REACH GIS Officer - Intersectoral Unit at IMPACT Initiatives

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 qualified candidate to support our Intersectoral Unit on the REACH team in Nigeria in the capacity below:

Job Title: REACH GIS Officer - Intersectoral Unit

Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria, with field travel, security permitting, as appropriate/desired
Contract duration: 6 months
Department: REACH
Starting Date: ASAP

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.

Country Profile
In North East Nigeria (NEN), the ongoing crisis continues to have a profound impact on the population, leading to displacement both within and out of the region and high rates of unmet needs among internally displaced persons. The conflict additionally exacerbates prior unmet needs among non-displaced and host communities. While the primary driver of the conflict remains violent conflict, including ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), JAS (Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad) and associated armed opposition groups (AOGs), other underlying factors, such as climate change, poverty, and disease outbreaks, exacerbate need and further complicate aid delivery.

Against the backdrop of this protracted crisis, the humanitarian situation in Northeast Nigeria remains one of the world’s most severe.

Out of the Northeast’s Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) state’s total population of 13 million people, an estimated 7.9 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.[1] Borno state remains the epicentre of the crisis, containing over 80% of the region’s over 2 million internally displaced persons.[2] Major incidents throughout 2019 have led to continued mass displacements and severely affected the provision of humanitarian assistance in the region.

The sudden influx of arrivals added strain to the existing infrastructure of the humanitarian community, resulting in high rates of unmet needs, overcrowding in camps, and exposure to protection risks for vulnerable groups. The congestion status of the camps has resulted in over 60% of IDPs residing outside of camps within host communities, further complicating service delivery.[3] The intensity of needs within Maiduguri and the instability of the security situation in more remote regions has resulted in increased focus on populations in accessible areas; however, populations in the less accessible areas are presumed to have even greater needs.

These hard-to-reach areas are estimated to contain around 971,000 persons.[4] Very little is known about the specific conditions and needs of the populations living in these areas, but they are presumed to have little mobility, limited essential services, and little or no access to humanitarian aid. The same threats that severely limit the ability of humanitarian actors to conduct thorough assessments also immediately affect the population living in the region. REACH’s Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM) assessments in the Hard-to-Reach areas of Borno state have found that people in these inaccessible areas lack of access to basic services including health facilities, access to livelihoods and have decreased access to foods, access to improved water sources and access to humanitarian services.[5]

As such, the needs for evidenced-based Humanitarian Aid and information on populations in both accessible and inaccessible areas is paramount to a coordinated response. REACH has been present in Nigeria since 2017, providing a growing evidence base for humanitarian response planning through sectoral, multi-sectoral and area-based assessments as well as information management services. In 2019, REACH is looking to continue to provide the humanitarian community with relevant and reliable information to strengthen strategic programming and needs-based targeting in Northeast Nigeria.

As an initiative deployed in many vulnerable and crisis-affected countries, REACH is deeply concerned by the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have on the millions of affected people we seek to serve. REACH is currently scaling up its programming in response to this pandemic, with the goal of identifying practical ways to inform humanitarian responses in the 20+ countries where we operate, including Nigeria.

Position Profile

• IMPACT is seeking an experienced candidate to support REACH’s Intersectoral Unit. Tasks will include providing GIS support throughout the research cycle including research design, data collection, data analysis and output production.

Functions
The REACH Intersectoral Unit GIS Officer will fulfill the following functions:

• Under the supervision of the Country Coordinator in Nigeria and of IMPACT’s HQ in Geneva, the REACH GIS Officer is responsible for managing all processes and outputs related to REACH GIS, products and data in-country. They will ensure regular communication with REACH Assessment teams in-country to support the ongoing assessments accordingly, and liaise with IMPACT HQ on GIS product validation.
• In his/her mission, the REACH Assessment Officer will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the responsibility of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates. S/he and will fully abide to ACTED’s Security, HR, Administration and Logistics rules and regulations.

Responsibilities
Management of GIS functions within Research Cycles:

Assessment Preparation and Planning:

• In coordination with the assessment manager/focal point(s), ensuring that assessments are planned in line with project and program objectives and with REACH’s research cycle and other relevant guidelines;
• Identification of available GIS data to inform secondary data review, in coordination with the assessment team;
• For each assessment, ensure contribution to and review of draft ToRs with a specific focus on the analysis plan, and related mapping, as well as data management plan;
• In coordination with Assessment team, co-construct qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, ensuring GIS requirements of research cycle/assessment are met;
• Develop geo-spatial analysis of assessment areas to be used, as relevant, in developing daily assessment plans, field movement plans and accompanying operational maps for field teams;
• In coordination with relevant assessment officer(s), support construction of quantitative sample;
• Keep track of progress and delays of all GIS and relevant data- and information-management tasks throughout the research cycle. Ensure that delays or identified problems are reported by writing and orally in a timely manner.

Data Collection:

• When relevant, ensure that support is provided by the GIS team for the identification and training of enumerators for primary data collection;
• When relevant, ensure that support is provided by GIS teams in overseeing 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 geo-referenced, enabling the production of maps and related products;
• In coordination with the assessment team, ensure that all changes in data collection that lead to a modification in the agreed TORs are documented; and that the IMPACT Country Coordinator and IMPACT HQ are informed and agree on the modifications.

