BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH
REACH was born in 2010 as a joint initiative of two International NGOs (IMPACT Initiatives and ACTED) and the United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT). REACH’s purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts. REACH facilitates information management for aid actors through three complementary services: (a) need and situation assessments facilitated by REACH teams; (b) situation analysis using satellite imagery; (c) provision of related database and (web)-mapping facilities and expertise.
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO whose headquarter is based in Paris and is present in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support on its fields of intervention.
We are currently looking for a GIS Officer to support our team in Somalia.
Department:REACH
Position: GIS Officer
Contract duration:6 months
Location: Mogadishu, Somalia
Starting Date: ASAP
COUNTRY PROFILE
Somalia has been experiencing a multi-layered, complex, and protracted crisis over the past three decades, in particular, due to periodic disasters and climate-driven shocks, such as droughts and flooding. This has led to much internal displacement resulting in large IDP populations in urban areas. IMPACT began working in Somalia in 2012 in order to fill information gaps and provide timely data on the humanitarian needs of displaced and vulnerable populations. The compound and complex nature of the crisis continues to influence displacement patterns and constrain the availability of resources, while the presence of armed groups severely impedes the level of access and support provided by humanitarian actors.
In 2016 REACH was deployed in Kenya and has since then been providing information on the needs and intentions of refugees residing in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. Beyond the multi-sectoral focused work, IMPACT has become the go-to partner of the Kenya and Somali Cash Consortia, covering the post-distribution monitoring in a variety of contexts and multi-purpose cash programs
Currently, the Horn of Africa is experiencing the third drought episode in a decade, following three consecutive failed rainy seasons. The drought is compounding existing food insecurity among both pastoral and farming populations, and needs are spiking across the region – between 12 and 14 million people are currently estimated to be facing high levels of food insecurity and water shortages. Historically rare climate variability, climate change, vulnerability, and exposure are creating an exceptional and extremely concerning level of risk for food security and livelihoods, which could drive rising levels of acute malnutrition and mortality through mid-to-late 2022.
FUNCTIONS
Under the line management of the Senior GIS Manager, the GIS Officer is responsible for the application of geographic information systems, including relevant aspects of research design, support in designing data collection tools, ensuring (spatial) data quality, geo-spatial analysis, drafting of maps, and (as relevant) production of web maps and information management systems. Detailed requirements below. The GIS officer will provide technical inputs in all stages of the research cycle. He/she ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. The GIS Officer will also be responsible for developing and implementing a continuous capacity building program for national and international team members, and (when relevant) for providing trainings to partners.
In his/her mission, the GIS Officer will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTED’s Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The GIS Officer responsibilities include the following:
ASSESSMENT PREPARATION AND PLANNING
- The GIS Officer must ensure planned IMPACT research assessment cycles are meeting / exceeding IMPACT’s research standards, wider academic standards, and overall research ethics in the research methods, data processing and analysis, and GIS practices being used in country.
- Identification of available data to inform secondary data review in coordination with the assessment and data teams, with an aim of actively proposing spatial analysis and/or remote sensing activities that can provide additional information to enrich the assessments.
- For each assessment, ensure contribution to and review of draft ToRs with a specific focus on the analysis plan, as well as data management plan, and related mapping to ensure that all stages of the assessment cycle are planned in line with project and program objectives.
- Support project teams to co-construct qualitative and quantitative data collection tools and mapping tools, ensuring data and GIS requirements of research cycle/assessment are met and all required geo-reference data will be collected to allow for accurate analysis and visualization of findings;
- Develop sampling frames through geo-spatial analysis of assessment areas and subsequently develop statistically representative samples. Related support to operations teams in developing maps and reference guides for daily assessment plans and field movement plans.
RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION
- When relevant, support the training of enumerators for primary data collection;
- When relevant, support oversight of data collection, in line with agreed TORs (including their Annexes), including spatial verification and validation as part of daily assessment checks;
- Ensure that collected data is properly geo-referenced, enabling the production of maps and related products;
- Keep track of progress and delays of data, information-management, and GIS tasks throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified problems are reported by writing and orally in a timely manner.
- In coordination with relevant assessment officer(s), document all changes in data collection that lead to a modification in the agreed TORs, ensuring that the Snr GIS Manager and Country CC are informed and agree on the modifications.
DATA MANAGEMENT, CLEANING AND ANALYSIS
- Ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
- Conduct vector & raster-based spatial analysis on collected data, using appropriate tools for each use-case
- Ensure that data and its spatial analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before product drafting stage;
- Development and maintenance of country-level databases for the consolidation of all assessment-related and GIS data in country;
DRAFTING OF PRODUCTS
- Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate GIS products, which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines;
- Ensure that all GIS products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release;
- When relevant, in close coordination with IMPACT HQ, support the regular maintenance and update of web GIS products;
- In coordination with the country coordination, liaise with IMPACT HQ on the procurement of UNOSAT services and satellite imagery.
EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT
- In support of the assessment team, link with relevant partners to consult and involve them in the GIS components of a research cycle;
- Promote an active use of datasets, GIS products and research findings by partners and the broader humanitarian community for their decision making;
- After validation by line manager, support the presentation of research findings through GIS inputs to relevant third parties in order to enhance their use and impact;
KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND LEARNING PROCESSES
- Anticipates knowledge gaps prior the execution of the Research Cycle
- Provides content and contributes to lessons learned exercises
INTERNAL COORDINATION
• Actively participate in regular team meetings;
• Ensure regular coordination and exchange with relevant colleagues;
• Engage in the development and implementation of IMPACT’s strategy in Somalia .
DATA CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION
The GIS Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes, ensuring full compliance with IMPACT’s data protection policy and SOPs. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of any information and data belonging to IMPACT and its partners, or collected during his/her assignment with IMPACT
REQUIREMENTS
- Academic: Excellent academic qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
- Research skills: Demonstrable experience with geo-spatial information management and analysis. Excellent spatial analysis skills
- Software skills: Advanced knowledge of ArcGIS pro, QGIS. Proven knowledge of Microsoft office including Office 365 and SharePoint. Knowledge of R, STATA, python, or equivalent statistical software an advantage.
- Years of work experience: At least 1 years of relevant working experience. Experience in humanitarian settings highly desirable.
- Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
- Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
- Experience in geographical region Past experience in the Horn of Africa region is desirable;
- Language skills Fluency in English required;
- Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment
- Multi-tasking skills: Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
- Level of independence: Proven ability to work independently and collaborate with teams across different bases;
- Cross-cultural work environment: Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
- Language skills Fluency in English required, competency in Somali an asset;
- Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- For this position, salary between 2’460 CHF and 2’600 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD
NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere. - Accommodation and food provided in a guesthouse. NB – IMPACT is hosted by ACTED in this country
- Accompanied status does not apply to this position
- Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
- Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)
- R&R after 3 months (flight ticket up to 500$ + 200$ of living allowance)
- Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
- Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
- Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
- IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees
- This is not a family duty station