Project: The world is increasingly complex. Conflicts are lasting longer, involving a wider range of actors, and are increasingly fought with disregard for International Humanitarian Law. Climate change is a critical threat multiplier, contributing to resource shortages and more erratic and extreme weather patterns. Economic downturns have become front and center of humanitarian crises, driving needs in new settings. The Global Crisis Analysis (GCA) team supports the International Rescue Committee navigate this complexity and uncertainty by providing actionable analysis of the drivers and impacts of humanitarian crises.
Sitting within both the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit and the Global Policy and Solutions team, the GCA supports IRC leaders to make effective, timely decisions in even the most complex circumstances, including as they advocate to external policymakers and stakeholders. Each year, the GCA also produces the IRC’s flagship Emergency Watchlist report, detailing the countries we believe are at greatest risk of a major deterioration in the humanitarian situation over the coming year.
Role: The Crisis Analysis Fellow will be a core member of the GCA, contributing to a range of high-profile internal and external reports. The fellow will work on briefings for senior leaders and support updates to the methodology for the annual Emergency Watchlist as well as regular short- and long-form thematic reports. The fellow will have opportunities to learn about the humanitarian sector through exposure to a wide range of colleagues across the IRC, since much of their work will involve learning from – and close collaboration with – colleagues in different parts of the world. The fellow will also gain practical experience applying qualitative and quantitative analysis skillsets within the humanitarian sector, as well as experience presenting such analysis to senior internal and external audiences.
Potential deliverables:
- Emergency Watchlist
- Support Global Crisis Analyst and Crisis Data Analyst on review of Emergency Watchlist methodology.
- Support GCA, especially the Global Crisis Analyst, with collecting data and writing the global and country sections of the annual Watchlist.
- Thematic analysis:
- Support the Global Crisis Analyst in regular thematic reports concerning conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil
- Support with drafting and collecting data for regular thematic sections of the Global Crisis Outlook.
- Consult colleagues across the IRC and external speakers on matters related to thematic deliverables.
- Engage with and provide data to GCA’s Geospatial Analyst to produce maps in relation to thematic analysis.
- Briefing senior and GCA colleagues
- Draft brief analyses of drivers and impacts of humanitarian crises for internal and external audiences.
- Monitor internal/external sources to identify new developments of concern and brief Global Crisis Analyst
Potential travel involved: No travel expected.
Desired Skills:
- Knowledge and understanding of how conflict, politics, and other human factors contribute to humanitarian crises.
- Knowledge and ability to track political, economic, and social trends quantitatively and qualitatively.
- Knowledge of patterns and trends of climate crises in humanitarian settings
- Outstanding ability to brief senior leaders concisely, in both written and spoken forms.
- Outstanding ability to write clear and accurate prose.
- Ability to summarize long reports and articles concisely and quickly.
- Computer literate, ideally with basic knowledge of (or willingness to learn about) content management systems.
- Language skills in Spanish, French, or Arabic would be a plus
- Open mind, humility, and eagerness to learn
Requirements: Students must be a matriculated graduate or Ph.D. student at The New School. Fellows are hired as Research Associates by The New School.
Work Environment: This fellowship will work with the Airbel Impact Lab based in the IRC’s HQ in New York City. While this fellowship is remote, all Fellows must be physically located in the US.
Fellowship Length: This fellowship carries a maximum of 35 hours/week during the summer semester (May 20 – August 25, 2024), and a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Fall 2024 semester (August 26 – December 22, 2024). Continuation into Spring 2025 is potentially available. The ideal candidate will be able to commit to both the Summer and Fall semesters.
How to apply: The deadline to apply is March 30, 2024. Please submit one PDF document containing a cover letter, CV/resume, and two work samples (writing and/or design portfolio – 5 pages maximum per sample) to Catherine McGahan, McGahanC@newschool.edu, and Nicole Tuszynski, tuszynsn@newschool.edu.
Interviews will be conducted in early April via Zoom.
Team: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the IRC. The 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.