Description

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Over the past eight years, Mercy Corps has established a reputation for quality and timely data and analysis through its network of Crisis Analysis teams. Through Crisis Analysis, the agency has carved out a niche among information providers in the humanitarian and development space, owing to the granularity, reactivity, and holistic approach of our products, which focus on some of the most hard-to-reach, data-poor and complex contexts requiring assistance. This is underpinned by our status as an operational INGO, which ensures that our analysis products are practicable and relevant for humanitarian actors.

Mercy Corps has been working in Myanmar since 2008, with a range of programs that have includes emergency response, water, sanitation, and hygiene, peacebuilding, agriculture, and climate adaptation. Within agricultural programming and humanitarian assistance, one of Mercy Corps’ aims is to reduce vulnerability and increase food security for IDPs and vulnerable populations.

Purpose / Project Description:

Mercy Corps is looking for a Consultant GIS Analyst to design and conduct analysis related to agricultural vulnerability in Myanmar, particularly areas affected by the May 2023 Cyclone Mocha. The Consultant will work with the Crisis Analysis Team to identify, design, and develop remote sensing analysis to be interpreted and reported on. The analysis will assess relevant variables such as vegetation health, soil moisture, soil salinity, conflict factors, precipitation, and weather with the aim to understand historic trends, current vulnerability, and forecast potential future scenarios.

The Consultant is expected to bring an understanding of the complex crises and how they can affect agricultural production and livelihoods. They will be responsible for working in cooperation with the Crisis Analysis Team, Myanmar country programs team, and the Global Crisis Analysis team to identify the scope of the analysis. They will be expected to complete the analysis and provide artifacts (data sets, figures, maps, textual documentation, etc) as requested to support analytical interpretation and reporting. The GIS Analyst will provide inputs to the reporting process as requested to ensure the data is properly synthesized and the methods are appropriately documented.

The output will help Mercy Corps Myanmar and the wider Myanmar aid community to make effective programmatic and strategic decisions related to agricultural programming and MPCA. This includes targeting of activities in the states of interest and identifying key variables to monitor going forward.

Consultant Activities:

• In collaboration with the Myanmar country program team, Myanmar Crisis Analysis and Global Crisis Analysis team, define the scope of analysis.
• Conduct secondary data analysis of relevant, publicly available data sources including remote sensing data with the aim of identifying vulnerable administrative areas and populations, highlighting historical trends and possible risk indicators, and (to the extent possible) forecasting trajectories related to agricultural indicators in Myanmar.
• Design and develop analytical artifacts to support reporting including data sets, maps, data visualizations, and written text; provide inputs to the report writing process as requested by the Crisis Analysis Team to support interpretation of results.
• Thoroughly document the analytical methodology and provide background artifacts as applicable to include code developed for this project, shape files, GIS layers, analytical artifacts, and written documentation of the methodologies used, etc.
• Provide ongoing capacity development to the Myanmar Crisis Analysis team in accessing, processing, and analyzing all relevant data sources and the use of key software platforms.

Required Experience & Skills:

• At least a Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in a quantitative field such as GIS, Geomatics, Statistics, Computer Science, and related fields.
• Strong and demonstrated skills in data analysis and manipulation and knowledge of predictive analytic techniques.
• 5+ years of relevant experience working on geospatial analyses and projects.
• Excellent and demonstrated skills in geospatial/remote sensing analyses applicable to agriculture.
• Knowledge and familiarity with common sources of humanitarian data (including e.g. HDX, WorldPop, common earth observation products, FEWSNET, FAO, ACLED, OpenStreetMap etc.)
• Excellent understanding of the humanitarian analysis field and information requirements of aid actors
• Experience working with (I)NGOs in remote access settings an asset.
• Knowledge of predictive analytic techniques, experience designing predictive methodologies preferred.
• Fluency in English

Timeframe / Schedule:

2-3 months (part-time possible), starting in April 2024.

The Consultant will report to:

Director of Programs, Mercy Corps Myanmar

Consultant will work closely with:

Myanmar Crisis Analysis, Global Crisis Analysis and Technology For Development teams, Myanmar country program team

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.