UNDP Jobs - 82559- Data Visualization Specialist

Data Visualization Specialist – Pulse Lab Kampala

Location :

Kampala, UGANDA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Feb-2019

Application Deadline :

02-Jan-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Global Pulse (http://www.unglobalpulse.org/about-new) is an innovation initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Big Data. Its vision is a future in which big data is harnessed safely and responsibly as a public good. Its mission is to accelerate discovery, development and scaled adoption of big data innovation for sustainable development and humanitarian action. Global Pulse is building a catalytic network of in-country innovation centers, which will test new tools, data and analysis, share what lessons with the global community, mainstream successful approaches for real-time impact monitoring into policymaking. The first Lab has been established in New York (Pulse Lab New York) followed by Jakarta, Indonesia and Kampala, Uganda.

Pulse Lab Kampala (http://www.unglobalpulse.org/kampala) is the first of its kind in Africa, it brings together researchers from Government, the UN, non-governmental organizations and private sector to explore the utility of new sources of digital “Big Data” (such as social media, mobile data, online information) and real-time analysis techniques for sustainable development and humanitarian assistance.

A data revolution is underway in Uganda and in Africa. There is more data now than ever. New technologies are leading to an exponential increase in the volume and types of data available, creating unprecedented possibilities for informing and transforming society and protecting the environment. There is more data produced in the last 2 years than in all of human history. There is a tremendous potential in new technology; indeed, this is the forefront of the data revolution already well underway in in the private sector. The new SDGs agenda will have increased demands – and opportunities- for the use of data. Pulse Lab Kampala supports the UN Country team to tap into the revolution obtaining more and better data to support development work and humanitarian action supporting:

Enhance Early Warning: Detection of anomalous trends and patterns of events enables early warning of emerging crises and earlier responses to prevent long-term harm;
Real-Time Awareness: An up-to-date picture of trends, hotspots and dynamic changes in population behaviour enhances programme planning and monitoring of implementation and
Rapid Impact Monitoring and Evaluation: Timely feedback on the impact of programmes and policies allows for adaptive course correction and accelerated achievement of results.

Under the guidance of the Pulse Lab Kampala Lab Manager, the consultant will support Pulse Lab Kampala to implement data innovation projects. The specialist will produce data visualization products to communicate applied innovative data projects in collaboration with partners from the UN system, the private sector and academia.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will create visualizations for Pulse Lab Kampala data innovation projects with the aim to communicate clearly project results to wide audiences. The consultant will create visualizations using maps, statistical representations, plots, information graphics, tables, and charts. The visualizations should make complex data analysis accessible, understandable and usable by different users.

Methodology:

The specialist is expected to work in close consultation with the Lab Manager at Pulse Lab Kampala;
The specialist will work with the team at Pulse Lab Kampala;
Copyright and ownership - all materials produced and other intellectual property will be solely owned by Pulse Lab Kampala. Any material provided to the expert will remain the property of Pulse Lab Kampala.

Expected deliverables:

Interactive visualizations and dashboards synthesizing large amounts of information obtained from three data innovation projects.

Competencies

Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals;
Generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet responsibilities and post requirements with excellence;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.
Excellent communication skills;
Produces timely, quality outputs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in Design, Computer Science, Data Science, International Development, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or other relevant discipline;
A first-level university degree in combination with an additional five years qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible work experience in data visualization, visual design, front-end design or any related discipline;
Experience developing user-facing software and user-centered design is required;
Experience using visualization libraries and software like with D3.js, Crossfilter/dc.js, Leaflet.js, Processing/P5.js, CartoDB or Mapbox or similar software is required;
Experience with front-end frameworks and libraries like Bootstrap, AngularJS, ReactJS, ember.js. or similar frameworks is required;
Knowledge of JavaScript code design patterns;
Experience in front-end quality assurance is an asset;
Experience working in Africa is an asset;
Proven ability to manage relationships with partners, including government, universities, UN organizations, NGOs or private sector;
Experience with working with a diverse team and being able to parse through large amounts of information in order to create simplified and clear designs;
Proven ability to communicate complex, abstract concepts using both visual and written language;
Familiarity with graphic design fundamentals, including branding work;
Data journalism experience is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Excellent command of English.

Evaluation method and criteria:

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the Cumulative Analysis methodology. The ranking of the consultant shall be made based on proposals that are;

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
Having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria and financial criteria as per below weightages (technical-financial): 70%-30%.

Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.
Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 70 points)

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Education: BSc in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related field; – Maximum 20 points;
Relevant experience in data analytics and front-end web development, programming languages for data analytics such as python, R and MATLAB, using JavaScript frameworks such as JQuery, and D3js to develop rich interactive visualisation - Maximum 20 points;
Methodology and understanding of assignment – Maximum 30 points.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation (30%).
Payment:

Services will be paid for upon completion of specific milestones as agreed in the TOR.

Submission of Application:

The candidate is required to submit an electronic application directly uploaded on the UNDP jobs website with all the requirements as listed here below. Annexes and further information may be downloaded on http://procurement-notices.undp.org no.52300.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document to this website - http://jobs.undp.org no. 82559.

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

Technical proposal:

Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment;
Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (Annex II);
Annexes 1 and II - may be downloaded from the UNDP Procurement Notices Website -http://procurement-notices.undp.org/ For further clarifications, please contact; janet.anyango@undp.org; moses.lutwama@undp.org;

Interested applicants should submit applications through uploading of all their required documentation in one single pdf document on this website only.