Work at DDD

Digital Divide Data (DDD) is an international, BPO company that builds bridges to opportunity in the global economy. DDD was founded with the idea that the world's youth can produce their own solutions to socioeconomic challenges in the new global economy if they have access to the knowledge, skills, and opportunities that power economic growth and lasting change around the world.

Current job opportunities at DDD in:

Cambodia

• There are currently no open positions.

Kenya

• Financial Diaries Job Description: Data Analyst, Nairobi
• Data Management Operators, Nairobi

Laos

• There are currently no open positions.

Financial Diaries Job Description: Data Analyst, Nairobi

In February 2012, Bankable Frontier Associates (BFA) and Digital Divide Data (DDD) plan to begin a large-scale financial diaries project in Kenya to uncover deep insights into the financial behaviours of the poor in Kenya. BFA is simultaneously leading financial diaries research in five other countries (South Africa, India, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States), providing a strong platform for comparison and cross-country learning.

The financial diaries approach is an innovative research method geared to capture fine-grained, continuous cash flow data from poor households for the purposes of understanding how they manage their money. This research tool was the data engine for the insights provided in Portfolios of the Poor. In practical terms, it involves conducting one-on-one interviews with participants every two weeks for a period of about 12 months. The data collected in Kenya will be used for multiple purposes:

• 1. To publicly introduce robust data and analysis on how poor Kenyans more generally manage their money, cope with risks and shocks;
• 2. To understand household transaction patterns in the context of a shifting payments landscape; and
• 3. To provide a BFA-partner bank with real time feedback on how one of their savings products is being used and how it fits into the changing financial portfolios of their clients;

DDD and BFA seek an exceptional data analyst based in Nairobi to join the research team. The ideal candidate should bring a strong attention to detail, suitable academic training in quantitative analysis and data management, good writing skills, and a commitment to the value of rigorous research.

The data analyst will support and collaborate with the research team of the Kenya Financial Diaries project by closely reviewing data collected in-field, cleaning and organizing datasets, conducting relevant analyses, and preparing data for presentations and written publications. This person will be based in the offices of DDD in Nairobi. BFA and DDD will provide additional training and guidance to the data analyst over the course of the project.

Research Method

Financial Diaries are geared towards understanding how poor households manage their cash flows at a fine-grained level. Because many of these cash flows are small by nature, they require a very sensitive instrument to capture them, which is described in Diagram 1 (attached).

Following recruitment, households are taken through three "initial questionnaires" that collect information for the first diary questionnaire. The responses from the first diary questionnaire are used to create the next questionnaire, which then gets continually updated and produced as the households are seen from fortnight to fortnight. As new financial instruments, new jobs, new people and other changes happen, "change" questionnaires are used to update the on-going diary questionnaire. This process therefore generates a complete set of daily cash flow over the time period studied. ( To give a sense of how much data this is, a household with two adults and two children and an average number of financial instruments would have about 200 time series observations of cash flow data.)

Roughly 35 different reports have been created to track the data and provide analytical insights-live-as the interviews happen, providing continuous feedback for follow-up with the households. This database was developed and used for the original 180 household 2004 South African Financial Diaries, as well as a revisit to the same sample of households in 2009. The same database was re-purposed for two separate sets of small business Financial Diaries in 2009 and 2010, each with a 20 household sample. BFA is in the process of developing a modified, more user friendly version of this database, which will be in place to support data collection for this project.

Diagram 1: High Level View of the Financial Diaries Process (please see attached)

FSD Financial Diaries Job Diagram

All data in this project will be collected on tablet computers and uploaded to a central database daily. This data needs to be reviewed for accuracy and analysed on an ongoing basis.

Scope of Work for Data Analyst

The data analyst will:

• - Perform weekly checks on household financial data within a specially built database application.
• - Correct discrepancies in the data and perform quarterly and as-needed data validations in collaboration with investigators and field researchers.
• - Write and run queries within the database application to pull data for analysis.
• - Contribute to white papers, issue briefs, and other written publications and public presentations.
• - Contribute to the production of research instruments within the database application.
• - Maintain the database application as needed and ensure fieldworkers are using the latest versions of all software.
• - Conduct general, complementary research activities as needed.
• - Masters degree in statistics, finance, economics or related field;
• - Experience with STATA data analysis and statistical software is required, and experience with Access and SQL is a strong advantage;
• - Experience managing large and complex datasets (time series dataset management and analysis experience strongly preferred);
• - Experience presenting data in the forms of tables and charts in order to make analytical arguments;
• - Strong quantitative analysis skills;
• - Strong writing abilities in English;
• - Strong work ethic and proactive attitude in pointing out challenges and asking questions; and
• - Ability to collaborate with a team and also work independently.

Requirements

Duration: Full time from February 2012 through October 2013

More Information:
Questions, CVs and cover letters should be directed to Julie Zollmann (jzollmann@bankablefrontier.com). Please send any examples of your quantitative analytic research papers as well.

Data Management Operators to work in our Business Process Outsourcing facility located at Paramount Plaza - Globe Cinema roundabout - Nairobi.

Operators will work 6 hours per day, 6 days a week. The company believes that education is the path to a better career and more prosperous life; therefore after six months all employees are eligible for loans and bursaries for post-secondary education and training.

Requirements:

• - Kenya citizen or legal authority to work in Kenya
• - Age 18-24 years
• - KCSE with minimum of C- in Maths or B- in English (school leaving certificate and result slip a must)
• - Typing speed: 30 words per minute
• - Proficiency in computer packages like Word, Excel and Google search

Collect application form and return with all required documents to:

• - Chief's Camp - Mathare
• - Chief's Camp - Kariobangi
• - Jamii Bora - Mathare branch.
• - SIDAREC - Nacico Plaza

The application form is also available here. Applications should be sent to: kenya_jobs@digitaldividedata.com

There is no fee for the application form or for returning your application or taking any tests.