Position Title: Information Management Specialist
Receiving Agency: UNFPA
P Level: P2/P3
Location: Mekelle, Ethiopia (40% travel to Afar, Amhara, and other regions including occasional travel to Addis Ababa)
Duration: 6 months
Language: English
  Ethiopia continues to experience a complex humanitarian crisis, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray, Amhara, and Afar, due to the lingering impacts of conflict, new displacements, and recurring climatic shocks. The crisis has severely disrupted essential health services, including reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and GBV response services. UNFPA is scaling up its response to address the urgent needs of women and girls by expanding access to life-saving services and strengthening the GBV Information Management System (GBV IMS). However, challenges persist in ensuring accurate, timely, and secure data collection and management at the field level. This surge position will provide immediate, short-term information management support to strengthen monitoring, data management, and reporting systems in Tigray and other affected regions, ensuring that reliable data informs programmatic decisions and humanitarian coordination. The security situation in northern Ethiopia remains volatile, with sporadic localized clashes, road insecurity, and limited humanitarian access in some areas. Main threats include armed conflict, crime, social unrest, and restricted movement in certain woredas. All movements are subject to UNDSS clearance and adherence to UN security protocols.

Role Description:
Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Country Representative and Humanitarian Programme Coordinator, the direct supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and close collaboration with the GBV AOR Coordinator, the Information Management Specialist (GBV IMS and Programme Data Support) will support a blended role requiring expertise across multiple platforms and coordination mechanisms to strengthen information management (IM) for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) interventions.

The specialist will be responsible for: GBVIMS+ System Technical Support, Rollout, and Capacity Building, GBV Thematic Working Group (TWG) IM Tasks, including AoR Reporting and Coordination, and Broader UNFPA Humanitarian Data Tasks, including SRH/RMNCAH Programme Data Management and CO Support.

The Specialist will specifically: i) Strengthen field-level data management and reporting systems for GBV and SRH interventions. ii) Support the rollout, capacity-building, and utilization of the GBV IMS across health and other implementing partners sites. iii) Facilitate data-driven decision-making by ensuring accurate, timely, and ethical information management and analysis at regional and national levels. iv) Build local staff capacity to ensure sustainability of IM functions post-surge deployment, and v) Provide technical support to ensure that up-to-date information necessary for effective GBV programming and coordination is collected, used, stored, and shared, in line with relevant standards.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Information Management and Data Analysis

• Support implementation of the GBV Information Management System rollout and system inter-operability/integration with other existing health information systems (e.g., DHIS2).
• Collect, compile, and validate GBV data from regional health bureaus, facilities, and implementing partners, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Conduct data quality checks and verification exercises to ensure consistency.
• Ensure strict adherence to GBV data confidentiality, ethical standards, and security protocols.
• Produce regular analytical dashboards, maps, and situation reports to inform humanitarian coordination, donor reporting, and programmatic decision-making.
• Provide technical support on GBV Information Management System data migration, user management, and troubleshooting.

 

2. Monitoring and Reporting

• Strengthen real-time monitoring of GBV service delivery using Primero, DHIS2, and other digital tools.
• Contribute to monthly 4W reports, Power BI dashboards, and ActivityInfo submissions for coordination and donor reporting.
• Support the preparation of donor updates, situation reports, and advocacy briefs with data visualization and infographics.
• Participate in inter-agency coordination mechanisms, including the GBV AoR, IM Working Group, and health coordination forums.
• Provide backup support to the national GBV AoR IMO as needed.

 

3. Capacity-Building and Coordination

• Design and deliver hands-on training and mentoring for government officials, regional IM focal points, and implementing partners on GBVIMS+ and programme data management.
• Facilitate participant selection, introduction sessions, and feedback meetings to ensure proper system access and informed use of the GBV Information Management System.
• Develop user manuals, SOPs, and Information Sharing Protocols (ISP) in collaboration with MoWSA and RHBs.
• Build capacity for ethical data handling, confidentiality, and survivor-centered information management practices.

 

4. System Strengthening and Sustainability

• Support customization and configuration of the GBV Information Management System to meet national and regional requirements.
• Develop and update SOPs, data collection tools, and templates for field-level information management.
• Establish mechanisms for regular data validation, archiving, and documentation for seamless handover post-surge.
• Conduct system and process mapping to assess data flow, identify bottlenecks, and recommend technical improvements.
• Facilitate a full institutional handover and capacity assessment to ensure sustainability of IM functions within MoWSA and RHBs.

 

5. Knowledge Management and Learning

• Facilitate a full institutional handover and capacity assessment to ensure sustainability of IM functions within MoWSA and RHBs.
• Document lessons learned, challenges, and best practices from the GBV Information Management System rollout and programme data harmonization.
• Contribute to knowledge products, learning briefs, and advocacy materials.
• Support the organization of experience-sharing sessions and joint data review meetings with MoWSA, RHBs, and partners.

 

6. Other Duties

• Provide information management support to the UNFPA Country Office and humanitarian coordination structures as required.
• Undertake other responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor or senior management.

Qualifications & Required Skills

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in data management, information systems, or M&E, including at least 3 years in humanitarian or emergency settings.
• Demonstrable experience with GBVIMS+ (Primero), DHIS2, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated capacity in data visualization and dashboard development (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or Excel)
• Prior experience in capacity-building and partner coordination is desirable.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Familiarity with ethical data management and GBV confidentiality standard.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
• Demonstrated capacity for extreme diplomacy, political tact, and high-level negotiation skills required to navigate complex government relationships and support national system rollout/strengthening in sensitive contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex political and ethnic dynamics within a government-led humanitarian response, ensuring that IM support is perceived as neutral, context-appropriate, and institutionally supportive of national systems.
• Proven skill in building consensus, mediating inter-agency disagreements, and persuasively communicating highly technical or sensitive topics (e.g., data security, confidentiality, data quality) to non-technical, high-level government counterparts and diverse partners.
• Proven capacity to maintain persistence, objectivity, and a solutions-oriented approach while operating under resource constraints, and volatile security conditions.
• Proficiency in English
• Knowledge of Amharic (Highly Desirable), offering a significant advantage, specifically for building rapport, facilitating nuanced negotiations, and ensuring precise technical and ethical understanding during training and coordination with government and regional officials.

CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.