Associate Information Management Officer

February 22, 2026

 

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

B

 

Family

UNOPS IICA1

 

2026-02-16

1. General Background

The UNHCR Data Transformation Strategy 2020-2025 envisions that by 2025 UNHCR becomes a trusted leader on data and information related to refugees and other persons of concern, thereby enabling actions to protect and to empower persons of concern. The Strategy stipulates investing in four complementary priority areas: data management and governance; information systems; capacities and skill development; and culture for evidence-informed decision-making. The strategy envisages data and information management functions in UNHCR carried out in a complementary and inter-linked manner between Headquarters Divisions and Services, Regional Bureaux, country operations and key external partners, including persons of concern.

MCO-Overview context:

The UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) in Cameroon, with its Branch Office located in Yaoundé, covers five countries: Cameroon, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, and more recently the Republic of Congo. The overall operation coordinates the response for more than 2 million people of concern to UNHCR. This includes approximately 500,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from the Central African Republic (mostly settled in the East, Adamawa and North regions, as well as in the Republic of Congo), from Nigeria (mainly in the Far North region), and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (in the Republic of Congo). There are also more than one million internally displaced persons in several regions of Cameroon (North-West, South-West, West, Far North and Littoral), along with hundreds of thousands of internally returned persons.
The majority of these populations live within host communities where weak public services, environmental degradation, flooding, drought, and competition over land and water resources sometimes fuel tensions and local conflicts. Women, girls, and young people are particularly exposed to risks of violence, exclusion and marginalization.
These populations are affected by multiple overlapping crises: attacks by non-state armed groups in the Far North (Lake Chad Basin), the sociopolitical crisis in the North-West and South-West leading to displacement toward the West and Littoral regions, the protracted presence of Central African and Nigerian refugees in the East, Adamawa, North and Far North, as well as intercommunal tensions linked to access to land and natural resources (in the Republic of Congo and Cameroon).
In a context of high needs and limited resources, the MCO Cameroon adopts a multi-year, multi-partner approach aimed at strengthening protection, promoting durable solutions, and supporting the inclusion of refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities in national development policies and plans. This direction requires a strong information base for planning, results monitoring, advocacy, inter-agency coordination, and accountability to affected populations, national authorities, and donors.
Information and data management represent a major cross-cutting challenge for the MCO Cameroon. Data come from multiple sources (registration, protection, programme, needs assessments, authorities, partners, clusters) and diverse contexts (urban, rural, camps, spontaneous sites), requiring robust structuring, harmonization and quality control, including adequate disaggregation (sex, age, disability) and data protection. In this context, the Information Management Officer based in Yaoundé will play a key role in strengthening this function at the MCO level.
With a transversal perspective on data management, the incumbent will contribute to structuring and consolidating information contained in our databases to support protection, social cohesion, and durable solutions.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
An important element is the establishment of Data unit in Cameroon MCO, led by a Deputy Representative to ensure that UNHCR has a capacity to produce, in line with global standards, quality data, information products, conduct region-level analysis, guide registration and identity management, and advise on responsible and effective data use at multi-country and regional levels.

The Data Focal Point and Information Management Officer oversees the implementation of UNHCR data-related strategies, policies and standards for information management, statistics, registration and identity management in the respective multi-country operation. In close coordination with the other global services and the Bureau, the Data Focal Point and Information Management Officer also monitors and oversees, as relevant, the development of systems and processes for operational data within their areas of responsibility. Furthermore, the incumbent provides guidance and technical support to other stakeholders, including country offices and partners, on robust and efficient data design, collection, processing, sharing, analysis, dissemination, data storage and archiving methodologies. The Data Focal Point and Information Management Officer acts as a service provider in regard to data and information management for operations and ensures that UNHCR can fulfill its global commitments to the Inter Agency response in IDP situations. In IDP situations, the Data Focal Point and Information Management Officer provides data, statistics and information management support to the three UNHCR-led Clusters.

Description of Duties
Work closely withal Multi-Country Offices (5 countries) in central Africa in Data and Information Management and analysis, Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Equatorial Guinea.

