Database & MIS Coordinator at Mercy Corps

The Position Summary

The database and MIS coordinator will work directly under the Nawiri MIS Manager as well as with the broader MEL team to operationalize Nawiri’s Management Information System. S/He will lead and coordinate MIS development including   information gathering, translation of user needs into system specifications, developing and roll-out of mobile and web platforms, developing of standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure optimal use of information systems, consistency, and data quality standards. S/He will provide timely technical backstopping on the CommCare platform for data management, ICT support on mobile technology and database, and continuous adaption to the data management system to include emerging data needs. Working with County Data and Information Advisor, S/He will support county GIS and Information system interventions as part of broader system strengthening support for Turkana and Samburu.

S/He will be a member of the MIS team responsible for developing, implementing, and supporting the technology tools and data storage platform for the USAID Nawiri. This includes CommCare, Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft SQL Server Azure based data warehouse. Working in partnership with staff at various levels and locations, the Database and MIS coordinator  will performs a key role in analyzing, developing, and improving tools and processes contributing to the successful rollout of the effective Monitoring and Evaluation System.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Work closely with the MIS Manager to produce and update work-plans for data management, analysis, and reporting.
• Work closely with the MEAL team and other stakeholders mapping information management scope which include data gathering, analysis and use to inform development or improvement of Data Management Information Plan.
• Develop and support measurement data platforms using CommCare and MS stack technologies (Azure Data Factory, SQL, PowerBi, PowerApps etc), and in accordance with agreed development standards.
• Develop related technical documentation of data platforms developed such as user guides, setup manuals etc for the implementation team and end users.
• Design and model data for technology products to inform development of operational databases.
• Support during rollout of developed data platforms and provide second line technology support to all the deployed platforms.
• Conduct data management capacity needs assessments for project staff and roll-out Data Management and Information Systems capacity building activities with support from the MIS Manager.
• Carry out requirement analysis and develop wireframes, prototypes and develop databases and software to support the implementation of Nawiri project activities
• Support development, testing and roll-out of mobile data collections including ensuring that data collection protocol and SOP are in place to guide data quality and collection at county level.
• Conduct regular Data Quality Assurance (DQA) with county team to assess the validly, reliability, and quality of data collected
• Build quality checks in CommCare mobile data collection tools to minimize data errors.
• Support development of USAID Nawiri Database and CommCare platform for data storage and collection - including building syntax for exporting data from Nawiri Partner databases and County government MIS systems.
• Conduct capacity building activities including the training of staff in mobile data collection tools, data analysis and visualization and database operability at central and county level.
• Support rolling out and management of project community accountability and reporting system (CARM) at county level including system maintenance.
• Support rolling out and management of Nawiri Work-plan Activity Tracker –Smartsheet and other platforms employed by the project for project management.
• Support mapping efforts including collection of geo-spatial data, entry in GIS platform and production of map to highlight Nawiri operating areas and achievements.
• Support updating of Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) during reporting and support uploading of data in USAID Partner Reporting Template and Digital Library.
• Remain flexible and open to taking on new responsibilities as Nawiri continues to evolve and progress - especially as requested/guided by the MIS and M&E Managers.
• Supervise MIS officer at county level including mentoring on USAID Nawiri MIS system and roll-out

REPRESENTATION

• Develop the necessary relationships and partnerships with consortium partners – with focus on M&E
• Identify, build and manage trusted partnerships with consortium agencies, local government and other stakeholders
• Effectively communicate the program's best practices to build Mercy Corps' positive image with development stakeholders

SECURITY

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

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 PARTICIPANTS

• 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.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• No direct supervisory responsibility. Will have dotted supervisory roles for all the Nawiri partner MIS officers in Samburu and Turkana counties.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Database & MIS Manager
• Works Directly With: MEL Manager, MEL Coordinators, M&E Officers, M&E Assistants, Data Officers, Technical Staff and County Government Turkana or Samburu

Minimum Qualifications & Transferrable skills

• BSc in Information Technology, Information Systems, Information Technology or equivalent 
• At least five (5years of professional experience in developing and management of databases and information systems
• Experience in Android Studio or equivalent mobile data building platforms
• Experience in information systems frameworks such as Node js, Laravel, Codeigniter or equivalent
• Experience in building APIs
• Competence in coding and working with digital data collection platforms Open Data Kit/ CommCare/ KoboCollect
• Competence in using visualizing tools such as Power BI or Tableau
• Competence in GIS mapping and visualization using ArcGIS/QGIS or similar tools
• High degree of computer literacy and typing proficiency; Excel and Word skills.
• Fluency in written and oral English. Must be able to read and interpret documents and communicate with others as necessary to perform job duties effectively.
• Direct experience implementing programs or M&E in an NGO context
• Experience working with enterprise grade systems implemented in multiple departments to collect, store, and visualize data specifically CommCare and PowerBI or similar
• Advanced level experience of MS Excel including developing macros and consolidating data from multiple Excel spreadsheets
• Experience working with Microsoft T-SQL, Azure SQL Server, Data Factory, SSIS/other ETL tools, data modeling and data factory and warehouse development.
• Experience providing support for enterprise-level platforms with significant numbers of users and varying IT infrastructure
• Strong experience with mobile data collection and/or case management using CommCare and/or Microsoft PowerApps.
• Experience with enterprise data architectures, integration, and master data management