Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and an increasing risk of economic collapse. Forty years of armed conflict, recurrent natural disasters – including droughts and floods, increased poverty, food insecurity, failing health systems, and lack of shelters, compounded by COVID-19 – have made most of the people in Afghanistan vulnerable to extreme protection risks.
Events after August 2021, in addition to the global economic impact of COVID-19, have severely affected the coping mechanisms of vulnerable population groups in the country, particularly internally displaced people. The prices of main food commodities in Afghanistan are significantly higher than in the first half of the year. An average food basket now costs more than 82 per cent of the average family income. It is anticipated that 95 per cent of Afghans are now facing food insecurity. Some 23 million people, over half of Afghanistan’ s population, are facing acute food insecurity.
UNHCR has put in place a Preparedness and Response Plan to meet needs in this fast-evolving context to: (i) provide critical protection and life-saving assistance and prevent human suffering; (ii) ensure life-saving assistance by improving access to essential services and by creating a conducive protection environment to mitigate further displacement; and (iii) support building resilient communities through area-based programming, in so-called Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARR), in line with the whole-of-society approach.
UNHCR Afghanistan’s population of concern includes 3.7 million persons including refugees, refugee returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and members of the host communities.
Against the backdrop, UNHCR has been working to complement and support the de facto authorities in addressing the needs of IDPs through its coordinator role in the Afghanistan Protection and ES/NFI Clusters as well as the provider of last resort. In particular, during emergency phases, UNHCR conducts joint needs assessments with other humanitarian actors and coordinates its responses. In addition, UNHCR is one of the key actors conducting Community-Based Protection Monitoring (CBPM) to assess the protection needs and concern of the IDPs and other POCs. In addition, for IDPs identified as most vulnerable, UNHCR provides assistance through its Persons with Specific Needs Programme (PSN) and Cash for Protection Programme (CFP). Under the “Whole of Community Approach” and to realize the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus, UNHCR also concentrates its effort to support durable solutions for IDPs, primarily in the Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARRs). In the PARRs, IDPs benefits from a range of services and projects, including, among others, education, health, shelter, youth empowerment, livelihood opportunities, WASH, and infrastructure.
Information and data management staff are responsible for coordinating, planning, supporting and delivering on data and information activities for all UNHCR operational contexts, responses and populations of concern, including providing coordination and leadership in partnerships on data with all stakeholders including persons of concern. They serve the entirety of UNHCR staff and activities, including protection, programme, operations, external relations and executive management for evidence-informed planning, advocacy, and coordination. They are key in ensuring multi-stakeholder, multi-sector, and multi-country activities are provided with robust and meaningful data and information to support planning, funding and advocacy efforts. This includes both internal and external assessments, regional and country-based planning and monitoring activities such as the COPs, GCR implementation, RRPs, HNOs, HRPs, and Cluster Plans.
Information and data management covers the assessment, design, implementation and evaluation of data an information management related activities. This includes assessment of the information landscape; definition of information and data needs; design of data and information activities, including data collection, analysis, storage and dissemination; implementation of data and information management activities; and monitoring and evaluation of data management activities. The focus is largely operational and protection data and analysis - but not exclusively, as IMO activities can involve back office data such as HR and financial as well - related to support results-based planning, monitoring and reporting implemented by UNHCR and by its partners.
Depending on if they are located in HQ, multi-country or country offices, the role of the data and information management staff is to provide the necessary quality assurance and technical support for the full range of the data and information management and analysis activities to countries and regional offices; to ensure these processes are in accordance with technical standards for data and information management; and to undertake regional or country data and information management (definition, collection, analysis, storage and dissemination) activities. In addition they are responsible for coordinating HQ and external support to the country and multi-country offices, to liaise with relevant bodies on relevant matters; to monitor the quality of data and information management activities in country/multi-country or HQ; to design and implement global, multi-country or country-based data strategies and systems; to ensure data and information activities are implemented in accordance with data privacy policies, global data sharing agreements and data protection regulations; to communicate the status, value and importance of data; to provide the data, information and analysis needed for global analysis; and to identify risks and opportunities based on insights derived from data.
With the support of the field offices, the Senior IM Associate will monitor conflict/natural disaster displacements and use different sources of qualitative and quantitative data for verification and triangulation. It will include monitoring inflow and outflows at the borders, territory accessibility, and control to inform emergency plans and responses. External sources will involve close collaboration and coordination with other UN agencies, partners, government, and other stakeholders.
S/he will be required to migrate the consolidation tools to a data warehouse on the cloud using the Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) Framework approach, improving data storage and protection. Furthermore, the incumbent will support the Protection, Reintegration, and CBI teams in data analysis, visualizaton and reporting of the current and planned data collection activities. In addition, use the large volumes of data collected over the years to monitor trends and provide predictive analysis. The other key role will be to conduct geospatial analysis, map services, and facilities reflecting their structural status (active/damaged) due to conflict/natural disaster. Also, the mapping of other points, such as cross-border points, official or unofficial, based on the situation will require close monitoring.
The Senior IM Associate will support Programme monitoring of indicators and direct/indirectly implemented response activities during the emergency phase. In addition, with support and collaboration from Programme, Protection, and other sector leads, s/he will create, maintain, and share the 3W internally/externally to support UNHCR’s coordination and communication. S/he will support the production and dissemination of but not limited to Protection, Cash-based Intervention, Reintegration, Programme, and External Relations information products.
The Senior Information Management Associate reports to a more senior Information Management staff and normally supervises some support staff.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties and Responsibilities
Coordinate data and information management activities
Support with data and information management
Undertake data and information management activities at the Multi-Country/Country or HQ level
Education:
Business Intelligence (BI) Computer Science Data Management, Information Management, Information Technology, Geographic Information Systems, Statistics
Work Experience:
Language:
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4 years information management, data or statistical field, and progressively responsible experience in humanitarian or development situation. Experience with data sharing, data management and data analysis to support policy formulation and implementation.
Desirable
Knowledge of national and international statistical systems, knowledge of international protection, human rights and international humanitarian law, experience in data collection and analysis in field situations, knowledge of GIS and geospatial systems and techniques.
Functional Skills:
DM-Data collection methodologies
DM-Data Management
DM-ArcGIS (Geographic SP-Topographic Surveying Information System)
MS-Statistics Analysis
MS-Producing Reports
SP-Design tools such as Global Positioning System (GPS)
CL-Cluster Information Management Tools, Resources and Approaches
PG-Needs Assessment and Response Analysis
Core Competencies
Managerial Competencies
Cross-Functional Competencies
Technological Awareness
Planning and Organizing
Innovation and Creativity
The management of the advertised openings in this announcement is in line with the provisions of the UNHCR Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS). The vacancy is open to eligible internal (Group 1 and Group 2) applicants.
Important note:
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Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and an increasing risk of economic collapse. Forty years of armed conflict, recurrent natural disasters – including droughts and floods, increased poverty, food insecurity, failing healt... Read More
