GIS Specialist - International Cocoa Initiative

International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) (www.cocoainitiative.org) is a multi-stakeholder organization, uniting the forces of civil society, certifiers, the cocoa and chocolate industry, and international institutions, and working with governments to address child and forced labour in the cocoa sector.

ICI has developed a Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) that allows industry partners to manage responsibly the risk of child labour in their cocoa supply chain. In line with the Ghana Child Labor Monitoring System (GCLMS), the system is based on the presence of Community Facilitators (CF) within cocoa-growing communities who raise awareness on the issue of child labour; identify cases and implement remediation activities. (www.cocoainitiative.org) 

Established in 2002, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a leading organisation promoting child protection in cocoa-growing communities. ICI works with the cocoa industry, civil society and national governments in cocoa-producing countries to ensure a better future for children and contribute to the elimination of child labour.

Job Description

The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a non-profit foundation that works to protect the rights of children and adults in cocoa-growing areas in West Africa. To reinforce its team, ICI Ghana office is looking for a Specialist on Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator / Deputy Country Director, and under the guidance of the ICI  Knowledge and Learning team, the objective of this position is to develop and manage ICI's strategy for using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support its operations, learning and services to its members. ICI and its partners hold a wealth of geocoded socio-economic data collected as part of sustainability projects in the cocoa-producing regions of West Africa.

ICI has started compiling this data and combining it with other types of geographic information (such as geolocation of infrastructure and settlements, land use data, climate data, etc.) on a GIS platform and a web map based on ArcGIS technology. ICI is planning to use these GIS tools more systematically to better target its interventions, coordinate activities amongst partners, analyze and visualize the spatial distribution of child labour risk, and support communication. In order to drive this project forward, ICI is looking to recruit a GIS specialist.

Main task and responsibilities

Development of the ICI GIS platform

• Continuing to develop the ICI GIS platform (in ArcGIS technology), which will include preparing, integrating and updating geo-data layers, and using this data to generate thematic maps and conduct spatial analyses.
• Identify additional open-source geo-data of infrastructure (physical and social), land use, climate, etc., which are sufficiently up to date and accurate to allow logistical planning of activities in cocoa-growing areas in West Africa.

Indentify and pilot use cases of GIS for ICI et its partners

• Engage in dialogue with various ICI departments in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Geneva to understand ICI’s operations and workflows and identify use cases for GIS
• Make recommendations on how GIS can support ICI operations, research, communication and decision making, notably, but not limited to, in the following areas:
  • logistical support for activities in the field
  • visualization of activities and enabling conditions within the zones of ICI’s landscape pilot project
  • co-ordination of interventions between different private and governmental actors
  • selecting target areas for interventions
  • internal and external communication products / map representation of ICI intervention areas and activities
• Develop GIS workflows corresponding to the needs and opportunities identified
• Pilot-test, assess and continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the newly developed GIS workflows
• Carry out geospatial analysis to better understand the risk factors of child and forced labour in cocoa growing areas, and to contribute to ICI's research and learning projects.

Internal capacity building and external communication

• Train ICI staff in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire on using ArcGIS tools, notably on how to feed information on ICI activities into the GIS platform (ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro), and utilize the platform for decision-making, communication and logistics
• Support ICI staff in integrating new GIS workflows into their work routines

Explore potential data collaboration with ICI members and partners

• Engage in dialogue with ICI members and partners to identify opportunities for data sharing and compilation on a joint GIS platform or web map
• Develop recommendations on how GIS can be used for coordination of activities between partners, visualization and communication of sector-wide efforts to address child labour and forced labour in West Africa
• Identify needs to harmonize meta-data (such as a commonly used community register)
• Present ICI’s GIS work to ICI Members and Partners, including the ICI GIS Working Group

Data management

• Set up secure and efficient structures for the management of ICI’s geodata, within ArcGIS products and within ICI’s database, in close collaboration with ICI’s Information Systems Unit
• Manage access to the ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online platforms for ICI staff to enable them to feed in information, and use relevant tools for their work
• Put in place all necessary data protection measures
• Define preparatory steps and conditions for potential data collaboration between ICI members and partners and system inter-operability (data aggregation levels, anonymization techniques, data protection needs, etc.)
• Encourage and coordinate data sharing among ICI partners

Required Skills or Experience

Essential

• University background
  • Master’s degree in geography, information science,  or social science with specialisation in analysis of geo-data OR
  • Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in GIS, and a solid background and at least two years' additional relevant work experience
• A minimum of 5 years' professional experience (or 7 years for holders of a Bachelor’s degree) in the application of GIS, geo-spatial data management or geo-spatial analysis
• Proficiency in the use of ArcGIS technology (ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online and the main geoprocessing/toolboxes for data management and analysis); OR in the use of other GIS software, with strong commitment to attaining a similar level of ArcGIS proficiency within the first 6 months of assignment
• Professional experience in utilization of GIS technology in the areas of rural development, agriculture, humanitarian aid, or related areas
• Knowledge of database management systems, mobile applications for data collection, and some of the associated programming languages (Java, MySQL, SQL, R, Python, PHP, VBA, etc.)
• Knowledge of data collection software (KoBoToolbox, CsPRO, SurveyCTO)
• Knowledge of standard data processing and analysis software (Excel, Stata, R, Python, PowerBI, or equivalent)

Desirable

• Experience in the provision of training, capacity building and knowledge transfer
• Experience working with geocoded socio-economic data, including collection, processing and mapping of household survey data

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and oral)
• French language skills are a strong asset (B1 / B2) 

Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong organisational skills and project management experience
• Ability to work efficiently in teams, including at distance
• Ability to work independently, under pressure and in a multi-project environment