Senior Database Officer

Assignment

In Lebanon, ACTED implements humanitarian and development projects funded by a variety of donors. The Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation (AME) department participates in project development, supports the implementation of all ongoing projects, and contributes to more accountability towards donors and beneficiaries by verifying the achievement of output and outcome indicators.

The Senior Database Officer is in charge of the database team, which is part of the AME department. The database team actively supports the implementation of ongoing projects, mainly through the maintenance of accurate and complete databases of project-related data, intended for both internal and external uses. It also develops and maintains cross-project database systems in line with ACTED’s global AME procedures, and supports in data analysis and reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Senior Database Officer are divided in three main categories; data management, reporting, and coordination. They mainly consist in, but are not restricted to, the following:

Data management

To pro-actively support project managers when preparing for, implementing and reporting on data intensive beneficiary selection mechanisms and cash for work programmes (e.g. implement beneficiary selection scoring matrix and conduct comprehensive data verification);

To review and validate hard copies and soft copy templates related to attendance lists distribution lists to be used by project managers, in line with internal and donor requirements; the DB officer plays specifically an important role in the review and validation of Cash-for-work attendance sheets data to ensure timely payments to beneficiaries in coordination with finance and project managers

To verify the quality, coherence, consistency, comprehensiveness and accuracy of project databases (e.g. input or cash distributions, forum/training attendance lists, etc.) regularly submitted by project managers. Upon request from AME manager, this may include verifying the matching between existing hard copies and submitted soft copies;

To directly perform minor data cleaning of project databases as needed, and clearly feedback to / train project managers on the cleaning tasks performed / to be completed in an effort to improve future submissions;

To occasionally code project-related questionnaires / forms using the software Open Data Kit and perform data extractions from the online ONA platform, upon request from AME manager and AME officers;

To timely and clearly flag any identified data-related issue (e.g. lack of transparency, lack of accuracy, not in line with donor requirements, etc.) to the AME manager;

To maintain up-to-date databases for all projects, in close coordination with project, project development, and monitoring and evaluation teams;

To ensure that up-to-date files are comprehensively stored electronically on the internal server in an organized and coherent way and files containing beneficiary data are password-protected, in line with ACTED’s data protection policy.

Reporting

Depending on the type of projects being implemented, the Database Officer may be asked to timely consolidate beneficiary lists received from project managers and prepare cross-project monthly beneficiary lists, to be sent to donors. This also includes closely following-up with eventual payments done by donors, and integrate payment-related data to internal project databases;

Timely and accurately report on ACTED’s project activities on online platforms upon request from AME manager;

Timely and accurately report on ACTED’s project activities on the Activity Info online platform, in coordination with other departments (PD, finance, accountability) and with the support of project managers;

To provide accurate and clear project-related data outputs / analysis / reports, upon request from AME team, project development / reporting team, project managers and/or country direction, including analysis of data. This may include direct support in the preparation of external reports.

To support in the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that include a data management component

Coordination

To confidentially conduct data-related fact-finding steps for beneficiary complaints, upon request from the accountability officer;

To participate in internal kick-off and close-out meetings, where the Senior Database Officer is invited to anticipate blocking points and/or suggest improvements to ACTED’s internal processes related to beneficiary selection, data management and accountability;

To participate in internal AME standing meetings organized by the AME officers with the project manager, project development and accountability teams to discuss ongoing project activities and suggest / respond to database needs identified by the Senior Database Officer or expressed by the project teams

Occasionally in the case of Consortium, to liaise and coordinate with partners’ data management teams in order to ensure compliance, coherence and accuracy of compiled data

Occasionally to participate in relevant external meetings related to data management, upon request from AME manager or country direction;

To organize and provide relevant internal trainings to ACTED staff (Excel, Open Data Kit, database usage, data protection, etc.), in close coordination with the AME manager or country direction.

To liaise and work closely with the GIS officer (part of the AME department) to suggest and provide project databases relevant to the development of GIS outputs

Other

To support other departments (Security manager, HR, etc.), upon request from AME manager or country direction;

Exceptionally and upon request from the AME manager, to contribute to outcome measurement data collection activities, which may involve data collection over phone;

Perform any other duties, upon request from AME manager or country director.

Generate new platforms and creative database solutions that help improve the quality of data management, work flow, and reduce paper consumption, in close coordination with AME manager and country director.

Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to supervisors and other team members;

Required qualifications and experience

BA, BSc on Computer Science, Information Management Systems (IMS) or related field, or relevant, MA, MSc;

Proficient knowledge of Excel, MS SQL;

Proven ability to design, develop and maintain databases;

Good understanding of data related to multi-sector program activities;

Prior knowledge of ODK preferred

Experience working in international NGOs and/or UN in a similar position preferred;

Experience supervising small teams preferred;

Required personal qualities

Flexibility to the multiple challenges inherent to humanitarian and development project activities;

Adaptability to the various types of projects implemented by ACTED;

Good interpersonal skills and interest in working in a dynamic and multicultural environment;

Able to synthetize and communicate clearly, orally and through writing, in English and in Arabic;

Proactive and self-motivated attitude towards learning and improving his/her own skills;

Acute organizational skills, and capable of innovating;

Experience of delivering solutions; string problem solving skills;