Remote Consultancy based in Dakar: RRT Information Management Consultant (264 working days between Aug 2023 and July 2024) – Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS)

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, an advocate

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen the Information management capacity of clusters/sectors/WGs coordination mechanisms at the regional/ country level to prepare for, plan and deliver quality, predictable, timely, effective, and evidence based integrated nutrition responses through provision of quality information management related support and capacity strengthen (mentoring and training).

Scope of work

The RRT Information Management Consultant is a core Cluster Coordination team member. The purpose of this support is to reinforce the information management systems at the regional, county/national, and sub-national level with more focus on L2 and L3 & HRP countries. The consultant will provide the needed support in managing collection, analysis, and sharing of information that is important for partners to make a well informed (evidence-based) strategic decision.

The consultant is responsible for providing predictable, timely and strategic leadership and will be responsible for ensuring IM processes effectively contribute to a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group that is accountable to those who are affected by the emergency. In their effort to enable an efficient and effective response to the humanitarian crisis. The consultant, with the support of the GNC Coordination team, and in collaboration with UNICEF regional and country offices will be involve in the day to day follow up on IM issues. The consultant will provide in-person or remote support to countries based on specific requests for support on information management matters.

The tasks/responsibilities of the IM Consultant include:

• Identified IM technical support needs, review emergency nutrition information management systems pertaining to coordination and subsequently support cluster/sector/WG coordination teams to improve where agreed the identified gaps at national & sub-national level.
• Adopt and promote the use of global standards for information management, maintain and regularly update the Nutrition Cluster Coordination information management checklists/ Toolkits to ensure that it includes latest guidance and best practices and promote its adaptation by countries.
• Systematically support country cluster/sectors in formulating nutrition cluster/sector response plans based on evidence and provide technical inputs to the Humanitarian Needs Overviews (HNOs) and Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) developed by country clusters/sectors/WGs prior to their finalization, to ensuring quality of a coordinated comprehensive NiE response plan.
• Contribute to the production of the GNC Mid-year and annual reports by liaising with countries to collect and review their contributions to the report.
• Ensure that the GNC website has the repository of the latest IM regional/ country level related materials.
• Supporting the implementation of the cluster coordination performance monitoring exercises (CCPM) and the development of plan of actions, which clearly articulate action required from GNC-CT to support the implementation of the plan of action.
• Support the GNC capacity strengthen activities/ trainings and mentoring program, including identify information management capacity strengthening needs and support the development of IM capacity building plans and providing orientating/mentoring of newly appointed IMOs on cluster coordination.
• Use GIS mapping for map production and geographic data management for both regional and country level nutrition and nutrition-relevant data.
• Provide support where requested countries (national-subnational level) to sitreps and regular information updates, including different nutrition assessments related updates.
• Develop, Maintain and update nutrition information dashboards for national and sub-national level and manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way.
• Regularly (monthly and on as “needed” basis), communicate issues raised by the IMOs to the Global Nutrition Cluster Coordination Team through weekly calls & monthly reports.
• Contribute to RO-level Nutrition coordination IM related outputs, which align to the CLARE II recommendations, as needed and ensure smooth information sharing between GNC, RO & CO team on efforts pertaining to IM.
• Ensure that 90% of requests for support responded within 48 hours.
• Any other task as assigned by the supervisor

