PLAY Enumerator/Researcher

Job Description

Job Description: Street Child (Sierra Leone) 

Job Title: PLAY Enumerator/Researcher (10 positions available) 

Reporting to: PLAY Research Analyst 

Hours: 37.5 Hours per week 

Location: Multiple locations in Bombali, Karene, Koinadugu and Falaba Time Frame: 16-month contract (April 2024 – July 2025) 

Background: 

Street Child believes that every child deserves the chance to go to school and learn. Our projects focus  on a combination of education, child protection and livelihood support to address the social, economic  and structural issues that underpin today’s education crisis. We partner with local organizations and  communities to deliver our locally rooted programmes, using evidence to drive learning and the  refinement and scale up of programmes to create maximum impact for the most children at the lowest  cost. We pride ourselves on being willing to go to the world’s toughest places where others won’t,  including remote, hard-to-reach areas and fragile, disaster-affected states across sub-Saharan Africa  and South Asia. Since 2008 we have helped over 1,000,000 children to go to school and learn. 

Overview: 

This unique and vital role is an educational research position measuring the quality of child-centred  pedagogies, mainly through play and their contribution to holistic outcomes for children in 62 schools in the Northern province. This programme, Playful Learning Across the Years (PLAY 2.0), is funded by  the LEGO foundation, and is focusing research in a number of countries across Asia and Africa. The  toolkit consists of observation and survey tools for children from birth to 12-years-old and can be  applied across diverse learning settings and contexts. 

This role comprises of a number of data collection cycles, and each enumerator/researcher will be  responsible for the data collection and verification of information from 5-7 schools depending on the  number of classrooms and location of the schools. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Preparation for Data Collection 

• Attend the virtual and in-person training sessions to be organized prior to the Pilot Study  to understand the PLAY 2.0 objectives, methodology, and data collection tools in-depth  as well as on Street Child safeguarding conducted by Street Child, EDC and RTI. 
• Familiarize oneself with the data collection tools, guidelines, and any other relevant  documents provided. 
• Attend any subsequent training sessions. 

Data Collection 

• Conduct visits to all the schools within the given locality. 
• Follow sampling instructions and research methods provided by the study team.
•  Visit classrooms in designated programme areas to observe teacher-student engagement  and record responses in observation tool and mobile platform. 
• Use observation manual to code observations 
• Conduct interviews with teachers and students with survey tools for further analysis
•  Utilize digital tools (Tablets) for data collection including Street Child Field Safety Gears  and ensure their safe and responsible use. 
• Submit collected data in a timely and organized manner as per the stipulated format.
•  Address any discrepancies or inconsistencies in the data before submission.
•  Participate in regular debriefing sessions and provide feedback on challenges faced or  suggestions for improving the data collection process. 

Ethical Conduct 

• Adhere to ethical guidelines set by Street Child for data collection, especially when  interacting with minors and other vulnerable groups. 
• Ensure that all data collected is genuine, accurate, and free from personal bias.
•  Obtain necessary permissions and consents before collecting data or conducting  interviews. 
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents and the information they provide.
•  Understand and adhere strictly to Street Child’s Safeguarding Policy. 
• Report any safeguarding concerns or incidents observed during the mapping exercise to  the designated authority. 

Coordination 

• Coordinate with the Research Analyst, Field-based Programme Manager and the Street  Child team to ensure the data collection’s smooth flow. 
• Update the Research Analyst on the progress regularly and highlight any challenges or  issues faced during data collection. 
• Address minor challenges on the field autonomously, and seek guidance from the  Research Analyst for major concerns. 

Person Specification: 

Essential 

• Educated to degree level or higher 
• Experience in the collection of research/data collection 
• Experience and interest in the education sector  
• License and experience riding a motorcycle in tough terrain 
• Excellent communication in English and Krio 
• Experience using tablet devices to collect data 
• Experience working in the Northern province  

Desirable 

• Experience in education and research programmes 
• Experience with CommCare 
• Local language skills – Temne, Fula, Susu, Loko (Southwestern Mande), Kuranko, Mandinka

Street Child’s commitment to Safeguarding  

Street Child is committed to the safeguarding and protection of the communities we serve,  our partners, our volunteers, and our staff. As part of this commitment to safeguarding, all  offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background  checks, including a Criminal Records check. Street Child also participates in the Inter Agency  Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job  applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or  sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant  left employment.  

To apply:  

Street Child welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race,  sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. 

Please submit your CV and a covering note explaining why you think you could make an  extraordinary impact in this role to info@streetchildsl.org by Sunday 10 March 2024. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and so interested candidates are encouraged  to apply early.