Close
    Search for HOT projects, news, people and jobs.

Contract duration: 5-6 months, option of extension based on funding availability

Location: Based in Kampala and various locations in northern and western Uganda

Reports to: Country Manager

Starting date: January 2019

About HOT

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is a US-based NGO and global community of thousands of volunteers working together to use maps and open data for humanitarian response and the Sustainable Development Goals. As the world’s preeminent participatory mapping NGO, HOT has fostered a global mapping community composed of more than 150,000 people with ground operations in eight countries. During crisis, HOT rallies this global network to create the maps and data that enable responders to reach those in need.

Project Overview

The “Crowdsourcing Non-Camp Refugee Data Through OpenStreetMap (OSM)” is a UNHCR-HOT partnership project, which aims to improve program planning and service delivery to refugee communities, develop better integration with host communities, and build refugee self-reliance through Open-Source Map Data. The program trains and equips community leaders in refugee communities to map vulnerabilities and assets in the places they live, filling in key data gaps and “blank spots” on the map. These micro-level maps are created using techniques including crowdsourced data collection on mobile phones and the global community mapping efforts of the 45,000-strong Humanitarian OpenStreetMap community. The resulting multilanguage maps and map data are then made openly available online in OSM, on mobile phones for navigation, in printed form in refugee social/community centers, and provided to local stakeholders and response coordination.

Position Overview

The Information Management Associate will report directly to HOT’s Country Manager in Uganda, helping coordinate field operations and outputs with legible and informative GIS outputs/production. The individual will ensure that data is up to date, correctly cleaned, managed, archived, uploaded and attributed. Data accessibility will comprise a key responsibility of the post, and a meticulous but imaginitive approach will be key. The post-holder will work to facilitate the creation of comprehensive, highly detailed maps for HOT Uganda, with incisive and revealing field-narratives in mind. These will include refugee-specific base maps for disaster risk analysis, operations and monitoring by partners, contributing to more effective advocacy, navigation, and service delivery by humanitarian actors.

This individual will co-advocate with multiple partner organisations and UN bodies working with data and risk information in Uganda, and promote access to - and use of - OpenStreetMap data by all stakeholders. S/he may also serve in a monitoring and evaluation capacity, ensuring that outputs and outcomes of project activities are appropriately captured for accurate, nuanced reporting to donors. The position will involve management and manipulations of data across platforms, and reciprocations between Open and proprietary data formats.

There will be a need for skilled organisation of personnel, workflows and data, and understanding of the architectures of both traditional NGOs and more multi-lateral tech methodologies. Candidates considered for this post will be able to show a capacity for an improvised yet orderly approach, involving the design of data management systems which are scalable, yet accommodate constraints dictated by resource-poor settings. This is a dynamic evolutionary post, located in an era which increasingly acknowledges Open Source Ethos as a contributing standard in the future of international disaster relief.

Responsibilities

  • Support and manage in-house GIS capacity to develop, express, and deliver mapping outputs in digital and physical formats.
  • Suport Mapping Supervisors in organizing and facilitating OSM trainings, workshops, and awareness sessions for local community centers and refugee populations.
  • Assist in designing data products and establishing partnerships to integrate OSM and (open) geospatial data into pre-existing data sources and platforms.
  • Write and translate documentation as necessary. Design, implement and regularly update the Information Management Strategy and the Dissemination Plan for information management products produced by the organisation, and in-line with the UNHCR Web Portal.
  • Co-Design necessary data collection tools, ensuring that the purpose and use of data collected is clear and that questions are simple, clear and collectable in OSM formats.
  • Organise and manage data input at the server from data collection forms and conduct initial analysis of the data.
  • Proactively gather information from relevant partners and other organisations which may be of use to the employing agency or cluster for informing decisions.
  • Participate in information management working group meetings representing the organisation, and provide the necessary support in presenting the relevant GIS data and information.
  • Provide advice and counsel concerning information management issues and industry trend to the partners.
  • Adapt to changing project priorities and support other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • Strong ICT and information management skills and eagerness/ability to learn new technologies.
  • Experience of OpenSource GIS and Data Management tools (and content).
  • Commitment to OpenSource ethos. Humanitarian values, community focus, and field empathy.
  • Solid professional experience in socio-humanitarian contexts, field improvisation experience, and/or practical project management experience in the commercial sector (inside/outside of GIS).
  • Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity in other professional /personal environments, and people and deadline management experience.
  • Commitment to inclusive team behaviour, evidencing both robust leadership and good delegation.
  • Experience of use of OSM tools at field level; experience working with Open-Source GIS, and OpenStreetMap tools such as OpenDataKit(ODK), Kobo Collect, Field Papers and X-form building.
  • World-class visualisation and graphic design skills.
  • Strong writing, advocacy, and analytical skills, including experience preparing reports for clients.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the complexity related to refugee situations. Understanding of the variety of local stakeholders working on refugee response an advantage.
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field preferred.
  • Ability to work independently and complete deliverables with minimal supervision.
  • Willingness to ask for help.