University of Oxford
Position Description:
Giulia Wegner, a PhD candidate at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of the University of Oxford, is recruiting an English mother-tongue volunteer to join her research team as Editor of English translations for a research project on “Democratic representation and deliberative participation in Community-based Natural Resources Management – Do they lead to improved conservation and development outcomes? Field experiments from Tanzania”.
IMPORTANT: Only candidates who fulfil the following requirements will be considered for this post. Candidates who do not fulfil these requirements will be automatically discarded:
- English mother-tongue with excellent English reading and writing skills. The candidate must speak English as his/her first language, either because s/he grew up in an English-speaking country, or because his/her parents speak English as their first language, or because s/he attended a school where all subjects are taught in English since primary grades.
- Able to edit English translations of Swahili group discussions, ensuring that they are grammatically and syntactically correct
- Willing to learn and apply transcription and translation conventions in an accurate and systematic manner
- Able to commit to the goals of the project for the full length of the post, and to take responsibility for the quality of the edited translations
- Able to work full-time (Monday-Friday, 8am to 6pm) for the whole length of the post (up to 1 month from the end of training)
- Able to work at the project's office in Dar es Salaam
- Able to make his/her own travel arrangements for punctual arrival at the project’s office
NOTE: Only candidates who follow the application guidelines carefully will be considered. Only candidates shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.
1. Project background
The research project is investigating the relationship between democratic governance, socio-economic impacts and conservation outcomes in Community-based Natural Resources Management (CB-NRM). The project will assess whether the deliberative (i.e., discussion-based) participation of local stakeholder groups in the decision-making process is correlated with the improved quality, equity and legitimacy of decisions for the local management of natural resources. This relationship will be assessed through a field experiment design consisting of a series of focus group discussions and survey questionnaires.
2. Main duties and responsibilities
Under overall supervision of the Project Co-ordinator (PC) and Assistant Project Co-ordinator (APC), the volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
- Edit the English translation of Swahili transcripts of focus group discussions
- Make corrections to the grammar, syntax, spelling, ad use of conventions
- Evaluate the clarity and readability of the English translation, as well as the use of terminology
- Collaborate with a team of Swahili translators to improve the quality of the English translations while remaining faithful to the original Swahili text
- Prepare the edited English translations for further analysis
- Maintain IT and stationary equipment
- Carry out other project-related activities if the need arises
The volunteer will be trained by the PC and APC in the following
- Projects aims and design; theories of Community-based Natural Resources Management; theories of participatory decision-making
- Use of Transcription and Translation Guidelines, Checklist, and Editing Guidelines
- Preparation of edited English translations into a format suitable for further analysis
3. Qualifications
The applicant will be expected to be endowed with the following qualifications and skills:
1. Language:English mother-tongue, with excellent oral and written communication skills.
2. IT:Computer literate, with knowledge of MS Windows, Word and Excel; able to type at moderate/fast speed.
3. Working experience:Some previous experience in editingi English translations is welcome.
4. Transferable skills: Strong work ethics, honesty and punctuality. Excellent team-working skills, being able to collaborate with colleagues for the achievement of the project's targets. Dependability and personal effectiveness, being able to work under minimal supervision and taking full responsibility for meeting deadlines and producing high quality outputs. Strong desire to learn and willingness to accept guidance. Capable to concentrate for several consecutive hours, and to pay attention to details.
5. Other:Interested in the topics and goals of the research project.
4. Location
Editing activities will be carried out at the project’s office in Victoria, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Depending on the progress of the team-work, some editing activities may be carried out from home upon previous consultation with the PC.
5. Period of employment
The post will be carried out for a period of about 1 month from the end of training, in July-August 2013, starting as soon as possible.
6. Salary
The applicant will be employed on a full-time voluntary basis. Travel expenses will be covered by the project.
7. Further information
For further information please contact Giulia Wegner at giulia_wegner@yahoo.com
Application Instructions:
Suitable candidates are invited to forward their application as soon as possible, and by the 11th August 2013.
The application should include:
- A one page cover letter indicating why the applicant is interested in the advertised position, and why he/she is likely to make a valuable contribution to the project. Candidates who do not send a cover letter will not be considered.
- A complete Curriculum Vitae
- An academic transcript (if applicable)
- Contact details: postal address, e-mail address and Tanzanian phone number
- The contact details of two referees (if applicable)
Candidates should forward their application to the Email Link above (giulia_wegner@yahoo.com).
The e-mail title should quote: Application for Volunteer Editor position,CB-NRM Governance research project.
