Research Associate, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)(Philippines)

• Reports to: Project Coordinator and Principal Investigators
• Location: Based in Naga City (subject to change) with travel to other provincial field sites
• Deadline to apply: Applicants are reviewed on a rolling basis 
• Desired start date: March/April 2014
• Length of commitment: 1 year commitment is required for this position
• Eligibility: Must have legal permissions to work in country.

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C., New York City, and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development, and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.

Program Summary:

This study investigates the impact of formal property rights on agricultural investment and the channels – access to credit, tenure security, and gains from trade – through which this effect may occur. The research question will be tested within the context of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in the Philippines, where collective titles have been issued to groups of farmers as a transition mechanism to hasten the land acquisition and distribution process. The government is now subdividing these collectively titled lands to formalize individual property rights, and the study will exploit this program to conduct a cluster-randomized controlled trial (randomizing collective titles into treatment and control groups) with the goal of understanding the impact of rights on investment and the degree to which the lack of formal rights limits financial market development.

Position Summary:  

The Project Associate will help lead fieldwork for the baseline survey of a project that measures the impact of formal property rights on agricultural investment, productivity, and welfare. The position offers an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand field management experience in an organization undertaking cutting-edge development research. S/he will work closely with the Project Coordinator, IPA-Philippines Country Office, and Principal Investigators Snaebjorn Gunnsteinsson (University of Maryland) and Prudenciano Gordoncillo (University of the Philippines – Los Baños).

The position will be based in Naga City and requires travel to other provinces where the baseline will be implemented.

Responsibilities:

• Pilotingand refining the baseline questionnaire covering topics on agricultural production, land tenure, and household finance; managing translation into local languages
• Hiring, training, and managing survey enumerators
• Overseeing daily data collection activities and ensuring adherence to data quality protocols, including data quality audits and spotchecks\Regularly processing, cleaning, and analyzing data collected through computer-assisted interviews
• Liaising with the partner organization (the Department of Agrarian Reform) and other local counterparts as necessary

Qualifications:

• Excellent management and organizational skills along with strong quantitative skills;
• Flexible, self-motivating, able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, and a team player
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with partner organizations
• Experience running a large-scale survey and managing the survey implementation is preferred, but not required
• Experience with Computer-Assisted Interviewing is preferred, but not required
• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in economics, business management, social sciences, public policy, political science or related fields
• Demonstrated proficiency in Stata and/or experience with data management and data cleaning
• Experience with quantitative research, particularly with randomized controlled trials.
• Must have legal permissions to work in country
• Fluency and excellent communication skills in Tagalog and English.

Application Instructions:

Please follow the application instructions below.  Any applications or CVs submitted outside this process will not be considered.  Note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview. Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Complete the J-PAL/IPA common application. Please select the position(s) you are interested in applying for on the 'Submit Application' page. Include two letters of recommendation, statement of purpose (cover letter), CV, and transcripts. We will consider your application even if you are unable to obtain reference letters before the deadline, but please be advised that we will be requiring them should you be invited for an interview.

IPA is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer.

 All persons shall have the opportunity to be considered for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, alienage or citizenship status, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the Research Associate.  The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org.