MDI Impact Expert/Analyst

Job ID		str-lon-503
Department		Strategy and Development
Location		London
Description  GSMA – MDI Impact Expert Role • Input and support into the MDI research agenda. • Work across M4D programme teams, alongside Wireless Intelligence analyst team, and with the Government and Regulatory Affairs team to leverage their experience and understand the full breadth of exiting impact research and existing data set that could be leveraged for future impact research. • Work with MDI Senior Manager to lead the development of Impact Pathways in areas such a Mobile Agriculture, and Community Services from Mobile. (Existing Impact Pathways in the areas of mHealth, Mobile Money for the Unbanked, and Mobile and Women can be downloaded from the MDI site). • Create reports, case studies, and analytical articles based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis within assigned M4D topic areas. • Landscape and create an assessment of the various donor agency’s monitoring guidelines and evaluation tool specific to mobile services, create manual and recommendations. • Work with data collection team to landscape the existing guidelines that currently exist for mobile operators to report on triple bottom line objectives in their annual reporting. • Present to the wider GSMA, provide training through webinars, and speak at conferences and other public events about the MDI programme and specific research areas. • Travel to visit MDI stakeholders to present as well as assess needs for future research agenda, site visits to M4D service provides to research case studies. • Share management responsibilities for external research grants with MDI team. • Actively feed into the impact news feed on the MDI platform. • Planning and supporting MDI hosted events, including logistics, marketing, agenda, and budget.
Context  GSMA – Mobile for Development (M4D) Today mobile phones are the most popular and widespread personal technology on the planet, with global connections estimated to reach 6 billion in 2012. In the developing world, mobile phones have revolutionised telecommunications and leapt from market penetration rates of nearly nothing to 62%, with 20% growth in the African market just between the years 2009 - 2011. Most importantly, a significant proportion of these mobile connections are believed to be in the hands of low-income users. For example, over 40% of people living on low-incomes in Africa have access to a mobile phone. As the one technology that is becoming widely accessible to all populations, including those at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP), there has been increased focus on the invaluable role mobile technology can play in improving social, economic and environmental development in emerging markets. As the remaining unconnected populations get access to mobile technology and the capabilities it provides, the lives of these populations will fundamentally shift. The simple increase in access to information at a faster pace, from new sources, will influence everything. Affordable mobile phones and the opportunities they usher in for the poor will be one of the most dramatic game-changing technologies the world has ever seen. Industry growth will happen with or without our intervention; the role of MDI will be to educate all those interested in harnessing the power of mobile for good. Issues & Objectives We have identified four macro issues that need to be addressed in order to increase total investment and activity in the mobile and development sectors and in parallel improve product/project success rates. If solved, there will be an amplification of the social, economic and environmental benefits that MFD products and projects are built to deliver. These barriers are:  Lack of Data for Business Cases, Product Strategies and Programmes  Limited Visibility of MFD Organisations and Community  Limited Understanding of the Impact of Mobile on Development  Fragmentation of Platforms and Limited Cross Sector Convergence As our objective is to accelerate the rate at which the private sector, donors and investors allocate funds to mobile and development innovations, we are building a robust, data rich, user friendly and freely available portal that provides a new level of visibility into the landscape of players. Through MDI, GSMA is creating the resources and tools needed to influence the sector and put a spotlight on the myriad opportunities that exist to bring valuable services to vulnerable populations throughout the world. All of this will lead to an increase in the mobile industry’s ability to have long term meaningful impact on the lives of the underserved. By increasing the level of investment and the number of products and services offered that prove to be fundamentally valuable to poor populations, MDI will have an indirect impact on the livelihoods of millions of people in the developing world. By providing a platform that highlights successful models, MDI will accelerate the rate at which these solutions are able to reach and benefit even more people. There are very few instances where commercial sustainability, consumer demand, and positive social and environmental impact are so strongly aligned. www.mobiledevelopmentintelligence.com
Criteria  Criteria for Selection • Proven ability to implement strategies for a highly complex programme, spanning international, political and technological work streams • Experience of working in the mobile telecoms or development industry is desirable • Experience of working on programmes based in developing markets is desirable • Excellent and demonstrable analytical/data and modelling skills • Experience of impact modelling/working with socio-economic forecasts a plus • Demonstrated experience with knowledge management and diffusion of knowledge, new approaches, and tools • Work experience in areas such as programmatic monitoring and evaluation (M&E), operations or applied research, and/or capacity building in M&E within a developing country context • Strong communication & presentation skills, with experience presenting to middle or senior management • Excellent relationship management skills at an executive level • A self-starter; highly motivated with experience in driving projects through from inception to completion • Broad understanding of mobile industry and trends • Highly consultative with a demonstrable ability to translate customer problems/requirements into team led research and analysis projects
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