Mercy Corps
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Position title: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT OFFICER
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary Grade: O1
Job Location: Lumbini, Nepal
Valid through: May 18, 2022
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, girl’s education, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We take a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.
Program / Department Summary
Due to geographic and other vulnerabilities, each year Nepal faces substantial disturbance and damage in the education sector due to diverse kinds of hazards impacting children’s rights to access to education and continuation of quality learning achievements. Nepal continues to face frequent disasters such as floods, landslides, fires, earthquakes, and disease outbreaks like cholera, dengue, and now, the COVID-19. The education sector is vulnerable to natural disasters, as they can result in damage or destruction of learning facilities and materials, closures and the prolonged disruption of education, increased barriers to education, limited access to schooling, and impact on the quality of education. The COVID-19 pandemic-led school closures have posed challenges in children’s learning continuity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all about 35,000 schools in Nepal, for 8 months which impacted the learning loss of 8.3 million children in the first wave.
In aligning with the federal structure, the Constitution of Nepal (2015) has devolved the local government’s power and authority related to basic and secondary school education. The overall management of basic and secondary education is with the local governments, including emergency preparedness and response. In this light, European Union and UNICEF have collaborated to support the government for COVID19 education response initiatives, focusing on cluster capacity strengthening to equip education stakeholders responsible for preparedness and response to combat all kinds of emergencies to enhance the resilience of school education.
Implementation of Minimum Package of the Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) is the priority agenda of government and development partners in Nepal. EU and UNICEF have collaborated to support the government for Education cluster strengthening initiatives that also address the education covid responses. This support will be extended through TA support. To support these initiatives UNICEF has established partnerships with the Mercy Corps and NSET to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science (MoEST) and Centre for Education Human Resource Development (CEHRD) at federal, provincial, and local levels. These partnerships envision the capacity to strengthen federal and cluster partners of all seven provinces, update and develop the Cluster corresponding guidance, tools, and training packages and disseminate it to all three tiers of the governments and clusters partners. The developed guidance, tools, and techniques will be initially disseminated to 80 LGs in Madesh, Karnali, and Sudur Pashchim provinces and eventually disseminate to all the local governments. Mercy Corps will be overseeing the development of the guidance, tools and techniques in 30LGs in Karnali and Sudurpaschim province. Strong and robust cluster mechanism aligning with the national disaster laws and guidelines contribute to reducing further learning loss due to any disturbance, natural hazard, and pandemics.
General Position Summary
The Information Management Officer will work closely with the provincial cluster coordinator and support information management for the Lumbini education provincial cluster at all levels.
Essential Job Responsibilities
The specific duties and responsibilities of the Information Management Officer includes the following points primarily, but is not limited to the following:
- Work closely with provincial cluster coordinator and support to develop monitoring tools for provincial and local level coordination and maintain training database of the province and local educational clusters.
- Develop tools/templates and maintain a disaggregated database of attendance of coordination meetings/workshops, meeting minutes and establish a system of reporting in cluster structure.
- Take the lead to establish provincial educational portal in coordination with federal educational cluster.
- Support expertise to analyse provincial and local level data (learning loss) to support ERO and CEHRD for comprehensive assessment of learning loss.
- Maintain database of activities such as psychosocial support, children received telephone-based support, parenting education and stock piling of self-learning materials of provinces disaggregated by gender, sex and vulnerability wherever applicable.
- Analyse EMIS and contingency plan data to identify children at risk and support LGs to include such children in the Welcome to school campaign and maintain capacity development database at provincial level on such targeted interventions
- Strengthen data and information management (IM) within the provincial education cluster at all levels.
This involves collecting data during an emergency (as per need), regular monitoring of school status within the province, maintenance of the established system for tracking data on district and local level clusters - Work closely with DRR Section Information management officer and UNCT Cluster Information Management officer and other relevant cluster IMOs (especially WASH, Protection) to maintain, update and verify data and information in the 4 W (Who, What, Where, for Whom) and producing regular 3W analysis products (including maps)
- Training partners and government officials on Information Management tools and processes
- Work with the provincial and local education departments and sections to support and strengthen the EMIS system about emergency preparedness and response
- Contribute on information management on COVID 19 related preparedness and response actions
- Provide technical support to the Local level education cluster on strengthen data and information management (IM)
- Perform other duties as assigned
Accountability to Beneficiaries
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Others
- Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
- Other duties as assigned by their supervisor and or Country Director.
Supervisory Responsibility
Reports Directly to: Project Manager
Works Directly with: Sr. MEL Officer, Provincial Cluster Coordinator
Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s in information technology/Computer Science/Social Science
- 1-3 years of experience in data management or relevant field
- Excellent documentation and information management skill.
- Competent in English and Nepali typing.
- Awareness of the needs and related project considerations for the project participants
- Established the ability to manage and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles.
- Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem-solving.
- Proven ability to learn quickly, lead a project to achieve stated results and objectives.
- Experience working with governments, civil society, national and international organizations preferred
- Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
- Ability to effectively represent Mercy Corps and its interests to key stakeholders.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
Success Factors
A demonstrated ability to work quickly and accurately, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. In order to succeed, the Information Management Officer will need demonstrate a good coordination skill and team work as they will be representing Mercy Corps in the provincial level serving as a technical assistance for the provincial government. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
