Uganda: Data Preparedness Delegate

The Netherlands Red Cross helps to strengthen resilience of vulnerable people exposed to hazards and crisis situations and we respond to disasters and conflicts to save lives and alleviate suffering. In the Netherlands we do this with more than thirty thousand volunteers and internationally through technical assistance, supplies and financial aid. Together we act before, during and after natural and man-made disasters to meet the needs and to improve the lives of vulnerable people.

We do this without regards to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. Our seven principles guide our humanitarian work: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

510 is a self-organizing data innovation initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross. Our vision is that smart use of (big) data will help towards faster and more (cost) effective humanitarian aid at a global level. Contributing to open data, data analyses and capacity building in governments and NGOs are essential to increase the understanding of humanitarian data. We want to shape the future of humanitarian aid by converting data into understanding, and to put it in the hands of humanitarian relief workers, decision makers and people affected, so that they can better prepare for and cope with disasters and crises.

510 has opened a vacancy for a:

Data Preparedness Delegate - Uganda

Kampala 32-40 hours p/w, 12 months

Background

The 510 initiative was established early 2016 and has grown since into a team of 50 core and project staff, graduates, students, trainees and volunteer data experts with diverse backgrounds. The team is developing data and digital solutions for both international and domestic humanitarian aid. Our main results are published on 510.global.

510 works together with all departments of the Netherlands Red Cross, as well as with different teams in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), other Red Cross National Societies, Universities in The Netherlands and abroad, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), national governments and through the Dutch Coalition for Humanitarian Innovation (DCHI) with other NGOs and businesses.

We work in virtual teams using a fully digital collaboration environment, which enables us to bridge time differences and physical distances and to continuously work together on some of the most difficult humanitarian challenges. However, we also greatly value the opportunity to work together in a face-to-face setting, which is possible in our office in The Hague.

We invite data literate, bright and creative people, with a hands-on mentality and technical skills to join our team. All our team members should be highly self-motivated to improve the way humanitarian aid is delivered.

The Project: Innovative Approaches to Response Preparedness (IARP)

Worldwide, extreme events aggravated by climate change lead to an increase in disasters and suffering. The impact of these events could be reduced and sometimes avoided if plans and funding were in place to take well-targeted, cost-efficient and early action based on climate and weather forecasts. The programme therefore builds capacity in Forecast-based Financing (FbF), supported by Data Preparedness and Cash Transfer Programming (CTP) in early action, through systems development, piloting and iteration. The programme builds on the capacities of Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), Kenyan Red Cross Society (KRCS), and Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) in the three innovative approaches to provide early action that reduces risks of people at risk of a forecasted disaster, in particular the most vulnerable, including refugees. The three National Societies will implement the programme together with the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC, lead) in partnership with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (Climate Centre), 510 Data Initiative (510), the International Center for Humanitarian Affairs (ICHA), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and British Red Cross (BRC), and in close collaboration with various stakeholders.

Purpose of the position

The main purpose of the position is to support the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) to establish a data team, by understanding the operating model of the NLRC based 510 team, and to copy the best practices and systems into the URCS data team. This includes support on Strategy, Business model, Finance, HR, Marketing and Communication. This is a training and capacity building component of the position.

Additionally, the data preparedness delegate will actively support the implementation of the IARP project activities within the first year, working together closely with the URCS data team lead. The data preparedness delegate identifies which of the project activities can be performed by the data team in URCS, and which need specific expertise or capacity of 510. This position serves as the interface between both data teams, and ensures that project activities are delivered with high quality and within the project planning.

Position within the project

As a Country Data project lead, you will be part of the core team of 510, at the NLRC (Netherlands Red Cross). You will be housed within the Uganda Red Cross Society. Your HR responsibilities lie with the 510 team lead. Your project responsibilities are to the IARP project lead in 510, with headquarters in the Hague. As the duty station for this position is Uganda, where NLRC has a country office, responsibilities regarding your day-to-day presence in-country lie with the NLRC Country Representative for Uganda, for example security. You are providing in-country support to the URCS. The in-country activities are executed in close collaboration with NLRC Project Manager for IARP, the URCS counterpart, geo-information officer, University of Makerere, IARP technical advisors in Uganda.

