INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems.
National Consultant in Agrometeorology Services (Papua New Guinea)
Vacancy notice no: 1163
Sector: BDT
Department: DDR
Country of contract: Remote
Duty station: Home Based
Position number: [[positionNumber]]
Grade: [[PositionGrade]]
Type of contract: Consultant
Duration of contract: 100 working days over a period of 10 months
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 29 May 2023
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT
The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for the organization and coordination of the work of the Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) of the Union which deals mainly with ICT-focused development policies, strategies and programmes, as well as technical cooperation activities, to promote digital inclusion and drive digital transformation at community, country and regional levels. To effectively and efficiently serve the needs of ITU members, BDT is organized into four functional areas:
- Office of the Deputy to the Director and Field Operations Coordination Department
- Partnerships for Digital Development Department
- Digital Networks & Society Department
- Digital Knowledge Hub Department
The office of the Deputy to the Director and Field Operations Coordination Department is responsible for advising and supporting the Director on the direction and management of the Bureau. It is also responsible for leading all matters related to personnel, strategic, financial and operational planning and reporting processes. The department oversees the work of the Regional Offices, ensuring proper delegation of authority and accountability of the Regional Offices. This department coordinates the holding of BDT conferences and events, monitors the implementation of decisions emanating from the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC), the Telecommunication Development Advisory Group (TDAG) or Council, and cooperates closely with the other Sectors of the Union and the General Secretariat on matters of relevance to BDT and the overall work of the Union. BDT Regional Directors report to this department.
BACKGROUNG INFORMATION
Under the EU STREIT Programme output 2.2 “Value chain support services strengthened and resilient to climate change impacts”, ITU will support knowledge and capacity building of the agriculture sector and vulnerable pocket-communities in adopting AMAMAS in the Sepik provinces.
For one of the implementation activities of the e-agriculture strategies for East and West Sepik ITU will “Develop systems and mobile applications to support access to information on weather forecast, extension support services”.
SESAME, which stands for Specialized Expert System for Agrometeorological early warning for resilient climate agriculture, which is the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia, took the initiative to develop an integrated digital platform that enables the broadcasting of timely weather, agriculture and climate information and integrates the domain knowledge of a farmer into the digital information system to support his/her decision-making at critical stages of the crop lifecycle. It is delivered over a mobile/web app and uses multiple data sources driven by Machine Learning. AMAMAS is the customized version of SESAME in PNG. The tool can generate crop advisory with weather forecast information at four different time scales a) seasonal (three months) outlook, b) Monthly outlooks, c) 10-day weather forecast (separated into two Pentads), and d) 3-day high-resolution weather forecast.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Under the supervision of the Regional Director of the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific region, and in coordination with the EU STREIT Project Officer in PNG, the consultant will:
- Design and develop training material on enhancing capacity of user agencies and individuals on using digital and web app of SESAME, including agriculture advisory based on data analytics from multiple data sources from agriculture, weather etc. in Papua New Guinea.
- Conduct technical training of trainers (TOT) on use of AMAMAS app and its customization. Conduct hands-on digital skills trainings for cocoa and vanilla farmers and fishermen using the AMAMAS tool on live demonstrations.
- Work closely with farmers and agricultural experts to develop inputs for the mobile app (e.g., crop calendars for cocoa and vanilla) for integration into AMAMAS app.
- In collaboration with RIMES, integrate NWS forecasts products (3 days, 10 days, monthly and seasonal) for the two pilot provinces of East and West Sepik to demonstrate the impact of digitalization in agriculture.
- Liaise with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to access satellite products for monitoring drought and vegetation health for the target provinces.
- Provide hands-on training on the following subjects:
- Agriculture decision support digital tool - AMAMAS.
- Development of crop specific advisories for cocoa and vanilla.
- Interpretation of crop advisories.
- Digitally communicating and disseminating crop advisories to targeted users.
- Training material for each subject must include:
- Training Course Outline.
- Manual (20-30 pages).
- Handouts for participants (3-10 pages with photos).
- PowerPoint presentations (5-15 slides).
- Tests (10-20 questions and practical tasks).
- Relevant YouTube and other useful web links.
- The training material must be developed in English and Tok Pidgin languages.
- Design and develop a training plan and conduct regular offline trainings (minimum 10) visiting East and West Sepik provinces fields, and EU STREIT beneficiaries. Trainings will be organized jointly with other UN agencies.
CONCRETE DELIVERABLES
- Develop training material.
- Develop training plan and conduct regular trainings. Travel at least 5 times to East and West Sepik Provinces and conduct minimum 10 trainings in 7 resource centers.
- Delivery of report containing items 1) to 10) in the Terms of Reference.
- Delivery of training reports with photos and a signed participation list.
COMPETENCIES
- Excellent analysis, drafting, training modules, and presentation capacities.
- Excellent conducting training skills.
- Excellent program management skills and demonstrated experience in managing international assistance.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills, demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently with limited supervision.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Education: University degree in Agrometeorology, Physics, Meteorology, Climatology, Environmental Science, Agriculture, or other related field.
Experience: At least three (3) years in the field of Agrometeorology, Meteorology, Climatology, Environmental Science, Agriculture, developing training materials and conducting trainings. Work experience in Papua New Guinea in the area of Agrometeorology or Meteorology is required.
Languages: Knowledge of English at advanced level. Knowledge of Tok Pidgin languages would be an asset.
REMUNERATION INFORMATION
200 USD daily rate.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Note: The travel cost relating to missions will be processed separately.
INFORMATION ON RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the ITU Careers website. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. ITU uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Messages originating from a non ITU e-mail account - @itu.int - should be disregarded. ITU does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.
