Innovation Officer job in UN Uganda office

Job title:Innovation Officer

Company: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)


Closing date: 31 Aug 2010

Location: Uganda - Kampala



UNOPS helps its partners in the United Nations system meet the world's needs for building peace, recovering from disaster, and creating sustainable development. UNOPS is known for its ability to implement complex projects in all types of environments around the globe. In an effort to promote organizational excellence, UNOPS seeks highly qualified individuals for the following position:

Vacancy Code: VA/2010/NAO/UNDG/18-8/IO

Post Title: Innovation Officer

Post Level: Consultant (I-ICA 1)

Position Status: Non-rotational

Org Unit: NAO/DG/EOSG/Global Pulse

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda (with possibility of travel)

Duration: Immediate start, project ends 14 January 2011

Closing Date: 31 August 2010

BACKGROUND

The UN Global Pulse project is seeking an Innovation Officer to assist in the initial planning, documentation, fundraising and skeleton-defining of an innovation "Pulse Lab" in Uganda.

In 2009, in the midst of the global economic crisis, the heads of twenty of the world's largest economies called upon the United Nations “to establish an effective mechanism to monitor the impact of the crisis on the poorest and most vulnerable." The relentless waves of compound global shocks -- food, fuel, and financial -- revealed a wide information gap between the onset of a global crisis and the availability of actionable information for decision-makers to protect the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations. Traditional monitoring systems that proved effective in tracking medium to longer-term development trends were of little use, as they were not designed to generate the type of real-time information needed to understand how populations were being impacted by the crisis and respond with agility.

The Global Pulse initiative, located within the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, will work closely with Member States and other development partners to improve evidence-based decision-making and close the information gap between the onset of a global crisis and the availability of actionable information to protect the vulnerable. To do so, it will harness innovative approaches and emerging technologies from around the world. Global Pulse will draw upon existing sources of sub-national information to help national leaders understand which populations are most exposed to specific risks, their level of resilience, and the coping strategies they are likely to adopt in response to an external shock. It will then allow them to monitor the welfare of vulnerable populations through both statistical data collection programmes and non-traditional techniques such as crowd-sourcing of information from mobile phones, social networks, and online media, which make it possible to detect anomalous behaviors that may indicate that a population is beginning to feel the impacts of a crisis or has exhausted its capacity to cope.

Objective

Global Pulse is creating a free and open source technology platform for collaborative analysis and decision support that will provide local, national and global leaders with:

Historical information on the context and impacts of past crises on specific population groups and tools for retrospective analysis
Real-time information on the early impacts of global crises on vulnerable populations and tools to select, refine and evaluate policy responses
Predictive analysis of emerging vulnerabilities of specific population groups and tools to improve their resilience to future shocks

Pulse Labs are national facilities established to support the work of government by developing analytical and technological capacity for evidence-based decision making and sustainable innovation in crisis resilience. Central to the Pulse Labs mission is the development of sustainable “dual-use” systems that simultaneously provide value directly to vulnerable communities while also generating streams of actionable real-time information to help leaders understand quickly how populations are being affected, respond rapidly with high-value, targeted policy interventions, and generate evidence for advocacy at the global level.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

In preparation for global deployment, Global Pulse will stand up an initial network of three Pulse Lab “prototypes” over a three-year period to develop and refine the model.

The basic modality of a Pulse Lab is to support the lab team, through both curriculum-based training and ad hoc, on-the-job peer mentoring, as they work to support government in improving crisis resilience. The primary work of the lab team consists of identifying critical information gaps and needs, selecting vulnerable communities to participate as Global Pulse sentinel sites, and working with public and private-sector partners to create technology solutions that strengthen national capacity for evidence-based decision making and rapid response.

This lab set-up exercise should also be an exercise in open source collaboration. There are many lab efforts already ongoing in Uganda. The Pulse Lab should not replace or supplant existing efforts but rather build on them and serve as the connective tissue that can bind them together.

The scope of work for this consultation is to map out the existing landscape of labs / innovation in Uganda and to work closely with UNICEF Uganda's Innovation team to generate the plans necessary for starting a full Pulse Lab in January 2011. Specific tasks include:

Orientation with the Pulse Team to understand the project modalities and needs.

