Consultant - Information Management Officer (IMO), Whole of Syria (WoS)

Contract

This is a No grade contract. More about No grade contracts.

1. Purpose of the Consultancy

To provide technical lifesaving support to the Health Information Management team to enhance the quality of information products for prioritization, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the revised humanitarian response plan.

2. Background

The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is mandated to enhance WHO’s capacity for the rapid detection, assessment and follow up of all public health risks. This provides the opportunity to establish a framework that facilitates the implementation of a common approach to epidemic intelligence and public health event management across all levels of the organization. Please be advised that the Syrian crises and the massive population movement with millions of people displaced, coupled with the presence of millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, who require humanitarian assistance, have put an additional burden on already weak and disrupted health systems reporting critical shortages of essential medicines, vaccines, supplies and medical personnel. While significant progress has been made in some areas of the emergency response, information management to permit a continuous analysis of the situation and monitoring of health response remains a challenge. The consultancy being considered is critical for the Whole-of-Syria approach and will help to promptly assess the health needs of populations affected by crises; identify main causes of ill-health & death; prepare damage estimates & emergency response and rehabilitation plans; provide prompt and credible health information; ensure that critical health response gaps are rapidly identified; and monitor emergency health response efforts under the aegis of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Health Cluster, of which WHO is the lead agency.

The WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) is mandated to enhance WHO’s capacity for the rapid detection, assessment and follow up of all public health risks. This provides the opportunity to establish a framework that facilitates the implementation of a common approach to epidemic intelligence and public health event management across all levels of the organization. Please be advised that the Syrian crises and the massive population movement with millions of people displaced, coupled with the presence of millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt, who require humanitarian assistance, have put an additional burden on already weak and disrupted health systems reporting critical shortages of essential medicines, vaccines, supplies and medical personnel. While significant progress has been made in some areas of the emergency response, information management to permit a continuous analysis of the situation and monitoring of health response remains a challenge. The consultancy being considered is critical for the Whole-of-Syria approach and will help to promptly assess the health needs of populations affected by crises; identify main causes of ill-health & death; prepare damage estimates & emergency response and rehabilitation plans; provide prompt and credible health information; ensure that critical health response gaps are rapidly identified; and monitor emergency health response efforts under the aegis of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Health Cluster, of which WHO is the lead agency.

3. Planned timeline (11 months ) (subject to confirmation)

Start date: 18/07/2022

End date: 17/06/2023

4. Work to be performed

Develop statistical and analytical reports based on the existing databases produced 2. Collect and updated Data, generate indicators proposed by health cluster and export it to the central database. 1 3. Develop Relevant statistical and analytical reports on Trauma produced. 4. Gather Data on 4Ws 5. Conduct Capacity building exercises and training on Health Info system organized for staff and partners, incl GIS (Python, SQL) 6. Create GIS database 7. Develop Customized tools developed 8. Enhance EWARN platform and ensure that charts that are updated automatically when new data are received. This will serve as a complement to the PDF bulletin.

Deliverables

1. Technically contribute to the roll out of Public Health Information Services (PHIS). 2. Assess available health resources and services for primary and secondary healthcare using relevant tools such as Health Resource Availability Mapping System (He RAMS). 3. Rollout and monitor the standard multi sectorial rapid assessment tools developed by sector/cluster lead agencies for implementation within the health cluster. 4. Guide the health cluster agencies to gather data and monitor selection of indicators to demonstrate progress. This is in line with the revised humanitarian action plan.

5. Provide technical advice to implementation, assessment, and evaluation for the WHO Country Office on the proposed solutions for sustainable and efficient reporting processes (i.e. designing emergency health information systems based on needs analysis). 6. develop reliable data management processes including standardization of data format, sustainable structure of data collection, validation, analysis and dissemination of results.

5. Technical Supervision

The selected consultant will work under the supervision of: Responsible Officer: Dr. Abdihamid AHMED, WoS Health Sector Coordinator ; [email protected] Manager: Dr. Kamil Mohamed, WHE EMO Manager ; [email protected]

Specific requirements

- Qualifications required:

Education Minimum first university degree for lower end of range, an advanced university degree for mid and high end of range in information or data management, computer sciences, statistics, applied math or public health, complemented by training in databases development and/or management from an accredited/recognized institute.

Desirable Specialization in information management systems. Specific training in humanitarian response or emergency information management.

- Experience required:

* Essential: five to 10 years’ relevant experience combined at the national and international levels in data and/or information management, including experience in emergency operations or humanitarian context.

Desirable: Prior emergency disaster and health outbreak response or humanitarian working experience at field level, with WHO/UN agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organizations or with an international nongovernmental organization.

- Skills / Technical skills and knowledge:

1) Demonstrated knowledge of information management and monitoring systems as related to emergency response and relief operations. 2) Demonstrated knowledge of health information systems with ability to identify and manage difficult situations. 3) Proven skills in the field of statistical data collection, assessment, analysis and monitoring in a public health context. 4) Advance ability to design, manage, analyze and coordinate complex information system projects, computer-based applications and databases, web-based tools 5) Experience in transferring knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, workshop. 6) Experience in establishing clear workflows for data collection, data input oversight, multi-variate data analysis and dissemination of mapping tools. 7) Proven skills in the assessment, monitoring, analysis and evaluation of emergency health situations. 8) Knowledge of programme management and functioning of WHO and the UN system is an asset. 9) Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.

- Language requirements:

* Essential: Excellent knowledge of English Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of Arabic.

OTHER SKILLS

1) Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.

2) Working knowledge of online data collection applications, statistical analysis packages (Stata, SPSS, etc).

3) Good knowledge of database and Geographic Information System programmes (e.g., ArcView)

4) Understanding of data and information needs for programme management and decision making and experience with development and roll out of data management tools in support of the humanitarian coordination activities of the Health Cluster;

7. Place of assignment

Amman, Jordan

Travel to other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region may also be possible.

8. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

9. Travel

The Consultant is expected to travel. Destination and duration of travel will be identified through the progress work identified in countries

All travel arrangements will be made by WHO – WHO will not be responsible for tickets purchased by the Consultant without the express, prior authorization of WHO. While on mission under the terms of this consultancy, the Consultant will receive subsistence allowance.

Visas requirements: it is the consultant’s responsibility to fulfil visa requirements and ask for visa support letter(s) if needed.

Additional information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO 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 through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO's workforce adheres to the WHO Values Charter and is committed to put the WHO Values into practice - https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.