PNUD recruits 01 Geographic Information System (GIS) Assistant

Job Description

Agency: UNDP

Title: Geographic Information System (GIS) Assistant

Job ID: 25220

Practice Area – Job Family: Peace Building – INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Vacancy End Date (Midnight New York, USA) 18/08/2019

Duty Station: Abuja, Nigeria

Education & Work Experience: G-Bachelor’s Level Degree – 3 year(s) experience, I-Master’s Level Degree – 3 year(s) experience

Languages Required: English

                      Desired:

Grade: SB3

Vacancy Type: Service Contract (SC)

Posting Type: Common System

Bureau: Africa

Contract Duration: One year without possibility of extension

Background

The farmers-herders violence is both widespread and fluid in scope, making any geographic limitations to the implementation of the project challenging. Violence occurs in many different localities, and the dynamic movement of persons across community, local government, and state lines demand a flexible approach in selection of target areas. For example, when Benue State implemented the Open Grazing Prohibition Law on November 1, 2017, many pastoralists were pushed northward into Nasarawa and Taraba states. Media reports suggested that the attacks on communities in Benue in early 2018 were reportedly coming from groups based in Nasarawa State. With Taraba State having also passed, but not yet implemented or enforced a similar law prohibiting open grazing, the Nasarawa-Benue-Taraba nexus emerges as a critical peacebuilding area for the farmer-herder crisis.

Although the recent escalation of the crisis has highlighted the volatile security environment on the ground, research suggests that the Nasarawa-Benue-Taraba nexus has long faced these problems. According to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program’s (UCDP) Georeferenced Event Dataset (GED), 28% of deaths in attacks between farmers and herders from 2014 – 2017 in Benue state occurred in Guma and Logo LGAs. In the same period, farmer-herder violence in Taraba state claimed 49% of its casualties in Wukari LGA. These striking death tolls around the Nasarawa-Benue-Taraba nexus indicate that targeting this area in a more focused manner can provide crucial peacebuilding dividends for affected communities.

The Project on Integrated Approach to Building Peace in Nigeria’s Farmer-Herder Crisis Project will therefore target the three states of Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba with state- level activities, as well as two contiguous Local Government Areas (LGAs) in each of the three states for targeted interventions to promote peace. The geographic focus thus centers on the Benue River, where formalized and functional state-level peacebuilding infrastructure and early warning systems are lacking, agriculture and pastoralism are important livelihood and economic activities, and inter-state interactions are more easily facilitated enabling effective use of project funds.

The in-depth work with communities will target the following Local Government Areas: Ibi LGA and Wukari LGA (in Taraba), Awe LGA and Keana LGA (in Nasarawa), and Logo LGA and Guma LGA (in Benue).

In targeting these areas, the project will inevitably work with one state that has banned open grazing and enforced it (Benue); one state that has legislated to ban it but not enforced it (Taraba); and one state that has not yet passed any legislation on open grazing (Nasarawa).

Maps are models of the earth surface which could display specific phenomena of interest by the producer. Thematic maps show specific information limited to a particular area and research interest. In this case, the thematic map of interest will be on conflict, attacks, human right abuse and responses to these. This will prove important to the peacebuilding process in the project states as progress made by this Project in peacebuilding and livelihood restoration can be visually seen as tied to the specific communities of intervention. Also, as seen on maps, partners and other stakeholders will be able to see baseline and end line impact of the Project in the geographical area of implementation while guiding decision making via the EWERS and strategic policy formulation based on data-backed geographic evidence. This will be novel in integrating information technology to the process of peace building.

The rationale for the assignment is to support improved understanding of the crisis which will encourage evidence-based advocacy, targeted investments and innovative solutions in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states. The Incumbent will support in the establishment of enhanced information management and analysis capacities through plotting information on various events in the farmer-herder crisis within the target area, show spatio-temporal patterns and regularly update maps on the farmers-herders crisis in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States. She/he will work with the Information Management and Analysis Unit and relevant parties in the states to collect, capture, map and present spatial updates on the crisis.

Mapping is a key activity on this project as UNDP hopes to pull data across different partners and stakeholders to have a common view and perspective of the crisis. This is to ensure that whatever information is shared to the public is verified and is not misleading. As such, map presentation is one of the best medium of presenting data whereby both locals in the community, the society at large and partners can easily relate with such information displayed in tandem with geographic location in the three states.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, Integrated Approach to Building Peace in Nigeria’s Farmer-Herder Crisis Project, the Incumbent will be required to work with the peace structures, existing and proposed, and other stakeholders in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.  She/he also works with the Project Technical Team in guiding the process for spatial data collection on the crisis and interventions, extracting data from the Early Warning Early Response System (EWERS), running geospatial analysis and producing cartographic visualizations and maps for the use of UNDP.

This activity will enable the project to meet one of the project deliverables. Specifically, the incumbent will, among others, be required to perform the following tasks:

 -Support spatial data collection, cleaning and quality assurance;

-Develop geospatial databases on different thematic areas relevant to the project’s concerns;

-Develop baseline assessment cartographic products usable on several online platforms and hard copy communication materials;

-Analyze data from satellite remote sensing platforms, code for web maps, run GIS automation and programming

-Routinely update analysis and maps as required on the project and share these in appropriate and timely manner;

-Travels to the three focal states to engage with key stakeholders and for data collection structures in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States;

-Present draft and final versions of maps on attacks and human rights violations in the project geographic area;

-Maintain the strictest confidentiality of data and processes. She/he will actively take measures to prevent unauthorized sharing of information and data; and

-Carry out any other duties as may be assigned by the Project Manager, Integrated Approach to Building Peace in Nigeria’s Farmer-Herder Crisis Project, as well as, the supervisor of the Governance, Peace and Security Unit who has oversight functions on the project.

Expected Outcome/ Deliverables

The incumbent will be expected to deliver the following outcomes/results:

 -Gender and youth disaggregated spatial information management protocol.

-Production of analytical briefs and updates on the crisis in the three states

-Supported publishing outputs on online repositories

-Baseline, midline and end line assessment geovisualizations

-Monthly reports of work done, and geospatial outputs

-Written reports of spatio-temporal analysis with evidence of collaboration and inputs from key stakeholders in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States

Competencies

-Geographic Information System management skills.

-Innovation

-Communicating Information.

-Teamwork

-Information gathering skills.

Required Skills and Experience

The candidate shall possess the right skills and competences to provide GIS and mapping services, to complement UNDP’s capacity for the implementation of the Integrated Approach to Building Peace in Nigeria’s Farmer-Herder Crisis Project in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.

The preferred candidate for this must possess a minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Geography/GIS or related course.

Postgraduate degree is an added advantage.

She/he should have at least 5 years post-graduate experience and 3 years of professional experience.

Ability to use ESRI ArcGIS and one other GIS software for spatial analysis and map production is a must.

Experience in map production, complex spatial data collection and management.

Experience in working with UN or government organizations is an asset.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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