PRIMES Interoperability Analyst

Duration: 15/08/2022 – 31/12/2022 (with possibility of extension subject to funding)

Contract Type: UNOPS IICA level 2 (International Individual Contractor Agreement)

Application deadline: 26/07/2022

Organizational Context

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR teams are in the field in over 130 countries, using their expertise to protect and care for over 94 million people.

The Digital Identity and Registration Section (DIRS) which is located in UNHCR’s Global Data Service (GDS) in Copenhagen. The Global Data Service is responsible for ensuring that UNHCR takes advantage of effective and efficient information and communications solutions that enable and facilitate UNHCR’s execution of its mandate. GDS aims to create an accessible, service-oriented, effective and efficient service organization that is aligned with the core business of UNHCR, meets the digital identity and registration needs of the organization – and leverages industry-standard technology for the organization.

GDS supports UNHCR as it strives to become the global leader in data and information on forcibly displaced persons, ensuring the right solutions are designed, developed and maintained in a cost effective, timely and secure manner.

UNHCR’s need for software and information system support continues to grow, as does the need to continuously improve and expand information and communications systems and infrastructure across the organization.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

UNHCR’s refugee-facing protection work including registration, digital identity management, protection case-management, assistance and solutions requires having well-functioning, secure, and reliable tools. PRIMES, UNHCR’s Population, Registration, and Identity Management EcoSystem, is comprised of a suite of software applications that are corporately endorsed and interoperable with one another to fulfil this requirement. PRIMES applications are currently in use across 115 country operations.

The demands for automated data sharing between UNHCR PRIMES and operational partners as well as government entities have risen to unprecedented levels. This has resulted in an increased level of requests for a wide range of internal and external applications to interact with PRIMES. The number of requests exceed the capacity and resources of field operations and GDS to develop bespoke solutions every time. Furthermore, in the absence of available solutions, each individual interoperability-related request requires a reengineering of processes which each bear a large financial and development cost to UNHCR. In order to ensure that UNHCR can reliably deliver on such interoperability requests going forward, a more standardized, generic and cost-efficient platform is required. A solution to build quick and reusable generic APIs would allow for efficient and predictable exchange of PRIMES data with key stakeholders, enabling UNHCR to respond to on-demand data requests from government and partner systems within the confines of established security authentication. The development of an API library/catalogue supports UNHCR’s strategic objective of facilitating interoperability between PRIMES applications and partner and government systems.

In addition to the technical solution, a clearly defined Interoperability Framework for data-sharing

partnerships is also required. A robust institutional framework for data sharing and interoperability will set the foundation for engaging with external entities.

GDS requires an experienced PRIMES Interoperability Analyst to lead analysis and delivery of Interoperability Framework as part of the PRIMES Interoperability project.

The role of the PRIMES Interoperability Analyst is to take ownership of working with business and field stakeholders to elicit business requirements as part of the PRIMES Interoperability Project. The main purpose of the role is the capture and documentation of the Interoperability Framework to help field staff to better engage in defining the basic conditions of engagement including the setting up of data sharing / interoperability protocols and processes in the field. The framework would include a refugee-centric, protection-sensitive and standards-driven Enterprise Operating Model developed specifically for interoperability demands related to data held in PRIMES.

The Analyst will report directly to the PRIMES Interoperability Project Manager. It is expected that the they will work closely with key staff from the GDS and business units responsible for the PRIMES programme.

In addition, they will work with other Project Steering Committees, Stakeholders, Workstream Leads, Solution Architects, external Managed Service Providers and Suppliers to ensure business requirements are met.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide expertise and guidance for Interoperability Framework best practices, in line with industry standards
• Take ownership for initial Interoperability Framework scope and deliverables definition in line with key interoperability layers: legal, organizational, semantic, technical and governance
• Educate key stakeholders about Interoperability Best Practices, process and key components
• Facilitate Business and Field requirements capture through consultative experience as part of the Interoperability Framework Workstream
• Take ownership and responsibility for defining the general rational and conditions for interoperability partnership engagements with UNHCR’s Partners and Governments
• Document a set of universally applicable principles and standards in the form or a formal Framework Document for interoperability activities in UNHCR
• Work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to document Interoperability best practices and framework, model process flows for integrated service delivery and Service-level agreements template
• Work collaboratively within the project environment to ensure documentation is clear and meets business needs
• Collaborate closely with Training and Change Management team members to ensure smooth and successful user adoption
• Ensure compliance in line with UNHCR’s Project Management Lifecyle (PMLC)
• Support project implementation and business readiness activities to ensure that any new operating models, processes and procedures are in place and embedded

Monitoring and Progress Controls

As per regular performance appraisals and performance objectives set in consultation with the supervisor.

Qualifications and Experience Required

Education

• University degree in computer sciences, Information Technology, Business administration or related field

Work Experience

• Minimum 6 years of relevant business analysis experience
• Proven experience working in framework delivery function, with a strong understanding of Legal, Compliance, Data Sharing Agreements, and overall processes within UNHCR
• Previous success driving business requirement gathering and delivering required documentation
• Knowledge of national or international regulatory frameworks on the protection of personal data
• Knowledge of Agile and Waterfall development methodologies
• Relevant experience of working with end users to capture requirements
• Previous experience managing global remote and virtual teams in multiple locations and time zones
• Previous experience working as part of a Programme and under the oversight of a PM
• Comfortable using Skype, Teams, Webex and WhatsApp to communicate and collaborate with team members

Key Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify problems and develop solutions
• Comfortable and resilient in challenging current ways of working and offer a more beneficial alternative
• Proven track record of operating in high-intensity environments with time critical pressures
• Excellent organizational skills, reporting and documenting
• Strong organizational credibility to report to governance bodies and to senior UNHCR stakeholders
• Previous experience in working for humanitarian organizations, in particular with refugees and vulnerable persons will be an advantage
• Previous experience of working on Interoperability initiatives

Location and Conditions

The successful candidate will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark. This position is up to the end of the year with possibility of extension. It is a full-time role (40 hours per week). Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.