IMPACT Initiatives
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 aGIS/Remote Sensing Specialist to support our team in Amman, Jordan.
Department:REACH
Position: Specialist – GIS / Remote Sensing
Contract duration:12 months
Location: Amman, Jordan
Starting Date: 1 August 2022
COUNTRY PROFILE
After more than a decade of conflict, conditions in Syria remain volatile and marked by violence and socio-economic deterioration. The scale, complexity, and severity of humanitarian needs in Syria extends the necessity for up to date, timely, and accurate information. Evidence-based planning and programming remains paramount to ensure that the response adequately meets the needs of the most vulnerable people and is tailored to different realities across communities and over time. REACH has been conducting assessments on the humanitarian situation in Syria since 2013 and has since grown significantly as an actor in the response.
Broadly speaking, REACH Syria facilitates a humanitarian evidence base via four key research streams:
- Monitoring of the humanitarian situation in Syria, including multi-sectoral needs assessments and joint market monitoring to track prices of goods;
- Displacement tracking, through tracking the movement of IDPs and returnees;
- Remote sensing activities, including damage/rehabilitation assessments, flood hazard analysis, etc;
- Technical support to clusters, including thematic assessments and capacity building.
Examples of REACH Syria information products, include:
Ar-Raqqa City – Damage Atlas (April, 2021)
NWS – Camp Flood Hazard Assessment (May, 2022)
Briefing Notes: Humanitarian Impact of Water Shortages – April 2022
FUNCTIONS
Under the supervision of the REACH Syria Deputy Country Coordinator (DCC), the Specialist ensures the validity and strengthens the quality and efficiency of all geospatial data, analysis and information systems across research cycles in Syria, in accordance with IMPACT’s standards and partner expectations. In coordination with the Country Senior Management Team, the Specialist will provide technical inputs at all stages of relevant research cycles and contribute to the development and implementation of IMPACT’s country strategy. S/he will be involved in partner coordination, donor reporting, and external presentations. The Specialist 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/Remote Sensing Specialist will be hosted by ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and for Administrative, Security, Logistics and Finance issues.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Specialist’s responsibilities include the following:
Strategy development & implementation
- Contribute to the development of IMPACT’s strategy in Syria, in support to the Deputy Country Coordinator, including:
- Identifying GIS, remote sensing (RS), and information management (IM) gaps;
- Ensuring the national GIS/RS strategy is integrated and actioned across research units;
- Synergies with other external GIS, RS, and IM actors;
- Improve dissemination strategies to strengthen the impact of our GIS and RS work;
- Facilitate engagement with IMPACT HQ in global level GIS/RS priorities.
Research Planning and PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:
- In coordination with Assessment units, co-construct qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, ensuring GIS and remote sensing requirements of research cycle/assessment are met;
- In coordination with GIS and remote sensing officers, keep track of progress and delays of all GIS and remote sensing tasks throughout research cycles;
- Ensure that GIS/RS strategies are integrated into new and existing research cycles;
- Support the development/revision of programme strategies, reports, or new proposals.
Knowledge Sharing and Learning Process
- Identify GIS/RS capacity gaps, and resolve to bridge these through capacity building and training;
- Support the development and implementation of GIS/RS capacity training plans for team members;
- Conduct and support regular training to country teams, including regular updates on IMPACT guidelines, adapted Syria training modules, learning on the job;
- Complement in house training material with external resources, if and as relevant;
- Support to GIS/ Assessment / unit teams to systematically review the efficiency and quality of research cycles and information products.
Project Cycle Management
- Management of relevant all Project / Grant cycles within his/her Unit (in coordination with DCC);
- Control project budgets within Units to avoid under/over-spending, in coordination with DCC;
- Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting and budget expenditure, in coordination with DCC;
- Ensure proper asset management.
Team Management and Leadership
- Close collaboration with Research Managers who are line managing GIS staff in their units on career development, work planning and technical guidance;
- Direct line management of cross-cutting GIS/RS staff (if relevant);
- Conduct regular meetings with all GIS staff to review progress in research cycles and work plan;
- Review and validate GIS/RS components of research cycles (datasets, analysis scripts, maps, etc.)
External Engagement
- In coordination with the IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator, ensure that relevant partners are consulted and involved in the preparation of GIS/RS products;
- In coordination with the IMPACT Deputy Country Coordinator, engage in relevant technical fora;
- Coordinate with other organisations engaged with the maintenance of spatial data in Syria, 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 Deputy Country Coordinator, support the presentation of GIS / RS products to relevant third parties, to enhance their use and impact.
REQUIREMENTS
- Academic Excellent qualifications, preferably including a Master degree in relevant discipline;
- Research skills Excellent research and geo-spatial analysis skills. Experience conducting remote sensing a strong asset;
- Software skills Advanced knowledge of relevant GIS/RS software. Knowledge of R, STATA, python or equivalent statistical software an advantage;
- Familiarity aid system Familiarity with the aid system and research community desired;
- Years of work experience At least 5 years of relevant working experience;
- Training skills Ability to conduct trainings and mentor teams and partners on assessment skills;
- Communication/reporting skills Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
- Multi-tasking skills Ability to multitask with tight deadlines, on numerous research cycles;
- Level of independence Strong ability to work independently in support of colleagues and partners;
- Cross-cultural work environment Ability to operate in an environment requiring flexibility;
- Language skills: Fluency in English required, competency in Arabic an asset.
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
- Food and lodging provided at the organisation’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