Project activities

• Inventory of existing NS data needs and data availability

• Identifying data gaps of priority to the NS

• Map data availability and needs with stakeholders

• Build relationships with data providers / stakeholders

• Identify barriers and possible solutions for data sharing and work with management on how to address them

• Identify most appropriate platform for data sharing

• Upload open data to data sharing platforms

• Collect missing data through innovative approaches (e.g. Missing Maps)

• Data search using INFORM indicator framework

• Improve the INFORM indicator framework and make it country specific for the Forecast based Financing system

• The risk dashboard / mapping is discussed with the national society leadership to make decisions on the priority areas for the Forecast based Financing system

• Collect data on historical drought and flood events, via secondary data and directly with government institutions and partners

• In cooperation with the climate centre support FbF teams in identifying reliable forecasts and setting thresholds for danger level using GIS and other innovative approaches

• Support local data team in planning for and conducting mapping exercises of FbF target areas

• Support FbF teams in using digital solutions for beneficiary lists and distributions

• Support FbF teams in developing innovative approach to SOPs

• Validate Hazard Impact Curve with technical experts nationally and internationally

• Assess current state of IT with KRCS

• Implement IT improvement plan in prioritized branches

• Workshops on data literacy with KRCS and government and humanitarian partners

• Implement basic geo-information analysis (GIS) capacity

• Train volunteers and staff in mobile data collection

• Integrate data analysis and visualization in NS disaster management operations

• Contribute to documentation and reporting

Responsibilities

Capacity Building

• Assess existing data and IT capacities within the NS and map these against a blueprint of the 510 data team

• Co-develop a strategy for how to set up the data team within the NS and identify priorities

• Support with growing the team, by linking to universities (Makerere) and by attracting volunteers

• Support with setting up tools and systems that allow the data team to collaborate digitally

• Co-organize with the data team a data literacy training of Uganda Red Cross leadership

• Review the data responsibility policy with the data team, and set up the basic processes to protect data

  Qualifications

  Essential:

• A University degree in preferably science, technology, engineering or mathematics (e.g. computer science, econometrics, artificial intelligence, (applied) mathematics, (applied) physics, astronomy, technology management, geo-information sciences)

• Demonstrable experience (1-2 years) in project management in emergency or development programming

• Experience in working in projects and with partners at a distance

• Experience in the humanitarian work of Red Cross National Societies and the internal processes relevant for the region

• Track record showing the capacity to use data to improve processes, operations and decision-making.

• Living in - or willing to move to - the Uganda

  Skills and experience

  Essential:

• Has considerable experience with working in a data team

• Demonstrable interest in humanitarian aid

• Experience in bridging the gap between end users in an organization and a team of technical experts from different disciplines

• Strong interpersonal and advising skills, amongst which a clear talent for influencing and guiding of colleagues and others directly

• Experience with providing trainings to users ranging from operations to management

• Excellent command of English language (written and verbally)

Desirables

• Work experience in an international development or humanitarian setting, especially with disaster risk management

• Experience in working within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is of added value

• In depth experience in any of the following subject matters: data analysis, data visualization, machine learning, data literacy, GIS, or programming

Competencies

• Self confidence

• Strong listening and feedback skills

• Being able to communicate clearly and concisely (written and verbally)

• Result (and quality) oriented

• Capable to work independently and to set clear goals and priorities

• Being trustworthy

Please send your resume in English and letter of motivation with reference to Sophia van Maanen before 29 June 2018 to: https://werkenbij.rodekruis.nl/en/Vacancy/Apply/104973/data-preparedness-delegate-uganda.html

For more information about the position, you can contact Maarten van der Veen at mvanderveen@redcross.nl.

An initial assessment of candidates short-listed is part of the selection procedure.

For more information of the work of the Netherlands Red Cross please go to www.rodekruis.nl and www.rodekruis.tv. NLRC on Facebook: Facebook.com/rodekruis and Twitter: Twitter.com/rodekruis. For more information on 510 visit www.510.global , facebook.com/510global and twitter.com/510global.

Acquisition for this vacancy will not be appreciated