UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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For every child, the right to Education

How can you make a difference?

Humanitarian action is of fundamental importance to UNICEF and encompasses interventions aimed at saving lives, alleviating suffering, maintaining human dignity, and protecting the rights of affected populations wherever there are humanitarian needs, as well as interventions addressing underlying risks and causes of vulnerability to disasters, fragility and conflict. UNICEF’s humanitarian action is guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) which set organizational, programmatic and operational commitments and benchmarks against which UNICEF holds itself accountable for the coverage, quality and equity of its humanitarian action and advocacy and which are mandatory for all UNICEF personnel.

Furthermore, UNICEF is committed to support humanitarian coordination through the cluster approach. Introduced as part of the humanitarian reform, the cluster approach aims at ensuring clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies by clarifying the division of labor among organizations and better defining their roles and responsibilities within the different sectors involved in the response. As a member of the IASC, UNICEF works along with national and local stakeholders (including national and local authorities, CSOs, and communities) to support humanitarian coordination and to improve the collective impact of humanitarian response. Whether the cluster approach is activated or not, UNICEF plays a key role in both global and country-level interagency coordination for its areas of programmatic responsibility. As Cluster Lead Agency (CLA) for Nutrition, WASH, Education (co-led), and Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR) within the Protection Cluster, UNICEF is committed to fulfil the core functions defined by the IASC when the clusters are activated or when UNICEF is asked to support sectoral coordination.

A well-run Cluster Working Group coordination team, including Information Management (IM), is a formal deliverable of the Cluster Lead Agency and forms a part of the agency’s work. The IM Officer (Education Cluster) is a core member of the Cluster Working Group coordination team.

Within the evolving humanitarian and Basic Human Needs coordination architecture in Afghanistan, the IM Officer supports information management processes that strengthen evidence-based decision-making, coordinated humanitarian response planning, inter-sectoral analysis and operational coordination between sub-national and national coordination structures.

Purpose of the Job: Under the overall direction and guidance of the Education Manager/Specialist Cluster Coordinator, the IM Officer (Education Cluster) manages and supports the information management function of the Education Cluster Working Group at sub-national level. The incumbent supports the collection, analysis, management and dissemination of information required to enable evidence-based humanitarian planning, response coordination, monitoring and reporting.

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),
Support the Cluster Working Group IM function and coordinate with others within the function to ensure effective communication, reporting and engagement,
Actively engage with other IMs through relevant IMWGs, including participating in the Cluster Working Group IMWG and representing the Cluster Working Group on the inter-cluster IMWG as relevant at sub-national level,
Promote harmonized and coordinated approaches to IM across partners, AoRs/ Clusters Working Groups and OCHA at sub-national level.

IM Function Support

Implement an IM strategy and data collection and analysis plan at sub-national level that take into account the information needs of stakeholders and that are compliant with standards and protocols for ethical data and information management and that is aligned with the national level IM strategy and plan,
Implement regular secondary data reviews and primary data collection including designing questionnaires using appropriate tools,
Conduct data processing including organizing, cleaning, triangulating, evaluating and validating the data,
Analyze data to meet identified information needs of sub-national Cluster Working Group 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,
Maintain and ensure the accessibility of a common and shared secure storage system,
Gather feedback on IM products and use them to make improvements.

Needs Assessment and Analysis

Working collaboratively with other members of the Cluster Working Group at national and sub-national level, contribute to the planning and implementation of needs assessment and analysis, including joint assessments and analysis, as requested,
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) as relevant at sub-national level,
Work with sub-national Cluster Working Group participants to identify information gaps, agree and implement ways to bridge those gaps by providing technical support to partners,
Analyze needs assessment data to provide required information for the HNO including estimating People in Need (PIN),
Contribute to joint and inter-sectoral analysis processes and support alignment of needs analysis findings across clusters/sectors and relevant humanitarian and Basic Human Needs coordination platforms at sub-national level.

Strategic Response Planning

Implement partner presence mapping at sub-national level,
Contribute to strategic planning, response prioritization and development of humanitarian response plans and related analytical products, including support to objectives, indicators, targets, partner mapping and response monitoring.

Resource Mobilization

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

Implementation and Monitoring

Implement and maintain a sub-national Cluster Working Group monitoring plan and associated databases, including a response monitoring (3/4/5Ws) database that is in line with and contributes to national level databases,
Ensure the sub-national Cluster Working Group monitoring plan, and 3/4/5Ws include programme delivery modalities (in-kind, cash, voucher and services),
Support sub-national Cluster Working Group members to contribute timely and quality periodic monitoring reports on Cluster Working Group and OCHA platforms,
Support monitoring in the areas of information flows, dissemination, processing, analysis and dissemination,
Contribute to quantitative and qualitative gaps and coverage analysis to identify spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of the sub-national Cluster Working Group humanitarian response,
Monitor adherence to relevant sector quality standards, regulations and codes at sub-national level.

Operational Peer Review and Evaluation

Participate in the annual 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 encouraging 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 analysed, and by encouraging partners to work accountably,
Ensure the inclusion of cross cutting issues (age, child protection, disability, gender, gender, gender-based violence (GBV) mitigation and response and HIV & AIDS) in Cluster Working Group data collection, analysis and dissemination,
Adhere to child safeguarding and PSEA policies including procedures for challenging and reporting incidents.

Strengthen National and Local Capacity

Support or implement actions to strengthen local and national leadership and capacity by encouraging participation of local and national actors in the IM activities of the sub-national Cluster Working Group and providing support to partners to overcome technical and operational challenges in participating in IM activities,
Implement an IM capacity assessment and capacity development plan for sub-national Cluster Working Group partners.

The IM Officer (Education Cluster) position is based in Afghanistan and supports the Education Cluster coordination function at sub-national or regional level. The position reports to the Education Manager/Specialist Cluster Coordinator (P3/P4) and supports information management, data analysis, reporting and coordination processes required for effective Education Cluster coordination and humanitarian response planning.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Information Management Officer, NO2, Job Description.pdf

To qualify an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in Information Management, Information Systems, Info. Technology, Computer Science, Statistics, Science, information management, information systems, geographic information systems, information technology, computer science, statistics, social sciences, data science and any other related field is required.
Work Experience: 2 years of relevant work experience in Information Technology, Humanitarian Assistance, Education, Emergency, Monitoring and Evaluation, Response, information management, humanitarian coordination, education in emergencies, data analysis, needs assessment, monitoring and reporting, geospatial analysis, data visualization, response planning, cluster coordination and any other related field is a requirement.
Skills: Information Management, Data Management, Monitoring and Reporting, Needs Assessment, GIS, MS Excel
Language Requirements: English - Proficiency/Fluency is required.

Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
Humanitarian coordination experience, cluster IM training, INEE minimum standards, Sphere standards, Core Humanitarian Standard experience will be an asset.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts will be considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and 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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Information Management Officer (Education) (NO-2), FT, #00138039, Kabul - Afghanistan, APR (For nationals of Afghanistan only)