Job Description
. Position
2.1 Nature and Scope of Assignment
This assignment involves supporting a government-led capacity development program within Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL)’s Agriculture Statistics and MIS Directorate. Under the supervision of the Agriculture Statistics and MIS Director, the successful candidate will provide technical advice, management support and technical inputs required to allow Agriculture Statistics and MIS Directorate to achieve the target of development of GIS applications using Arc GIS Server and Arc GIS SDE, Agriculture related GIS system, MIS and GPS data collection mechanisms, Web based automatic map reports system, educated and skilled staff..
The successful applicant will be expected to work with and through his/her Afghan national counterparts, and to progressively transfer skills, expertise and knowledge to them. This position does not involve any management or line responsibilities.
2.2
by the deputy Duties and Responsibilities
Working in close coordination with the Director of MIS and the rest of the Statistics and MIS Directorate team as counterparts, and other relevant directors, relevant advisors at MAIL, and the assistance from CTAP capacity development team, Geographic Information System & Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) Specialist will:
- Use spatial data to assess land cover, forest change and developments occurring in forested areas throughout the country, with a special focus on tropical forests including forest restoration
- Obtaining and managing existing spatial data including maps of land cover, forest types, soil types, elevation, slope and rainfall
- Analyzing remotely sensed data to differentiate undisturbed and disturbed forest
- Calculate the area of annual change in forest area and develop map of annual human induced change in forest
- Critically analyze and derive results from a variety of data both raster and vector to generate statistics and indicators.
- Propose methodologies to add additional important agriculture classes to 2010 Land Cover data base.
- Create GIS development plans, by reviewing MAIL Key documents, and identifying ministry’s GIS requirements
- Provide advice on spatial data standards, including agriculture symbols and legend
- Provide GIS/RS application trainings to the MAIL GIS Specialists.
- Perform any other related tasks as assigned minister and GIS manager
- Proficiency in GIS software including ArcGIS Desktop 10.x, ArcGIS Server, ERDAS Imagine and other image processing applications.
- Ability to perform data quality review on both raster and vector data formats to ensure data quality and integrity.
- Preparing map services for map-based websites, requiring use of Arc GIS Server and Arc GIS Online.
Deliverables:
The deliverables of the Geographic Information System & Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) Specialist are:
- GIS policy reviewed and updated
- A comprehensive strategic plan for the development and usage of the GIS/RS system for agriculture purposes in the country in place.
- After reviewing the MAIL Key documents and identifying ministry’s GIS requirements, GIS development plans created
- Afghanistan settlements shape file extracted from land cover data base
- A comprehensive guideline for national Land Cover Mapping and data collection developed.
- Country wide coverage of data collection regarding the agriculture statistics in place
- On the job training program in GIS and Remote Sensing for MAIL GIS Unit completed.
- Sub classification of the country forest developed
- Crop identification techniques developed
2.4 Skills, Experience and Qualifications Required
- Master Degree in RS/GIS, Geo-Informatics, Computer science with application in NRM or Agriculture, a PhD degree preferred
- (8) years of working experience using ArcGIS Server geo processing services, including developing Python scripts
- Working experience of Land Cover/land use mapping and web-based map viewers and mapping tools for ArcGIS Server Map Services.
- ·Practical knowledge of MAD-CAT and Land cover classification system (LCCS) software’s.
- Knowledge of Defines image understanding software will be asset for this position
- Demonstrated history of providing training, coaching and mentoring to local counterpart staff is a plus
- Able to produce reports and other standards documents, in English, up to a professional standard
- Previous experience in under-developed, insecure or post-conflict environments a plus
- Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto is a strong plus
About the Organization
Average salary up to US$120,000.00/annum plus allowances based on relevant qualifications and work experiences
1. Organizational Context
MAIL Vision: Food Security, eradication of hunger and balanced economic growth.
MAIL Mission: To drive the country towards the path of poverty reduction, licit crops and national security through natural resources management, increasing agricultural production and productivity, improved physical infrastructure and market development.
MAIL Strategic Objectives:
- To ensure that Afghanistan’s natural resource base is rehabilitated and used in a productive and sustainable way by Afghanistan’s rural population
- To sustainably increase the production and productivity of Afghanistan’s farmers and herders through the provision of enhanced inputs, services and research
- To foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the licit agricultural sector; resulting in increased and diversified incomes and employment opportunities for the Afghan population and increased revenue for the Afghan State;
- To create a dynamic, well-functioning, competent and effective institution (MAIL and its Provincial Departments) through a process of reform and structural adjustment
The Civilian Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) is an Afghan government program that aims to create stronger government institutions with more effective structures, efficient processes and skilled personnel. It assists Afghan government organizations to implement capacity development and performance improvement programs by providing them with skilled international technical experts and capacity development advisors.
On behalf of the MAIL, CTAP is now seeking to fill the position of Geographic Information System & Remote Sensing (GIS/RS) Specialist to work in MAIL’s Agriculture Statistics and MIS Directorate. This position is open to international passport holders only: Afghan expatriates and nationals of regional countries are especially encouraged to apply.
