Junior Research Fellow Business & Fragility in the Horn of Africa

The Clingendael Institute is a leading think-tank and diplomatic academy in the field of international relations. The research and training programmes of the Institute focus on international security, conflict, European affairs, diplomatic studies, and international energy issues. Clients of the Institute are ministries of foreign affairs, defence, development cooperation, economic affairs and justice, as well as international organisations, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

The Clingendael Conflict Research Unit has a vacancy per 1 June 2024 for a:

Junior Research Fellow Business & Fragility in the Horn of Africa

for 36 hours per week (full time)

Background

The Conflict Research Unit (CRU) is a specialised team within the Clingendael Institute, conducting applied, policy-oriented research and developing practical tools that assist national and multilateral governmental and non-governmental organisations in strengthening their engagement in fragile and conflict-affected situations. Taking an integrated analysis of conflict dynamics and the broader political economy as the starting point, the Unit’s research activities cover the full programme cycle: from conflict and context analysis, to programme design, monitoring and adjustment,  evaluation and the measuring of results. Clients include the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Embassies, as well as other bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g. the UK, Norway, Germany, UN, OECD-DAC, World Bank Group, African Development Bank, European Commission). A small but growing portion of CRU’s portfolio of work includes advice to private sector actors.

CRU’s Business & Peace section studies private sector development and business engagement in contexts emerging from, or prone to, violent conflict. Given the predominance of informal networks, irregular migration flows, and informal markets in fragile contexts, particular attention is given to how informal economies interact with governance, development and conflict patterns. The program aims to drive the development of evidence-based research to inform policies and intervention strategies that maximise the favourable impact economic development can have on peace- and statebuilding. This includes addressing the role that (illicit) business may play in conflict dynamics, for example by funding conflict and/or weakening the state from within through ties between (illicit) economic actors and political elites.

CRU’s Horn of Africa work focusses on a key shared characteristic determining states’ vulnerability and resilience in the face of violent conflict: the formal politics of boundaries, state sovereignty, formal institutions and budgets coexist with the oftentimes more influential informal bargaining over resources and power, which shape stability and development, or the lack thereof, in the region. This research programme focuses on how and under what conditions informality – and specifically informal economies – actually thwart or promote the consolidation of stable and inclusive societies, and to what extent international efforts in the region contribute to this dynamic.

Purpose of the position

CRU is currently looking for a talented, highly motivated junior research fellow to support research activities under the Business & Peace and Horn of Africa lines of work, with a specific focus on the political economy of private sector development, informal economies, fragile contexts and the links between business and inclusive governance. To this effect the ideal candidate should combine two fields of expertise.

1. Familiarity with the development challenges pertaining to political crisis, economic hardship and the changing nature of violent conflict, including an awareness of current international policy responses to those challenges.
2. Demonstrable knowledge of private sector development, preferably with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected environments, including awareness of prevailing donor approaches and/or business strategies in the realm of sustainable economic development.

Ideal candidates will also have practical working experience in applying the above knowledge areas to enhance the favourable role economic actors can have on broader peace- and statebuilding processes.

The junior research fellow would work in close consultation with (senior) research fellows from the Horn of Africa programme. He/she would furthermore be expected to actively engage with other colleagues within the programme and the wider CRU team.

Job description

Relevant tasks are:

• Conduct evidence-based, policy relevant research, including:
  • Desk research.
  • Data collection and analysis of quantitative data (survey data, macro-economic data, investors data) and qualitative data (using interviews and focus groups, scholarly research, grey literature, policy documentation and media), to support the writing of reports and briefs with a focus on policy advice and recommendations for improved implementation for practitioners;
  • Supporting and/or joining field visits for evaluations and assessments, as well as scoping missions to identify policy options;
  • Contribute to political economy analysis based research products, including actor/network mappings and power analyses within a particular economic sector or value chain, programme assessment/evaluation.
  • Creating visual output, such as PowerPoint presentations, infographics, visual maps and data dashboards that translate research findings into an attractive and easily digestible format;
• Assisting in developing and writing research proposals;
• Following debates on thematic and institutional developments in relevant geographical and thematic areas.
• Engage in regular exchange with other team members to test and elaborate on research ideas and findings.

Qualifications and experience

We would be interested if the following requirements are met:

• An MA. degree in social science, political science, development economics or related degrees, plus up to three years of relevant working experience (of which preferably some years were spent in fragile or developing countries; this does not have to be research work);
• Familiarity with the current international peace- and statebuilding agenda, donor approaches to promote private sector development and the dynamics of informal economies;
• Familiarity with the politics and/or economies of the Horn of Africa (e.g. Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan);
• Experience of working for/with the private sector in emerging markets or fragile settings is considered an asset, as is experience in socially responsible investing in fragile settings;
• Capable of reading, writing and presenting in English fluently; additional relevant languages considered an asset;
• Experience in working with quantitative data and conducting analysis of quantitative data (using Excel or R); experience with programming in R or Python is considered an asset;
• Experience in the visualization of research findings: infographics and other formats (using tools such as PowerPoint or Tableau).

Salary

The salary depends on the level of education and working experience, guideline is scale 8/9 CAO Rijk based on a 36-hour working week. The contract is initially valid for a period of one year with the option for renewal.

Interested?

You can apply via the ‘Apply-now button at the top of this vacancy. Deadline for response is 25 April 2024.