DataBase and Documentation Systems Expert - Consultant

Location :Occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank)
Application Deadline :30 April 2012
Type of Contract :SSA
Languages Required :English and Arabic 
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) -May 2012
Duration of Initial Contract :3 months – possibility of extension
 
Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. According to its mandate, UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women oPt, in line with the Palestinian Authority commitment to fight Violence Against Women (VAW) as set in the National Strategy to Combat VAW, approved by the Palestinian Cabinet in January, 2011;in full partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), within the framework of the “Mehwar Centre for the Protection and Empowerment of Women and Families” project funded by the Government of Italy, is supporting the operation of the first specialized anti-violence center in the oPt working towards the adoption of human rights-based standards while offering integrated services to prevent family violence, as well as to protect and empower women and children victims and survivors of violence in the oPt. At the same time, UN Women, through the DFID funded “Support for delivery of security and justice services for women” project, aims at improving women victims of violence's access to justice through fostering and enhancing the judicial and security sectors in accordance with CEDAW and the rule of law principles.

Within the above mentioned programmatic framework, UN Women prioritizes generating evidence, as evidence produces knowledge and knowledge constitutes prove for and in front of decision makers. Information related to cases of women victims of violence, whether accessing police, social or justice services needs to be documented as to be then analyzed and to feed into policy making. As knowledge informs and guides action, proper documentation serves both improvement in knowledge and performance. Evidence-based case documentation, while tracking women victims’ demands for protection, expressed needs, actual level of enjoyment of rights and institutional response throughout the various stages of the process of exiting from the circle of violence, constitute a fundamental reference for setting protection standards and for building effective monitoring mechanisms, thus increasing accountability internally as well as in front of the community.

Mehwar Centre pilot experience with over 150 cases of sheltered women is meant to become the first victim-centered data collection system on violence against women. The possibility, for the first time in the oPt, to accompany women victims of violence through all the steps of the justice chain – while being sheltered – evaluating successes and short-falls, challenges and innovation through women’s benefit lenses, has an incredible potential for influencing the development of gender-sensitive policies and systems addressing violence against women in different sectors. Building upon the data and information collected by the Centre, Mehwar will therefore serve as a model and a knowledge hub useful for building the capacity and systems of other anti-violence centers in the oPt and in the Arab region. Shelters-based data collection aims to also contribute to strengthen the credibility and authority of women victims in the community, giving them the chance to influence, through their lives, change and social progress. It can ultimately constitute an excellent monitoring and advocacy tool, including for verifying the implementation on the ground of CEDAW.
 

A broad set of forms and formats have been studied and developed by the Mehwar Centre since its opening in 2007, with the support of UN Women, the Ministry of Social Affairs and of VAW and anti-violence centers specialists. This set of forms and formats constitute the starting point from which to move to develop a comprehensive and efficient documentation system functioning both on paper and through customized software.

To enhance, on a national level, a victim-centered, evidence based system of data collection regarding cases of violence against women, UN Women supports the establishment of an “Observatory” under the umbrella of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) documenting women’s access to justice throughout the various steps of the justice chain, and monitoring the involvement of key security and justice sectors officials i.e. police officers (in particular those assigned to the Family Protection Units), prosecutors, judges, and prisons’ administration personnel. The information collected through the “Observatory”, after being properly analyzed, should become an important advocacy tool to be used for policy-making purposes.

Duties and Responsibilities

With the objectives to:

1-Facilitate comprehensive and consistent data collection throughout the provision of the Mehwar Centre services to its beneficiaries,
2-Facilitate comprehensive and consistent data collection by the Independent Commission for Human Rights regarding cases of violence against women accessing the justice chain (at the levels of police investigation, prosecution and trials), as well as cases of women victims of violence “being criminalized” and therefore detained in Correction and Rehabilitation Centers,
3-Increase access to the unique set of data and information already archived at the Mehwar Center regarding cases of women victims of violence and families in distress, yet also recording Mehwar Centre’s cooperation and coordination with civil society, stakeholders and the community at large,
4-Upgrade current documentation system run by the Independent Commission for Human Rights with regards to cases of women victims of violence accessing the justice system,
5-Ease documentation and utilization of data and information collected by the Mehwar Centre throughout the delivery of its services, while setting the basis for future data analysis and studies,
6-Ease documentation and utilization of data and information collected by the Independent Commission for Human Rights through the “Observatory” on violence against women, while setting the basis for future data analysis supporting the development of official reports.

UN Women intends to recruit a “Data-base and Documentation Systems” expert specialized in the design and development of documentation systems and data-base applications, yet familiar with development frameworks, so as to create customized solutions for the Mehwar Centre.

The “Data-base and Documentation Systems” expert will work under the overall supervision of UN Women oPt Head of Office and the direct supervision of the Women Human Rights Unit (WHRU) Project Manager, and will carry out his/her duties and responsibilities in consultation with the WHRU Technical Advisor and M&E Officer, and in partnership and coordination with (for the Mehwar Centre) the Mehwar Centre Director and team, and the Director General for Family and Child Protection at the Ministry of Social Affairs, and with (for the Independent Commission for Human Rights) the ICHR Director and the “Observatory” coordinator. The consultant will report regularly to UN Women.

