Research, Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) Officer

Organizational Context

Iraq, an upper-middle-income country, is gradually improving economically but faces persistent food insecurity, particularly among displaced populations and rural communities. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Iraq supports the government's efforts towards the 2030 Agenda, shifting from direct implementation to enabling national programs. WFP Iraq operates in a complex environment marked by conflict, displacement, climate challenges, and economic instability, focusing on resilience and sustainable development to address vulnerabilities.

Job Purpose

The Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) Officer will play a crucial role in supporting WFP Iraq's Country Strategic Plan, which emphasizes resilience and sustainable development. This position is vital for underpinning the strategy by providing timely and credible data to guide WFP operations. The RAM Officer will contribute to programme design, targeting, and performance monitoring through robust data collection, analysis, and visualization. The role also involves supporting food security assessments, market monitoring, and vulnerability mapping to ensure WFP's interventions are responsive and effective in breaking cycles of vulnerability and building long-term resilience in Iraq.

Responsibilities

The Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) Officer will support the design and implementation of assessments, targeting, and thematic studies across WFP Iraq's program portfolio, ensuring effective data collection, validation, and use. This includes coordinating with field offices, government stakeholders, and partners for quality data and contextualized analysis. The role involves compiling, quality-assuring, and disseminating assessment results to inform programme management, strategic decisions, donor reporting, and advocacy. The officer will provide technical analytical support for Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM), baseline surveys, and other evidence-generation activities, ensuring alignment with WFP standards and national priorities. Advanced methodological refinement for integrated climate and resilience analysis, including vulnerability assessments and market systems evaluations, will be a key duty. Utilizing statistical and geospatial tools to evaluate environmental degradation, livelihood vulnerabilities, and socio-economic impacts of shocks is expected. The officer will lead geospatial mapping and data visualization efforts, support the development of targeting methodologies for social protection programs, and strengthen national capacities by building sustainable monitoring frameworks. Additionally, the role involves supporting an integrated national monitoring system for real-time data collection and shock-responsive programming, conducting structured food security analysis, managing food security monitoring systems, and providing guidance for designing and conducting analyses for food security surveys and key indicators.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience is required, including 1 year of professional/supervisory experience. This should include experience in designing assessments and surveys, statistical analysis, econometrics, or data management/visualization, preferably within a UN agency or a recognized analytical institution. Proficiency in data collection, processing, analysis, and visualization tools such as ODK, SPSS, Stata, ArcGIS/QGIS, and Tableau is essential. Advanced quantitative analysis skills, including sampling techniques and regression modeling, are also required.

Skills

Key competencies include accountability, adaptability, flexibility, creativity, judgment and decision-making, planning and organizing, professionalism, and self-management. Expertise in development programs, economics, and finance is also noted. Strong written and verbal communication, strategic thinking, analytical capabilities, problem-solving initiative, and excellent interpersonal skills for collaborative work are essential.

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