Geographic Information System (GIS) Expert

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Water and Energy Cluster

Based in Copenhagen, the UNOPS Water and Energy Cluster provides specialized project management services to partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank. Together with partners, the cluster executes projects that support sustainable development by:

• promoting international cooperation to prevent and reverse environmental degradation of international water systems
• enhancing the resilience of communities and eco-systems to climate change
• lowering emissions by bridging renewable energy solutions
• developing Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions to strengthen climate-resilient development

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has funded a full sized project (the IWRM AIO SIDS project) to support 6 participating Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (namely, Cape Verde, Comoros, Maldives, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe, and Seychelles) through UNEP and UNDP to address issues related to the management of water resources, both freshwater and coastal marine areas in an integrated manner. Recognizing the urgent need for comprehensive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and improved Water Use Efficiency (WUE), the project seeks to accelerate progress on IWRM and WUE plans and water supply and sanitation development goals for the protection and utilization of groundwater and surface water in the participating countries. Component 1 of the project, implemented through UNDP, specifically supports the implementation of IWRM/WUE demonstration activities in each participating country to address priority issues with potential for replication across the national and the region levels and in other SIDS regions.

The overall objective of the IWRM AIO SIDS project is to strengthen the capacity of the participating countries to implement an integrated approach to the management of freshwater resources, with a long-term goal of enhancement of the capacity of the countries to plan and manage their aquatic resources and ecosystems on a sustainable basis. The project recognizes the highly integrated and closely interlinked nature of fresh surface and groundwater resources and coastal areas in small islands and aims to develop a more coordinated multi-sectoral management approach, both at the national and the regional level, with a strong emphasis on an expanded role for all stakeholders within a participatory management framework.

The IWRM Demonstration Project is based in the Northern Aquifer of Mauritius and is implemented by the Water Resources Unit (WRU) and the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities (MEPU).

Mauritius is highly dependent on its groundwater resources, as this source of water caters for about 50% of its municipal water supply. As per Water Resources Master Plan (2010), the Northern Aquifer (Aquifer V on Fig. 4) contributes about 55% of the potable water supply in the North supply zone. The groundwater resources are mainly used for domestic supply, but groundwater is also pumped for agricultural and industrial purposes.

In the norther region, lava tunnels and fractures in basalt result in very high permeabilities, and the groundwater is flowing to the sea via these hydraulic conduits. Occasionally this occurrence is visible along the shore lines in the lagoons as ‘submarine springs’, where the appearance of fresh water bubbles to the surface. It should be emphasised that the same conduits constitute a serious risk for seawater intrusion. In the Norther Plains (Aquifer V), the seawater intrusion is even more pronounce with observation of seawater intrusion beyond a 1 km broad coastal zone.

The IWRM demonstration project seeks to promote integrated approaches to better manage water resources by adoption of best practices that reduce the contamination of the aquifer. This will require a water resources and quality assessment and monitoring in the Northern Aquifer. With the aim of better managing the ground water in the Norther Aquifer, the Water Resources Unit and the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities are hiring an Expert to set up a GIS system for the Norther Aquifer.

GIS technology is not widely used in Mauritius and as a result the WRU has limited exposure to GIS. Nonetheless, the common requirement expressed by the Unit is the ability to access and manage geospatial data, and create map products using external data sources and its own data. The setting up of the GIS system for the Northern Aquifer is the first step towards the implementation of the GIS strategy of the WRU, which is planned over several years.

The scope of the current assignment is to:

-       Carry out an inventory of all the hydrological and hydrogeological features of the Northern aquifer. These information have to be collected on site and from available document in the office of WRU.

-       Locate the exact positions of registered boreholes including wells, piezo etc on the Northern Aquifer.

-       Collect and compile all available data/information on these boreholes.

-       Identify and collect all relevant information pertaining to agricultural irrigation in the northern aquifer.

-       Identify all existing open lakes and detentions water basins in the Northern aquifer.

