Senior Research and Policy Associate at IPA Rwanda

Innovations for Poverty-Action (IPA)

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Research and Policy Associate

Division/Department: Education Embedded Evidence Lab

Work Location: Kigali

Length of contract: 1 year renewable

Reports to: Associate Policy Manager 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is an international research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA has been engaging with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education and Rwanda Education Board since 2013, a collaborative partnership underpinned by a Memorandum of Understanding. Through that collaboration, we are seeking a highly motivated Senior Research and Policy Associate under the embedded lab.

The Embedded Evidence Lab is housed within MINEDUC/NESA and REB and jointly supported by IPA Rwanda and Georgetown University. This Lab draws on, and catalyzes investments in, the increasingly rich array of administrative datasets available within Rwanda's education system. It aims to support the development of data infrastructure, as well as capacity for both analysis and data-driven policymaking within MINEDUC and its affiliated agencies. As part of this initiative, IPA is supporting the placement of embedded staff in the Rwanda Education Board (REB) to provide technical assistance to the Rwanda Basic Education Board on the implementation of centralized teacher recruitment and data& systems.

• Support REB on strategic implementation plan for centralized teacher deployment in Rwanda by adopting computer-based teacher deployment system.
• Support REB and the Ministry of Education to fully operationalize TMIS and provide technical support to the users at all levels
• Oversee all aspects of the research study, including IRB, timeline, partner relationships, recruitment, and management of field staff.
• Manage project data from collection point to cleaning using STATA.
• Undertaking necessary desk-based reviews of relevant literature and policy partnership management
• Working with Ministry of Education and REB to help identify other evidence best practices that IPA could support
• Facilitation of workshops and key stakeholder engagement to support the development and effective use of enhanced software.
• Organize and coordinate the research dissemination events with the Ministry of Education and other key stakeholders, including local academicians
• Undertaking necessary desk-based reviews of relevant literature and policy partnership management and play a role of IPA contact person for Education Technical Working Groups.
• Conduct data mapping exercise and identify the relevant research questions based on government policy priorities.
• Manage the project budget and handle different requests from the projects in line with budget.
• Ensure project adherence to pre-set budgets by creating field budgets and tracking field expenses.
• Write regular project reports, both narrative and financial, as necessary and whenever requested.
• Organize and Facilitate workshops and key stakeholder engagement to support the evidence use for policy decisions.
• Plan and implement capacity assessment for the enhanced training & coaching activities to the ministry staff to own and drive data for policy planning and implementation.
• Organizing and coordinating cross-country evidence lab learning exchange and other events of the Rwanda evidence lab.
• Other duties assigned by the supervisor

PLEASE APPLY BY SUBMITTING YOUR CV AND ACADEMIC CERTIFICATES. COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION AT THIS LINK: https://poverty-action.formstack.com/forms/iparw_senior_research_and_policy_associate_job_application_may_2025

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