Assistant Regional Research Coordinator Refugee-Led Responses- Middle East

We are now recruiting a research assistant to support the Regional Research Coordinator in the development and implementation of the project Refugee-Led Responses in the Middle East ( Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey).

This 12-month position will be based in Amman, Jordan, collaborating through remote technology with a multi-sited research team based in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. 

The Research Assistant will support the development of the research methodology, review the literature and establish a network with main actors in the three countries, create a database of collected material, support in the operational aspect of the research, and manage social media postings related to the research updates. This position will work under the supervision of Dr Oroub El ABED, Lead Researcher at Centre for Lebanese Studies- Jordan and Regional Research Coordinator of the Localisation project with the support Dr. James Milner, Carleton University.

Background

The Refugee Studies Centre (RSC) at the University of Oxford and the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) are planning to undertake a longitudinal study to understand the factors that influence the impact of refugee-led Responses (RLRs) as service-delivery providers in humanitarian settings in the Middle East. It is commonly claimed that RLRs may sometimes be more effective, efficient, and legitimate in their responses compared to other humanitarian actors. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence to support such claims.

 Working in close collaboration with refugee researchers based in the three countries of focus (Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey), the project has three main aims: 1) document the scope of RLRs’ activities in the region and explain their impact on humanitarian responses (impact); 2) understand the opportunities and constraints, including local, national, and international politics, that shape the work of RLRs (politics); 3) identify best practices from RLRs and mechanisms to reduce the barriers that RLOs encounter in order to enhance their impact (mechanisms).

Scope

Research will take place in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Our intention is to identify a minimum of 10-15 refugee-led organisations within each country (or organisations with strong refugee representation in them, should it prove difficult to identify RLOs in a given country), giving a minimum of 40-60 organisations in the entire study. Selection criteria for our overall sample will be co-designed with community research teams, but will include considerations such as representation from urban and camp/settlement locations in each country, and a range of locations, nationality groups, and activities in each country in order to explore variation across contexts.

Research methods

The methodology for this project will be fully participatory, with refugees comprising a majority of the core research team. The researchers will be involved in co-developing and refining the research questions, co-designing the research tools, conducting and analysing the qualitative and quantitative data collected, co-producing the results, and actively engaged as partners in the publication and dissemination processes. In this way, the project will be pioneering in its effort to develop an evidence base that is generated by refugees for the benefit of refugee communities.

Responsibilities:

Working under the supervision of supervision of Dr Oroub EL ABED, the Regional Research Coordinator  RRC, with the support of Dr. James Milner, Carleton University, and as part of a research team, the Research Assistant will:

• Review the literature written in academic sources (E-libraries), policy reports and media in Arabic, English and preferably in Turkish. Produce annotated bibliography.
• Support the RRC in the operational process of the project;
• Create a database for the collected material appropriate for their national context;
• Support and follow up on the process to secure research permits as appropriate for their national context;
• Facilitate linkages with academic centres and actors working with refugee-led responses in their national context;
• Liaise with Country Coordinators to follow up on the operation and produce a monthly report on the work progress.
• Participate in research and policy dialogue activities throughout the project and produce minute reports.

Requirements:

The successful candidate will have:

• Completed a graduate degree in a field of the social sciences relevant to the focus of this project, with a preference given to candidates who have a degree or specialized training in forced migration and /or local communities.
• Demonstrated experience in research methods and collaborations relevant to this project;
• Demonstrated experience in writing through producing annotated bibliography, preparing reports in fields relevant to this project; and,
• Experience working independently, in cross-cultural contexts, and in a dynamic research team environment.

While all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, preference will be given to candidates who contribute to the diversity of the research team, especially in terms of: the profile of researchers, the representation of nationalities and relevant language skills, and the range of methodological expertise necessary to undertake this research.