Info Mgmt Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the IOM-FOM issued for this Compendium / Fast Track exercise, as well as the  Revised Policy and Procedures on Assignments (UNHCR/HCP/2015/2 refers). Information Management Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

In close coordination and consultation with the Senior Regional Information Management Officer and, as applicable, relevant units at Headquarters (e.g. FICSS, Bureau) the Information Management Officer will be responsible for designing and  implementing a country-specific Information Management strategy.

S/he will be responsible for broadly supporting the production and dissemination of information on the population of concern to the Country Office, including, but not limited to Protection and Programme information.

The Information Management Officer will liaise with sectoral leads to gather information for further analysis and dissemination and identify information gaps. Where information gaps exist, the Information Management Officer may help setting up primary data collection systems and organise needs assessments, which may also involve other stakeholders.

In the case of refugee operations, the Information Management Officer will coordinate information management activities relevant to all aspects of the operation and across organizations.

For IDP operations, the Information Management Officer will coordinate information management within and provide information management services to the UNHCR-led clusters and act as IM focal point for those clusters with OCHA.
2.2 FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- The Office has a clear and comprehensive Information Management strategy which guides all IM activities in the country.
- The Office has stepped up to its leadership role in providing quality Information Management services and delivers reliable, accessible and user-friendly, relevant, predictable, appropriate and timely delivery of information. 
- The Office has an excellent Information Management capacity and deliver IM services to all partners.
- Global data standards, and where appropriate, the establishment of country-specific common data standards are adopted by UNHCR and its partners.
- Where required, UNHCR is meeting its cluster information management obligations.

Responsibility

- Draft the country/operation-specific Information Management strategy and define operational and funding requirements for the implementation of the strategy. The strategy must include the internal mangement of information within UNHCR including document mangement, flows of information and discovery of data/information within UNHCR.
- Support the promotion of data and information sharing within the humanitarian community as well as the adoption of global data standards, and where appropriate, the establishment of country-specific common data standards. To this end, maintain data and information-sharing relationships within the humanitarian community and with relevant governmental bodies.
- Identify and obtain the needed data and information elements required to produce standardized information products and design and manage respective data/information collection plans for baseline and context-specific data. 
- Support the Office in the analysis of processed data and information and perform data quality and consistency control.
- Design and implement a structured dissemination plan for all information products and services as appropriate (e.g. web portal, mailing list, information centres, etc.) including the definition of standard operating procedures for clearing information products for release.
- Organize and convene a Refugee Information Management Working Group (RIMWG) with releveant operational partners for efficient coordination of Information Mangement activities. Evaluate and organize, if needed, thematic sub-groups in areas such as geographic information management.
- Provide Information Mangement services to support Monitoring activities within Sectors in a refugee emergency and to UNHCR led Clusters in IDP related emergencies;  in areas of information flows, desimination, processing, analysis, standard setting and desimination.
- Leverage Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for map production and geographic data mangement while promoting data standards and harmonized mangement of geographic data/information.
- Provide Information Mangement services to support population data mangement activities including population estimation, information flows from established systems, movement tracking, standard-setting/promotion and  desimination.
- Provide Information Management support to needs assessments for all sectors (in refugee situations) and provide Information Management support to needs assessments within UNHCR-led clusters while participating in joint/harmonized needs assessments with other partners/clusters.  Support operational leads in making methodological decisions about how to conduct needs assessments.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Authority

- Chair a Refugee Information Management Working Group (RIMWG) (for refugee situations) and represent UNHCR-led clusters on inter-cluster Information Management Working Groups (for IDP situations).
- Assist in the recruitment and training of  data collectors and data entry personnel, if requested.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- University degree in information technology, demography, statistics, social sciences or any related area.
- At least 8 years (6 years with Advanced University degree) of relevant work experience of which at least 4 years combined field and/or headquarters experience in international organizations (e.g. UN agencies, INGOs, IOs, bi-lateral cooperation agencies, etc.).
- Knowledge of the UN system and the humanitarian community.
- Knowledge of protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators.
- Proven skills to analyze statistical information.
- Advanced Excel skills (e.g. pivot tables, functions, etc.).
- Ability to formulate IM-related technical requirements and Operating Procedures.
- Ability to translate planning-specifications into technical briefs for data capture and analysis, and vice versa.
- Ability to compile and holistically analyze diverse datasets.
- Experience with handling confidential data.
- Demonstrated information management skills.
- Demonstrated understanding of different data collection methodologies.
- Understanding of relational data theory.
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of UN working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)

