JOB DESCRIPTION GIS Database/Website Officer, Community ...

JOB DESCRIPTION
GIS Database/Website Officer, Community forest tenure, mapping and legal
capacity programme (CFTM&LC), (2.5 days per week)
Effective from: July 2012
Reporting to: Mapping Coordinator (CFTM&LC)
Duration of contract: Until December 2014 (including 6 month probationary period and
with possibilities for extension)
Close working relationship with: Central African Republic Coordinator (CFTM&LC),
Democratic Republic of Congo Coordinator (CFTM&LC); Mapping Officer (CFTM&LC);
Programme Manager (CFTM&LC), Policy and Communications Coordinator (CFTM&LC), and
other staff and consultants in the Programmes Team where necessary
The Rainforest Foundation UK
The mission of the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is to support indigenous peoples and
traditional populations of the world's rainforest to:
Secure and control the natural resources necessary for their long-term wellbeing and
managing these resources in ways which do not harm their environment, violate their
culture or compromise their future.
Develop means to protect their individual and collective rights and to obtain, shape and
control basic services from the state.
RFUK considers that an essential first step to protect and manage the tropical forests and to
reduce poverty in tropical forest countries is to realise the rights of the traditional and
indigenous communities who live in those forests. With secure rights to land and livelihoods,
forest peoples can effectively manage forest resources and direct and manage their own
development. Founded in 1989, RFUK has in the past 20 years built a solid body of work
based on this rights-based approach to development and protection of the rainforest.
Although our work is focussed on the Congo Basin, where RFUK has worked since 1996, we
also work in the Peruvian Amazon.
RFUK tackles the underlying causes of deforestation and the linked problem of
disenfranchisement of indigenous forest peoples globally and locally. From the field to the
international policy arena, RFUK reinforces the influence of forest peoples over decisions
that affect them. Working with over 35 partner organisations, our work is split into four
main themes:
Forests and Climate Change
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Land and Resource Rights
Indigenous peoples’ and forest communities’ rights
Organizational capacity strengthening for local partners
RFUK currently has staff size of 13, growing to around 20, with a number of volunteers or
interns at any given time. It is governed by a Board of seven Trustees. The London-based
Foundation is part of a network of sister organizations, which also include the Rainforest
Foundation US and the Rainforest Foundation Norway.
The Programmes Team
The Programmes Team at the Rainforest Foundation UK is one of three teams in the
organisation and is the main team responsible for the implementation of our projects under
the four themes cited above. The Forest Governance Programme falls under the mandate of
this team.
The Forest Governance programme
The Forest Governance Programme is a large scale four-and-a-half-year programme funded
by the UK Government’s Department for International development with four main
components, each with 2-3 objectives:
Component 1: Continued development of a forestland and resource rights database for
Africa
Objectives
1. To continue development of a geographical database containing accurately mapped
data on forest community occupation and use of forest resources, along with other
key geographical information, as a means for informing policy and legislative
processes, project development and implementation, and private sector investment
decisions about existing community claims to forest land in Africa.
2. To make data and analysed information from the database accessible to national
governments, international agencies, conservation NGOs, private companies and
other stakeholders in order to inform official forest planning, zoning and designation
processes and land and forest legislation and its implementation.
Component 2: Mapping and Community Forests in the Central African Republic
3. In 4 years, the entire forest region of CAR, comprising over 4 million hectares, in 5
forest prefectures, is mapped and a comprehensive atlas of land and resource use
produced.
4. To ensure the implementation of the Community Forests provisions of the Forest
Code and Manual of Allocation and Management of Community Forests in the Central
African Republic
5. By the end of the project, the participatory maps are used to inform land,
governance and poverty reduction policy development and implementation and to
inform national land and forest policy and related actions
Component 3: Land and resource use and tenure mapping in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC)
6. To map through participatory means approximately 110,000 km 2 of forest, including
all of Mai-Ndombe district in Bandundu Province, as well as other selected locations
in Equateur and Orientale Provinces.
7. Decision makers use community geo-referenced data, and participatory mapping in
general, in decision making processes related to forests and land use, in particular in
zoning plans, REDD+ projects and other forest and land reform processes.
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Component 4: Building legal capacity in the DRC to support communities’ land and resource
rights
8. To ensure that relevant local NGOs in the forest zone in DRC have the legal capacity
to understand, analyse and use national laws related to forest management, land
and resource rights, and governance, and are able to independently pursue legal
strategies to defend and promote community rights.
9. With the support of ‘Community Legal Field Workers’ and paralegals, selected
communities have successfully achieved advances in recognition of forest community
rights.
It will begin in July 2012 and will be primarily implemented through national partner
organisations with which the Rainforest Foundation UK has been working for a number of
years.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
General:
Under the Forest Governance Programme, the postholder will be responsible for the data
inputting and technical maintenance and development of RFUK’s MappingforRights database
and website in collaboration with partners in the Programme target countries – in particular
in Central African Republic (CAR) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Specific responsibilities and tasks:
The GIS Database/Website officer will be responsible for the following tasks, under the
supervision of the Mapping Programme Coordinator (Forest Governance) for work related to
the MappingForRights Database and will work in close collaboration with the programme
Manager (CFTM&LC) and the Policy and Communications Coordinator (CFTM&LC) on the
MappingForRights website.
