National Social Security Rights Network (NSSRN)

Research Project Officer - Position Description

(February 2018)

  1. Overview of role

The National Social Security Rights Network (NSSRN) is a peak community organisation in the area of income support law, policy and administration. Our members are community legal centres across the country who provide free and independent legal assistance to current and former social security and family assistance claimants and recipients.

The NSSRN seeks to recruit a Research Project Officer to conduct its major research project and member centre survey for three months, three days a week, between March and June 2018.

Both the research project and survey are likely to be focused on the area of social security debts and domestic violence, but may be focused on another area of casework in which members are seeing issues frequently arising.

The research will help to inform the NSSRN’s ongoing policy and advocacy work The work will involve working with member centres to develop a body of both case studies and data about relevant cases.

Subject to capacity, the Research Project Officer will also assist with the Secretariat’s “business as usual” workload of providing submissions to all Parliamentary Inquiries and other consultations relevant to Social Security law, policy and administration.

  1. Accountabilities of this role

The Research Project Officer will work under the guidance and direction of the Executive Officer and in collaboration with the existing Legal Project Officer.

The Research Project Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Executive Officer is kept informed of the project’s progress including any significant issues that may impact on the project’s scopeand outcomes.

This position requires regular reporting to the Executive Officer of emerging trends and systemic issues arising from the cases to help guide and shape the short term project.

The Research Project Officer may be required to travel to other member centres in Australia during the course of the project to consult with member centre staff and undertake furtherfile reviews.

  1. Responsibilities
  • Assisting in the development of a research methodology for the research project and survey;
  • Liaison with and working collaboratively with member centre staff in the host centre and other member centres in the conduct of the research project and survey;
  • Undertaking a review of relevant casework files in accordance with an agreed template/framework;
  • Writing up case studies for relevant casework files in accordance with an agreed template/framework;
  • Identifying and analysing emerging systemic issues and trends arising out of the file review and survey;
  • Recording other data and information as per an agreed template/framework;
  • Providing a short project report documenting and analysing the outcomes of the casework file review and survey, and making recommendations;
  • Ensuring that the project outcomes are delivered on time and at the required level of quality;
  • Assisting the Legal Project Officer with the research and preparation of submissions to Parliamentary Inquiries and other consultations relevant to Social Security law, policy and administration; and
  • Other duties as reasonably directed by the Executive Officer.

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