***For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of local language and local institutions is essential.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Proficiency in other official UN languages.
- Successful participation in the Operational Data management Learning Programme.
- Experience in web design and software development is an asset.
- Experience with relevant software such as ArcGIS, Mapinfo, SPSS, EpiInfo6 , SQL Server, and/or progress.
- Experience with HTML, PHP, ASP and/or Java is an asset. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3 Proven skills to analyse statistical information.
Advanced Excel skills (e.g. pivot tables, functions, etc.).
Ability to formulate IM-related technical requirements and Operating Procedures.
Ability to compile and holistically analyse diverse datasets.
Experience with handling confidential data and demonstrated understanding of different data collection methodologies.
Knowledge and experience in data governance, data collection, data quality, data architecture, security as well as data archiving;
Strong drafting and presentation skills;
Proven experience in negotiating and maintaining positive relationships with a range of partners (Government, national and international NGOs);
Proven experience in training with strong communication and inter-personal skills to ensure the timely flow of information delivery;
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment requiring accuracy and high-quality results;
Experience managing teams of national staff; This is an emergency operation with daily influxes of new arrivals from South Sudan. Over 400,000 new arrivals have been reported since December 2013 with 155,000 new arrivals in 2017 alone.  The South Sudanese refugees are living in nine official camps and dozens of settlements across 7 states. There is also a caseload of approximately 350,000 South Sudanese who remained in Sudan upon secession of South Sudan in 2011, who are now also covered under the emergency.

The South Sudan refugee response forms part of a wider UNHCR operation which responds to the needs of 550,000 refugees and through the IASC cluster approach responds to the protection and emergency shelter and NFI needs of some 2.3 million IDPs.

UNHCR is leading the inter-sectoral response to the South Sudan refugee response through the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM), and works with a variety of implementing partners (Government, UN, International, National NGOs and Community Based Organizations).
UNHCR has 13 sub and field offices throughout the country, responding to emergency as well as protracted refugee situations in urban, camp-based and rural settlement contexts. In addition the operation works with IDPs, Sudanese returnees and stateless persons.
The political context in Sudan is both complex and diverse, necessitating high levels of political sensitivity and coordination skills.
Data collection and IM awareness needs to be strengthened at all levels of the operation. Khartoum is classified as `C¿ family duty station with Level II security. Khartoum features a hot desert climate, with only the months of July and August seeing significant precipitation.  Its average annual temperature is about 37.1 °C (99 °F). Medical and leisure facilities are limited.  It is possible to find decent houses and apartments with stable water and electricity supply. There are two international schools in Khartoum preferred by UN community which meet the language, cultural, curricula requirements.  The assignment requires frequent field missions to the locations where the refugees are, often in difficult field locations Security Level 2 pertains in Khartoum state.
Staff sensitivity to Sudanese dress code is very important.
Assigned staff need to have completed the BSIF; BSIF2: ASIF modules and produce copies of certification.
Driving in Khartoum poses the greatest threat to staff safety and staff should avoid the use of Tuk-Tuk taxies.
Criminality is low in Khartoum but expat accommodation is being targeted. Accordingly international staff must ensure that their accommodation is MORSS compliant and guarded.
The prevailing economic state of Sudan may lead to civil unrest and violent demonstrations as occurred in September 2013.
Election results are expected near the end of April and may spark demonstrations throughout Sudan.
Although there is no official curfew in place, staff are advised not to circulate after dark or travel alone.¿ Knowledge of Arabic language is desirable.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Add. 3 to March 2017 Compendium is Thursday, 3 August 2017 (midnight Geneva time).