Coordinate data and information management activities at the Country level
– Participate in the relevant data and information management team and activities.
– Contribute to the design and implement data strategies and systems.
– Assist the data team and others communicate the status, value, and importance of data.
– Support the collection, storage, management and protection of data in the country or at the global level.
– Support consolidation of data systems, including the interoperability of operational data and systems.
– Ensure consistency of data and results for country analysis, including cross border analysis and response.
– Identify risks and opportunities based on insights derived from data.
– Support the coordination with HQ, external and internal partners on data and information management efforts and mechanisms, including OCHA, IOM, regional economic commissions and other institutions with statistical or data interests, UNICEF, and WFP.
– Lead or take part the relevant IM networks (internal and external) on refugee, IDP, stateless and related issues.
– Improve data quality in the region/county or globally through field support, capacity building, monitoring and feedback.
– Support data security, data protection and responsible data-sharing.
Support multi-Country offices with data and information management support (if Global or Regional)
– Provide technical guidance on methodologies, and support for data management activities such as surveys, secondary data reviews, targeting and vulnerability assessments, indicator definition, population estimation, profiling, statistical analysis, predictive analytics, big data, international recommendations, GIS, data visualization, maps, official statistics and other data and information management activities.
– Support the analysis of primary and secondary data for interpretation and evidence-informed decision making.
– Support the monitoring of data and information management activities in the relevant offices for integrity, veracity, reliability and credibility and compliance with policies.
– Document needs and capacities for data management activities.
– Provide technical and training support to operations.
– Support assessments and situational analysis process with analytical frameworks, data collection, and analysis (standards, methodologies).
– Support planning process (standards, methodologies) quality assurance and technical advice on Theories of Change and indicators, as well as with data and statistical analysis
– Support monitoring by providing quality assurance and technical advice to the monitoring methodologies, data collection and analysis.
– Review and assess country or region-specific data systems and needs; provide recommendations for solutions.
– Undertake data and information management activities:
– Lead and undertake data management activities (definition of needs, data collection, analysis, storage and dissemination)
– Lead and undertake geospatial analysis, statistical analysis, targeting, surveys, indicator definition and other data management activities.
– Consolidate data and information for analysis.
– Support analysis for comparative country, regional and global analysis, including political and socio-economic trends.
– Take part in planning processes (COPs, regional RRP, regional migration response plans, etc.).
– Support cross-country assessment and situational analysis, such as in regional RRP situation.
– Undertake the analysis of trends concerning changes at the outcome and impact levels.
– Develop information management products such as indicators, templates, maps and dashboards.
– Help ensure data is curated and stored in data registries and libraries in accordance with standards.
– Provide population movement tracking systems and other population data systems
– Support solutions for meeting ‘communication with communities’ information and data needs.

Work in close collaboration with
– All staff to further data literacy and assist in interpretation the data.
– Registration staff regarding the use of individual and personally identifiable data collected or managed by UNHCR.
– Programme staff on the data and information aspects of assessment, targeting and monitoring (three most data driven aspects of the OMC).
– Cluster coordinators and partners on data and information needs in UNHCR-led cluster operations, including HNO and HRP processes.
– Inter-agency staff on the development, coordination and monitoring of responses plans.
– Protection staff on the design, implementation and analysis of protection and case monitoring systems.
– Operations coordinators and reporting officers on the design and delivery of data and information management products for internal and external consumption.
– Sectors technical experts on the methodologies, formats, storage and dissemination of sectoral data and information, including cross sector analysis.
– Senior management to understand and serve their information and knowledge needs.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
(Clear description of measurable outputs, milestones, key performance indicators and/or reporting requirements which will enable performance monitoring)
– Support the promotion of data and information sharing within the humanitarian community, as well as the adoption of global data standards and, where appropriate, the establishment of common country-specific standards.
– Identify the data and information needed to produce standardized information products and obtain and manage corresponding data/information collection plans for both baseline and contextual data.
– Support UNHCR in analyzing processed data and information and conducting data quality and consistency checks.
– Coordinate needs assessments across all sectors (in refugee situations), coordinate needs assessments within UNHCR-led clusters, and participate in joint needs assessments with other partners/clusters.
– Perform other duties as required.

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 years relevant experience with Doctorate degre
Field(s) of Education

Social Science; Statistics; Information Management;
Physical Science; Economics; Data Science;
Geography GIS; Engineering;
Demography Computer Science; or other relevant field;

Certificates and/or Licenses
Master level

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
3 years in data, registration or statistical field, 3 years in international context and/or humanitarian or development situation. Experience with data sharing, data management and data analysis to support policy formulation and implementation.

Desirable
Knowledge of national and international statistical systems; knowledge of international protection, human rights and international humanitarian law; experience in data collection and analysis in field situations; knowledge of GIS and geospatial systems and techniques.

Functional Skills
DM-Data collection methodologies
DM-Data Management
DM-Database Design & Development
MS-Data Collection and Analysis
DM-Metadata Creation & Management
MS-Statistics Analysis
DM-Open Source Software & Data
DM-Population census and econometrics
DM-Protection Data Management Systems
DM-ArcGIS (Geographic SP-Topographic Surveying Information System)
SP-Mapping Software
DM-Cartographic Skills
SP-Design tools such as Global Positioning System (GPS)
PR-Cluster Information Management Tools, Resources and Approaches
PG-Needs Assessment and Response Analysis
DM-Data governance, quality assurance and preservation
DM-Data Interoperability
DM-Data science methodologies
DM-Development of and revision of data standards
DM-Qualitative data analysis
DM-Quantitative data analysis

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English, French and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies
Empowering and Building Trust
Judgement and Decision Making

Cross-Functional Competencies

 

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

 

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Remote

No