Join the expert network

Why we work with academic experts

Every PollsAfrica study carries a named university expert from the country. Donors and institutional buyers want to see local academic judgement on a survey, and so do we. A questionnaire translated word for word can still mean the wrong thing in Kano, Kumasi or Kisumu. An expert who knows the setting catches it before fieldwork, not after.

This page is for academics and senior researchers looking for research consultant opportunities in Africa. It explains plainly what the role is, what it is not, and how to apply.

Who we are looking for

University professors, senior lecturers and senior researchers in:

• Statistics and survey methodology
• Public health and epidemiology
• Economics and agricultural economics
• Political science
• Sociology and demography
• Monitoring and evaluation

Our aim is two named experts per country. We want people with a real research record in their own country who are comfortable putting their name to a methodology.

What a key expert does on a study

• Reviews the instrument. You read the questionnaire or guide for local meaning, translation, sensitivity and flow, and send back marked changes.
• Guides ethics approval. You advise on the right ethics route in your country, the consent wording and the safeguards for respondents.
• Signs off the topline. Before results are released you check the sample, weighting and findings and confirm that the write-up matches the data.

Larger studies may add more, such as reviewing the sampling design or helping interpret findings for the final report. Any extra work is agreed with you first and priced in the same budget.

Terms, in plain language

• Paid per study. Fees are agreed per project, as a separate budget line tied to deliverables.
• No commitment to join. Being in the network creates no obligation on either side.
• Your CV, your decision. We use your CV in a bid only with your agreement each time.
• Free to decline. Say no to any study for any reason, including your own workload or a conflict of interest.
• Profile only with permission. If you agree, we can publish a profile on the site. Network experts are independent subcontractors. We never describe them as staff or board members.
• Sole prime contractor. We hold the contract with the buyer. You join as a paid subcontractor, not a joint venture partner.

What a typical engagement looks like

Most engagements are short and specific. We send the draft instrument and a brief, you return comments within the agreed days, and we resolve any questions with you by email or call. If a study needs ethics approval, you tell us which committee applies and what it will want to see. At the end, you review the topline tables and the draft write-up and confirm that they match the data. A study that suits one expert may not suit another, so we match the study to your field and country rather than sending everything to everyone.

The non-partisan rule

PollsAfrica takes no work from political parties or candidates. Key experts work to the same rule on our studies. If you hold a party role or advise a campaign, tell us, and we will not put you on a study where that matters. You can read the wider standard on the methods page and on our standards.

What we ask for

• Your current CV
• Your fields of expertise
• The countries you can cover
• The languages you work in

Send them with the form on this page. When a study fits your profile we write to you with the scope, the days and the proposed fee, and you decide.

Field partners

If you run a local fieldwork firm, we also want to hear from you. We use vetted field partners for face-to-face interviewing, for example household surveys where phones cannot reach the population. Partners are vetted before any engagement, and they sign our data protection and anti-fraud annex before they start. If you do survey fieldwork in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa, write to partner@pollsafrica.com with the countries and languages you cover and the modes you run.