Data Centre Specialist/ Beneficiary Data Specialist, NOC, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Mid Programme & Policy

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

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, h****ow can you make a difference?

Background:

Sri Lanka is amid an acute crisis that is expected to continue throughout 2022 and beyond. In a context of soaring inflation, heightened income insecurity and scarce availability of essential products, such as food, fuel, fertilizers and medicines, more and more families are unable to meet their basic needs. According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change of the Colombo Consumer Price Index, continues to rise, most recently from 60.8 per cent in July to 64.3 per cent in August 2022.1 Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to as high as 93.7 per cent in August 2022 – from 90.9 per cent in July and 80.1 per cent in June.2 Most recent UN assessments reveal that at this point of the crisis, 28 per cent of households are food insecure. In addition, it is expected that Sri Lanka’s food production and harvest will drop by at least 40 to 50 per cent in the coming months, resulting in a further deterioration of the situation.

Sri Lanka’s social protection system – characterized by high levels of fragmentation, weak coordination, low coverage and large exclusion errors, as well as limited adequacy – is not prepared to respond to a shock of this magnitude and to provide reliable protection to all vulnerable population groups. The government currently depends on the financial assistance of the ADB and WB to maintain and expand its main social assistance programmes.

In June 2022, the UN launched a humanitarian appeal to provide life-saving assistance to around 5.7 million people in urgent need, including 2.3 million children. In line with this inter-agency Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan for Sri Lanka and the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, UNICEF launched a Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, calling for US$25.3 million to meet critical needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized children and their families by ensuring continued access to essential services and support, including cash transfers for lactating women. In this context, UNICEF aims to reach around 100’000 households with lactating mothers and young children through technical and financial assistance to support their access to nutritious food and ensure linkages to related services.

More specifically, the objective is to: (1) Address a critical gap in the national social protection system by providing nutrition-sensitive cash transfers to lactating women and children up to the age of 24 months in the most vulnerable districts, in line with previous government commitments and in alignment with other development partners, most notably ADB that plans to continue the current pregnancy voucher programme; (2) Contribute to strengthening the system, by enhancing linkages between the cash transfer and complementary services (‘plus’), and exploring new delivery mechanisms.

SLCO (Sri Lanka Country Office) is currently implementing a pilot in Colombo, providing cash transfers and additional nutritional information to around 3’000 mothers with babies aged 0 to 6 months for a project period of 3 months. UNICEF is also seeking to secure additional funding to expand the intervention in four or five additional district to around 100’000 beneficiaries

Activities and Tasks:

Personal data services management

• Provide guidance and oversight for the adequate use of the Humanitarian Cash Operations and Programme Ecosystem (HOPE) for UNICEF and partners

• Escalate to management risks related to personal data management

• Ensure quality of data analysis, reporting, Third Party Monitoring (TPM), Grievance and Redressal Mechanisms (GRM) and data protection standards

• Provide oversight of personal data use for efficient and effective delivery of individual payments/cash transfers and ensure all payments are made on time

• Coordinate with interagency counterpart’s data interoperability initiatives

Data management representation function

• Coordinate with HQ (Headquarters) HOPE team on prioritized support

• Represent personal data management function within SLCO

• Represent data management function with external stakeholders including de facto authorities

• Represent data management function in donors briefing

Data protection standards

• Ensure that personal data management workstream is aligned with UNICEF Data Protection Policy

• Coordinate with HQ technical counterparts to ensure:

▪ Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) are carried out with appropriate frequency on supported programmes

▪ UNICEF partners are trained on Data Protection and Responsible Data for Children principles

▪ UNICEF CSO and private sector partners comply with relevant data protection legal tools such as Non-Disclosure Agreements

▪ Timely implementation of DPIA recommendations

▪ Ensure timely arrangement and signature of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with UNICEF’s implementing partners, financial service providers and other entities who will require access to personally-identifiable information on UNICEF

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

Education:

Master’s degree in Economics, Social Science or related field is required. Bachelor's degree complemented with relevant industry certifications and work experience can be considered.

Experience:

5 years of professional work experience of data or humanitarian program/project management experience, including with multiple stakeholders. Experience in emergency contexts desirable.

Knowledge and skills:

Experience in implementing humanitarian cash transfers programme

Experience in beneficiary data system for humanitarian cash transfer at field level

Experience in business operation environments with a proven track record of interfacing with multiple stakeholders (internal and external) and successful project completion

Experience in working with UN agencies or NGOs (UNICEF experience preferred) at interagency level

Detailed knowledge of the project lifecycle and fluency in project management methodologies

Experience in data coordination, management, and analysis

Experience with writing short data analysis reports and presenting findings using data visualization tools and graphics.

Experience collaborating across multiple functions and working with operational subject matter experts, technical resources and architecture teams

High motivation, and dedication to deliver results within strict timeframes

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core Values attributes

• Care

• Respect

• Integrity

• Trust

• Accountability

Core competencies skills

• Nurtures, Leads, and Manages People (2)

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)

• Works Collaboratively with others (2)

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)

• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)

• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)

• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)

• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

Functional competencies

• Applying Technical Expertise (2)

• Analyzing (2)

• Formulating Strategies and Concepts (2)

• Planning and Organizing (2)

• Deciding and Initiating Action (2)

• Adapting and Responding to Change (2)

• Coping with Pressure and Setbacks (2)

• Relating and Networking (2)

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

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

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). 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 medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

If you think this position might be for you, please take the time to review our Country Office Mutual Agreements before you apply.

If you believe you can team member that can uphold these everyday, then we look forward to receiving and reviewing your application.

Apply now

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org