Electronic Library Services and Training Coordination Officer

The role of Electronic Library Services and Training Coordination Officer is to administer projects as part of Digital Access to Research (DAR activity) in-country capacity development programme for promoting access to research and technical knowledge in the LDCs. 

Reporting to the DAR Activity Lead at the World Health Organization, the incumbent is responsible for coordinating capacity development activities in the sphere of information literacy for the countries that have been assigned to her/him. This capacity development oversight includes planning, managing, tracking, and reporting on the status of the work in the specified countries. He/she will deliver up to two in-country capacity development projects in Africa, working in conjunction and through country focal points. The incumbent will be responsible for simultaneously managing scope, time, and resources and will be reporting regularly to the Activity Lead at the World Health Organization on the status of her/his projects.

In line with the methodology prescribed by the Activity Lead, and in consultation with Officers in charge of other DAR focus countries, he/she will ensure timely completion of the work in the countries, within budget. The role will include close partnership with other Research4Life or DAR teams. The incumbent works closely with other DAR colleagues to ensure that country projects are functioning well and smoothly. 

The expected deliverables of this engagement include, but are not limited to:

• coordinate training activities (and conduct them when appropriate) in assigned countries;
• coordinate with external groups to facilitate multi-country information literacy-related activities;
• brief, train and coordinate Country Focal Point(s), including ensuring participation at regular online meetings during which Country Focal Points can share experiences;
• develop and tailor Digital Access to Research for LDCs Initiative training materials (working with the Research4Life Capacity Development team and with County Focal Points);
• may be asked to develop and standardize monitoring and evaluation approaches for training sessions (in collaboration with the Research4Life Impact Evaluation Working Group);
• aggregate and conduct initial analysis of training-session monitoring and evaluation information in assigned countries and contribute to overall aggregation;
• develop and oversee Help-Desk policy for Digital Access to Research for LDCs Initiative;
• explore new avenues for training development and delivery (e.g., crowd-sourcing, etc.);
• aggregate feedback from Country Focal Points and convey to appropriate Research4Life working groups for improvement of user experience, content database, general programme development;
• represent Digital Access to Research for LDCs Initiative on the Research4Life Capacity Development Team.

The Electronic Library Services and Training Coordination Officer will provide guidance to Country Focal Points for their activities, including:

• identifying eligible institutions which have not yet registered, identifying potential "champions" at those institutions to be invited to train-the-trainers workshops;
• promoting DAR/Research4Life in presentations/mini-workshops at eligible un-registered institutions and also at registered institutions which are not using or under-using their access to Research4Life content; encourage outreach and marketing;
• building networks of local "champions" to share Research4Life experience and expertise;
• training trainers, organizing workshops;
• establishing workshop and support-centre venues, including “pop-up” structures and online channels;
• creating professional networks through workshops which bring together students, researchers and professionals from different institutions, disciplines and functions (e.g. researchers, librarians, IT personnel);
• supporting and facilitatating focal points working across countries;
• providing technical support to IT personnel in national institutions;
• training librarians and others to act as “support centres” within their own institutions and eventually as country-wide support experts;
• providing feedback to improve and tailor services from DAR/Research4Life, including from in-country usability analyses;
• conducting surveys at workshops and generally among users to create baselines and measure activity and progress.

The Electronic Library Services and Training Coordinating Officer may be called upon to, in collaboration with other Tech Bank and Research4Life programmes and with Country Focal Points, compile baseline “policy landscape” reviews. These baseline reviews will profile, per country:

• policies related to IT and intellectual property (IP);
• sources of national statistics; and
• sources of access to research and technical information. 

 Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Reporting required on deliverables outlined under “Functional Responsibilities”, above. Informal reports will be expected at regular bi-monthly meetings. An accounting for funds expended and activities delivered will be expected quarterly, with a final report at the end of the contract

Education 

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in library science, knowledge management or related area or First-level university degree with equivalent experience in library science, knowledge management or related area.

Work Experience

• Minimum 5 (five) years of relevant and progressive experience required in project delivery.
• Experience in information capacity development and training in a library context with such experience in francophone Africa a strong asset.
• Proven experience in developing work plans and writing project-related documentation.
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder initiatives and complex/large-scale projects is strongly desired.
• Familiarity with portfolio planning, monitoring and evaluation, is required.
• Experience with one or more UN entities is highly desired.

Language

• Expert knowledge of oral and written French is required. Expert knowledge in oral and written English is required

Contract type: International ICA