Senior Research and Policy Associate at African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

Job Description (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In , the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), an African-led, regional non-profit policy think tank, was established to help bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice in the areas of population change and sustainable development, and health systems strengthening in Africa. The purpose of AFIDEP’s work is to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development by enabling the formulation of policies and programme interventions that are informed by sound research evidence in these focus areas. Our Context In spite of on-going efforts to improve the utilisation of research evidence in decision-making in Africa, there remain major challenges. Available research is largely fragmented in different scientific publications and not appropriately packaged for use by decision-makers. Furthermore, the evidence often does not fully meet the policy and programme needs of decision-makers since they rarely contribute to the initial identification of the knowledge gaps that the evidence seeks to fill. Use of evidence is particularly weak in closing the big gap between policies and implementation, which remains one of the most critical development challenges in Africa. This is partly because there is limited research evidence to inform effective design and implementation of interventions that have the best potential to improve lives.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Provide technical support to policy, research, and advocacy efforts related to cross-sectoral development issues, including population dynamics, health, environment and climate change, and sustainable development.Conduct research and analysis to inform policy recommendations and programming initiatives.Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in government, civil society, and the private sector to advance our project objectives.Contribute to the design, implementation, and monitoring of cross-sectoral programming initiatives, including project proposals, work plans, and progress reports.Provide capacity building support to partners and staff on cross-sectoral development issues and approaches.Write analytical research reports and contribute to authoring research papers.Develop and disseminate policy-oriented knowledge products. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as international development, demography, public health, environment, climate change or other social sciences.At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in cross-sectoral development policy, research, and programming.Strong research and analytical skills, including experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex issues to a range of audiences.Experience in designing and implementing cross-sectoral development programming initiatives.Experience in project management and/or monitoring and evaluation.Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment, as well as independently with minimal supervision.Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.Fluent in English, with proficiency in French desirable.