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GIS Assistant

United Nations Development Programme

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Background

UNDP is the leading UN organization addressing poverty, inequality, and climate change, collaborating with experts and partners in 170 countries to create sustainable solutions. In Afghanistan, UNDP has over 50 years of experience in areas such as climate resilience, gender, governance, health, and livelihoods. Working within the framework of the SDGs and alongside other UN agencies, UNDP supports the Afghan people’s aspirations for peace and prosperity.

Energy poverty significantly impacts the quality of life for both men and women, affecting health, employment, and access to basic services. Afghanistan faces a critical energy supply shortage, with demand far exceeding supply. The transmission and distribution grid is unreliable, leading to frequent outages. Many provinces rely on costly local diesel generators, limiting access to affordable energy and hindering economic, social, and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.

To address these challenges, the Federal Republic of Germany has funded the project “Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” through KfW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank. The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan.

This project aligns with UNDP’s energy solutions and the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025, contributing to two key outcomes by the end of 2025:

Outcome 1: More people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services.

Outcome 2: People in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.

Duties and Responsibilities
The GIS Assistant, s(he) will undertake the following to ensure the success of the assignment:
  • Integrate GIS tools, including the development of data collection and analysis tools
  • Engaging in geospatial data management, analysis, and advocacy
  • Support the project by facilitating the required information needed in the implementation
  • Develop Power BI Dashboards for informed decision making and data visualization
  1. Integrate GIS tools, including the development of data collection and analysis tools:
  • Develop digital surveys using the Kobo Toolbox platform.
  • Administer the database for assessments working with the team to have reliable and comprehensive assessments.
  • Develop GIS tools and create maps for the SESEHA project to support the monitoring and evaluation system.
  1. Engaging in geospatial data management, analysis, and advocacy:
  • Perform geospatial analysis to support a systematic analytical approach.
  • Develop and maintain geographic databases including satellite imagery and gazetteers.
  • Support the development of the SESEHA project website.
  • Align SESEHA Information Management System (SIMS) in line with the UNDP corporate policies, guidelines, and standards on data and other information-related matters.
  • Assist in developing information products to support scenario development, contingency planning, and the identification of trends and risks.
  1. Support the project by facilitating the required information needed in the implementation:
  • Capture the necessary project coordinates related to the sites under UNDP/AFG SESEHA – this includes implemented, ongoing, or new, and store them in the GIS database.
  • Take Google photos and connect the GPS coordinates to the location of the projects and store them in the GIS database to facilitate the implementation of projects.
  • Use the database to produce static and interactive maps with infographics for presentations and reports.
  • Design digital maps with geographic data and other data sources.
  • Provide GPS coordinates and maps to facilitate spot checks.
  • Create “shapefiles” to merge topographical data with external data by layering external data over a topographical map.
  • Produce maps showing the spatial distribution of various kinds of data, including hospitals, and schools.
  1. Develop Power BI Dashboards for informed decision making and data visualization:
  • Produce Power BI infographics to present the data appealingly and interactively.
  • Assist UNDP partners in the assessment to set up the necessary platform to display the data including GeoSmart of UNDP.
  1. Other tasks required by the office
  • The incumbent is required to take on other duties/projects within the scope of TOR depending on the workload at the time for the efficient functioning of the office.
  1. Institutional Arrangement

The GIS Assistant will report directly to the SESEHA Project Manager, UNDP Afghanistan Country office in Kabul. The incumbent will work closely with the other GIS staff based in the project and at the country office as well as with SESEHA project team to support the implementation and management of SESEHA Information Management System (SIMS). S/he will be expected to provide direct support to the SESEHA and relevant stakeholders including UN agencies in using information management applications and procedures.

Competencies
Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

Thematic Area Name Definition
Digital  Tech literacy Ability to apply new digital tools or adapting their original use to create new insights, fresh perspectives or develop solutions. Understand the potential as well as the limitations of certain technological developments; being able to identify how technology can add value when it’s used as a “”means to an end””
Digital  Visualization & mapping Ability to visualize and clarify ideas, processes or (complex) situations by making quick sketches, drawings or using diagrams, illustrations, photos, videos, animations, three dimensional mock-ups to support group dialogues, reflection, ideation, problem solving or decision making.

Using abstraction, analogical and metaphorical thinking to create compelling visuals, maps, models or embodied thinking that provide new perspectives and help a group of disparate actors to find a common language and develop a shared mental model.

Ability to quickly grasp the dynamics of a complex system, identify key elements, entities and their relations, create maps or models that help people inside the system, or outsiders, understand its dynamics; being able to swiftly make sense of an undifferentiated mass of information, extract its very essence, and turn that into key messages and visualizations
Business Management Working with Evidence and Data Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
Business Development Knowledge Generation Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
Business Development Collective Intelligence Design Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.
Required Skills and Experience
Min. Education requirements
  • Secondary education is required. Or
  • A university degree in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Geomatics, Surveying Engineering, or Remote Sensing, will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.
Min. years of relevant work experience 
  • Minimum of 5 years  (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in GIS/Geoinformatics/Remote Sensing or Engineering is required.
Required   skills 
  • Demonstrated experience in working with data visualization through GIS is required
  • Demonstrated experience in data collection and coordinate field activities is required
  • Demonstrated professional expertise in working with statistics and use and maintenance of standard software packages/databases (Excel, Access and other relevant databases) is required.
  • Prior experience and knowledge of Afghanistan statistics, data sets, and geography is required.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
  • Information management experience from previous UN assignments and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations would be an asset.
  • Prior UNDP experience, particularly in the applicable job area, is an added advantage.
  • Practical use of GIS software, Kobo Toolbox and Power BI is highly desired.
  • Proven track record of strong organizational skills and attention to detail is desired.
  • Demonstrated ability to present accurate information in a clear, concise and visually engaging manner is an asset.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a challenging, time sensitive, rapidly changing environment, and to work collaboratively with a diverse team.
Required Language(s) 
  • Fluency  in English is required.
  • Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto is required.
Professional Certificates N/A
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.


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