Information Management Specialist (Nutrition), NOC, East Jerusalem, State of Palestine, Temporary Appointment, 6 months, (post no.131466)

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For every child, hope

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access essential services and protection, from early childhood through adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. Following the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, UNICEF is responding at scale with Education, WASH, Nutrition, Health, Child Protection and Multi-Purpose Cash, while preparing for return to learning for children across the State of Palestine to respond to the most precent and critical needs of children, while supporting the restoration of essential services.

Under the overall direction and guidance of the Nutrition Cluster Coordinator in SoP, the Nutrition Information Management Specialist will provide leadership for the IM function of the Cluster supporting the humanitarian response in Gaza and West Bank. They are responsible for ensuring IM processes effectively contribute to a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the SoP Nutrition Cluster that is accountable to those who are affected by the emergency. In their effort to enable an efficient and effective response to the humanitarian crisis, the Nutrition Information Management Specialist is responsible for leading and managing the collection, analysis and sharing of information that is essential for the Nutrition Cluster participants to make informed, evidence-based, strategic decisions.  

The post holder is responsible for managing and coordinating the information management function to enable the effective functioning of the SoP Nutrition Cluster, and the achievement of the core cluster functions, throughout the Humanitarian Programme Cycle to facilitate a timely and effective Cluster response. 

The postholder’s main tasks and responsibilities will include but not be limited to: 

Coordination and representation 

• As a member of the coordination team, contribute to the effective roll out and monitoring of the core cluster functions and to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle.
• Represent the Cluster IM function at all levels and coordinate with others within the function to ensure effective communication, reporting and engagement: actively engage with other IMs through relevant IMWGs, represent the Cluster on the inter-cluster IMWG.
• Lead the Nutrition information system technical working group of the nutrition cluster

IM function management 

• Maintain the SoP Emergency Nutrition Information Management system and all its components including data collection and analysis.
• Implement regular secondary data reviews and primary data collection including designing questionnaires using appropriate tools.
• Conduct data processing including organizing, cleaning, triangulating, evaluating, and validating the data.
• Analyze data to meet identified information needs of Nutrition Cluster members and other stakeholders.
• Create and maintain accurate, quality, and timely information products that are in line with agreed guidelines.
• Disseminate information and information products through appropriate channels.
• Maintain and ensure the accessibility of a common and shared secure storage system.
• Gather feedback on IM products and use to make improvements.

Needs assessment and analysis. 

• Working collaboratively with other members of the SoP Nutrition Cluster, contribute to the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including joint assessments and analysis, at national and subnational levels.
• Work with Cluster participants to identify information gaps at national and sub-national levels, agree and implement ways to bridge those gaps by providing technical advice and support to partners,

Resource mobilization 

• Monitor and analyses the Cluster’s financial situation and support financial tracking,
• Support and advocate with Cluster partners for financial reporting on the Financial Tracking Service.
• Support evidence-based advocacy and resource mobilization by providing accurate, relevant, and timely data, information, and information products.

Implementation and monitoring 

• Maintain the SoP Nutrition Cluster monitoring plan and associated databases, including response monitoring (3 and 5Ws) databases.
• Support Nutrition Cluster members to contribute timely and quality periodic monitoring reports on Cluster platforms.
• Support monitoring in the areas of information flows, dissemination, processing, analysis, and dissemination.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative gap and coverage analysis to identify spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of the Cluster humanitarian response.
• Monitor adherence to relevant sector quality standards, regulations, and codes.

Accountability to affected people. 

• Support the cluster in the systematization of a mechanism to be accountable to affected populations, based on existing systems and new initiatives, if needed. Ensure the meaningful participation of affected people, maintaining an effective feedback mechanism and handling complaints appropriately, by ensuring data about the most vulnerable is systematically collected and analyzed, and by encouraging partners to work accountably,
• Ensure the inclusion of cross cutting issues in Cluster data collection, analysis and dissemination.
• Adhere to child safeguarding and PSEA policies including procedures for challenging and reporting incidents and ensure other members of the IM team comply.

Strengthen national and local capacity. 

• Design and implement an IM capacity assessment and capacity development plan for Cluster partners.
• Support the Ministry of Health to develop a comprehensive nutrition information system adapted to emergency for the West Bank
• Provide support to partners to overcome technical and operational challenges in participating in IM activities.

Minimum requirements:

Education:

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Information Management or Information Systems, GIS Information Technologies, Computer Science, Statistics, Nutrition, Public Health, Social Sciences or another subject area relevant to Information Management or to the Cluster. 

Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications. 

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in information management, data management, geographical information systems, assessments, situation analysis and/or PM&E with the UN and/or NGO is required.
• Experience of demonstrating very strong information management skills in a professional context is essential for this post.
• Experience in a humanitarian context is required, with experience of working in the humanitarian coordination system considered an asset.
• Extensive work experience outside the humanitarian sector which is relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for humanitarian experience.

Technical requirements: IM technical knowledge and skills  

Data planning skills including: 

• Developing and implementing an IM strategy and data collection and analysis plan.

Data collection skills including: 

• Conducting SDR using appropriate platforms and tools such as DEEP (the humanitarian secondary data review & analysis platform) or Excel,
• Designing and implementing primary data collection.

Data processing skills including: 

• Knowledge of data protection best practices, standards and protocols, regulations and legislation.

Data analysis and management skills including: 

• Aggregating data from multiple sources using a variety of tools such as Excel, CSV, SQL, KoBo, APIs etc.
• Analysing data to create information useful for strategic decision-making,
• Creating and maintaining databases using MS Excel, MS Access or other databases.

Communication skills including: 

• Presenting information clearly in accurate and accessible information products,
• Designing and creating static and data dynamic visualizations and dashboards using MS Power BI, Tableau, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and MS Office,
• Creating basic and advanced maps using GIS and map-making packages such as ArcGIS, MapInfo, QGIS, and the Adbobe creative suite,
• Storing, publishing and disseminating products through various channels such as Power BI’s online service,
• Website management skills.

Gathering and actioning feedback on IM processes and products.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English. Arabic is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

This is required for all posts requiring a higher education degree. “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.