UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future!

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How can you make a difference?

Organizational Context

In Afghanistan, UNICEF is the Cluster Lead Agency for Education, Nutrition, WASH and the Child Protection AoR. UNICEF is committed to support humanitarian coordination and to fulfil the core functions defined by the IASC. The WASH Cluster is co-led by DACAAR. A well-run WASH Cluster coordination team, including Information Management (IM), is a formal deliverable of the Cluster Lead Agency and forms part of the agency’s work. The IMO is a core member of the Cluster coordination team.

Job organizational context:

The current needs in Afghanistan, and related scale up plan for increased coverage and quality of services, underscore the relevance of a reliable, at-scale, informed coordination mechanisms to ensure adequate and effective reach to the most vulnerable. Coordination of partners at national level involves the main cluster forum, as well as subgroups, such as the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) and major thematic Technical Working Groups. At subnational level, efforts have been imparted to establishing regional/Sub National level coordination, in connection with the OCHA ICCG.

Given the growing challenge of the humanitarian situation across the country and the need to sustain and at the same time scale up humanitarian assistance, the WASH cluster needs to maintain up to date information management for informed decision making, enhanced coordination and reduced duplication and or wastage.

Purpose for the job

Under the overall direction and guidance of the WASH Cluster Coordinator, the IMO will provide leadership for the IM function of the WASH Cluster. They are responsible for ensuring IM processes effectively contribute to a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the 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 IMO is responsible for leading and managing the collection, analysis and sharing of information that is essential for the WASH Cluster partners to make informed, evidence-based, strategic decisions.

Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

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

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 (as outlined by the IASC Reference Module) and to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HNO, HRP and CCPM),
• Represent the WASH 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, Assessment working groups etc including leading or participating in the working groups and representing the WASH Cluster on the inter-cluster IMWG,
• Promote harmonized and coordinated approaches to WASH IM across cluster partners, AoRs, working groups and OCHA.

IM function management

• Create and implement of a WASH IM strategy and data collection and analysis plan that consider the information needs of stakeholders and that are compliant with standards and protocols for ethical data and information management,
• Provide technical leadership by supporting the cluster coordinator and cluster members with day-to-day work
• Support the development of effective methods and platforms to standardize and share information. Develop and maintain catalogues of WASH IM and data products, including maps and assessments,
• Implement regular secondary data reviews and primary data collection including designing questionnaires using appropriate tools,
• Support WASH Cluster gap analyses in accordance with official data sources, including information disaggregated by age, sex and vulnerable groups.
• Conduct data processing including organizing, cleaning, triangulating, evaluating, and validating the data to provide clear and concise data visualization products (e.g. maps, dashboards, info-graphics and financial/resource analyses) to the WASH Cluster Coordinator and partners.
• Analyze data to meet identified information needs of WASH Cluster members and other stakeholders,
• Create accurate, quality, and timely information products that are in line with agreed style guides,
• Disseminate information and information products through appropriate channels, quality assurance and clearances prior to dissemination. Respond to data visualization requests, including delivery of products to support advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.
• Maintain and ensure the accessibility of a common and shared secure storage system,
• Gather feedback on WASH IM products and use the information to make improvements.
• Hold coordination meetings with UNICEF section/cluster IMOs on a regular basis to ensure complementarity, consistent and effective data management

Needs assessment and analysis

• Working collaboratively with other members of the Cluster, contribute to the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including joint assessments and analysis, at national and subnational levels,
• Collect information on economic needs, markets, and price monitoring to support the equal consideration and use of all programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher, and services),
• Work with WASH Cluster partners 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,
• Collaborate and capacitate section/cluster Information Management Officers (IMOs) in technical areas where needs are identified
• Analyze needs assessment data to provide required information for the WASH HNO including estimating People in Need (PIN),
• Compare and align joint needs analysis findings with other clusters, AoRs, Working Groups and participate in developing reports.

Strategic response planning

• Design and implement WASH partners’ presence mapping,
• Contribute to strategic planning, response prioritization and the development of the HRP or other response plans as relevant, including the formulation of objectives, indicators, and targets, prioritizing response modalities and activities, identifying and quantifying inputs and the curation of data.

Resource mobilization

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

Implementation and monitoring

• Provide guidance to regional WASH clusters on the most effective uses of IM to build the capacity at regional level,
• Develop, implement and maintain a WASH Cluster monitoring plan and associated databases, including a response monitoring (3/4/5Ws) database,
• Ensure the WASH Cluster monitoring plan, and 3/4/5Ws include programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher and services),
• Support WASH Cluster partners to contribute timely and quality periodic monitoring reports on Cluster and OCHA platforms,
• Lead the WASH national and regional cluster IM/GIS 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 WASH Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group humanitarian response,
• Monitor adherence to relevant WASH Cluster quality standards, regulations and codes.
• Support the development and revision of WASH Cluster and Inter-Agency Information Management (IM) tools and surveys.

Operational peer review and evaluation

• Support the annual WASH Cluster Coordination Performance Monitoring (CCPM) exercise and annual review,
• Contribute to sectoral and broader humanitarian evaluations.

Accountability to affected people

• Be accountable to affected populations by ensuring 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 (age, child protection, disability, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation and response and HIV & AIDS) 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

• Take steps to strengthen local and national leadership and capacity by encouraging participation of local and national actors in the IM activities of the WASH Cluster and providing support to partners to overcome technical and operational challenges in participating in IM activities,
• Design and implement an WASH IM capacity assessment and capacity development plan for Cluster partners.

 To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Information Management or Information Systems, GIS Information Technologies, Computer Science, Statistics, Social Sciences or another subject area relevant to Information Management or to the Cluster.
• Formal training in WASH Cluster Information Management is considered an advantage.
• A minimum of 5 years 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.
• A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree
• Experience demonstrating very strong information management skills in a professional context is essential for this post.
• Experience in a humanitarian context is required.
• Experience working in the humanitarian coordination system is an asset.
• Extensive work experience outside the humanitarian sector which is relevant to this post may be considered in lieu of humanitarian experience.
• Fluency in English and a local language is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also 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 cancelled.

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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

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