Bangladesh: REACH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT OFFICER - BANGLADESH

Title: REACH Information Management Officer seconded to RRRC/ISCG

Supervisor: REACH Senior Assessment Officer

Location: Ukhia Upazila (to be determined), Bangladesh

Contract duration: 6 months (renewable)

Start date: ASAP

Background on IMPACT and REACH

IMPACT Initiatives is humanitarian think tank, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote-sensing.

REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two INGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, supporting and working within the framework of the humanitarian reform process. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.

Country profile

Since 25 August 2017, more than half a million Rohingya have fled conflict in Myanmar across the border to Bangladesh. The majority have settled in makeshift settlements and spontaneous sites, in self-built shelters established primarily with bamboo and tarpaulin bought upon arrival. The speed and scale of displacement, continued movement of people within the area, and lack of vehicular access to much of the population has resulted in an extremely challenging response and significant information gaps on the humanitarian situation of refugees in these sites.

In mid-September, REACH deployed to Bangladesh in support of the Global WASH Cluster to map shelters and infrastructure in the makeshift settlements and spontaneous sites. Sites are spread across the forested hills of Cox’s Bazar district, ranging from populations of 20-30,000 to the largest site of over 310,000 people in a contiguous area. REACH has established a team of enumerators to complete infrastructure mapping, with a particular focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in all spontaneous sites and makeshift settlements in Ukhia and Teknaf Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district. REACH has furthered developed programming in household-level assessments of camp residents, community level mapping and exercises in population estimates. In 2018 REACH supported camp risk analysis to prepare for the monsoon season (May to September with heavy rain June-July). In close collaboration with the Inter Sector Coordination Group and the Refugees, Relief and Repatriation Commission (RRRC) REACH will support disaster risk reduction and emergency response coordination during the monsoon season by seconding information management expertise to Government led crisis cells that will be set up close to the main camps near Cox’s Bazaar.

Functions

Under the direct day to day supervision of the emergency crisis cell coordination the Information Management Officer will be expected to provide technical support on data collection, analysis and reporting for the cell that will report to the Cox’s Bazar hub. Further technical supervision will be provided by the REACH Senior Assessment Officer. The main responsibilities of the Information Management Officer will be the following:

1.Coordination and monitoring of data collection activities

i.Identification of information priorities and methods

a) Liaise with Cox’s Bazaar crisis hub to identify information needs

b) Identify potential secondary data sources and primary data collection options

c) Suggest strategies for collecting data in a challenging context

ii.Planning and monitoring of data collection activities

a) Plan in close collaboration with the local crisis cell and crisis hub data collection through appropriate methods (key informant interviews, remote sensing, direct observation)

b) Support development of data collection tools for partners and enumerators

c) Monitor data collection activities for area of responsibility

2.Data management and data quality assurance

i.Processing, storage and sharing of data

a) Ensure all data collected through agreed data collection method is processed according to agreed procedures (uploading of Kobo data, digitization of participatory mapping exercises, documenting information received from key informants)

b) Adequate storage of all data on local and global storage spaces (Dropbox, REACH Resource Centre)

c) Sharing of data through relevant channels (email, skype groups, field presentations)

ii.Ensuring data quality and consistency

a) Conduct data cleaning and verification of collected information

b) Cross reference and check consistency of information with partners and other sources (local news, authorities)

c) Flag any issues and concern to crisis cell coordination and crisis hub

3.Capacity building and ad hoc technical support

i.Build capacities of local Information Management Officer (IMO) within crisis cell

a) Provide continuous support to locally recruited IMO to build capacities in data collection (Kobo toolbox), data analysis (Excel) and GIS (QGIS) if possible

b) Identify and address skills gaps and provide recommendation for trainings and on the job learning opportunities

c) Empower crisis cell to identify solutions to data management issues

ii.Provision of ad-hoc technical information management support to crisis cell

a) Suggest information management strategies and solutions in close collaboration with crisis hub

b) Provide tips and advice to improve their use of common IT tools (Microsoft Office) for improve information management

c) Any other support as requested by the crisis cell coordinator

4.Accountability to Communities and Beneficiaries

The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities REACH and partners work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about REACH programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every REACH staff member.

Requirements

• Degree, or relevant combination of qualifications and experience, in information management (data analysis, statistics, GIS), public health in emergencies, social sciences, institutional development, water or sanitation engineering or related field. An advanced degree is desirable.
• Minimum of two years of experience of information management or monitoring and evaluation in emergency humanitarian contexts.
• Knowledge of the cluster / sector coordination and the On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) concept from the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) depar
• Strong experience of developing and implementing IM tools and systems.
• A good understanding of the humanitarian policy environment including current knowledge of the latest IM policies, research, international standards and developments in the field.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, develop, plan monitor and evaluate IM relative to programmes, as well as to teach skills and build team capacity
• Experience with natural and complex political emergencies in diverse cultural and climatic settings.
• Experience in liaison with a broad range of field stakeholders, including UN agencies and INGOs, national authorities, national/local partner agencies and emergency affected communities
• Proactive problem solving and operational decision making
• High-level technical and analytical.
• Strong communication and advocacy skills.
• Strong skills in presentation and facilitation.
• Technical integrity.
• Ability to encourage and contribute to a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
• Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects and activities on-time and on-budget.
• Ability to analyse and present diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups and nurtures good relationships across organizational levels and boundaries from government leaders to all stakeholders and the affected population.
• Computer skills, including common databases, GIS (desirable), and analysis software.
• Willingness to travel, resilience, stress tolerance and work under difficult conditions.
• Fluently spoken and written English
• Good command of another language (especially French, Spanish or Hindi/Bengali)

Conditions

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus

• Additional monthly living allowance

• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)

• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance

• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV and three references to jobs@impact-initiatives.org

Ref: 18/BDG/IMO01

Please indicate the above reference code in the subject line of your email.

For more information, visit us at http://www.impact-initiatives.org