Participatory Research Coordinator
ESCR-Net – International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) is seeking a Participatory Research Coordinator.
ESCR-Net connects over 280 NGOs, social movements and advocates across 75 countries to build a global movement to make human rights and social justice a reality for all. Through ESCR-Net, members exchange information, build solidarity across regions, develop new tools and strategies, and advance collective actions to secure economic, social and environmental justice through the human rights framework, with a special focus on economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR). The member-led, collective work of ESCR-Net is guided by core principles of gender and regional balance in leadership and participation, intersectional analysis, and centrality of grassroots groups and social movements.
For a complete overview of ESCR-Net’s work, please visit our website at www.escr-net.org.
PRIMARY ROLE
ESCR-Net is looking for a new member of our program team, with primary responsibility for coordinating the Monitoring Working Group and for advancing participatory, qualitative research to build a strong evidence base for advocacy and campaigning. The Monitoring Working Group (MWG) has played an important role in critiquing the current data and knowledge production system which tends to sideline the perspectives of communities and marginalized groups in favor of powerful actors such as states and corporations. The MWG will continue to challenge dominant narratives about ‘whose data counts’, while strengthening the ability of Network members to gather and use data that reflects an intersectional feminist analysis and amplifies the perspectives of grassroots groups and social movements affected by ESCR violations.
The Participatory Research Coordinator will work with members of the Monitoring Working Group to facilitate and promote high-quality research, primarily through the Community-Led Research (CLR) initiative, which seeks to strengthen social movements, Indigenous Peoples organizations, and grassroots groups’ ability to gather data and evidence that support organizing, advocacy and campaigning. The current iteration of the initiative (2023-24) explores losses and damages resulting from climate change. The Coordinator will also facilitate spaces for mutual learning and exchanges on relevant research approaches and engagement with relevant human rights monitoring bodies at international and regional levels to strengthen the credibility of community-data in line with the Collective Position on Data and ESCR. The Coordinator will also work with relevant Secretariat colleagues and members to co-develop and conduct qualitative research on key ESCR issues, drawing mainly from the analysis and perspectives of members (particularly social movements) to produce high-quality evidence that can be used in collective advocacy and campaigning.
The Participatory Research Coordinator will be part of the Program Team and will report to the Program Director.
Key responsibilities:
● Coordinate the Monitoring Working Group, facilitate member-led planning of collective work in line with ESCR-Net core principles, hold regular WG calls and manage members’ mailing lists and information sharing;
● Coordinate and further develop ESCR-Net’s Community-led Research initiative. Together with the Advisory Group of members, the Coordinator will support social movements and grassroots groups in: designing effective research plans and budgets, developing community-adequate research tools, implementing research activities, analyzing data and developing research outputs, particularly aggregating collective findings emerging from the research, and working with members and colleagues to integrate these findings into advocacy or campaigning actions;
● Facilitate members’ mutual learning on relevant research approaches or methodologies, through online or in person exchange and the co-development of written materials aimed at promoting participation and leadership of affected communities in data collection processes;
● Facilitate members’ engagement with relevant human rights monitoring bodies at international or regional levels to strengthen the quality, accessibility and disaggregation of data produced by states and the credibility of community-led data, in line with ESCR-Net’s Collective Position on Data and ESCR;
● Work with relevant colleagues and members to support and carry out qualitative research on key issues, for instance, related to economic policy, corporate accountability, environmental justice and the care economy, giving centrality to the perspectives of social movements and grassroots groups;
● Ensure accuracy, relevance and high quality of the evidence gathered as part of collective research processes and the application of an intersectional feminist lens, in line with our core principles and with our Collective Position on Data and ESCR;
● Build and maintain relationships with relevant research institutions, external researchers or consultants who can support collective research and members’ own research, helping to assess the credibility and limits of external research studies and resources;
● Together with colleagues and members, co-develop research outputs to be used in a range of advocacy spaces and targeting relevant institutions at regional and global levels, including UN bodies, IFIs, etc.; and
● Help to guide staff and members to credible quantitative and (hard) scientific research, understanding the strengths and limits of certain research, and facilitating connections to members and allies with complementary research skills (i.e. following the money, gathering environmental data, etc.).
● Travel internationally in connection with the Working Group projects and activities, and represent ESCR-Net’s work, mission and principles in a range of forums;
● Support fundraising activities, including drafting or reviewing proposals and reports and engaging with project funders, in collaboration with the secretariat’s development team;
● Contribute to the effective work of the program and wider secretariat team, including via periodic facilitation of program or staff meetings, peer review of documents, input into policies and processes, and/or support for staff transitions;
● Perform necessary budgetary, administrative and logistical tasks in collaboration with the Secretariat’s finance and logistics team; and
● Recruit, orient and manage interns, consultants, and potentially junior staff as relevant.
Qualifications:
Required:
● At least six years of relevant research experience OR a Bachelor degree (or higher qualification) in social sciences, anthropology, political science or related field with at least four years of relevant research experience;
● Experience designing and implementing community-level, action-oriented research processes within limited resources and timeframes, to support movement building, advocacy or campaigning;
● Experience using a range of qualitative research methods, including interviews, group discussions, visual and story-telling based methodologies;
● Strong understanding of participatory, non-extractive, feminist and care-focused approaches to research that center on the lived experiences of communities facing injustice and impoverishment;
● Strong political judgment and ability to navigate unbalanced power dynamics, especially in the context of research processes, attentive to overlapping issues of exploitation and oppression;
● Experience assessing and mitigating research-related risks, ensuring adequate informed consent, and maintaining data security, particularly at a community level;
● Strong knowledge of international human rights law;
● Experience facilitating collective processes or coalitions and working closely with social movements, Indigenous Peoples’ groups, human rights or environmental justice organizations, academic institutions and other actors;
● Excellent written skills and ability to digest and turn large amounts of information into effective policy-advocacy materials. Track record of integrating research findings into strategic communications, advocacy, and/or campaigning with resisting communities;
● Fluency in oral and written English;
● Ability to work independently with little supervision and collaborate with colleagues and members across multiple time zones; and
● Ability to travel internationally as required.
Desirable:
● Experience facilitating participatory action research (PAR) processes at community level;
● Experience using mixed methods in research, including by working with external investigators/researchers to integrate relevant quantitative or scientific (e.g. environmental, financial) data;
● Experience documenting and analyzing human rights violations and abuses; and
● Proficiency in Spanish, Arabic or French (ESCR-Net’s working languages)
Compensation and Location
This position is a full-time, exempt position with benefits, including medical coverage and paid leave.
Starting salary will be discussed during first interviews, as it is calculated using a cost-of-living index. The primary location of the ESCR-Net secretariat is in New York City, however this position is open to candidates from any region who are willing to work remotely.
Start Date
As soon as possible, no later than mid-January 2024.
Inclusive Hiring and Workplace
ESCR-Net is committed to inclusive hiring practices and strives for a secretariat staff that represents the diversity of its members. ESCR-Net is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, persons with disabilities and people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex communities.
Applicants shall not be discriminated against on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, ethnicity, gender identity, medical condition (cancer-related), the conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS Related Conditions or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified persons with disabilities may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.
To Apply
Please send a curriculum vitae, a letter of interest and contact information for 3 references to ESCR-Net by email to [email protected] with a subject line that includes, “Research Coordinator application” followed by your initials, by 20th November. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.