Senior Information Management Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Senior Information Management Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

In close coordination and consultation with Headquarters (FICSS, Bureau) the Senior Information Management Officer will assist in defining and implementing an Information Management strategy and ensure coherence among IM approaches and products in the country.
The incumbent will be supervised by the Representative while functional supervision will be exercised by Field Information and Coordination Support Section (FICSS), Geneva.
S/he will ensure that IM requirements in the country will be adequately addressed, including data collection, storage, analysis, dissemination tools and procedures.
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- The Country Office has a clear and comprehensive Information Management strategy and monitoring plan which are in line with UNHCR's global IM strategy.
- The Country Office delivers reliable, accessible and user-friendly, relevant, predictable, appropriate and timely information.
- The Country Office has excellent Information Management capacity and deliver IM services to their partners.
- Global data standards, and where appropriate, the establishment of country-specific common data standards are adopted by UNHCR and its partners in the country.
- UNHCR is meeting its cluster obligations in Information Management service provision at the country level where required.

Responsibility

- Prepare and maintain an IM strategy, in consultation with the country offices concerned. The strategy must include the internal management of information within UNHCR including; document management, flows of information and discovery of data/information within UNHCR.
- Analyze data, identify and address IM gaps, and facilitate information sharing between offices in the country.
- Set standards for operational, geographical and population data to be used throughout the country operation, maintain and distribute standards to IM officers and others working with operational data in the region, including partners.
- Coordinate interagency information management activities at the country level and facilitate the creation of interagency relationships and opportunities for cooperation. If appropriate, organize and convene a Refugee Information Management Working Group (RIMWG) and thematic sub-groups in areas such as geographic information management.
- Work closely with the Senior Registration Officer to ensure consistency and inter-operability between registration data and other operational data sets, and consistency between regional registration and information management strategies, as well as on population statistical reporting.
- Identify new information and data requirements to support operations and partners in the country, and support country office in gathering and sharing this information and data.
- Ensure that the information on the Web Portal serves the needs of UNHCR and the interagency humanitarian community, including those of partners as well as donors.
- Provide information management training to UNHCR and partner staff as needed.
- Provide emergency response information management support to country operation.
- Work with regional and country based reporting and public information officers in preparation of internal and external updates.
- Assist in the implementation of standardized information management policies, data systems and information products across offices within the country operation, including the common operational datasets and fundamental operational datasets.
- 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.
- Provide Information Management 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, dissemination, processing, analysis, standard setting and dissemination.
- Leverage Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for map production and geographic data management while promoting data standards and harmonized management of geographic data/information.
- Provide Information Management services to support population data management activities including population estimation, information flows from established systems, movement tracking, standard-setting/promotion and dissemination.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Authority

- Prepare and implement country information management  strategy, to be approved by Representative.
Prepare structure and content for country pages on the web portal for endorsement by FICSS and approval by the Representative.
- Exercise functional and technical supervision of Information Management Officers based in the country operation.
- Chair Information Management coordination for organizations involved in refugee humanitarian response.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) in Information technology, Demography, Statistics, Social sciences or any related area plus minimum 8 years  of relevant work experience including at least 5 years of combined field and/or headquarters experience in international organizations (e.g. UN agencies, INGOs, IOs, bi-lateral cooperation agencies, etc.), gradually assuming more responsibility. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Knowledge of the UN system and the international humanitarian community.
- Knowledge of protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators.
- 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.
- Demonstrated ability for leadership in the context of partnership building and consensual decision-making.
- Demonstrated information management skills.
- Demonstrated understanding of different data collection methodologies.
- Understanding of relational data theory.
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.



DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Successful participation in the Operational Data Management Learning Programme is desirable.
- Experience in web design and software development and programming is an asset.
- Experience with relevant software such as ArcGIS, Mapinfo, SPSS, EpiInfo6, SQL Server, and/or proGres.
- Experience with HTML, PHP, ASP and/or Java is an asset.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior Information Management Officer positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. 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
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

