GIS Specialist

Overview

Support project activities and implementation for GIS in agriculture and natural resource management.

You have:

• A university degree in geoinformatics (GIS), Geography, Surveying, Engineering, climate change, forestry, agriculture, environment, natural resources management, urban planning, or related fields required, masters and PhD postgraduate students will be an advantage.
• At least 5 years of experience in GIS with national, regional or international projects.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of Russian and Kyrgyz.
• National or Resident of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO Country Office, headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments in developing policies, programs, and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries, and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. FAO Kyrgyzstan assists the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in developing policies, programs, and projects to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition, to develop the agricultural, fisheries, and forestry sectors, and to use environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. FAO participates in the development and implementation of field projects in the sectors of food security, agriculture, and rural development. This requires the integration within the broader framework of sustainable food and agriculture that aims at increasing production and productivity, addressing climate change, managing natural resources; and enhancing rural livelihoods.

In this context, the FAO is implementing in collaboration with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, the GCF-funded project “Carbon Sequestration through Climate Investment in Forests and Rangelands (CS-FOR)” (GCP/KYR/020/GCF). Project activities are aligned to the immediate needs, as well as longer-term development challenges associated with Agenda 2030 and beyond. The project objective is to increase carbon sequestration through supporting climate investments in forests and rangelands and through reducing drivers of degradation and emissions via institutional support, participatory ecosystem-based sustainable management of natural resources, and green growth investments. This assignment will contribute to the project objective, such as to contribute to the development of a low carbon-emission and climate-resilient economy while capitalizing on important co-benefits from adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Reporting Lines

GIS Specialist is accountable to the FAO Representative and the National Project Coordinator, the leadership of the Forestry Service under the Ministry of Agriculture of the KyrgyzRepublic,and carries out his/her work in close cooperation with the relevant FAO specialists/consultants. GIS Specialist performs work within Components 1, 2, and 3 of the project. The GIS Specialist, in close cooperation with the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO), Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), and the Forest Service under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic and the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator will be responsible for the implementation of the below project tasks.

Technical Focus

Information Systems, Data, Natural resource management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, economics, value chains development.

Tasks and responsibilities

The main task of the GIS Specialist is to support the National Project Coordinator in managing project activities, organizing, and initiating timely decision-making for effective implementation.

• Facilitate consultation/workshop - District (2 / district/ year) on GIS / Georeferencing evidence-based monitoring; (Act 1.2.1)

• Facilitate consultation / Workshop - National (4 / year until Y4, 3 from Y5) on GIS / Georeferencing evidence-based monitoring; (Act 1.2.1)

• Provide expertise on Georeferencing M&E with other consultants of FAO; (Act 1.2.1)

• Supervise and coordinate the establishment of a dedicated evidence-based and georeferenced project M&E system including gender disaggregation of the data; (Act 1.2.1)

• Development of standards, methodologies, and implementation modalities for the state monitoring of rangelands, forests resources and forest fires to track investments in climate change-related activities; (Act 1.2.1)

• Support use of georeferencing and evidence-based approach: (Act 1.2.1)

• At national level: establish an NRM communications framework to secure gender-disaggregated data and information transfer across the country and within institutions.

• At local level: provide technical support to beneficiary institutions at local level (PUUs and Leskhozes (local forest institutions)) to update and enhance their datasets, working maps and tools to support the evidence-based NRM/climate-oriented strategies addressing gender gaps.

• Ensure that mechanisms, tools and approaches will be used to support the dissemination of NRM and climate

• policies/laws/information across the country, and to update central institutions with gender-disaggregated data/information/needs originating from local administrations and rural communities; (Act 1.2.1)

• Facilitate trainings on enhancing the capacity of central and local institutions, schools, academia and CSOs in bridging policies and management plans with gender-sensitive data and information (using the FAO approach and tools for Georeferencing and Geospatial Analysis); (Act 1.2.1)

• Develop ToR for contractual services for software development, to subcontracting a company to identify potential sites for reforestation activities (planting forest crops, plantations, promoting natural reforestation);

