National NGO Study and Service Centre Vacancy: Field Qualitative Researcher, Jakarta

National NGO Study and Service Centre (NSSC) Research and Design
Job Reference Number : EMR/NSSC/FQR/02
TOR: Field Qualitative Researcher
Program background

• Over the last 15 years CSOs and NGOs in Indonesia have been among the key drivers of political, economic and social reform as part of Indonesia’s transition towards a democratic, middle-income country, including on issues such as women’s rights, corruption, and freedom of information. Indonesian civil society organisations have also made critical contributions to enhancing inclusive and sustainable development, ensuring that those most in need are able to live healthy and productive lives. 
• NGOs in Indonesia operate in all DFAT – Australian Aid priority development areas and therefore the improved functioning of NGOs as organisations, and the NGO sector more broadly, would support significant development impacts.
• While the NGO sector in Indonesia has considerable strengths, it also has many challenges that cannot be addressed through donor programs that are focused solely on project outcomes. These challenges include dependence on donor funding, high staff turnover, poor use of research, limited documentation of work, lack of an effective intermediary and support sub-sector, and poor public accountability. Successfully addressing these challenges would lead to improved NGO efficiency and effectiveness, and in turn poverty reduction outcomes in Indonesia. 
• In 2012 the DFAT – Australian aid Knowledge Sector and Tertiary Education Unit commissioned a study on the NGO Sector in Indonesia titled the ‘NGO Sector Review’. The review was divided into two phases. Phase 1 consisted of a structured desk review, media scanning, consultations with a wide range of stakeholders in and knowledgeable about the NGO sector and analysis and mapping of quantitative data. Phase 2 produced a review of the NGO Sector that proposed DFAT – Australian aid undertake further research and the design of a facility that aims to maximise the direct and indirect work of Indonesian NGO’s on poverty reduction. Please see attached the NGO Sector Review report as your reference
• The objective of the Services is to design a facility for the National NGO Study and Service Centre for Poverty Reduction and Development (NSSC). The facility will provide analytical and policy support to NGOs from across the country to action plan together and address challenges in and to the NGO sector. Such forums would include cross-regional and cross-sector forums and workshops, including for emerging leaders and junior managers. These forums will be used to disseminate comparative information and analysis to NGOs about effective poverty strategies and opportunities for overcoming organisational challenges.
• Furthermore, it is expected that the NSSC can complement and reinforce DFAT and GOI’s ongoing programs of frontline service delivery, which will be the key feature of development cooperation between the two governments to address poverty and development issues in Indonesia for the years to come.
• The Research and Design Team of NSSC has been involved in developing the facility design and will be conducting research on NGOs sector, the support sub-sector, and will be examining close relationships between the sector and its stakeholders including government and the private sector. To administer its current research project, the NSSC Research and Design Team is seeking expressions of interest from individuals qualified to serve as field qualitative researchers to work under close supervision of our Deputy Team Leader/Qualitative Research Analyst.

Duties
The qualitative field researcher(s) will work with Deputy Team Leader/Qualitative Research Analyst (DTL/QRA) to carry out the qualitative research in two to three provinces including East Java, Jambi, Sulawesi Tengah, and Sumatera Barat. The main tasks will include conducting field qualitative research, analyzing the interview and FGD data, and writing research results. As part of this role, s/he would also take part in the researcher training and the NSSC facility workshops at the end of the research project.
Specific Responsibilities

• Participate in researcher training including a day of research instrument pre-test; 
• With the Qualitative Research Analyst, finalize the qualitative research instruments for interviews and FGDs;
• In coordination with the NSSC research and design team and the field partners at each site, conduct interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) with key respondents in two to three sites; 
• Work closely with the Qualitative Research Analyst to write and finalize the field notes and the interview results; 
• Together with the field researchers team under close supervision of the Qualitative Research Analyst, participate in the data analysis process and produce research findings; 
• Participate in a facility design workshop at the end of the research project; 
• Communicate as necessary/requested with the NSSC research and design team on technical research project implementation as well as content.

Strategic Relationships

• Deputy Team Leader/Qualitative Research Analyst - direct reporting on all field research project 
• Senior Research Assistant –direct coordination on research implementation 
• Field Partner (local NGO representative) – direct coordination on field research implementation

Desired qualifications and experience
The successful applicant should have the following qualifications, experience and skills:

• Masters degree/S2 in relevant field (research; management of nonprofits/NGOs, public policy, social work/social welfare, sociology, international development, program evaluation, etc.), or S1 and relevant experience; 
• Demonstrated experience conducting high-standard qualitative research, including semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions; 
• Critical understanding of the NGO Sector in Indonesia and its relationships with other sectors (including government and private sector, general public, and donor agencies); 
• Exceptional analytical, writing, and verbal ability in Indonesian, including an ability to produce high quality research findings.

Desirable

• Experience or past contributions to preparing research findings for evidence-based design for international development programs; 
• Previous experience conducting research in the NGOs sector, and more specifically researching close relationships between NGOs and the private and government sector.

Timing
The position is expected to start in August and finish in November 2014 and will be full time during that period.

How to apply
Please email currye.messah@nssc.or.id and recruitment.emergingmarkets@cardno.com with the following materials by July 6, 2014, 5.00 p.m Jakarta time.. Please use the subject line “Field Qualitative Researcher Application.”

• CV 
• Cover letter or email explaining your suitability and interest in the position and the name and contact information for 2 professional references