Programme Officer (Information Management). UN Secretariat. OCHA. Geneva. Open until 12 September 2010

Job Opening

Job Title:
PROGRAMME OFFICER (INFORMATION MANAGEMENT), P4
Department/ Office:
OFFICE OF THE EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR - GVAO
Duty Station: GENEVA


Posting Period:
14 July 2010-12 September 2010
Job Opening number:
10-PGM-ocha gvao-15372-R-GENEVA

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United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Org .Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Geneva Switzerland. The Programme Officer reports to the Chief of the Information Services Section

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Programme Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
• Provides leadership and strategic direction for assigned programmes/projects in the area of humanitarian information management; monitors and analyzes programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up actions.
• Provides advisory and technical services in humanitarian information management, including in the use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and space-based technologies. These services will be provided in collaboration with OCHA Regional and Country Offices, IASC, Resident / Humanitarian Coordinators etc., by planning and facilitating workshops, through other interactive sessions and assisting in developing of plans and strategies to manage information in OCHA Country Offices.
• Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources in the area of Information Management.
• Coordinates global humanitarian and information management policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies.
• Supports assessment initiatives; designs data collection tools; develops standards; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identify problems/issues and prepares conclusions.
• Initiates, organizes and prepares written outputs on inter-agency humanitarian information management, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc
• Provides substantive backstopping to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Initiates and coordinates outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Leads and/or participates in large, complex field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Coordinates activities related to budget funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Advanced knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to the management of humanitarian information in disaster preparedness and response. Knowledge of the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and space-based technologies in disaster management. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery). Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. • Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology. • Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly. • Judgement/Decision-Making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information Checks assumptions against facts Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the express and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Geographic Information Systems, Information Management, Management, Social Sciences, Statistics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian programme management, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or other related area, including at least five years of experience at the international level. Experience in managing information in a disaster response and/or complex emergency in countries affected by a disaster or conflict is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic, French, or Spanish is desirable.

United Nations Considerations

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Assessment Method

Short-listed candidates will be required to undertake a written essay and a technical test before being considered for a competency based interview.

Special Notice

For this post the staff member will be required to travel extensively to developing countries, often into highly stressful environments (civil strife and/or natural disasters). Deployments, which are often at short notice, can be for up to eight weeks at a time. The staff member will be required to register for OCHA’s Emergency Response Roster and be available to deploy with United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams. This post is subject to the availability of extra-budgetary funding.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, TRAINING OR ANY OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS