IRC Supervisor: Mikaela Cochran, Advisor, Best Use of Resources

CIDER Faculty Supervisors: Chris Barrett, Jenny Aker

Anticipated Duration: Fall term (August 26 – December 9, 2024)

Application Materials: Send to CIDER@cornell.edu (i) a resume, (ii) academic transcript(s), and (iii) a statement of interest (not to exceed two pages)

Deadline: June 10, 2024

Team:

IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization. Within Airbel, the Best Use of Resources team provides analysis and decision-making support to improve the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IRC programs.

Role:

The IRC has led the way in producing cost evidence in the humanitarian sector using a standardized methodology to assess the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of humanitarian and development programs. Growing interest in cost evidence is increasing demand for these analyses throughout the humanitarian response sector. However, this data is most informative when we have a pool of comparable data points, allowing us to understand which interventions are more cost-efficient and cost-effective than others.

The Costing Analysis Evidence Mapping Intern will produce evidence gap maps compiling this pool of data on existing cost data. Examples of evidence gap maps can be found on websites for 3ie and Campbell. Up to three interns will be selected for this internship. They will each be assigned to produce an evidence gap map around one of the following thematic areas as it relates to costs, costing, cost-efficiency, and cost-effectiveness humanitarian contexts:

• Seed security
• Nutrition
• Maternal and newborn health

If any intern reaches the limit of pre-existing data in the sector, they will be asked to move onto beginning a new evidence gap map for one of the following secondary thematic areas: economic livelihoods, protection, or education, in humanitarian contexts. Interns will be expected to collaborate on ensuring that their literature review approaches are consistent and systematic, and produced in a similar deliverable format of an excel file with pre-determined categories by the IRC oversight, along with a 3-5 page write-up of the main findings.

The interns will be working alongside and meet weekly with a Best Use of Resources Advisor, who will provide guidance on the deliverable work. The interns will also receive an orientation for the IRC’s Evidence 2 Action (E2A) team on methodology, standards, and expectation setting for producing evidence gap maps. The E2A team supports the IRC in the gathering and use of evidence to make programmatic and strategic decisions. We identify, gather, and assess the best available research evidence, and clarify knowns and unknowns. This work informs IRC research and programming investments, improving program quality, guiding implementation decisions, and informing policy priorities. This internship will provide a unique opportunity to gain valuable exposure to the humanitarian and international development sector, by one of the leading cost analysis NGOs.

Remuneration:

Each intern will be provided a one-time stipend of $1,600 at the beginning of the semester, in compensation for at least 60 hours of time.

Deliverables:

• Evidence gap map excel file for each thematic area.
• 3-5 page write-up of key findings for each thematic area. This write-up will be posted to our IRC costing website for wider access by the humanitarian response costing community.

No travel will be involved for this position. All engagement will take place remotely via weekly Microsoft Teams calls and email.

Desired Skills:

• Knowledge of thematic area covered in evidence mapping.
• Previous experience conducting literature reviews and secondary research.
• Strong communication skills and ability to synthesize technical information into straightforward and clear language for non-technical audiences.
• Attentiveness to detail.
• Interest in humanitarian aid and international development.
• Language proficiency skills in English required. Preferred language proficiency in French.
• Graduate students preferred. Undergraduate juniors and seniors will be considered.