Position Title: Guinea Community Researcher

Location: Guinea

Type: Paid contractor position

Application Deadline:  June 6th, 2021 at 12am GMT

Time period: 1st June to 31st July, 2021

About New Media Advocacy Project:

New Media Advocacy Project (NMAP) is a team of narrative strategists working at the intersection of communications, movement building, and cultural engagement. We recognize the power of story and narrative to change power structures and to promote equity and justice, and to accomplish that, we partner with and train nonprofits, activists, and coalitions around the world. Our roots are in human rights advocacy and visual storytelling, but we work across barriers to design narrative strategies informed by the science of framing, measurement, and strategic distribution. A leader in the narrative change space, we’ve established a global network through more than 100 civil society partnerships in 30 countries over the last decade.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: 

NMAP is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural workplace. As a human rights organization that addresses systemic injustices in all facets of society, we strive to promote the kind of equitable world we fight for alongside our global partners. We see diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core part of our mission and responsibility. 

Position Overview:

NMAP is organizing a comprehensive research project focusing on communities in Guinea and we are looking for qualified Community Researcher to travel to communities in the prefectures of Boke, Simandou and Boffa in order to conduct community surveys and audience research.

The purpose of this research is to better understand community attitudes towards mining and development as well as understand community perceptions of international companies and local activism. The work will consist of travel to communities (around 5 communities, but exact number and location to be determined) and survey the community in order to identify audience values related to mining. The survey will include inquiries into attitudes towards health, the economy, and the environment. While in the field, the Researcher will also conduct audience testing of previously created advocacy videos to gauge the effectiveness of previous narrative strategies in mobilizing communities.

During and after the fieldwork, the Researcher will report data and findings back to NMAP and help analyze the research. This work will be used to develop opportunities for new narratives for media and communications with the aim to increase mobilization at the community-level. 

The Researcher will work closely with NMAP’s Research Director and Project Manager to develop, coordinate and implement the research.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Efficiently manage community integration and induction and relevant national and local authorizations
  • Review documents provided by NMAP (research plan, survey questions, background materials, etc.) and make any recommendations to research plan based on Researcher’s own experience conducting community research
  • Conduct data collection through in-depth interviews of participants in-person in the communities identified (travel and PPE will be paid for by NMAP)
  • Communicate with other researchers and NMAP teams on a regular basis
  • Submit quality deliverables online in French (transcripts of interviews and their summaries, final field report, etc.) in a timely manner, as agreed with NMAP
  • Collaborate to find solutions to any issues or challenges that emerge in data collection
  • Ensure secure online and offline storage of research data and documentation
  • Be involved in all aspects of the research process including relationship building, recruitment, data collection and analysis
  • Share their insights on the research process and emerging research themes
  • Participate in debrief meetings to share experiences related to this research and your work as a community researcher

We are looking for someone who has:

  • The ability and sensitivity to conduct interviews with a wide range of people, including victims and witnesses are required
  • The ability to facilitate dynamic conversations with individuals and groups and excellent listening skills
  • Experience with trauma-Informed and/or community engaged research practices. Any experience with arts-based research approaches or arts-based therapy or education is a definite plus.
  • Knowledge of confidentiality and consent procedures, leading interviews, and identifying themes from data
  • Strong initiative and follow-through and the capacity to think creatively and strategically
  • Strong interpersonal skills in order to work collaboratively with NMAP, partners and community members
  • The ability to communicate work progress at regular and key intervals
  • The ability to compile data in an organized and clear way, and synthesize data to identify key trends and patterns
  • Past experience conducting community research and community/audience surveys
  • A demonstrated interest in narrative change, human rights and/or audience research
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in French a must. Fluency in English preferred but not required.
  • Existing links/connections in Boke, Simandou and Boffa are a plus

Compensation:

This is a contract position (not full-time) that will pay a flat fee of $2000 USD for the duration of the project (approximately two months of work starting in late June/early July) which will include a set of deliverables: review of research plan, community interviews and data analysis, summary of the findings, etc.

The exact deliverables, timeline, and location details will be determined at the start of the contract with the Researcher. This position is not eligible for benefits.

How to Apply:

Please send your resume, a cover letter outlining your interests and qualifications, and any relevant research work examples to jobs@newmediaadvocacy.org with the subject line “Guinea Community Researcher”. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

**Please note: Only short-listed candidates will be notified.