Information Management Officer (Education), NO-2, Mekelle, Ethiopia, (6 months) - Only for Ethiopian Nationals

Contract

This is a NO-2 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-2 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, education

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent, with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

To see our year in review, please click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx_DayHVFVA

How can you make a difference?

Purpose:

At the sub-national level, the Information Management Officer will collect, organize, and maintain data and information on the education sectors/cluster coverage, programming, and results for the Tigray Regional Education Bureau (TREB). He/she will also network with cluster partners as well as cross clusters (in collaboration with OCHA) to design and update monthly monitoring dashboards and encourage information sharing, provide technical support and guidance for sector-specific and multi-sectoral assessment and surveys, and develop tools and train cluster members to ensure standardized data is available to make informed, evidence-based, strategic decisions as well as respond to the emergency and recovery needs.

Additionally, the post-holder will support the UNICEF Education Programme to standardize their programme M&E framework and ensure quality data is available from implementing partners (including the TREB) to track key performance indicators and monitor the overall situation of education across the region. The Information Management Officer will also manage information dashboards, support the preparation of situation updates, visualize and present results, gaps, and trends through advocacy materials, maps, and infographics, and share analysis for prioritization with the Ethiopia Education Programme team.

Within this context, the Information Management Officer (Education) will be expected to work closely with the Regional Education Bureau (REB) to improve their capacity on education information management and develop tools/new digital innovations, including tools such as u-report and Raid-pro for collecting and analyzing information on school reopening status, quality, and efficiency indicators. A key focus in this regard will be to support the planning and ICT units in the REB to re-activate the Education Information Management System and incorporate Education in Emergencies (EiE) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) indicators within regular monitoring and supervision at zonal and woreda levels.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Information and Knowledge management for the Education Cluster

• Maintain monthly reporting from Cluster participants, including 5Ws (‘Who does What, Where, When and for Whom?’ databases) at regional and sub-regional levels for the Mekelle and Shire Areas of Responsibility (AoR’s)
• Ensure that there is effective communication, reporting, and engagement between the national, regional, and sub-regional (zonal) coordination structures.
• Develop high-quality data visualization products, including maps, graphs, and visual data narrations based on analysis
• Manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way, including contact list and website management
• Maintain information databases that consolidate, analyze, and report/disseminate information critical to decision making
• Support the estimation of needs and targets, geographical prioritization, overlaps, and coverage of cluster activities and projects.
• Use tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for data analysis, visualization, and management
• Provide training and capacity-building support for cluster members and the TREB to improve the quality and timeliness of reports/newly launched IM systems from OCHA and the national cluster.
• Provide technical support and leadership for the design of sector and multi-sectoral assessments and independent evaluations on behalf of the cluster.

Technical and operational support to Quality and System Recovery interventions under the Education programme

• Undertake field visits and surveys and share information with stakeholders to assess progress and refer to relevant officials for resolution.
• Support with the development of standardized (digitalized) checklists and tools to be used by UNICEF programme staff, the TREB, and partners to analyze alignment with agreed minimum standards and quality benchmarks across UNICEF interventions related to education.
• Develop and strengthen information management capacity through the trainings for partners on the use of 5W reporting and other IM/data collection tools
• Support efforts to capacitate local and regional national education authorities in data collection and information management (with a focus on the use of new technologies)
• Ensure that IM supports national/regional information systems, and standards and builds local capacities.

Networking and partnership-building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with regional government counterparts, education cluster members, UNICEF partners, and national and sub-national stakeholders, including donors and global education actors, through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build the capacity of stakeholders.

• Maintain a database and close working relationship with IM and M&E focal points in UNICEF implementing partner organizations and with education cluster partner organizations to enhance streamlined coordination and submission of timely reports.

• Support information exchange on best practices and lessons learned through the education cluster and scheduled UNICEF programme review in collaboration with the Education Specialist (P3) in Shire and Mekelle.
• Support the Education Specialist (P3) to ensure a linkage to the UNICEF Country, Regional, and Global Programme Monitoring and Emergency Response Teams/Knowledge networks to ensure the availability of current and accurate data in line with reporting requirements for education (i.e., high-frequency indicators, the CCC benchmarks, and standard education RAM indicators)
• Provide support to programme staff and UNICEF partners to develop evidence-based knowledge products and data management tools such as fact sheets, maps, and beneficiary/indicator tracking databases.
• Provide support for evidence generation to demonstrate accountability for affected populations and cross-sectoral issues, including gender, disability inclusion, DRR/climate change, and youth participation.
• Support the Education Specialist (P3) in coordination activities with location stakeholders, including events, donor visits, and VIP visits (covering site preparation and logistics for such visits in collaboration with the operations team).

Innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building

• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Maintain appropriate links with relevant regional, zonal, and woreda level authorities and identify new innovative solutions (including digital solutions) to strengthen and not replace or diminish government efforts to re-activate/develop EMIS systems.
• Research and report on best and cutting-edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems with a focus on evidence generation and data analysis.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders and, specifically, the TREB.

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

• University degree in one of the following fields is required: computer science, data analysis, economics, statistics, or another related field is required.
• A minimum of two years (2 years) of professional experience in data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, computer science, and/or research is required.
• Experience in developing and designing digital data collection tools for a variety of audiences with varying levels of skills (ideally through ONA/KOBO) is required.
• Experience working with regional or woreda government authorities on issues related to education, child protection, and access to social services in Tigray or elsewhere in Ethiopia is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Spanish, Arabic, or Russian) or the local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• 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…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

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. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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.

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 candidates 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). Government employees who 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.