Department:         BBC Media Action – Research and Learning 
Reports To:          Research Manager
Grade:                 6 
Duration:              Until 31 March, 2016 with possibility of extension 

Context
BBC Media Action uses various forms of media and communications to tackle poverty and contribute to long-term change in some of the world’s poorest places. To achieve this, we partner with civil society, local media and governments to:

• Produce creative programmes in multi-media formats which inform and engage audiences
• Strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure

The Research & Learning (R&L) Group based in London and in each of our country offices, focuses on four key activities: (1) providing BBC Media Action projects with audience and market insights to guide project strategies; (2) conducting quantitative and qualitative research studies to capture the impact of all Media Action media interventions; (3) building capacity in research skills and methodology and (4) documenting and disseminating the insights and learning from BBC Media Action’s projects internally and to the wider development community. 
Our programme areas include governance, humanitarian response, and addressing sexual violence. We produce a high profile radio and TV discussion programme, Sajha Sawal, and Lifeline radio programme Milijuli Nepali. We also deliver training and coaching/mentoring initiatives that support media colleagues to produce local debate programmes, radio dramas, and life-line radio programmes. Research & Learning, as a result, has also been managing and delivering a large portfolio of research programmes for all projects. As the projects’ implementation is well underway, R&L’s area of focus is currently on endline research for our governance work and evaluative research activities, including quantitative surveys and qualitative evaluative research as well as synthesizing insights to inform business development. 

Job Purpose
Reporting to the Research Manager, the Nepal Research Officer will be accountable for supporting BBC Media Action’s research project. The Research Officer will undertake research to support project and production teams’ requirements, and will contribute to report on impact to donors. S/he will be responsible for ensuring the research is technically well designed, and implemented. The role includes regularly synthesizing, analyzing, and sharing research findings with teams, supporting the design and piloting of research instruments, qualitative and quantitative fieldwork, analysis and interpretation. The position is based in Kathmandu and will involve regular travel within Nepal.   

Main Duties 

• To support the commissioning of all audience research in coordination with production and broadcast schedules, negotiating and liaising with research agencies and key users of the research to ensure the results are suitable to meet project needs. 
• To implement and deliver all audience research in order to ensure that activities meet quality standards and are completed within budget and deadline requirements. 
• Be involved in formulating research design, preparing and circulating RFPs/research brief (where appropriate), evaluating proposals, finalizing and commissioning the research/organizing. To analyse and synthesize audience research results, applications and innovations with a view to identifying lessons learned and defining best practice. 
• With Research Manager liaise with internal clients to determine various research needs.  Be involved in formulating research design, and using interactive data to inform business development/new opportunities.
• Working with other research team members to design and draft research instruments for quantitative as qualitative work (pretesting/ piloting/ formative, evaluation), support on logistic, project timeliness and budgets for the research projects being handled.
• Collect data/ fieldwork/ moderating focus group discussion, monitoring and controlling the quality of fieldwork/data collection, analysis and presenting them into standard format for further decision making. 
• Analyze SPSS dataset as required and requested to support project planning and development.
• With the Research Manager and other Research Officers to help to disseminate the analysis of key findings and the strategic recommendations.
• To support the review of latest trends and developments in research methodologies related to behavior change, impact assessment and communications research, and evaluating the same for adoption in the Research and Learning work.
• Participate in Research and Learning workshops, and representing the BBC Media Action in other knowledge sharing workshops related to our project activities and project partners. Train and share knowledge with the research assistant where appropriate. 
• Support reporting requirements in terms of providing analysis and recommendation for quick understating and decision making. This includes designing ways of reporting figures in an effective and strategic way. 
• Other research and learning task as per requirement.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience Criteria 

• Strong experience in qualitative and quantitative market/social research.
• Experience using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Strong IT skills, including Excel and PowerPoint, and experience with data analysis software packages such as SPSS or Atlas. 
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Nepali and English. 
• Strong report writing and presentation skills, communicating complex technical ideas using non-technical language to a wide range of audiences from journalists, production staff and development practitioners.
• Ability to plan and conduct work with minimal supervision
• Track record of delivering research findings to deadline.

Relevant Competencies

• Strategic Thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans that need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, issues, etc. in the short, medium and longer-term. 
• Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, and to explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development. 
• Decision Making – Is ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made. 
• Imagination / Creative Thinking – Is able to transform creative ideas/impulses into practical reality. Can look at existing situations and problems in novel ways and come up with creative solutions. 
• Planning and Organisation – Is able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements. 
• Resilience – Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, set backs or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy. 
• Influencing and Persuading – Ability to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change. 
• Communication – The ability to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.

TO APPLY,

Please e-mail your application to [email protected] no later than 1 of January, 2016.  All applications should include a CV and a cover letter providing evidence that you have the skills and experience required for this position.  Shortlisted candidates only will be contacted within 1 week of the deadline.

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