Closing date: Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Nutrition Information Management Specialist, P-3, Nairobi, Kenya (Temp Appt)
Vacancy No: E-VN-2015-000009
Duty Station: Nairobi
Country: Kenya
Region: ESARO
Job Level: Position#: NutInfoSpe
Application Close: 21-Jan-15
Contract Type: Temp/Short-term Staff
Purpose of the Position
Despite recent progress, Somalia still remains in dire humanitarian situation and nutritional risks and vulnerabilities remain high. After two years of fragile improvements, a mix of drought, soaring food prices, conflict, access constraints and under-funding has led to a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Somalia in 2014. Current conditions are similar to the pre-famine period in 2010 when a combination of reduced access, declining funds and two consecutive failed rainy seasons led to Somalia’s famine in 2011, which caused the deaths of an estimated 258,000 people in excess mortality. In the past few years, the typical country-wide median prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in Somalia has been significantly higher than the WHO emergency threshold of 15%. The FSNAU Post-Gu 2014 nutrition analysis reveals a sustained critical nutrition situation and that acute malnutrition continues to be a significant public health problem.
The need for comprehensive and coordinated humanitarian response of high standard of predictability, accountability and in partnership with key stakeholders is of paramount importance. In order to achieve more nutrition strategic responses and better prioritization of available resources there is need to clarify better the roles and responsibilities of humanitarian organizations within the cluster at all levels as well as managing/packaging the information from partners in a better and usable manner. Given the increased large number of players in the cluster, sustained chronic humanitarian situation, sustained prevalence of malnutrition at critical levels, the need for strengthened coordination and information management cannot be ignored. To date the focus of the Somalia nutrition programme has been on increasing the availability and range of services and much of the focus has been at the facility level i.e. supply of services. The programme has had good results in achieving high geographic coverage. The programme now needs to develop approaches to improving quality and actual coverage of the programme whilst at the same maintaining a focus on the use of a holistic package of services and monitoring delivery of results on real time basis which demand nutrition information management specialist who is dedicated to be working on day to day information management and coordination issues and also to ensure availability of timely information for effective action on the humanitarian response.
PURPOSE
Under the supervision of the Nutrition Cluster Coordinator in Nairobi (USSC) the Information Management Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing an information management system and strategy for the Somalia Nutrition Cluster besides managing the collection, storage, analysis and sharing of information that is important for the nutrition cluster partners to make informed and evidence-based strategic decisions. While the position will be located in the Nairobi office it will also require regular contact with Somalia coordination hubs, UNICEF’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation section as well as UNICEF’s Regular Programmes in Somalia, along with NGO partners and other interlocutors.
Key Expected Results
The Information Management Specialist (IMS) is responsible to facilitate and guide the cluster and cluster partners towards a reliable and predictable response through the provision of evidence based strategic and operational information. The IMS compiles inventories of needs and response that lead to a repeatable situational analysis of service gaps. The IMS facilitates partner/partner coordination, information sharing, and reduces duplication through technical standards. She/he will work with the Somalia Nutrition Cluster in support of delivery of the core cluster functions described below
Nutrition Cluster Coordination
- Responding to the Cluster participants’ needs for information and use existing in-country information management approaches for collecting, storing, analyzing and reporting cluster activities and resources, and identifying information gaps
- Mapping and maintenance of nutrition cluster information in support of national and sub-national nutrition coordination mechanisms for humanitarian partners,
- Mapping needs/gap assessment, reporting and promotion of emergency response actions within the relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and relevant commitments
- Supporting the estimation of spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of cluster activities and projects in Somalia.
- Works with Cluster/ participants to identify information gaps at national and sub-national levels and propose ways to bridge those gaps
- Coordination of coverage surveys and identification and dissemination of lessons learnt in successfully reducing or eliminating barriers and bottlenecks to access to nutrition services.
Information Management.
- Ensure complete, quality and timely reporting of nutrition programmes based on partnership agreements and agreed monitoring frameworks.
- Work with cluster partners to have a well-prioritised plan of information Management activities that provide all the relevant and strategic information needed to manage the cluster activities, and achievement of cluster targets.
- Maintain information on all current and potential cluster partners, their capacities and areas of work and manages flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way, including Nutrition Cluster website management.
- Maintain information databases and general cluster IM tools, such as 4W matrix, including consolidation, analysis and report/disseminate information critical to decision making and supportive of delivery of the core cluster functions
- Use GIS mapping for map production and geographic data management
- Coordinate with other cluster information managers for complementarity and cross-cluster analysis of information on the emergency programmes and to develop appropriate supportive strategies.
