, and localisation agendas
• Demonstrated experience conducting both desk and field-based analysis and research, preferably in Sudan
• Experience working in humanitarian aid, development or peacebuilding sectors
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the Sudan aid sector, including donor coordination mechanisms, UN Agencies and NGOs (national and international)
• Experience managing teams, including remote management
• Relevant work experience in a conflict or fragile context [required];
• Understanding of conflict sensitivity principles, practices, and methodologies [required]
• Experience with knowledge management: MS teams and One Drive [required]
• Experience in the aid sector in the region a bonus [desirable]
• Experience in strategic planning and programme design and implementation [desirable];
• Experience writing or contributing to global discussions around aid reform and learning [desirable]