Research Associate/Predoc – Informal Transport Kampala Project

Length of Commitment: 9-12 months 

About the Position

We seek a qualified Research Associate (RA) to join an ongoing study in Kampala, Uganda. The position offers an opportunity to gain first-hand project management experience and to undertake innovative research in development economics, city planning and transportation. 

The project is led by Prof. Gabriel Kreindler at the Department of Economics at Harvard University and Tamara Kerzhner, postdoc at the School of Cities, University of Toronto, in collaboration with the Urban Action Lab at Makerere University, Uganda. The RA will work closely with the PIs, project manager, and other team members. 

This mixed-methods study is a collaboration with the Uganda Transport Operators Federation, an umbrella association of minibus operators in Kampala, Uganda.

Project details

Urban transportation in African cities is reliant primarily on privately-provided vehicles, often known as informal transport or paratransit. 

These operators provide critical services but also face shortcoming for passengers and difficult working conditions for operators. This study looks at the management structures, finances and labor issues within the associations which make up the transportation industry in Kampala. At the same time, we will study services provided to passengers, particularly in terms of accessibility, safety and affordability, and with reference to issues of gender and mobility justice. 

A key component of the study will be a large-scale randomized intervention to temporarily subsidize improved service by groups of minibus operators in Kampala.

The study includes several other ongoing and future elements:

• Reconstruction of historical operating patterns in the city through interviews and collection of archived records
• Survey of travel patterns throughout the city

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the project manager and PI’s in managing ongoing collaboration with project stakeholders, particularly minibus operators
• Supporting training of surveyors and research assistants
• Overseeing roll-out of data collection for pilots, surveys and interviews
• Keep the PIs updated on progress and reporting any issues encountered in data collection or fieldwork management
• Ensure that the project complies with IRB, data collection and security protocols
• Assisting with elements of research design, data cleaning and data analysis
• Other tasks as the project evolves

Desired Qualifications

• A bachelor’s/master’s degree in economics, city planning, social sciences, public policy, or related fields
• Ability to work independently and manage a team of staff effectively
• Strong communication and ‘soft’ skills and enthusiasm for fieldwork
• Previous experience in data collection, including quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods work
• Experience with SurveyCTO or comparable data collection software is an asset
• Experience with GIS and spatial analysis is an asset
• Fluency and excellent communication skills in English
• Knowledge of Luganda, or other Ugandan languages an asset 
• Familiarity and interest in issues of transport and urbanization, and/or small enterprises and labor, in a developing country context