- Maintain the baseline databases for all seasons
Situation Monitoring and Assessment
- Provides information management leadership in nutrition assessments and monitoring, including joint assessments, programme coverage monitoring.
- Supports the development and analysis of needs assessments and monitoring programmes
- Takes lead on the preparation of SitRep inputs with emphasis on Cluster plans, targets and achievements.
- Ensures that all cluster partners have timely and accurate information of change in conditions of children, women, and their families and facilitates information exchange therein in order to support planning and measurement of program impact.
- Regularly share cluster information with partners.
Programme Performance Monitoring.
- Ensures that the planning function of the cluster has quality information to assess progress towards expected periodic results and risk mitigation measures on a regular basis.
- Coordination of periodic coverage surveys and identification and dissemination of lessons learnt in successfully reducing or eliminating barriers and bottlenecks to access to nutrition services.
- Work with the sectoral technical lead agencies and support in the effective use of nutrition data and information in supporting quality improvement of programmes at the district and facility level
- Work with the sectoral technical lead agencies and support in analysis of programme implementation data and evaluates in relation to prioritization of gaps and promotion of programme learning.
- Regularly update and share with partners the collated country or region or partner wide nutrition statistics against agreed performance indicators in all information exchange channels.
Capacity Building.
- Provides guidance and support to cluster partners/participants to meet the expectations and requirements of their positions and responsibilities through identifying information gaps at national and sub-national levels and proposing, and implementing ways to bridge those gaps
- Work with the sectoral technical lead agencies and support positioning of nutrition information systems within the Somali Health Information System (HIS) and contribute to development of country led mechanisms for maintenance of health and nutrition information and its use for decision making
- In coordination with the sectoral technical lead agencies, support Government’s Ministries of Health to enhance their capacity to manage nutrition information and its use for evidence based decision making at all levels.
- In coordination with the sectoral technical lead agencies provides training support on data management to partners on a regular basis.
KEY DELIVERABLES
Nutrition Statistics Database
- Monthly updated nutrition interventions matrices (IMAM, IYCF, Training, Screening databases etc (this may not be needed with the introduction of the dashboard for MSAM/IYCF and NHHP)
- Nutrition services maps
4W Matrix
- Quarterly updated 4W matrix that meets needs of nutrition cluster partners in Somalia.
- Quarterly analysis of 4W, for reporting, strategy development
- Quarterly feedback of 4W information, in useful format for nutrition partners
- Identification of any potential duplication in interventions
Needs and Gaps
- Quarterly summary of needs and gaps for the nutrition cluster
General IM tools
- Develop and maintain a detailed contact list for all cluster partners, observers etc
- Develop and maintain a user friendly centralised electronic filing system for the cluster.
Mapping
- In close cooperation with OCHA, cluster support officer and other cluster partners produce regular 4W maps; nutrition Intervention, needs, gaps analysis maps.
Advocacy and communication materials
- High quality monthly fact sheets (briefs) and quarterly bulletin
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
Education
- Advanced Degree in nutritional sciences, public health, nutrition information management, epidemiology, biostatistics, information technology/systems or related field including.
Experience
- At least five years of professional experience in nutrition or public health information management and coordination work preferably in UN agencies, NGOs or government including experience in the emergency humanitarian operations
- Knowledge of the nutrition-related technical guidelines, standards, indicators and experience in nutrition programming
- Proven statistical analytic skills Knowledge of web design and multi-variant mapping techniques. Ability to translate planning specifications to technical briefs for data capture and analysis, and vice versa;
- Capacity development experience in nutrition or public health information systems.
- Good understanding and respect of data protection guidelines;
- Ability to translate planning specifications to technical briefs for data capture and analysis.
- Ability to present information in understandable tables, charts, graphs and maps.
- Knowledge of UN System, NGO humanitarian community and familiarity with cluster approach;
- Local understanding of Somalia context and Somali language is a plus
Technical Competencies
- Knowledge on various Cluster coordination tool ( CERF, CAP, CHF, contingency plans)
- Data capture and analysis
- MS Excel (Essential)
- Ability to create macros
- Strong knowledge of statistical, conditional, and text-based functions
- Basic table relationship skills
- Report generation
- Basic understanding of map making process (Essential)
- Ability to guide technical staff
- Mapinfo, SPSS, EpiInfo6
- Basic understanding of trend graphic design
Competencies of Successful Candidate
- Demonstrated ability for leadership in context of partnership-building and consensual decision-making
- Demonstrated team-building and information management skills
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills
- Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
- Analyzes and integrates other data from a number of sources.
- Cultural and Gender sensitivity
- Fluency in English, with working-level proficiency in another official UN language
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