GIS Expert

Result of Service

The consultancy will deliver a comprehensive analysis of past and ongoing IDP housing initiatives in Bosasso, including georeferenced mapping, technical documentation, and beneficiary feedback to inform a Best Practices Report.

Work Location

Bossaso

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (“UN-Habitat”) was initially established as the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) by resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations 32/162 of 19 December 1977 and thereafter transformed into a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly of the United Nations by its resolution 56/206 of 21 December 2001, with Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, through its Regional Office for Africa (ROAF). The UN General Assembly mandates the promotion of socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all. In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This is an action-oriented document that establishes global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and inhabit cities. Through collaboration with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors, including at all levels of government and the private sector, UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work, and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11. This consultancy is for the Somalia Programme, the Regional Office for Africa. The UN-Habitat Somalia Programme is seeking the support of a qualified and experienced Community Engagement Officer for the durable solutions projects. Under the Saameynta Programme, through an Agreement of Cooperation between UN-Habitat and the Municipality of Bossaso, a best practices report will be prepared focusing on housing and settlement solutions and strategies for scaling up in Bossaso. This report will review the various housing, shelter, and settlement projects implemented over the past 20 years, assessing best practices for integrated approaches to housing solutions. Leveraging the collected data, it will present pathways and recommendations for enhancing sustainable solutions for displaced and affected communities (DACs/IDPs), with a focus on Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) issues. The report will incorporate findings from the 2023 “Assessment of Local Habitat in Bossaso,” conducted by IOM and CRAterre, along with information from implementing agencies and NGOs, UN-Habitat’s post-project assessments, and Shelter Cluster reports. Data collection and site assessments, including STDM-supported mapping, will be crucial for evaluating previous shelter and housing projects targeting IDPs. The STDM will help standardize and improve data on tenure security and land rights, directly influencing recommendations for sustainable resettlement strategies. In Somalia, shelter and housing assistance for IDPs has evolved through various approaches within the humanitarian-development nexus. However, only a few successfully fostered sustainable social and economic integration for households and communities. This analysis will utilize STDM-collected data to assess factors such as tenure security, plot size, and housing durability. Bossaso has served as a pilot city for many of these approaches, making it an ideal location to draw lessons applicable to other areas in Somalia. Furthermore, the report will analyze the socio-economic impacts of projects, looking at investments per household in terms of housing, tenure, and livelihood. By referencing STDM data on land tenure security, it will assess the durability of shelters, particularly those at risk of requiring reinvestment due to structural issues over time. The GIS Expert will support the implementation of the Saameynta joint program in Bosasso and assist the Bosasso Municipality in implementing activities under the Agreement of Cooperation (AoC) between UN-Habitat and the Municipality. The support under these Terms of Reference (ToR) focuses on facilitating the delivery of the Best Practices Report on housing and settlement solutions for Bosasso (A) and supporting the UN-Habitat Construction Supervision Engineer in monitoring the progress of IDP housing construction in Gribble, Bosasso (B). Under the overall coordination of the UN-Habitat Project Manager the GIS Expert will be responsible for: (A) Support the Best Practices Report on housing and settlement solutions for Bosasso a. Support the Mapping and Site Assessments of previous shelter and housing initiatives for IDPs in Bossaso i. Proposing a selection of representative settlements and past projects in collaboration with the Municipality and UN-Habitat ii. Creating a list and basic map (applicable in Google Earth) of previous shelter and housing projects for IDPs in Bossaso b. Surveys / Data Collection Conducting site assessments and post-project surveys, which include: i. Surveys: Recording GPS coordinates and site boundaries (for map production) ii. Household interviews: Support the Municipal M&E Team in conducting on-site interviews with former shelter and housing beneficiaries using UN-Habitat-provided questionnaires c. Documentation and Reporting i. Take photo documentation and record GPS coordinates of project sites and housing typologies within the shelters and the surrounding environment ii. Measuring basic external dimensions of housing units and plot sizes iii. Drafting basic floor plans to document housing typologies: Creating simple drawings in AutoCAD for each housing typology or project type, including basic external dimensions iv. Develop a GPS map that lists both former and current project sites, complete with their corresponding GPS coordinates v. Generating a comprehensive project list in Excel containing:

•  Project name - Name of settlement/neighborhood - GPS coordinates - Number of shelters and housing units - Shelter typology description - Information gathered from the questionnaires/interviews d. Collaboration with Agencies i. Supporting the collection of additional project information from implementing agencies, including:
  •  Total project budget - Project duration (start and end dates) - Description of project impacts and outcomes - Detailed investment costs for each component and overall costs of the shelter or housing unit - Acquisition of relevant drawings, Bill of Quantities (BoQs), before-and-after photographs, and final project reports - Accessing post-project assessments, including beneficiary interviews ii. Support in the organization of the local stakeholder consultations led by UN-Habitat for the Best Practices Report iii. Coordinate with government counterparts at all levels, as well as other key stakeholders, including UN-Agency Partners, to facilitate a shared understanding and vision iv. Assist in preparing and delivering presentations to relevant counterparts and stakeholders v. Organize and lead meetings with government counterparts to track progress and address any emerging challenges (B) Support the UN-Habitat Construction Supervision Engineer in monitoring the progress of IDP housing construction in Gribble in Bosasso a. Surveying, site visits, photographic documentation, and GIS mapping of as-build housing units b. Provision of site visit reports to the UN-Habitat project manager (C) Other a. Contribute to project reports, success stories, technical documentation, social media content, and updates in coordination with the project team, including the UN-Habitat communications focal point b. Organize and participate in consultative sessions with project counterparts

  Qualifications/special skills

A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering either GIS, land surveying, civil engineering, architecture, or a related field is required. Minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in housing, building construction, or related fields is required Proven experience in the construction sector, including developing AutoCAD drawings and site plans is an added advantage Familiarity with the local context in Bosasso is desirable Ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government counterparts and NGOs is an added advantage

Languages

For this position advertised, fluency in English is required. Fluency in the Somali language is an added advantage

Additional Information

Not available.

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.