-       Identify and collect all relevant information on industrial activities having onsite wastewater disposal including desalination plants.

-       Collect and compile information from the Ministry of Housing and Lands and other stakeholders and develop a Land Use Inventory with respect to different activities in the Northern aquifer.

-       Develop a GIS system based on the latest aerial imagery base map available at the Ministry of Housing and Lands to depict details of the boreholes and behaviour of the ground water in the Norther Aquifer. This will be done in close collaboration of the Water Quality Consultant (to be appointed in the demonstration project) and other relevant stakeholders.

-       Vectorise land use zones, water sheds and rivers and watercourses from existing maps and incorporate the features in the GIS system. The list is non exhaustible and the Consultant should develop the GIS system with as much information as possible.

-       The GIS system to be provided should include at least 15 environmental monitoring parameters.

-       The GIS system to be provided by the Consultant should be expandable for add additional features.

-       The GIS system should be user friendly and should incorporate appropriate mechanisms to record online recorded alert data.

-       Training of in-house WRU staff (both on the job and classroom). Section 3.1 deals with the GIS User Training Programme (classroom training).

-       Work in collaboration with the Water Quality Consultant for input water quality data.

Specifically, the GIS Expert will be expected to perform the following tasks:

• Input/modify information on boreholes
• Create new layers (convert raster to vector)
• Generate and print graphical representations
• Access to editing and viewing, etc.

• Provide basic information when querying a borehole (example depth of borehole, depth of water table, data on quality, depth of saline/fresh water interface for specific boreholes, owner name, yield etc.)
• Facilitate quantitative and qualitative description of the groundwater resources in terms of graphs and charts generated from available and collected data over time

GIS User Training

It is proposed that the GIS User training will be delivered in 3 x two week blocks 2 weeks apart over the four-month assignment. The WRU has acquired through the Demonstration Project two licences for Desktop GIS software from ESRI with Spatial Analyst and Geostatistical Analyst extensions which have not been installed. To deliver the training, the GIS Expert will have to hire a minimum of 6 additional temporary Desktop ArcGIS licences (software) which will be run on PC’s of trainees. Therefore, the costs of hiring the additional temporary licenses will have to be priced by the Expert in his financial offer.

Possible training program subjects and modules provided below, but are provided for guidance and are indicative only:

Subject 1: Introduction to GIS

• Applications of GIS (e.g., use case studies to demonstrate benefits).
• Understanding geographic data (vector vs. raster)
• Coordinate systems, map projections, and transformations
• Cartography and how to create maps
• Spatial relationships
• Common errors in the use of GIS and how to avoid them

Subject 2: Spatial Data Management, Production and Basic Spatial Analysis

• Basic database design principles
• Types of geo-databases
• Spatial data and Metadata creation and standards
• Data migration and integration
• Spatial analysis (e.g., combining data, map algebra, finding and quantifying relationships, generalization, spatial search)
• Basic geo-processing

Subject 3: Remote Sensing and digitizing

• Remote sensing principles
• Digitizing base data from remote sensing imagery
• Remote sensing interpretation

Subject 4: Web-Based GIS, GPS data collection and processing

• Introduction to web based GIS applications and their functionality
• Internet mapping and web services
• GPS principles
• GPS data collection and processing

Subject 6: GIS Customization

• Scripting and programming
• Other

The GIS Expert should demonstrate the experience of past training conducted based on own curriculum and course content in a program similar or overlapping with the above modules specified. The Expert shall provide book list/ resources/ materials for the core subject areas trained.

To be eligible for this assignment the GIS Expert should meet the following criteria.

