Department: Northern Ireland OfficePost Vacant: Data and Policy Analyst (SEO) - Research and Insights Team, External RelationsLoc.....
Department: Northern Ireland Office
Post Vacant: Data and Policy Analyst (SEO) - Research and Insights Team, External Relations
Location: Belfast (Erskine House) or London (1 Horse Guards). Occasional travel will be required between NIO locations.
Duration: Permanent position (subject to successful completion of a six month probation period)
Salary: Salary scale: Inner London £45,824-£50,039 and National £39,868-£43,535
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band advertised for the respective locations of the role.
What We Do:
The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) supports the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in delivering the Government’s strategic priorities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State’s vision is to make Northern Ireland a better place to live, work and invest and in working towards this, the NIO has identified four priority outcomes which are:
• Level up the NI economy and Champion Northern Ireland’s economic growth across Whitehall
• Support greater reconciliation and integration in Northern Ireland;
• Contribute to a safer Northern Ireland; where terrorist and paramilitary groups are less able to cause harm of communities
• Ensure that governance in Northern Ireland is responsive, transparent, and able to deliver effective public services
About the Role:
The Research and Insights Team is responsible for gathering and analysing data to inform departmental strategy, decision making and delivery. The team contains two positions, the Data and Policy Analyst (this role) who supports (and reports to) the Head of Performance Management. Based within the wider External Relations Team, the Research and Insights Team works with teams across the department to bring better evidence and data to the heart of what the department does and, in particular, to:
• Examine and understand the context of Northern Ireland, including ongoing social, economic, security and political trends and stakeholder relationships, to horizon scan and inform strategy and policy.
• Monitor implementation to assess delivery and inform better operational performance
• Evaluate and assess outcomes against departmental strategic objectives
As the jobholder, you will support the Head of the Team in working to build capability and best practice in data analysis across the department by working across teams, in a range of policy areas to help them make better use of data, demonstrate the value of robust evidence and enhance capacity in performance management. You will also work closely with a strong and extensive network of stakeholders in the Cabinet Office, other Territorial Offices, other UK government departments as well as with colleagues in the NI devolved government and other external delivery partners. Opportunity also exists to participate in, as relevant, the Government Economic or Social Research Membership.
While the role is centred on policy analysis and grounded in knowledge of research methods and evaluation as well as data analysis, all badged and non-badged analysts are welcome to apply given the broad nature of the role and work of the team.
We are looking for someone with a strong track record in collection, collation and analysis of data, using a range of research methods, as well as experience in communicating the findings from data to assess outcomes and inform the development of strategy and policy interventions. Practical experience in developing and implementing appropriate performance (or analytical) frameworks will be important for this position.
As different teams will have different pressures, priorities and development paths regarding data, evidence and performance management, good communication skills and the ability to provide confident persuasive advice will also be critical. The post holder will also require the ability to grasp new ideas and topics quickly and have a willingness to take on new challenges with enthusiasm and commitment. A strong political antenna is not essential but desirable.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Specific responsibilities are likely to include:
• Collecting, analysing, interpreting and presenting data and other forms of evidence to assess progress of departmental initiatives, evaluate outcomes, and to help inform new policy proposals and approaches.
• Developing data collection, evaluation and performance reporting mechanisms, including routine reporting such as KPIs and conducting a deep dive analysis of particular issues, to assess the department’s priority outcomes.
• Helping design new areas of research enquiry to gather insights on Northern Ireland regarding social, political, security and economic trends.
• Supporting a range of policy teams in the thoughtful, challenging and constructive analysis of data and evidence (within the wider policy and strategic context) to develop and test hypotheses relating to policy interventions.
• Working with a variety of qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring data and analysis is of high quality and accuracy.
• Communicating and sharing monitoring and evaluation findings, knowledge and expertise.
• Helping stakeholders to translate evidence, monitoring and evaluation results into practice.
• Building and maintaining strong, constructive relationships with NIO policy teams, as well as external partners, to scope data and evidence requirements, and build and manage a shared departmental data repository.
• Contributing to a continuous review of processes in order to ensure consistency and efficiency of data collection and reporting, which continues to meet the requirements of the department.