Data Management & Analysis:

• Ensure that all collected data is stored in line with IMPACT’s Data Management Guidelines, and with the ToRs (data management plan Annex);
• Facilitate data cleaning and analysis automation process for the ongoing long term projects / assessments. Providing technical guidelines and capacity building support to the team on the automated systems and workflows.
• Ensure that data is revised and cleaned, and that all revisions are recorded;
• Ensure spatial analysis conducted on collected data as per ToRs;
• Ensure that data and its spatial analysis are validated by IMPACT HQ before product drafting stage;
• Ensure that data and its analysis do not contain personal information and are validated by IMPACT HQ before sharing to external parties;
• Ensure the quality and accuracy of technical information provided as well as the confidentiality and protection of collected information.
• Ensure regular update and maintenance of REACH Nigeria products

GIS Products (including maps as standalone or within assessment outputs):

• Ensure accurate linkages between spatial databases and assessment data;
• Ensures that the produced maps meet the requirements of IMPACT and concerned partners;
• Ensure regular communication maintained with IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for GIS products;
• Ensure the drafting of timely and accurate GIS products, which comply with IMPACT’s guidelines;
• Review all products before they are sent to IMPACT HQ for validation;
• Ensure that all GIS products are validated by IMPACT HQ before external release;
• In coordination with the IMPACT Country Coordinator, manage the identification of satellite imagery and analysis needs in Nigeria, and liaise with IMPACT HQ on the procurement of UNOSAT services and satellite imagery.

Product dissemination and evaluation:

• In coordination with IMPACT’s Country Coordinator, promote the dissemination of GIS products in line with IMPACT Guidelines and Research ToRs;
• Ensure the strictest confidentiality of data and data processes. He/she will actively take measures to prevent the unauthorized sharing of information and data;
• In coordination with IMPACT HQ, ensure that GIS products are uploaded in relevant data portals, as specified in Research ToRs;
• In coordination with IMPACT’s Country Coordinator and with the assessment team, ensure that lessons learned are gathered and documented at the end of each research cycle.

Internal Coordination with GIS Team:

• Conduct regular meeting with all international and senior national GIS Team members to assess progress in all research cycles and to review work plan;
• In coordination with Country Coordinator, conduct induction for new staff members, including training in basic GIS, data and IM competencies;
• Support to the IMPACT Country Coordinator in the development and implementation of capacity training plans for GIS team members;
• Be available to provide regular support and technical backstopping;
• When relevant, support Country Coordinator in staff appraisal and recruitment process.

External Relations

• Under the coordination of the IMPACT Country Coordinator, ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved in the preparation of GIS products;
• In coordination with the IMPACT Country Coordinator, engage in relevant technical fora in country (e.g. IM/GIS working groups);
• In support of the IMPACT Country Coordinator, engage with other organizations engaged with the maintenance of spatial data in Nigeria, ensuring IMPACT Geodatabases are up-to-date and in line with Common Operational Datasets (CODs) and Fundamental Operational Datasets (FODs)
• In coordination with the IMPACT Country Coordinator, support the presentation of GIS products to relevant third parties, to enhance their use and impact;
• Ensure that external communications with technical GIS/IM partners and key stakeholders, including relevant UN agencies, local and national government, and NGOs has been conducted and documented as appropriate;

Strategy Development and Implementation
The GIS Officer will participate and actively contribute to the development of the REACH strategy in Nigeria, in support to the Country Coordinator. In particular s/he will support in identifying and concretizing:

• GIS gaps in country
• Synergies with other GIS and IM actors
• Dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of our GIS and IM work
• Support in the preparation and follow up of country level internal strategic workshops and plans
• Engagement with IMPACT HQ in global level GIS priorities

Key Performance Indicators

• Ensure compliance with relevant GIS guidelines
• Mapping guidelines are systematically followed, in particular:
• Map templates consistently used
• Map validation process respected
• Ensure adherence to research cycle TOR
• GIS products support the research as designed and align to the analysis plan envisioned
• Data is handled according to the arrangements specified in the data management plan
• Ensure internal communication protocols followed
• Regular communication is maintained with IMPACT HQ on progress and deadlines for GIS products
• Problems related to specific assessments are reported by writing and orally in a timely manner;
• Ensure maps produced and data analysed in a timely and accurate manner
• Average number of days between end of data collection and internal product validation
• Number of key automation scripts/apps for data cleaning and analysis process, fast-tracking output production.
• Total number of maps receiving final validation

Confidentiality:

• The REACH Assessment Officer will maintain the strictest confidentiality on all data collected and related processes. 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.

Accountability To Communities And Beneficiaries
The staff member is responsible for ensuring that all relations with the communities we work are conducted in a respectful and consultative manner. Due attention must be paid to ensuring that communities are adequately consulted and informed about REACH programme objectives, activities, beneficiary selection criteria, and methodologies. This is the responsibility of every REACH staff member.

Requirements

• Master degree in GIS or a related discipline (Geography, Geomatics, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Sciences)
• 2 years of experience in GIS / Database management, preferably in humanitarian context;
• Previous experience with mobile data collection (ODK, ONA, KOBO);
• Knowledge of the Adobe Suite, particularly Illustrator and InDesign;
• Knowledge of remote sensing analysis a plus
• Experience analysing complex data with R or Python a plus
• Excellent team management skills;
• Ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment requiring flexibility;
• Familiarity with the aid system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
• Prior knowledge of the region an asset;
• Fluency in English required;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel and Project Management Software.

Conditions

• Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance provided in-country by IMPACT’s partner ACTED
• Food and lodging provided at the organization’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package:
  • OCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview, 2020
  • IOM, Displacement Tracking Matrix, November 2019
  • OCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview, 2020
  • OCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview, 2020
  • REACH HSM Hard-to-Reach Factsheets, 2020

Application Closing Date
26th June, 2020.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: In case you encounter challenges using the application form, please contact us via: [email protected]