Job Opportunity: Land Portal Information Management Officer

The Land Portal Foundation is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated Information Management Officer to support us in leading the information and data sharing needs of the Land Portal.  The Information Management Officer will ensure the development of information partnerships, lead the development of land information ecosystems, contribute to open data capacity building efforts, as well as promote and enrich land data standards. 

The successful candidate will also be welcomed into a small, dedicated  and disbursed team of international professionals that make up the Land Portal.  The Land Portal is an inclusive space and we encourage applications from women, and candidates from the Global South.  

Organizational profile

At the Land Portal, we believe that data and information are powerful tools for achieving our vision of a land governance system that benefits those with the most insecure land rights and the greatest vulnerability to landlessness. However, information sources remain highly fragmented, unstructured, poorly curated and  represent a narrow range of perspectives. They continue to be published in ways that do not facilitate maximum discovery, engagement and reuse. Until policy and decision-makers, intermediaries and grassroots groups have access to the data and information they need to make sound decisions, their initiatives will fail to achieve maximum impact.

The Land Portal exists to fill in these gaps, and to nurture a vibrant online platform to inform and engage with partners.  We do this by promoting open data and the sharing of best practices and stimulating debate and collaboration both on and offline. We provide a vital bridge for those grappling with complex land governance issues, from researchers and NGOs through to governments and grassroots communities, by  connecting people, facilitating dialogue and by mending fragmented information. 

Raising awareness on “open data” and the critical role it plays in realising tenure security for individuals and communities around the world continues to be a great challenge. To this end, we make use of every possible conference, meeting and speaking engagement to promote the concept of “going open”, while recognising that, given the highly sensitive nature of land data (particularly for vulnerable communities), not everything can or should be made entirely open.

We have set out an ambitious new strategy in 2019 to improve the documentation, mapping and monitoring of land governance issues; enrich and inform the global debate on land rights; and democratize access to the land governance “information ecosystem” and improve the flow of data between diverse actors.  The Information Management Officer’s role will be critical in this.  

Job Description

Under the overall guidance of the Land Portal Team Leader, the Information Management Officer (IMO) is responsible for supporting the Information and data needs of the Land Portal, to ensure that all information and data initiatives being undertaken within the organization are in line with the organization’s strategy.

Principal Tasks & Responsibilities:

1. Oversee data ingestions to Land Portal platform 

   • Build partnerships with data and information providers, to collaborate on data exchanges between platforms and work on standards;

   • Develop a coherent data ingestion plan on a quarterly basis, together with the Data Consultant;

   • Oversee data cleaning, enrichment, ingestion processes performed by the Data Consultant and/or Content Contributor with the aim of creating a high quality repository and an efficient layer of metadata (including regular checks and OK’s before ingestion).
      

2. Support identification & implementation of various knowledge products 

   • Together with the Land Portal team, continuously inventorize possible data and knowledge products the Land Portal could offer its audience, based on the Land Portal’s user feedback in surveys and/or otherwise. Knowledge products may range from data stories to web pages or other information products that show examples of data reuse, data repurposing and repackaging;

   • Coordinate the development of knowledge products where needed, including conceptualizing the products, drafting work plans and coordinating various team member’s inputs;

   • Coordinate with Land Portal partners or build new partnerships in the course of developing new knowledge products.
      

3. Lead Land Portal’s efforts to produce State of Land Information Reports to uncover local data ecosystems

   • Contribute to the Land Portal’s State of Land Information methodology, both the scoping exercises performed by local partners as well as Open Data assessment methodology;

   • Oversee scoping work done by local partners and guide the process where needed;

   • Oversee the Open Data Assessment performed by the Data Consultant and guide the process where needed;

   • Aggregate figures of Open Data Assessment to come to final score of the Openness of data in the particular country, and integrate into final report;

   • Identify new opportunities for State of Land Information reports in other countries or regions;

   • Keep abreast of other (similar) initiatives where collaboration or inspiration for the process is possible.
      

4. Contribute to the Land Portal’s Open Data & knowledge management capacity building efforts for land data and information providers 

   • Build (Open Data) partnerships and keep abreast with the latest technologies and capacity building strategies to ensure the Land Portal’s approach remains innovative, continues to meet (local) demands and reaches maximum impact, and possibly identify new (business) opportunities for the Land Portal in this area;

   • Monitor whether or not the Land Portal’s capacity building efforts have resulted in actual uptake of Open Data principles, and exploring possible methods to increase uptake;

   • Help writing conference papers to raise awareness on Open Data principles in the land community at meetings, presentations, conferences and events.

   • Design and deliver (on- and offline) training to information providers and others to ensure wider adoption of Open Data principles by information providers in the sector. 

   • Provide any other type of support to (local) partners to improve their information-sharing practices;
      

5. Support Land Portal’s work to promote and enrich land data standards

   • Oversee and stimulate the continued development, enhancement and uptake of LandVoc, including participating in meetings of the AGROVOC editorial community;

   • Exploring possible (co-)developments of (web) services that support land data and information providers to take up standards in their own databases;

   • Organizing specific events, raising awareness and building capacities to take up standards.

Qualifications and skills

The successful candidate will have:

• University Education (Masters level or higher, or equivalent) in Information Science, Development or other relevant fields;

• Proven experience in data management;

• Strong knowledge about open data, data sharing technologies and standards such as metadata standards, semantic web and linked data;

• Fluency (native level) in English. Knowledge of other languages would be an asset;

• Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience;

• Excellent computer skills;

• Superior attention to detail;

• Good drafting, communicating and presenting abilities;

• Knowledge of land governance related issues;

• Experience working as part of an international distributed, remote team; 

• Experience with project management. 

• Disciplined - good at managing time.

Personal and Professional Attributes

• Inclusive and effective communication skills and techniques with an ability to respectfully engage with, and communicate concepts to others;

• High standard of ethics and integrity which inspires trust and confidence; 

• Enthusiasm and commitment to sustained effort through diligence and pursuit of high standards; 

• Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development which drives best practice. 

• Proactively utilizes initiative, innovation and a commitment to continuous improvement; 

• Strong collaborative skills which enable effective engagement within a high functioning, cohesive team; 

• Ability to employ sound judgment and decision making amongst competing demands; 

• Ability to show initiative in planning and developing new ideas and approaches, and to implement and communicate change effectively;

• Problem-solving attitude;

• Diplomacy, team spirit and willingness to take initiative;

• Ability to meet strict deadlines. 

Reporting

The Information Management Officer will report directly to the Land Portal Team Leader and will be accountable to the Board of the Land Portal Foundation. The Information Management Officer will report time spent against the ToRs every month in the Land Portal Foundation’s Timesheets.

Position

This position will be staffed on a part- or full-time consultancy basis for a year following a probationary period of 3 months. The Consultant will be working from home. The position may require some travel. The official language for this position is English. The salary level will depend on experience and seniority.

How to apply?

Please send your curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter explaining your interests and qualifications (addressed to Laura Meggiolaro, Land Portal Team Leader) no later than midnight CET on Sunday, March 1st, 2020, or email your cover letter and CV to jobs@landportal.info. 

Please write “Information Management Officer –  Job Application” as the subject of the email.