PMU: IM Officer Personal Data Management, Level NO-2, Fixed Term Appointment, Kabul, Afghanistan

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.

Working for UNICEF: https://youtu.be/43aiG4w2q_M?t=2 

UNICEF in Afghanistan:  https://www.unicef.org/afghanistan/ 

For every child, a fair chance

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The past two decades have seen important progress on child rights, yet while much has been achieved, sharp disparities remain. In most countries, inequality is higher today than a generation ago, including in middle income countries where a majority of the world’s poor children now live. The rapid pace of urbanization and the growing youth bulge in Africa and parts of Asia will require significant expansion of the provision of essential services for children. These challenges are compounded by the scale and complexity of crises triggered by conflict, natural disasters or epidemics. The global community faces these challenges when the political and economic environments pose challenges of their own, testing the world’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable. In this environment, strong and consistent leadership of UNICEF is critical to enable the achievement of results for children.

Job organizational context

The situation in Afghanistan remains exceptionally complex, with a protracted emergency situation, characterized by recurrent natural disasters, an increased number of people living in poverty, continued internal displacement, unprecedented levels of food insecurity, further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This complexity has greatly impacted the situation of children and women in the country. The withdrawal of United States military forces from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the establishment of a de-facto government by the Taliban has exacerbated the complexity and uncertainty of the situation. UNICEF is required to rapidly adapt our ways of working to address the multiple operational constraints present in the highly volatile and unpredictable context. This includes the need to establish a Programme Management Unit that will provide operational and transactional capacity to the Afghanistan Country Office to ensure urgent lifesaving and resilience building programmes can continue.

The Afghanistan Programme Management Unit’s (APMU) IM Officer Personal Data Management (NO2) will report to the Beneficiary Data Manager P4. He/she will be based in Kabul and oversee the beneficiary data collection and quality assurance activities through the Humanitarian cash Operations and Programme Ecosystem (HOPE).

Purpose for the job:

In anticipation of agreements with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and other major donors to implement programme interventions in the context of Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) is looking for an IM Personal Data Management. The IM Officer Personal Data Management will support the Beneficiary Data Manager in managing the technical relationship with data collection and processing partners, perform adequate quality assurance activities on data being collected, develop context specific data processing SOP, train UNICEF colleagues and partners in the use of HOPE and coordinate all user support needs that will result from the use of HOPE in ACO.

How can you make a difference?

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:Summary of key

functions/accountabilities:

Under the direct supervision of the GRM Specialist, the IM Officer Personal Data Management (NO2) will:

 

1.       Provide direct support to the Implementing partners and UNICEF HOPE users:

1.1    Train Implementing Partners and UNICEF Users in performing their respective roles function in HOPE

1.2    Provide first level of support for user questions and support request

1.3    Prioritize users support request and submit to Beneficiary Data Manager for consideration

1.4    Ensure all HOPE related tasks are performed with high quality outputs

1.5    Maintain HOPE ACO User roles list and ensure endorsement of UNICEF ACO management

2.       Third Party Monitoring and Registration:

2.1.       Support in designing third party verification exercise when existing beneficiaries list are received from external sources

2.2.       Provide oversight to beneficiary registration exercises including by field testing registration questionnaires and accompanying partner’s enumerators in the field

2.3.       Perform regular data quality analysis, identify bottleneck in data collection and verification exercise and propose relevant solutions

3.       Targeting and Payment Verification

3.1.       Implement targeting methodologies as designed by ACO relevant section and perform accuracy test of resulting target population

3.2.       Support HOPE user in preparation of Target populations and Cash Plans

3.3.       Support HOPE user in the preparation of Payment Verification exercise and coordinate with TPM/IP/C4D for the data collection through RapidPro or regular field survey

4.       Data Protection

4.1.       Support the implementation of UNICEF Data Protection policy at all level and with all HOPE partners

4.2.       Prepare/Negotiate Non disclosure Agreements with FSP/TPM and Implementing Partners

4.3.       Monitor Data Protection Impact Assessment recommendation implementation

 

Impact of Results:

The effective planning and implementation of beneficiary personal data management through HOPE ensures that the project’s beneficiaries can access cash transfers and relates services that helps them to meet their basic needs thus contributing to their survival, development and well-being in society. Achievements in sound beneficiary data management contributes to UNICEF enforcement of its Data Protection policy and relevant risk mitigation measures.

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

Education: Bachelors’ Degree in social sciences or a related science relevant to the work of UNICEF.

Experience: Minimum two years of relevant professional experience in social policy, beneficiary data management, monitoring cash transfer programmes, case management or a related field.

Ability to work with a team as well as independently in a multi-cultural and gender-sensitive environment

Knowledge and skills:

• Experience in coordinating multiple stakeholders
• Experience in beneficiary data management oversight

Experience in Accountability to Affected populations and Risk Communication and Community Engagement

Language: Fluency in English and knowledge of the local language is a requirement. Knowledge of another UN language an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Core competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships; 
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness; 
• Drives to achieve results for impact; 
• Innovates and embraces change; 
• Nurtures, leads and manages people; 
• Works collaboratively with others; 
• Thinks and acts strategically; 
• Manages ambiguity and complexity.

Functional Competencies:

Leading and Supervising [II]

Formulating Strategies and Concepts [II]

Analyzing [III]                                     

Relating and Networking [II]

Deciding and Initiating Action [II]       

Applying Technical Expertise [II]

Communicating [II]

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

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:

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

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with child, is a safeguarding response role or has been assessed as an elevated risk role for child safeguarding.

Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.