• Coordinate and provide PUUs with ad hoc tools (i.e., digital maps, GPS, field met-stations) to map and monitor their pastures and forests adequately (Act 1.2.1)

• Coordinate all activities on an evidence-based approach, all natural resources will be mapped and georeferenced to facilitate the M&E of progress in planting, safeguards, carbon sequestration, etc.;

• Provide assistance to the Pasture Department on climate-sensitive pasture management, assessment and monitoring, and conduct INRMCRP assessment and monitoring and coordinate Pasture Department activities on GIS works; (Act 2.1.2)

• Assist in improving and finalizing the forest management information system of the Forest Service under the Ministry of Agriculture.

• Facilitate work to increase the capacity of employees of the Forest Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, forestry to work with GIS programs (ArcGIS, QGIS), as well as interpretation of space images.

• Undertake inclusive technical discussions to deepen selected topics (via specific consultations, including on impacts of existing legislation on biodiversity, environmental resources, and livelihoods for women and men, including on gender equality) to inform dialogue.

• Support the development and improvement of Integrated Natural Resource Management and Climate Resilience Plans (INRMCRP) from the GIS perspective and its further implementation in pilot target areas; (Act 2.1.3)

• Actively engage in conducting gender-responsive capacity-building activities, workshops, and seminars related to GIS of CS-FOR project.

• Supervise and coordinate all activities related to GIS to ensure its results are in accordance with the Project Document and the rules and procedures established by FAO/GCF.

• Together with the NPC maintain regular contact with the Forestry Service, Pasture Department, pilot Leskhozes and other partners on project implementation issues of their respective competence.

• Ensure adherence to the project’s work plan, and prepare revisions of the work plan, if required.

• Undertake any other actions related to the project as requested by PIU/FAO or the National Project Coordinator.

• Provide progress reports regularly and contribute to elaborating the overall reporting process of the CS-FOR project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• A university degree in geoinformatics (GIS), Geography, Surveying, Engineering, climate change, forestry, agriculture, environment, natural resources management, urban planning, or related fields required, masters and PhD postgraduate students will be an advantage.

• At least 5 years of experience in GIS with national, regional or international projects.

• Working knowledge (Level C) of Russian and Kyrgiz.

• National or Resident of the Kyrgyz Republic.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/ Functional skills

• Excellent writing and communication skills in Russian and Kyrgyz.

• English is an asset.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Proficiency with database programming languages.

• Experience with MapServer, OGC WMS service (at least 5 completed projects).

• Experience in working with maps of various scales (scanning, geospatial referencing, digitizing and various geospatial analyses and processing) with GIS programs (ArcGIS, QGIS).

• Experience with geodatabase.

• Experience with GPS.

• Experience in developing online WebGIS maps.

• Experience in land cover classification, interpretation, processing, and analysis of Earth remote sensing data. Assessing the potential of the country's natural resources using geospatial technologies and modeling tools.

• Experience in delivering training/education on the introduction of GIS mapping at the village/district level, focusing on the practical use of the GIS program and GPS in socio-economic infrastructure planning and various rural advisory service providers who will support villages in community land management planning, resources:

• Experience in the development of training materials, manuals, modular program, and instructions for use.

• At least 5 years of experience with national, regional or international projects.

• Knowledge of ecosystem management, sustainable natural resource management, and use issues in Kyrgyzstan, including the political, institutional and socio-economic aspects, and related NRM policies in the country.

• Strong knowledge and experience on regional and international climate strategies, programs and implementations

• Knowledge about monitoring of Carbon sequestration in forests/pasture.

• Working experience with ministries, national and municipal institutions, forestry and pasture sectors on national and local levels in Kyrgyzstan.

• Ability to effectively coordinate large-scale project activities involving stakeholders on various levels.

• Strong drafting, presentation, and reporting skills.

• Strong computer skills, in particular mastery of all applications of the MS Office package and internet search.

• Excellent writing and communication skills in Russian and Kyrgyz. English is an asset.

• Excellent communication skills, competence, conscientiousness, and responsibility in work.

• Ability to solve problems and the ability to make effective and timely decisions in crisis situations.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org