The respective position is part of DIMA and is one of lead positions ¿ focussing on Vulnerability, Assessment, Integrated Household Survey Framework. The structural changes require the identification of a candidate with a combination of technical and protection skills and competencies. The role of the position will contribute to UNHCR¿s sustainability and improvement of the current provision of leadership on refugee data and information management in a more effective and efficient manner than the status quo including substantial analysis which enables better determination of thresholds for planning and programming but also striving to enhance deliverables for protection of population of concerns. The circumstances to deliver in a regionally coherent manner particularly for the largest (Syria) situation and across the MENA region are gradually evolving. UNHCR¿s data and IM management and analysis capacity should respond and adjust to this contextual changes. In addition, data and information management capacities have grown but also been compartmentalised within various country operations and within the MENA Director Office in Amman (DOiA). Opportunities for data-sharing and analysis have been at times lost or constrained. These challenges impact UNHCR¿s ability to deliver for key donor and interagency partners as well as demonstrate a limited operational and protection preparedness for returns and solutions. Hence, to improve the data quality, collection, coherence and analysis as well as to respond to the challenges above, the Director¿s Office in Amman has re-structured to bring together all data positions in one unit, Data, Information Management and Analysis Unit (DIMA), co-reporting to the Head of MPS and the Deputy Director. This includes data related to operations, assistance, registration and return, including biometric data.  The unit will also be responsible to roll-out Progress v4 in the MENA region, strengthen data management and information management systems in country operations and the region and yield high quality analysis and reports for internal and external purposes. The Syria situation continues to be the largest humanitarian and refugee crisis in the world today, with some 6.1 million Syrians internally displaced and nearly 5.5 million refugees hosted in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Despite operational challenges, UNHCR reached approximately 6.2 million people inside the Syrian Arab Republic with protection services, shelter, basic relief items and health assistance in 2017, including through cross-border interventions from Jordan and Turkey. With the emergence of a few areas of relative stability, close to 75,000 Syrian refugees and 720,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) returned to their areas of origin. These self-organized returns occurred without facilitation by UNHCR as the Office does not believe that the overall conditions for safe, dignified and sustainable returns are in place. Together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNHCR continues to lead the ¿Regional refugee and resilience plan in response to the Syria crisis¿ (3RP), which is built around government-led national plans, cost-effective and innovative programming, and a coalition of over 270 partners. The 2018-19 3RP calls for USD 4.4 billion to assist over nine million people, including 5.3 million refugees and 3.9 million host community members. In Iraq, according to the International Organization for Migration¿s (IOM) displacement tracking matrix, the number of people returning to their areas of origin has now surpassed the number of people being displaced inside the country. However, the protection environment for civilians remains precarious due to continuing insecurity, extensive destruction of homes and infrastructure, lack of livelihood opportunities, and risk of attack for those perceived to have family affiliations with extremists. There are some 3.6 million IDPs in Iraq, including some 2.6 million who have been displaced as a result of conflict and violence since 2014. In 2017, UNHCR assisted 1.2 million IDPs, returnees and host community members with core relief items and over 800,000 people with protection monitoring activities. In 2018, UNHCR will continue to undertake timely protection monitoring and outreach to assess needs and to provide legal assistance, civil documentation support and referrals to specialized services to IDPs, returnees and other conflict-affected Iraqis. UNHCR will also continue to provide shelter, basic household items and protection to over 230,000 IDPs in the 35 camps set up or managed by UNHCR and its partners. Amman is classified as an "A" duty station.  There are very good health & education facilities available locally. Climate tends to be dry, sunny and cloudless from May to November. From December to February the weather is cool and wet and most of the country's rainfall occurs. Snowfall does occur in Jordan, especially on the western plateau and in areas to the north, but the average temperature in winter is above 7.2° C (45° F). Staff members commonly rent private accommodation except in Ruwaished, where a guest house is provided.  Emergency operational environment. Current operational circumstances may require occasional long working hours. Jordan is a stable country strategically located between Israel/West Bank/Gaza, Syria and Saudi Arabia.  A constitutional monarchy, Jordan has a well-trained, equipped and alert security apparatus and well-structured and functional administrative machinery in all 12 governorates. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is composed of three security level areas- North Jordan border zone west of Hadalat (0-5 kms of Jordan-Syria border inside Jordan) / North Jordan border zone from Hadalat to Iraqi border (0-5 kms of Jordan-Syria border inside Jordan) / Jordan (Jordan excluding 5km buffer zone from Syria Border). Jordan is currently at LOW risk (including Azraq and Mufraq).  The North Jordan border zones from Hadalat to the east is at MEDIUM risk. The North Jordan border zone west of Hadalat is LOW risk.

Jordan has a fully structured UN security management structure. Jordan remains a stable kingdom and affords reasonable security and safety for UN staff. It currently is at Low risk from Terrorism and Hazards and at Low risk from Armed conflict, Crime and Civil Unrest (SRM Jordan 2018). A Security Clearance is required for travel to this country, and internal travel within Jordan outside Greater Amman Municipal limits on TRIP at https://dss.un.org. Requests for clearance should be submitted 48 hours prior to travel. In order for UNHCR to fully make use of the range of data and information available to it, and support the processes, standards, methods, and systems for collection and examination of it, providing high quality, engaging, and impactful analysis and support for internal and/or external use, it is expected that the incumbent of the position possesses at least some of the experiences such as in managing web-portal content in the region, inter-agency coordination, donor relations and/or public information, managing 3-W and 4-W matrices, information coordination needs assessment methodologies. The position requires the incumbent to have solid and demonstrated knowledge of statistical modelling, development of a scoring formula based on household survey (e.g. through humanitarian needs assessment) and registration. The position will assist in formulating targeting of certain assistance modalities (such as cash, in-kind distribution, livelihood activities or community development support).

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).