• A recognized degree or higher (Master's degree) in GIS or a similar related field from a tertiary institution.A bachelor's degree with additional years experience can be accepted as the equivalent as a master's degree
• high level knowledge of ESRI ArcGIS
• The GIS Expert should have undertaken at least two assignment of similar nature and should possess at least 7 years of experience in GIS field.
• Previous experience to undertake the assignment
• Fluent in written and spoken English;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to communicate with project stakeholders is essential.
• Previous experience in teaching or providing training in  GIS

A tentative requirement of 4.0 Expert Man-months are considered reasonable for execution of the Contract.  At least 75% of the GIS Expert input will be based in Mauritius. The input for the training will be spread over 4 months.

Time Schedule

The Schedule for carrying out the specified tasks shall be one of the basic considerations in evaluation of bids. The setting up of the GIS System for the Northern Aquifer is expected to be completed in a period of four (4) months from the date of award of the Contract as indicated below. However, the GIS Expert may indicate a different schedule/duration, if he so wishes.

Inception Report

The GIS Expert shall collect, review and analyze all available data, reports, information and drawings pertaining to the project. He shall evaluate the additional data needs. The findings of these review, evaluation and analysis shall be summarized in an Inception Report. The Report to be submitted in five (5) hard copies and one (1) soft copy shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

• A proposed methodology to set up the GIS system
• Details, with full justification, of the alternate Implementation Schedule, if any, which the Consultant wishes to follow.
• Details related to the transfer of technology.
• Any additional information and assistance required by the Client within the framework of the Consultancy Agreement.

Work on the other components of the Consultancy Services need not wait for the submission of or approval of the Inception Report. However, suggestions made by the Client shall be carefully considered, discussed and incorporated.

The GIS Expert shall submit to the Client monthly reports on the progress of the services. These reports shall be submitted in three (3) copies and will show the part(s) of the assignment completed, details of activities undertaken during that period, involvement of personnel in the Project and dates for any important meetings and decisions, and financial progress, problems encountered/envisaged during the next succeeding month and their solutions. The Expert shall maintain steady contact with the Client throughout the project.

The Expert shall furnish to the Client such information related to the services as the Client may reasonably request from time to time. For monitoring of the project, the Expert shall provide details of the Expert Man months utilized and the tasks performed on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.

In line with the WRU’s vision to make GIS as an enabler in the sound management of water resources, the GIS Expert is expected at the end of assignment to prepare a special report recommending inter-alia  how the system put into place might be updated to support web-based GIS applications. Based on the Expert’s ground experience, the various web-based applications viewed applicable should be elaborated as well potential applications of GIS in the water resource sector.

Facilities to be Provided by Client

The office accommodation in the country of the client during the execution of the services shall be provided by the Client. During the stay in Mauritius, the GIS Expert will be based at Client’s office in Rose Hill, Mauritius. The Client will provide transport facilities to the Consultant for any site visit/meeting for the duration of the study.

General Conditions

• The Client shall be the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, Government of Mauritius and the Water Resources Unit being the executing and nodal agency for the reporting on contractual deliverables in consultation with. UNOPS as contracting party on behalf of the client will be the contract manager.
• All reports, drawings, etc. submitted shall be in English Language and in the number of copies indicated.
• The Client shall supply to the GIS Expert, without charge, all the available relevant data and information in his possession, and shall give such assistance as shall reasonably be required by the Consultant in the performance of his services. The Expert shall respect confidentiality of the information and shall not divulge any information, together with his findings, to any third party
• The Client shall help in seeking for the Expert and where applicable, his dependents, necessary visa, licences, work permits, other permits, Customs clearance etc.
• The cost of preparing the proposal and of negotiating the contract, including a visit to the Client, are not reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment.

Records

The Expert shall keep accurate and systematic records in respect of the services in such form and detail as is customary in his profession and shall permit the Client to inspect same and make copies thereof throughout the duration of the Contract.

Liaison

Throughout the duration of the services the Expert shall maintain a constant liaison with the Client to discuss alternatives and options. For the proper running of the project, fortnightly meetings (or as and when required) will be held with the Expert to discuss the progress and any other issues related to the project. The Expert shall also describe in his proposal the mechanism that he will set up to ensure smooth liaison on a regular basis.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.