Current Opportunities at People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network

Position Summary

• The Program Officer - Data Quality and Documentation will lead efforts to maintain the highest data quality standards across PAL Network’s educational assessment and action projects. This role ensures data adheres to PAL Network’s quality standards and develops protocols for quality control. The officer collaborates closely with the Program Officer – Data Management and Analysis and the Assessment Manager to ensure project documentation is accurate and up to date. By auditing data collection and monitoring processes, the officer ensures our methods meet international standards and suit the diverse contexts of Global South countries. This role involves significant collaboration with member country teams and advocates for best practices in data documentation and quality management, directly supporting PAL Network’s mission to generate evidence through assessments and actions to understand and improve children’s foundational learning.

Key Responsibilities
DOCUMENTATION AND QUALITY CONTROL (50%)

• Develop and refine quality control protocols, leveraging industry standards such as ISO or Six Sigma where applicable.
• Develop, maintain, and update documentation protocols and standards for data and assessment processes.
• Ensure all technical documents are compliant with international best practice and internal quality standards.
• Conduct regular data audits, review compliance with quality standards, and implement corrective measures.

TRAINING, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND DATA PROTECTION (35%)

• Train and support PAL Network’s member country teams and Secretariat staff to continually improve data quality and ensure compliance with quality standards.
• Foster a network-wide culture of continuous improvement and high-quality data collection, monitoring, and management practices.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with data protection policies and relevant international  regulations.
• Propose enhancements to data protection policies, focusing on the needs of global South country contexts.

OTHER (15%)

• Attend and fully participate in network and staff meetings and retreats as required.
• Support writing of bimonthly and annual reports and use these as the basis for monthly and annual engagements with the supervisor.
• Perform such other duties as may be required from time to time.

Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree in Data Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 3+ years in data management and documentation, with experience in educational or research settings.
• Skills: Outstanding written English, advanced proficiency in data management, strong attention to detail, ability to develop and implement quality protocols, ability to write technical documents that are well structured, coherent, and easy-to-understand.
• Certifications: Certification in quality management systems (e.g., ISO, Six Sigma) is highly desirable.

Languages

• Proficiency in English (both spoken and written) is required.
• Additional fluency in French, Spanish, and/or Portuguese is highly desirable but not necessary

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Key Responsibilities
ASSESSMENT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION (80%)

• Lead the coordination and logistical support for assessment-related activities within each region.
• Ensure alignment of regional activities with the overall strategic goals of the assessment projects.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between regional staff and the central assessment unit to implement project deliverables effectively.
• Oversee the collection and analysis of data pertaining to assessment activities.
• Implement and monitor quality control protocols to maintain high standards in data integrity and reliability.
• Coordinate and support the organisation of training sessions for regional teams on assessment protocols and tools.
• Assist in the development and adaptation of training materials to meet local needs.
• Prepare detailed reports on the progress and outcomes of assessment projects.
• Document all field processes, highlighting challenges and solutions related to the assessment within the region.

REGIONAL HUB OPERATIONAL SUPPORT (10%)

• Support non-assessment-related regional hub activities where required.
• Assist in general administrative tasks and other duties as required to support the overall objectives of the regional hub.

OBJECTIVE:

• The Program Assistant is primarily responsible for facilitating and supporting the implementation of PAL Network’s common assessment projects within their respective regions. This role focuses on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of assessment activities, contributing to the strategic objectives of the PAL Network while also supporting broader regional hub operations.

OTHER (10%)

• Attend and fully participate in network and staff meetings and retreats as required.
• Support writing of bimonthly and annual reports and use these as the basis for monthly and annual engagements with the supervisor.
• Perform such other duties as may be required from time to time.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Sciences, Statistics or related fields.
• Experience: At least 1-2 years of experience in a coordination role within an educational or assessment-focused project, preferably in an international or cross-cultural setting.

Skills:

• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience with database management systems.
• Knowledge of digital data collection tools (ComCare, SurveyCTO or closely related) is highly desirable.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Languages

• Proficiency in English (both spoken and written) is required.
• Candidates selected for West Africa must be proficient in French, and those for Central and South America must be proficient in Spanish.
• Additional proficiency in either Kiswahili or Portuguese is highly desirable for candidates selected for East and Southern Africa. 

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Position Summary

• The Program Officer - Data Management and Analysis will serve as the technical lead responsible for overseeing the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of data across PAL Network’s multicountry educational assessment and action projects. This role is pivotal in ensuring that data processes are robust, efficient, well documented, and easy-to-understand. The officer will be highly proficient in the use of statistical software (State, R, or Python) and database systems (PgAdmin, SSMS). The officer will lead network-wide data analysis of large-scale, multi-country datasets, laying the foundations for high quality research reports, policy and practice briefs, conference presentations and other materials.
• The officer will translate raw data into actionable insights, supporting the member countries and the Secretariat to make evidence-based decisions that continually improve data collection, monitoring, analysis, documentation, and reporting. The role involves a high degree of collaboration with PAL Network’s member country teams and global assessment experts, requiring a sophisticated understanding of data integrity, privacy, and analytical methodologies. The officer will employ advanced statistical techniques, data visualisation, and effective data communication strategies to ensure that research findings are easy-to-understand, directly supporting PAL Network's mission to generate evidence through assessments and actions to understand and improve children’s foundational learning.

Key Responsibilities
DATA ANALYSIS, MANAGEMENT, AND REPORTING (60%)

• Serve as the technical lead in data management and analysis, using statistical software (Stata, R, or Python) and database systems (PgAdmin, SSMS).
• Ensure all data processes are robust, efficient, well documented, and easy-to-understand.
• Conduct rigorous data cleaning and quality checks to remove inaccuracies and ensure the reliability of the database.
• Develop and implement comprehensive data management guidelines on the storage and use of data across the network.
• Conduct analysis of large-scale, multi-country datasets, interpret the data, and support the production of high-quality research reports and other documents.
• Design and produce insightful data visualisations to communicate findings in a simple and easyto-understand manner for multiple audiences at national and global levels.
• Ensure research reports are clear, accurate, and scientifically valid, and support the development of conference presentations and other materials.

RESEARCH SUPPORT, COMPLIANCE AND DATA PROTECTION (25%)

• Collaborate with member countries and the Secretariat team on all research projects - understanding project needs, contributing to research design, and advising on all aspects of data collection, management, and reporting.
• Provide expert advice to member countries and the Secretariat team on data management and analysis techniques across all research projects.
• Ensure adherence to international data protection and management regulations and internal data policies, especially in the handling and transferring of sensitive data.
• Develop and maintain protocols for data security, privacy, and ethical handling in line with global best practices.

OTHER (15%)

• Attend and fully participate in network and staff meetings and retreats as required.
• Support writing of bimonthly and annual reports and use these as the basis for monthly and annual engagements with the supervisor.
• Perform such other duties as may be required from time to time.

Qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 3+ years in data management and analysis. Relevant experience managing large-scale, multi-country research projects is highly desirable.
• Skills: Advanced proficiency in statistical analysis and data management software, strong skills in data visualisation and reporting, and a deep understanding of research methodologies.
• Certifications: Relevant certifications in data analysis, statistical software, or quality management systems are preferred.

Languages

• Proficiency in English (both spoken and written) is required.
• Additional fluency in French, Spanish, and/or Portuguese is highly desirable but not necessary