GIS / Technical Expert (Consultancy)

Shaqodoon

Shaqodoon Organization is implementing a Participatory Land Mapping Exercise in Jowhar, HirShabelle State, Somalia, in partnership with IOM Somalia under the Environmental Peacebuilding Programme. The exercise is designed as a community-led process to map land use, boundaries, seasonal use routes, environmental features, and the social and historical dimensions of land producing verified digital and physical map outputs that are owned and governed by the communities themselves.

The exercise responds to IOM Somalia's Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for Participatory Land Mapping and is guided by four principles: conflict sensitivity and Do No Harm; gender and social inclusion; community data ownership; and long-term empowerment beyond the project.

Four communities, including Mareerey and Baraweyne, will be engaged during the preparatory phase. Two communities will be selected as pilot mapping sites following completion of the Community Perception Assessment and the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process. All substantive mapping activities will be carried out in the two pilot communities.

Shaqodoon is seeking a qualified GIS / Technical Expert to provide technical leadership, tools configuration, field staff training, data processing, and map production throughout the five-month implementation period.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

The GIS / Technical Expert will serve as the technical lead and backbone of the land mapping exercise. The Expert is responsible for translating community co-design decisions into operational mapping tools; training and supporting field staff in GPS and data collection technologies; ensuring the quality and integrity of all spatial and social data collected; and producing the final verified digital and physical map outputs that are delivered to communities and submitted to IOM Somalia.

The Expert works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and Field Team Leader, and is the primary technical resource for all GIS, data, and mapping questions throughout the project.

3. SCOPE OF WORK & SPECIFIC TASKS

3.1 Context Assessment & Technical Infrastructure Review

• Review all available secondary data on land tenure, existing maps (government cadastre, humanitarian cluster maps, satellite imagery), and topographic information for the target communities in Jowhar.
• Assess technical infrastructure at field locations: GPS signal quality, electricity and device charging availability, internet connectivity, and capacity to print or display materials.
• Based on the infrastructure assessment, prepare a technical feasibility brief for the Project Manager recommending feasible mapping format options to be presented to communities during the co-design session.

3.2 Mapping Tools Configuration

• Lead community co-design workshop to agree win the data collection method and tools
• Configure all data collection tools based on the community co-design decisions by setting up KoBoToolbox or ODK Collect digital forms with agreed data categories, attributes, and skip logic; configure GPS devices (Garmin or equivalent) with agreed waypoint categories and naming conventions; prepare base map layers from available satellite imagery (Google Earth, OpenStreetMap, UNOSAT, SRTM elevation data) in QGIS.
• Prepare and test all field data collection forms in a simulated field environment before deployment. Document any technical issues and resolve before field work begins.
• Where drone-assisted aerial imagery is agreed during co-design: coordinate flight planning, obtain necessary permissions from relevant aviation authorities, and prepare the data processing workflow for orthoimage production.
• Establish the GIS database structure: folder organisation, coordinate reference system (WGS 84 / UTM Zone 37N), layer naming conventions, and attribute table templates for all agreed data layers.

3.3 Training of Trainers (ToT) Field Staff and community facilitators

• Design and deliver a hands-on two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) for the Field team and community land committees covering:
• GPS device operation: taking waypoints, recording tracks, capturing points of interest (POIs), and labeling features in the field.
• Tablet-based data collection using KoBoToolbox/ODK: form navigation, data entry protocols, photo capture, submission to server.
• Basic quality assurance checks during data collection: how to identify and flag data errors or gaps in the field.
• Data naming and attribute completion standards.
• Basic QGIS navigation for the Data Management Officer: how to visualise and check submitted field data.
• Prepare a ToT participant handbook (maximum 10 pages, in English and Somali) summarizing key procedures, device operation steps, and troubleshooting guidance for field reference.

3.4 Technical lead and backstopping during field data collection

• The Expert is expected to be physically based in Jowhar for approximately 60% of the assignment duration, covering the full field data collection, verification, and handover phases. The remaining 40% may be conducted remotely (from Nairobi, Hargeisa, Mogadishu, or another agreed location) for preparatory desk work, tools configuration, data processing, and reporting tasks.
• Provide continuous in-person and remote technical support to the Field Team Leader and Field Officers throughout the field data collection period. When based in Jowhar, the Expert is available to the field team daily. When working remotely, the Expert is reachable by phone and WhatsApp during field hours.
• Accompany field teams on resource walks, boundary mapping sessions, and community engagement activities as needed during the Jowhar-based deployment period observing data collection quality and providing real-time technical guidance.
• Receive, review, and conduct preliminary quality assurance on all field data submissions within 48 hours of receipt from the field team. Flag any critical gaps or errors to the Field Team Leader for same-day or next-day correction.