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.

Program/ Department summary.

Mercy Corps seeks to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression around the world. We recognize that instances of sudden change within a country or region are rare moments to enact significant, lasting change. Mercy Corps, with its global experience working in countries undergoing major transitions, brings knowledge, expertise, and strong management skills to position the agency as a partner of choice for progressive change in Syria.

Mercy Corps has been operational in Syria since 2012 providing humanitarian assistance as well as implementing peace and conflict, and agriculture and livelihoods programming with a focus on resilience, early recovery, and social cohesion. Mercy Corps implements a range of activities aimed at supporting positive coping strategies by addressing the basic needs of vulnerable families while strengthening opportunities to generate income and increasing access to livelihoods and promoting social cohesion objectives.

General Position Summary.

The Information Management System (IMS) Coordinator coordinates the Information Systems unit and is responsible for developing and adapting complementary information management systems, to better understand and track the scope and impact of Mercy Corps’ collective activities across Syria. S/he reports to the Program Performance and Quality (PaQ) Senior Manager and work closely with focal points across field offices – ensuring that systems and analysis are responsive to the needs of field program staff as well as the leadership team.

The IMS unit is responsible for coordinating the support of setting-up of a cloud-based system for filing/documentation for all Mercy Corps Syria. S/he will support in setting-up and manage a core information management system to store all data related to Mercy Corps’ programs indicators and beneficiaries, while also collecting, storing, and making available all relevant information and data related to Syria. The IMS Coordinator will be the coordinating with technology and/or software developers. Finally, s/he processes and analyses available information/data related to Mercy Corps’ programs and areas of operation in Syria, according to the information needs of the program teams. This includes basic analytics such as creating visuals, regular reporting, and summarizing of finding. The IMS Coordinator will support the existing MC Syria process of establishing a harmonized/standardized common data standard, data schema and data collection tools. This includes support in identifying common questions/data/indicators in MC Syria programs, establishing harmonized/standardized (but adaptable) questions/variable naming conventions, identifying data types/database schema to be able to establish a Microsoft Azure cloud database/infrastructure that is integratable with Mercy Corps MEL Tech suite of tools (including Ona, CommCare, Power BI). The IMS Coordinator will support MC Syria programs in the process of transitions their data systems to CommCare for data collection, Microsoft Azure for data management and Microsoft PowerBi for data visualization.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Technical Support

• Engage with staff and partners to support in strengthen their capacities in information management.
• Support MC Syria program teams to review their MEL data flows (including MEL Tech tools, data collection forms, data quality, storage/management approaches, analysis/reporting processes) to identify areas for improvement for data automation practices to be effectively implemented. 
• guide programs teams to use the necessary MEL systems and tools, to inform and improve programs. Lead on the development of digital data collection tools, Azure data lakes and digital data visualization tools and accounts for Mercy Corps Syria office.
• Provides substantive support to develop systemized and on-demand information gathering – including developing minimum standards and protocols for information management across Syria portfolio.
• Support in identify opportunities for improvement and make recommendations and develop tools to strengthen programmatic information flow and to improve management systems.
• Carry out information management functions according to relevant technical specializations such as: information coordination; geographic information systems, infographics and visualization; secure database development, management, and maintenance; web development such as apps; social media analysis or coordinated assessment analysis.
• Support in developing and maintaining internal information systems including the set- up, and management of a core database to store all data related to Mercy Corps’ programs indicators and participants in Syria including but not limited to Tola. This could also include helping teams to use project management tools to streamline work flows and information flows.
• Support the development and management of information products, including assessment results, mapping of activities, and inter-sectoral analysis.
• Set up and manage cloud-based system for program filing/documentation for the Syria Country Office to meet PM@MC Minimum Standards.
• Engage with programs teams to provide feedback/learnings on needed improvements to harmonized/standardized data collection tools/data standards, and the integration process of the data collection tools/MEL Tech into already existing MEL data flows.
• Support in managing the adoption of harmonized/standardized data collection tools (XLS forms in Ona/CommCare) to complete the development of the MEL automation initiative.
• follow up with identified regional and global HQ team members across multiple units/geographies to coordinate implementation of the MEL technologies and data collection tools that is adopted by MC Syria programs and to ensure it all meet the agency technical/sectoral standards.

Information Analysis and Outputs

• support MEL and Programs focal points to enter, manage, analyze and visualize data and information to support Mercy Corps programs using Tola or other systems.
• Review, analyze and interpret data and information, identify problems/issues and prepare recommendations.
• Support assessment initiatives and promote analysis of and learning from results and findings.
• Support in Identifying and track follow-up actions with an emphasis on data gathering, sharing and substantial exchange with Mercy Corps Syria programs and relevant humanitarian agencies, including specialized UN agencies and INGO responders.
• Support in analyzing and present information gathered from diverse sources.
• Contribute to external and internal reporting.
• Support in Preparation of various written and info-graphic outputs, e.g. analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, maps, graphs etc.
• Review and share relevant data received through the Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM) mechanism.
• Based on the identified needs, support/train teams to:
  • Integrate harmonized/standardized data collection tools, questions, variables, and naming conventions into their automated MEL data flows/MEL Tech processes in order to more effectively adopt automated data flows/architecture. 
  • Use MEL Tech Suite to automate data analysis/reporting flows.

Strategy and Vision

• Support in Promoting active learning, information sharing and adaptive management across the field teams, through documentation and knowledge sharing around best practices and lessons learned.
• coordinate information sharing between program, MEL, and other secondary sources.

Representation and Coordination

• coordination with information management counterparts in other NGOs, local partners, and other peer agencies, to enable and promote the coordinated collection, management, analysis and visualization of data and information.
• Participate in external information management fora, as required.
• coordination between relevant departments (humanitarian access, programming) to gather and organize relevant data regarding security, markets, etc. and other information that can be used for successful programming.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

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.

Supervisor responsibility: 

Supervise: None.

Accountability: 

Reports Directly To: Senior Programs Performance and Quality (PaQ) Manager.

Works Directly With: MEL and program teams, Regional Technical Support Unit (TSU) and T4D team as necessary, and HQ staff.

Accountability to participants and stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and experience: 

• If diploma or no degree + min. 5 years’ relevant experience / undergraduate degree + min. 3 years’ relevant experience / Graduate and/or postgraduate + min. 2 years’ relevant experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Geographic Information Systems, Information Management, Information Systems, Information Technologies, Social Sciences or a related field is preferred.
• Excellent technical skills in database development, cloud-based technologies, data visualization, mapping, data analysis (qualitative and quantitative), etc.
• Relevant field experience: managing information in a conflict context or complex emergency at the international level is desirable.
• Knowledge and full conversance with main IM systems including digital tools such as ODK/mobile data collection, MS SharePoint, ONA, CommCare, Azure, Power Bi, Arc GIS, mySQL etc.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations.
• Fluency in English is required.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will have a wide range of existing knowledge regarding the Syrian conflict, information gathering techniques, databases and the design of relevant tools. S/he will have an analytical mind and be able to systemize the collection of information and present it in useful formats for programmatic and operational decisions. S/he will be capable of multitasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will have highly developed interpersonal communication skills – particularly when working in a remote context. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

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 eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.