ESRI Data Engineer and Developer

Result of Service Scalable and flexible RiX platfrom ESRI, publicly accessible once stakeholder approval is given:

1. Functional on desktop and other platforms, with capabilities indicated above in place 2. Aligned to WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards 3. Features enhanced and new features added in release(s) by end of contract. 4. RiX platform compliant with UN Secretariat IT Security & Privacy standards 5. RiX platform compliant with UNGIS standards for implementing maps

Work Location Home-based

Expected duration 5.5 Months (until 31 December 2022)

Duties and Responsibilities Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 - 2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with U.N. Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.

UNDRR helps partners enhance their understanding of the changing nature of risk in order to scale-up and accelerate solutions for resilience. UNDRR aims to accelerate access to risk information across development, humanitarian and fragile state contexts. UNDRR’s Risk Information Exchange (RiX) is a collaborative platform for sharing and innovating in the use of risk information cutting across hazards, vulnerabilities, exposure, and geographies (i.e., global to local).

UNDRR’s Risk Information Exchange (RiX) platform will aggregate listings of risk information from more than 50,000 data sets. The initial iteration of the RiX will be launched at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction, with additional releases planned for 2022 as new features are added to the platform. The development of RiX is overseen by the Global Risk Analysis and Report (GRAR) unit of UNDRR and aligned to country requirements, as well as the success criteria defined by relevant stakeholders. The RiX is based on Esri technologies to maximize scalability as the number of data set listings grows. The platform points users to interactive maps, apps, searchable listings or directories, individual data set listing views, content integrations, dashboards, landing pages, and widgets. While a first version of the platform has been developed, the overall workflow is being enhanced to include additional automated and standardized processes. The actual datasets will be made available to stakeholders for independent analysis. Under the guidance of the GRAR team and direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer, the consultant will build the platform using Esri tools, manipulate the datasets and prepare them for visualization, and aid in the development of data pipelines, models, requirements, and documentation. In addition, the consultant will support the different data workflows for the hub, covering the various phases, including acquisition, quality control, cleaning, analysis, publishing to directories, visualization, storage, user management, and sharing.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Upgrade existing features for RiX based on findings from user experiences

• Explore new initiatives and features that can be integrated on the RiX to improve the user experience of the platform

• Integrate any existing solutions from different platforms into the RiX

• Work closely with the GRAR team and stakeholders (working across different time zones) to maintain a decision log and send regular project updates to applicable stakeholders

• Maintain the development of the scaleabe Risk Information Exchange (RiX) platform, following requirements, designs, and other documentation from the GRAR team: o Ensure that the hub is user-friendly and functional on desktop and potentially other platforms o Avoid hardcoding components, opting for scaleable solutions where possible

• Launch an updated version of the RiX for stakeholder and country partner feedback
• Prepare a detailed technical documentation of the RiX for handover to GRAR team, including website development code, operational server-side information, data storage, data specifications, user management, how to manage visualizations, how to update content, etc.
• Regularly provide training to the GRAR team on how to use, update, and manage the hub
• Ensure high code transferability and portability using internet-hosted version control software, ideally github

• Consult with UNDRR’s design and technical lead on integrations and API standards, as well as data storage and servers to comply with UN Secretariat IT Security & Privacy standards

• Ensure the implementation of data pipelines for the submission of data set listings and integration of listings and other content from multiple sources: o Build the capacity for the RiX to include submissions from the public to the (meta)database, including the addition of a secondary step to allow validation or approval before being displayed directly on the RiX o Create approval pipeline, with stakeholder guidance, for data set listings submissions, editing by the GRAR team, approval by the GRAR team, and finally publication onto the RiX platform o Create permissions levels for RiX administrators and editors; manage initial user access to the RiX

• Support the implementation of data visualization solutions

• Collaborate on the development of the geospatial and related Esri apps

• Ensure the data workflows harmonization and standardization among datasets coming from different countries or data collection rounds

• Create and maintain metadata for all datasets derived from surveys (both microdata and aggregated layers)

• Identify data-related tasks that can be automated and develop appropriate procedures. This should include the high-frequency (i.e. weekly) fully-automated verification that the RiX URLs exist.

• Coordinate with UNGIS for guidance on implementation and eventual approval of all maps implemented on the RiX platform

• Perform other related duties as required.

  Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: First level University Degree or equivalent in computer science, computer engineering, statistics, or data science is required. Experience: Minimum of 2 years of proven experience in data management and relevant field is required. Language: Fluency in English is required.

  No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.