[Anthropgrad] Job: field research supervisor with the World Bank

[Simone Alesich]

Terms of Reference
 
Field Research Supervisor  
Justice for the Poor
World Bank,  Timor-Leste
                                                 
Location:         Dili, Timor-Leste, with extensive field work (50%+ of the  contract)
 
Duration:         Short Term Consultant – 100 working days (w  possibility of extension)
 
Recruitment:    International
 
 
I.          INTRODUCTION
 

1.       Justice for the Poor (J4P) is a global research and development program  aimed at informing, designing, and supporting pro-poor approaches to justice  reform. J4P seeks to understand how governance and justice systems function at  the local level, and how individuals and communities navigate those systems in  order to resolve disputes and to make claims to (or against) state- or non-state  authorities. J4P aims to inform operations in the areas of governance and  justice, build the capacity of local institutions and researchers to design and  implement high-quality research, disseminate findings, and use such findings to  inform ongoing policy reform.  

 

2.      The J4P program has been  active in four countries (Indonesia, Cambodia, Sierra Leone and Kenya) and with  the support of AusAID is developing a regional program in East Asia and the  Pacific, which includes two new country programs (Timor-Leste and Vanuatu). In  each context, research and activities are tailored to the Bank’s Country  Assistance Strategy and where possible are integrated into the Bank’s  operational initiatives.

 

3.      Justice for the Poor  Timor Leste (J4P-TL) was launched in July 2008. As the nascent state expands its  footprint beyond Dili through decentralization, budget expenditure and other  means, Justice for the Poor will contribute analytical and operational  work that aims to promote equity, sensitivity to conflict and accountability to  the public. A draft Program Framework Document defines the program’s scope of  work.  The two main fields of work in this respect are: (i) state-building at  the local level; and (ii) land and natural resource management.  

 

State-Building at the Local  Level

 

4.   Under its local level state-building  sub-focus, J4P will examine the relationships between citizens, traditional  institutions, and the formal state, beginning with an analysis of how each  understands, defines, accesses, claims and enforces rights and entitlements to  state-provided benefits. Research will be grounded in the ample literature on  state-building and local level governance, and will provide practical analysis  of how competing concepts of statehood and identity (national, sub-national,  group, etc) impact conflict, stability, and development. Analytical activities  will seek to clarify the means of citizen-state engagement – whether directly or  through intermediary authorities – as well as the relationship between  centralized and decentralized state authorities, and state and non-state actors.  Research will also examine how the government’s current methods of expanding  state presence impact the state’s legitimacy and helps (or not) to meet  citizen’s expectations. 

5.   J4P will commence with a collaborative  research initiative in partnership with the Bank’s Social Development unit  examining how individuals and communities understand, access, claim, and hold to  account both state and non-state resources. It is anticipated that the research  findings will assist the team to design social accountability mechanisms for SDV  operations: the Youth Development Program (YDP) and National Workfare Program  (NWP) as well as Government’s Local Development Programme (LDP) and  decentralization reforms more generally. Given the centrality of cash transfers  and grants to the government’s current local level engagement, this research  should provide an excellent starting point for the state-building component of  the J4P-TL program. 

6.   To implement its initial round of field  research, J4P will partner with a local institution to conduct research and  analysis. Under this partnership, four national researchers will be hired and  trained to conduct in-depth qualitative field research in two districts in  Timor-Leste (to be determined in partnership with the partner institution). It  is anticipated that the J4P’s Interim Program Coordinator and SDV’s Youth  Officer will participate in some of the field research. The field findings will  be consolidated into a series of reports analyzing, providing lessons on  improving accountability and dispute resolution in these projects, and  additionally providing analysis of the ways in which distribution of state- and  non-state resources into communities alters local power structures and  citizen-state expectations.  A field manual detailing the methodology is in  development. 
 
II.        DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

7.      The services of a consultant are required to undertake  and supervise field research activities.  The main duties and responsibilities  of the Consultant will be[1]:
 
A.                Training and  Mentoring
·         Provide on-site supervision to a team of four local  researchers. Ensure all research data collected is of high quality, accurate,  complete, and held in confidentiality. 
·         Provide training and  mentoring to the national researchers. In addition to participation in research  skills training exercises, provide regular feedback on performance and daily  coaching to build qualitative research  capacity.
 
B.                 Research and Analysis  
·         Identify and conduct interviews with key respondents, using  the field manual and interview formats as appropriate. As necessary, alter  research plans and field manuals on-site to reflect realities on the  ground.
·         In cooperation with research teams, develop case studies  analyzing and presenting findings from field research. Contribute to development  of a series of written products (briefing notes, final reports, issue discussion  notes) presenting research findings.
 
 
C.                  Other
·         Participation in workshops, conferences, and other  forums, both in Timor-Leste and abroad, as appropriate and  required.
·         Other tasks as required and agreed to by the TTLs,  research coordinating committee, and the Consultant.
 
III.        EXPECTED OUTPUTS
 
8.      Specific outputs will include:
·          Completed interview materials (interview formats and data sheets,  etc)
·         Three district field reports (one per round of  research)
·         Case studies from field research
·          Contributions to briefing notes, final reports, etc, as required and allocated  on a time-basis.
 
IV.       QUALIFICATIONS
9.   The ideal  candidate will possess some or all of the following  characteristics:
§         University degree (preferably advanced) in law,  anthropology, or a related field.
§         Extensive experience conducting  intensive field research in Timor-Leste or similar environments.
§          Fluency in Tetum and/or Bahasa Indonesia (required).
§         Demonstrated  experience training and mentoring research teams.
§         Knowledge of  Timor-Leste, particularly customary institutions and local authority  structures.
§         Strong writing and editorial skills. 
§          Outcome oriented, focused and flexible.
§         Ability to work alone and  be innovative.
 
V.          MANAGEMENT
 
10.  The position  is based in Dili; however, the majority of the contract will be spent living and  working in field locations under difficult conditions.  
 
11.  On a day-to-day basis the Consultant will report to  a research coordinating committee consisting of the the J4P Interim Program  Coordinator (Pamela Dale) and a representative from the local partner  institution.  
 
12.  Ultimately the Consultant reports to  the Task Team Leaders based in Washington DC (Caroline Sage, J4P and Ingo  Wiederhoefer, EASSO).
 
VI.         APPLICATION  PROCEDURES
 
Interested candidates are requested to submit a current  CV, cover letter outlining relevant experience, and two references to Pamela  Dale (pdale at worldbank.org) and Geraldo da Silva  (monizdasilva at gmail.com), cc:ing Susanne  Skoruppa (sskoruppa at worldbank.org) and Samuel  Clark (sclark at worldbank.org) by COB 27 March  2009. The assignment is expected to commence on or around 13 April 2009.  


[1] All tasks will be conducted in cooperation  with the Dili-based J4P Interim Program Coordinator, J4P and SDV project TTLs, and appropriate advisory staff).

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