Work with Pulse fundraising leads to have a clear picture of what documents will be needed in order to fundraise for the lab

Collaborate with key partners to understand how they have set up and managed labs from a global level

Co-locate with UNICEF Uganda Innovation Team

Explore what existing data sets are being collected through mobile phone / ICT innovation and how those can be "fed" into the larger Pulse data platform

Build partnerships with private sector/local social entrepreneurs and technology companies who have expressed interest in providing project staff for 3 or more months

Identify necessary documents to encourage volunteerism in Uganda

Deliverables

Fundraising Skeleton

Develop a short document from which to build fundraising documents in collaboration with Pulse HQ before relocating to Uganda

Weekly Blog posts

Blog posts with photos (to be cleared by Pulse HQ Communications Chief) on activities in Uganda and NY related to the Lab

Draft Budget

Within at most two weeks of being in Uganda, provide Pulse HQ with a draft fundraising documents to ensure fundraising for 2011-12 can begin. These documents will be updated over the following months.

Data Uplink from Uganda

Provide linkages to at least two, if not more, sets of data coming out of Uganda. This would be real-time information (health centre stock levels, birth registration, Community Knowledge worker questions) that can be displayed at a global level by the Pulse HQ team.

Uganda Innovation Lab Landscape Map

Map out a landscape of possible existing partners (private sector, academia, government) working under the supervision of UNICEF Innovation team and with the direction of any partners designated by UNICEF, the Global Pulse and the RC

Collaboration Strategy

Develop a brief strategy recommendation to Pulse HQ on how to collaborate with existing initiatives (WB project at Makerere, Grameen AppLab, UNICEF Innovation and other "lab-like" projects)

Draft language for open source agreements / collaborations

Administrative Work

Create the Terms of Reference for the Lab (taking the existing TOR and modifying it based on experience in Uganda)

Create staffing documents (TORs, Organizational charts, contingency plans for staff turnover etc.)

Budget

Finalize budget and fundraising documents (superseding initial documents sent to Pulse HQ)

Pulse Meets

One, if not more, prototype Pulse “geek meets” in Uganda, with the UNICEF Innovation team.

Document, webcast and tweet about the meet

Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for producing documentation and strategic thinking that will create the correct mix of ingredients to allow the Pulse Lab in Uganda to be launched in early 2011.
The consultant will be responsible for documenting his or her time with the project in an open, informal and engaging manner to encourage others to explore this initiative and gain interest in Uganda and abroad.
The consultant will work closely with UNICEF Innovation Team (Uganda) as well as report to the Pulse HQ in New York
The consultant will provide demonstrable prototype data from at least two sources in Uganda to the Pulse HQ team to allow them to showcase Uganda as an environment that is ideal for open source data collection initiatives.

Contract Terms

This contract has immediate start date and will end on 14 January 2011. This contract will have the possibility though not the expectation of renewal. The consultant will be based in Uganda. There is a possibility of travel during the contract period.

Reporting Requirements and Administrative Requirements

The contract will be held by the Executive Office of the Secretary General / Global Pulse. The first report for administrative and operational purposes will be with the UNICEF Innovation Team in Uganda, and as such Kampala will be the primary duty station.

Specific reporting requirements are:

Innovation Team Lead / UNICEF Uganda (1st Reporting Officer)
Director, Global Pulse, NY (2nd Reporting Officer)

REQUIRED SELECTION CRITERIA

Corporate Competencies:

Planning and organizing - Experience with project management. Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed stratgies; 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.
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.
Teamwork - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Functional Competencies:

Relating and Networking - Easily establishes good relationships with external partners and staff; builds wide and effective networks within the wider UN system and with external parties; relates well to people at all levels; manages conflict; uses humor appropriately to enhance relationships with others.
Knowledge Management and Learning - Shares knowledge and experience; actively works towards continuing personal learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.
Leadership and Self-Management - Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback; Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure

Education/Experience/Language

First level university degree required, advanced degree preferred;
Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in open source technology, setting up/managing diverse and innovative partnerships, producing workable process documentation for technical innovation projects, producing creative commons presentation material, working closely with academia and the development sector;
Deep understanding of open source philosophy and operations, and commitment to open collaboration;
High level of technical competency - demonstrated ability to communicate between open source developers and non-technical audiences;
Start-up management experience - proven ability to start initiatives in rapidly changing environments;
Negotiation skills - success in multilateral negotiations with government and private sector actors;
Organizational skills - strong background in forming documents necessary for start-ups (organization charts, terms of reference, work plans);
Relevant work experience in sub-Saharan Africa (preferably East Africa);
Excellent written and spoken English; excellent writing and presentation skills.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post.

How to apply

Qualified candidates may submit their application, including a letter of interest, complete Curriculum Vitae and/or an updated United Nations Personal History Form (P.11) (available on our website), via e-mail to hendricksc@un.org. Kindly indicate the vacancy number and the post title in the subject line when applying by email.

Reference Code: RW_88GJJZ-22