POSITION: Community Research & Evaluation Intern
Interested candidates should submit a resume, a thoughtful cover letter, and a 3-5 page-writing sample highlighting their research qualifications as a Microsoft Word or PDF file to katie.susman@globalbrigades.org. Please be sure to include the job title in your subject line. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted.
Organizational Background:
Global Brigades is a secular, 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers and mobilizes university students and professionals to collaborate with communities in developing countries in creating sustainable solutions that improve quality of life while respecting local culture and improving the environment. In 2009, over 2,000 volunteers from 75 of our university clubs from North America and Europe participated on a BRIGADE to provide health and community development solutions to more than 55,000 beneficiaries in Honduras and Panama. A Brigade is a 7-10 day trip during which university student groups work with rural communities to implement health and development projects. Specifically in Honduras, our programs are focused around the improvement of rural communities’ overall health and quality of life through Medical, Dental, Water, Public Health, and Microfinance Brigades. At this time we are seeking to strengthen these programs by better understanding both the needs of our communities and the impact of our projects.
Position Location:
Office based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. All project implementation occurs in rural villages typically between 1-3 hours outside of the city.
Position Summary:
Global Brigades seeks a Community Research and Evaluation Intern who will assist the Director of Community Research and Evaluation develop and implement comprehensive community baseline surveys for the purpose of identifying and understanding the communities strengths and needs, particularly in the areas of public health, water, microfinance, medical and dental care. This community baseline research will prepare Global Brigades for implementing all 5 disciplines in priority communities. Secondly, this person will work in conjunction with the Director to conduct, analyze, and report on follow-up evaluations to provide GB with information regarding the outputs and outcomes achieved and the impact made in the communities.
Responsibilities:
•Participate in developing and maintaining partnerships and dialogue with the humanitarian community at large (governmental departments, UN agencies, NGOs, research institutions)
•Collaborate with research advisory groups in the U.S. and Europe.
•Work alongside the Director and partners to develop community evaluation methods and tools, such as surveys, town-hall style community meetings, and in-depth interviews with community leaders
•Implement the comprehensive community baseline surveys and other evaluation methods and tools in selected rural Honduran communities
•Support development of database, including data entry and analysis of comprehensive community baseline research
•Assist in conducting follow-up evaluations of the effectiveness of projects in achieving outcomes
•Serve as liaison to Directors and Interns in the Medical, Dental, Public Health, Water, and Microfinance programs to collect and organize information for post-brigade season and post-project reporting
•Support in the development of reports and presentations as required to a wide variety of audiences, such as program directors, funders, partner organizations, grants, and marketing materials
Experience & Qualifications:
•Native or fluent in Spanish and English
•Have a Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university
•1-2 years experience in research/evaluation in one or more of the following fields: public health, social work, economic development, community organization, or related field
•Willingness to commit to at least 12 months
•Ability to interface with rural Hondurans, local staff, international development organizations and elected officials
•Demonstrated quantitative and qualitative research skills
•Demonstrated writing ability for both a professional and a popular audience
•Familiarity with basic economic and demographic data sources
•Excellent computer skills, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
•Experience with epidemiological data programs for development or non-profit settings a plus (i.e. EpiInfo, EpiSurveyor, LimeSurvey, MonkeySurvey, OpenEpi, orOpenMRS)
•Strong data analysis skills; experience with data analysis of comprehensive community baseline research
•Working knowledge of statistical analysis programs such as SPSS, MiniTab, Stata, or a similar type of software
•Availability to work long hours; be available on nights and weekends if necessary
•Flexible and able to handle changing priorities
•Ability to work effectively within a development team
•Ability to live and work in developing country settings
•Ability to participate in moderately strenuous physical activity
•Ability to comfortably walk/hike in unpaved and steep roads, lifting up to 25 lbs
•Commitment to the mission and goals of Global Brigades
Reports Directly to:
Director of Community Research and Evaluation
Works Directly with:
Director of Community Research and Evaluation; U.S. and U.K. Sustainable Research and Development Advisory Group; Program Directors, Interns, and Coordinators; Logistics Manager
Living Conditions/Compensation:
Room & Board + Stipend. This is an opportunity to gain significant experience in international health and development, through a crucial project that will significantly benefit the people of rural Honduras. In addition, other benefits include ability to live in Honduras, experience local culture, dress informally, work from home, and have flexible working hours.
Start Date:
May 15th, 2012 or sooner if applicable
HOW TO APPLY
Instructions:
Interested candidates should submit a resume, a thoughtful cover letter, and a 3-5 page-writing sample highlighting their research qualifications as a Microsoft Word or PDF file to katie.susman@globalbrigades.org. Please be sure to include the job title in your subject line. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted.
Global Brigades team members represent the organization both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and GBʼs policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
