Geographic Information System intern

Contract

This is a Internship contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about Internship contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

Background Information - Ghana Multi Country Office (GMCO) GMCO is responsible for managing strategic and operational risks associated with a subset of the regional portfolio of engagements, developing and delivering cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results.

The core functions of the Operational Hub are to: - Liaise and develop engagements, and deliver services responding to partner needs. - Leverage advice and integrate delivery modalities of the three Delivery Practices and the Global Partner Service Office. - Maintain appropriate arrangements and capacity for direct transactional support for delivery of the sub-regional portfolio.

Background Information - Gambia The Gambia has one of the fastest urbanisation rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with the GBA already accounting for 68% of the total population. This has resulted in several environmental and socio-economic problems including deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and waste generation, as well as stress on health, education and employment services. These have been exacerbated by the lack of an urban masterplan for Banjul (which has not been updated for nearly 20 years) and the absence of a planned response to the growing economic activity of the city.

Despite these challenges, the investment climate in The Gambia is growing in attractiveness to investors and is expected to improve with accelerated investments via the next prospective flagship project of the Port Expansion and the current opening of the new trans-Gambian bridge. It is imperative that the city has the proper instruments in place to prepare for increased urbanization, traffic flows and vulnerability to climatic change.

To respond to this potential and address these issues, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has affirmed its support to the Government of The Gambia for the development of a comprehensive, digitized master plan for the Greater Banjul Area. The overall aim of the Greater Banjul Area: Sustainable Urban Development Programme 2020-40 (GBA-SUDP) is to put in place innovative mechanisms to support an increase in local revenue generation and collection, improve the delivery of basic services and roll out the decentralised approach as stated in the National Development Plan (2018-2021). The project can be defined in two main service lines (a) Urban Master Plan Development and (b) Technical Assistance to institutional capacity development;

Purpose and Scope of Assignment The main purpose of this assignment is to assist the Urban Planning Team providing Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government (MoLRG) and Banjul City Council (BCC), Brikama Area Council (BAC) and Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) for optimal co-creation of project deliverables and knowledge exchange. The GIS Intern will contribute to the successful delivery of the digital Master Plan for Greater Banjul Area. She/he will be located at the UNOPS office with frequent presence in the Ministry of Lands and Regional Governments and the councils . S/he will work with the support and guidance of an international urban planning expert and will report to the Project Management Senior Officer (Urban Planner). S/he must be results-oriented towards the delivery of the Digital Master Plan for the Greater Banjul Area; a team player, ready to support the Project Manager and the team in the delivery of the overall project objectives.

The internship's learning opportunities are:

• Apply, expand and consolidate their knowledge in a real working environment.
• Active participation in an Urban Planning Development Programme.
• Participate in the revision, cleaning and maintenance of the spatial database produced for the project.
• Learn from real situations, how to create and interpret data to produce maps and inputs for the different components in an urban plan.
• Learning through practical experience.
• PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner certification.
• Understanding of international organisations' project management practices.
• Knowledge of UNOPS project management systems, including online platforms and Google Suite.
• Exposure to UNOPS Gambia projects.

Functional Responsibilities

The Intern shall assist theProject Manager and Urban Planning Team and will be responsible for performing basic level technical and professional tasks associated with the preparation, capturing, storing and maintaining of data using database procedures and tools to ensure the Geographic Information System (GIS) provides comprehensive and complete information. The position comprises of the following key performance areas but not limited to:

Geographic Information System (GIS):

• Conduct spatial data analysis and create maps for the Greater Banjul Area Master Plan.
• Support project partners in digitization of paper-based maps.
• Assist with the identification of appropriate software and hosting solutions to ensure user-friendly and sustainable data use, exchange among project stakeholders.
• Create synthetic maps from geographic information.
• Support the urban planning team in the identification and resolution of spatial issues.

Capacity building

• Assist in building the capacity of relevant Ministry and Local Government staff in the field of GIS.
• Support the councils in georeferencing properties.

Reporting and Communication:

• Create user-friendly maps and data visualization.
• Participate in project-level coordination meetings (Capacity Building Team meetings, Planning Team meetings, project team meetings) as relevant.

Procedures:

• Comply with Project documentation requirements.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

A. Education - Applicants must possess a Bachelor’s degree or be pursuing an advanced university degree, such as a Masters or a PhD, or be a recent graduate from such studies (within the last 3 years); - Preferred area of study is one of the following: GIS, geomatics, geography, environmental science, sustainable development, transport, urban planning, engineering Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Studies or in any other relevant area is preferred.

B. Experience - While no professional experience is required for an internship, experience in the field of GIS, geomatics, geography, environmental science, sustainable development, transport, urban planning, engineering or similar fields is considered an asset.

C. Language: Fluency in English communication skills, both written and verbal is required

D. Key Competencies- Time management; - Attention to detail; - Creativity and innovation.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: Internship
• Contract level: Internship
• Contract duration: 12 months

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background information - AFR

Africa Region

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Africa Region supports UNOPS country offices in the region, providing financial oversight of projects, procuring goods and services and managing human resources. AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.

Additional information