Within the above delineated framework and in order to deliver the required customized documentation system, the consultant will undertake the following tasks, duties and responsibilities:

-Draft an action plan for the assignment to be submitted to and approved by UN Women;
-Familiarize with Mehwar Centre/ICHR currently in-use forms and formats, and related data and information domains;
-Verify consistency and identify gaps regarding currently performed collection of data and information by the Mehwar Centre/ICHR;
-Verify existing technical platforms in use at the Mehwar Centre/ICHR (SharePoint, Java, Net, SQL Server, MySQL, etc);
-Produce a report on currently performed collection of data and information by the Mehwar Centre/ICHR incorporating suggested solutions for improvement, including the optimal data-base query to be adopted;
-Acquire final information domains and terminology by UN Women and by relevant stakeholders (Mehwar/MoSA for the Mehwar Centre, the Independent Commission for Human Rights for the “Observatory”);
-Consider the following points as minimum standards requirements for the design of the Mehwar Centre/ICHRdata-base and documentation systems: 1. User friendly; 2. to be applied to card index and computerized filing systems; 3. includes security/confidentiality measures to enable access only by authorized persons and at different levels depending on levels of sensitivity of information; 4. auditable to verify persons obtaining access and reasons; 5. searchable using multiple parameters (applicable in the computerized elements of the developed system); 6. adopting agreed upon information domains and gender-sensitive terminology; 7. Arabic as the main user interface language;
-Work in close coordination and cooperation with WHRU team and with the relevant stakeholders’ reference persons, while aiming to gather full requirements for the intended documentation systems and data-base applications to be adopted at the Mehwar Centre/ICHR;
-Always ensure that requirements are clearly documented and circulated among UN Women and relevant stakeholders before further progress is made;
-Adopt a participatory approach with the relevant stakeholders, during all phases of the consultancy work, ensuring ownership of the process as well as of the final deliverables;    
-Produce detailed functional specifications of the documentation systems and database applications proposed for the Mehwar Centre/ICHR as developed upon the agreed upon requirements. This shall include detailed designs of all components required and technology specifications, such as environment and server requirements. Full source code documentation should also be produced according to international standards;
-Present proposed documentation systems and data-base applications to UN Women and relevant stakeholders for feedback;
-Produce prototype of the proposed data-base applicationsto be tested by the MehwarCentre team/ICHR teamto ensure functionality and smooth running of the new systems. Relatively evaluate shortages and suggest remedial solutions for problems faced;
-Upon the functional specifications and after receiving written approval by MoSA (for the Mehwar Centre)/by ICHR (for the “Observatory”), develop the proposed documentation systems and data-base applications to defined standards;
-Once they have passed quality assurance, release the data-base applications for beta-testing prior to a final iteration which includes formal acceptance testing by MoSA/ICHR;
-Install the developed data-based applications at the Mehwar Centre/ICHR;
-Assess management implications related to the adoption of the newly developed documentation systems and data-base applications within the Mehwar Centre/ICHR;
-Deploy the documentation systems and data-base applications packages on CD(one for the Mehwar Centre and one for the ICHR) in addition to a business change programme customized for the specific work environments of the Mehwar Centre and of the ICHR;
-Provide one-year database support and maintenance to ensure that the documentation systems and data-base applications delivered are carefully monitored and running smoothly on a daily basis;

-Develop a contingency plan for system failure in the event of technical failure;
Produce soft, printed and electronic versions of the System User’s Manuals (one for the Mehwar Centre and one for ICHR);
-Train (20 hours) Mehwar staff and (20 hours) ICHR team on the new systems (based on the developed System’s User’s Manuals), ensuring understanding and ability to run and manage the systems;
-Responsible for all functions associated with the design, implementation and maintenance of SQL Server databases including security, back-up, logging, and reporting and recovery procedures;
-Submit deliverables to UN Women, as per contract;
-All produced documents and source codes are the property of UN Women and have to be handed over at the end of the contract duration.

Time frame: the assignment is expected to start in May 2012 and to be finalized in three months. 
Deliverables

1-Report on currently performed collection of data and information by the Mehwar Centre and ICHR incorporating suggested solutions for improvement;
2-Detailed specifications of the documentation systems and database applications proposed for the Mehwar Centre and ICHR (developed upon the agreed upon requirements);
3-Prototype of the proposed data-base applications for the Mehwar Centre and ICHR;
4-CDs containing the documentation systems and data-base applications packages (one for the Mehwar Centre and one for ICHR).

Competencies
CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

-Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
-Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

CORE COMPETENCIES:
-Ethics and Values: Demonstrating / Safeguarding Ethics and Integrity;
-Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
-Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring: Initiative-taking; coaching and mentoring ability;
-Working in Teams: Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
-Communicating Information and Ideas: Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
-Self-management and Emotional intelligence: Creating synergies through self-control.
-Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements: Managing conflict;
-Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning: Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of other.
 

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
-Proven ability to work in the field of document control, filing and documentation system development, data-base development;
-Demonstrated ability to develop both card index and computerized filing systems
-Excellent organization, processing, reviewing and filing skills, both hardcopies and electronic file management;
-Proven ability to liaise with a variety of stakeholders and partners, including government and international organizations;
-Demonstrated sensitivity, discretion and high personal standards in dealing with confidential information;
-Demonstrated experience in timely delivering of high-quality products and in managing complex processes within the security sector;
-Results oriented, flexible and problem solving skills.
-Strong analytical, dialogue, consultation and communication skills;
-Ability to deal with matters that are politically or culturally sensitive.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

Advanced University studies in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or other related scientific / technical discipline.

Experience:

-At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in IT and in designing and managing data and documentation processes and systems;
-Previous professional experience in relevant field(s) in international settings required;
-Ability to interact with governmental agencies, good interpersonal skills and organizational proficiency;
-Experience with MS SQL Server 2005 or 2008.

Language Requirements:
-Excellent communication and drafting skills and fluent in English and Arabic (comprehension, written, and spoken).

Submission of application:

Interested candidates must submit application, including complete and up to date CV, as per deadline indicated April 30, 2012, to the following email [email protected], indicating in the subject line: DATA BASE AND DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM EXPERT, CONSULTANT.

UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.