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone	Deliverables / Outputs	Timeline / Deadline
Identified IM technical support needs, review emergency nutrition information management systems pertaining to coordination and subsequently support cluster/sector/WG coordination teams to improve where agreed the identified gaps at national & sub-national level	Desk review for the emergency nutrition information management systems/ tools conducted, list of IM technical gaps/ needs per country developed and recommendations to address them shared	20 working days; Between Aug and Sept 2023
Adopt and promote the use of global standards for information management, maintain and regularly update the Nutrition Cluster Coordination information management checklists/ Toolkits to ensure that it includes latest guidance and best practices and promote its adaptation by countries.	IM checklists/toolkit are maintained/updated	8 working days; Between Aug and Sept 2023
Contribute to the production of the GNC Mid-year report by liaising with countries to collect and review their contributions to the report.	Inputs for MYR were provided timely	5 working days; Between Aug and Sept 2023
Systematically support country cluster/sectors in formulating nutrition cluster/sector response plans based on evidence and provide technical inputs to the Humanitarian Needs Overviews (HNOs) and Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) developed by country clusters/sectors/WGs prior to their finalization, to ensuring quality of a coordinated comprehensive NiE response plan.	Timely support and feedback provided to 100% of the GNC priority countries on their HNO/HRP and NC response plans	22 working days; Between Sept 2023 and Feb 2024
Supporting the implementation of the cluster coordination performance monitoring exercises (CCPM) and the development of plan of actions, which clearly articulate action required from GNC-CT to support the implementation of the plan of action.	Support provided to CCPM exercise and post exercise plan of action developed in the IMO supported countries	25 working days; Between Sept 2023 and Feb 2024
Support the GNC capacity strengthen activities/ trainings and mentoring program, including identify IM capacity strengthening needs and support the development of IM capacity building plans and providing orientating/mentoring of newly appointed IMOs on cluster coordination.	At least 4 blended training are supported	8 working days; Between Oct 2023 and June 2024
	At least 5 IM capacity strengthen plan developed & their activities are rolled out	30 working days; Between Oct 2023 and June 2024
	Mentoring provided to at least 2 IMOs	10 working days; Between Oct 2023 and June 2024
Contribute to the production of the GNC Annual report by liaising with countries to collect and review their contributions to the report.	Inputs for the annual report were provided timely	5 working days; Between Oct 2023 and June 2024
Use GIS mapping for map production and geographic data management for both regional and country level nutrition and nutrition-relevant data.	100% of requested Maps from the supported countries are produced, and geographic data are managed	20 working days; Between Oct 2023 and May 2024
Provide support to requested countries (national-subnational level) to sitreps and regular information updates, including different nutrition assessments related updates.	At least 20 Coordination related Sitep reports were supported. Information on 90% of conducted Nutrition assessments were shared timely	30 working days; Between Oct 2023 and May 2024
Ensure that the GNC website has the repository of the latest IM regional/ country level related materials.	GNC website has an updated repository with RO/CO updated materials	10 working days; Between Sept 2023 and June 2024
Develop, Maintain and update nutrition information dashboards for national and sub-national level and manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way.	National-level and subnational-level dashboards for IMO supported countries are developed and updated on monthly basis. Power Bi tools for monitoring nutrition products are maintained on monthly basis & information disseminated	33 working days; Between Sept 2023 and June 2024
Regularly (monthly and on as “needed” basis), communicate issues raised by the IMOs to the Global Nutrition Cluster Coordination Team through weekly calls & monthly reports.	90% of the weekly calls are attended; 100% of monthly reports are prepared/ shared on time	10 working days; Between Aug 2023 and July 2024
Contribute to RO-level Nutrition coordination IM related outputs, which align to the CLARE II recommendations, as needed and ensure smooth information sharing between GNC, RO & CO team on efforts pertaining to IM.	Contribute to 5 RO/CO NCCs coordination calls (8 days)	8 working days; Between Aug 2023 and July 2024
	Smooth information sharing between GNC, and CO/RO team ensured; 90% of requests for support responded within 48 hours	20 working days; Between Aug 2023 and July 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

264 working days (between August 2023 and July 2024).

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be home-based in Dakar, Senegal.

As part of this assignment, there will be approximately seven (7) travels from the duty station to selected countries such as Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, and Mali (5-10 working days expected for each trip). The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Please propose a professional fee (in USD) based on 264 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Information Management or Information Systems, GIS Information Technologies, Computer Science, Statistics, Social Sciences or another subject area relevant to Information Management or to the Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group.
• 7 years of relevant professional experience combined with a first University degree may be considered as a replacement for an Advanced University degree.
• Formal training in Cluster/ Sector/ Working Group Information Management is considered an advantage.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in information management, data management, geographical information systems, assessments, situation analysis and/or PM&E with the UN and/or NGO is required.
• Experience of demonstrating very strong information management skills in a professional context is essential for this post.
• Experience working in the humanitarian coordination system is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a proposed professional fee will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.