1. MappingForRights Website
Under the supervision of the Mapping Coordinator (CFTM&LC):
Regular updating of the website and database content, as appropriate to data gathering
developments within the Programme
Ensuring updating of existing databases on a regular basis and building new systems for
fresh information, in conjunction with the Policy and Communications Coordinator
(CFTM&LC).
Re-designing if necessary and improving the presentation of the website and database
as appropriate to ensure maximum ease and clarity of use of the information,
considering both back-end organisation of data and front-end accessibility
Establishing the needs of users and monitoring user access and security;
Ensure, with the Mapping Coordinator and if necessary with local partners, that:
o data remains consistent across the database;
o users can access data concurrently, in a form that suits their needs;
o there is provision for data security and recovery control through the implementation
of a database management system (DBMS) in use.
Monitoring performance and managing relevant parameters to provide fast query
responses to front-end users;
Writing technical/general website documentation and updating existing text, including
data standards, procedures and definitions for the data dictionary (metadata);
Maintaining data standards, including adherence to the Data Protection Act;
In conjunction with the Policy and Communications Coordinator, controlling access
permissions and privileges and maintaining systems for user rights and website;
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Developing, managing and implementing back-up and recovery arrangements, and
ensuring that storage, archiving, back-up and recovery procedures are functioning
correctly at all times
Planning, designing and testing of new features and functionality for the database and
the website
Supporting the further development and extension of the existing MappingForRights
Website and database, including any structural and back-end elements, in conjunction
with the Policy and Communications Coordinator, the Mapping Coordinator and the
Executive Director, as appropriate
Assisting in the presentation of information from the database and website in printed
reports, briefings, leaflets and other media to inform RFUK target groups
Working closely with several third-party developers and contractors, and writing
specifications and TORs for external developers and contractors;
2. Support to building national databases (Atlases)
Providing technical support to local partners and specialist consultants to build national
geographic databases through analysis and identification of target audiences, user
needs and identification of relevant software and datasets to be used, and assisting in
testing the system
Providing support to design of the front-end of national databases to ensure that they
are available in a user friendly and logical format
3. General
Ensure good coordination with other members of the Programmes Team and ensure
regular communication and information sharing in this respect
Represent the RFUK at external meetings, where required
Contribute to the production of external communications about our work
Undertake other tasks as required by the Mapping Coordinator or Programme Manager
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Detail Essential Desirable
Knowledge
and
Experience
• Relevant technical qualification
and at least three years’
experience in website or
database development,
preferably in a relevant context.
• Proven experience in
geographical databases and/or
GIS programmes
• A broad knowledge of HTML,
CSS and JavaScript, JOSM,
• A proven knowledge of MySQL,
especially inserting and
retrieving data and writing
complex queries
• A good understanding of
database architecture, software
and database management
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Masters degree in a
relevant subject
Excellent organizational
skills and attention to
detail.
Demonstrated ability to
work effectively, both
independently and in a
team environment, in an
atmosphere of multiple
projects, shifting
priorities, and deadline
pressures.
A good understanding of
the Data Protection Act
Good team-working skills

systems
Excellent problem solving skills
A willingness to keep up to date
with developments in relevant
technologies
Ability to work within a highly
targeted environment and in a
flexible way with colleagues
Enjoy working in a fast
paced environment,
where the technology is
constantly changing
Good communication,
presentation and
negotiating skills
Detail Essential Desirable
Personal Skills
and Attributes
Careful and conscientious with
demonstrable attention to detail.
Ability to work in a team, or
alone.
Willingness and ability to learn
on the job, keen to undertake
training.
Strong sense of layout
and design
Empathy with and
commitment to the
Rainforest Foundation’s
Vision and Mission.
Interest in human rights
& environmental issues.
Strong presentation
skills.
Strong editorial skills.
Summary Terms and Conditions
Hours, remuneration and place of work
The post is offered on a 2.5 years fixed-term basis, with a 6-month probationary
period, with renewal of contract for a further 2 years on satisfactory performance.
The post is a part-time post, based on a 17.5 hour working week.
The starting salary is £11,750 per annum, including London weighting, for 2.5
days a week.
Monthly salary is paid by Bank Automated Credit transfer, on the 25th of every
month.
Holidays, sick pay and other benefits are provided in accordance with statutory
requirements. At present, 30 days paid leave per year are offered.
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Non-contributory pension (4% of salary, commencing on satisfactory completion
of 6 month probationary period).
The place of work is 233a Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2JT. This is a nonsmoking
environment. There is no car-parking provided for the post-holder,
although bicycles are allowed in the building.
Equal Opportunities
RF UK is an equal opportunities employer, and makes no discrimination on the
grounds of gender, race, age, physical abilities, religious or sexual persuasion.
233a Kentish Town Road unfortunately is not as accessible to those with physical
disabilities as the organisation would like, but every effort will be made to provide
an accessible and pleasant working environment for all staff, trustees, volunteers
and visitors.
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