Open Land Data Management Consultancy for Madagascar

The Land Portal exists to nurture a vibrant online platform to inform and engage with partners, 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 – connecting people, facilitating dialogue and joining the dots between fragmented information.

The Land Portal was established in 2009 to create, curate and disseminate land governance information, helping to foster a more inclusive and accessible data landscape. Over the subsequent ten years, the Land Portal has grown to become an information gateway and resource base, a vibrant online community of users from around the world, and a trusted voice within the land governance sector globally.

We believe 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, represent a narrow range of perspectives, and 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 (programs, policies, campaigns) will fail to achieve maximum impact.

Raising awareness of “open data” – and the critical role it plays in realising tenure security for individuals and communities around the world – continues to be our greatest 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.

In 2019 the Land Portal developed the methodology for uncovering the State of Land Information (SOLI) on a country level. The SOLI seeks to provide an overview of publicly available data and information on key land issues from government and other stakeholders in targeted countries. The aim is to uncover land data and information at the country level and help to identify data and information gaps, with a view to establishing a baseline for targeted ‘information-based’ interventions for improving land governance. In 2021 the Land Portal together with the Open Data Charter developed and launched the Open Up Guide on Land Governance. It is a practical resource to be used by governments from developing countries to publish land-related data to improve data quality, availability, accessibility and use for improved citizen engagement, decision making and innovation. 

In the period 2021 – 2024 the Land Portal Foundation and the Open Data Charter intend to implement the Open Up Guide for Land Governance and develop SOLI reports for 10-12 in Africa and Latin America. 

Job Description

This description focuses on the Open Land Data Management Consultant for Madagascar. The Consultant will have the primary responsibility for specific tasks but will be expected to work together with and support a Technical Data Analyst. She/He will report directly to the Land Information Management and Advocacy Consultant.

Principal Tasks & Responsibilities: 

Specific responsibilities and outputs relating to open land data management:

• Undertake thorough desk research in relation to the respective country in order to map and assess the state of land data and information as well as stakeholders, including Include National, Regional, Local, Civil Society, Academia, Donors and others.

• Conduct research on the Open Data Policy Frameworks (Legal and Policy Analysis) in Madagascar. During this process it is important to document the rules, regulations, procedures and practices with regards to data sharing and management.

• Carry out an open data readiness assessment of Madagascar and present the results at a workshop. The assessment should contain information on all of the aspects investigated as outlined in the previous activities.

• Using an open data methodology to conduct a local workshop to discuss open data principles, harmonization with the national/local legal framework, local challenges and risks in data collection and sharing (including data privacy and ethical risks). The methodology (to be developed in conjunction with LP and ODC) will include an anti-corruption data lens, to be able to gather insights and inputs from participants in this area of policy.

• Develop a Madagascar Open Data Roadmap covering the following Key Areas 1) Land Data Governance (including data management policies and procedures), 2) Open Land Data Capacity Building, 3) Participation Strategy for Key Stakeholders, 4) Implementation Plan for the Open Up Guide on at least 1 Key Data type, 5) Gaps Challenges and Best Practices. If feasible, it should contain a short and mid-term action plan for publishing one data set based on the data priorities identified in the workshop, technical capacities and resources needed. 

• Draft a final report containing all country implementations describing lessons learned, identified use cases and promising actions that can be shared with other governments;

• Improve the Open Up Guide based on learnings and findings from the implementation to ensure the tool is informed by practical advice and fits to diverse contexts.

• Provide support to the Technical Data Analyst and other partners.

  • Support the development of a data inventory for Madagascar to analyse the state of the art regarding the availability and accessibility of land-related data. This will create baseline data to inform further recommendations and courses of action.

  • Support the technical analysis to understand the technical capacity of the relevant actors with regards to their current status and their ability to implement an open data information system. Investigate the platforms, datasets, technical infrastructure and human resource capacity.

  • Support virtual workshops and webinars to raise awareness, build capacity, discuss common challenges in the process of publishing data, and share experiences and emerging findings on 1) Open Data and Public Value Creation, 2) Land Data/Open Up Guide, 3) Use Cases amongst others and 4) Present the Final Report and Roadmap.

• Participate in the bi-weekly exchange calls organized by the Land Information Management and Advocacy Consultant to share updates and experiences and discuss progress.

Specific deliverables and outputs relating to open data land management:

• Report on the state of land information in Madagascar and incorporate any changes and suggestion made by reviewers.

• Report on the Legal and Policy Framework for Open Land Data in Madagascar.

• Report on the Open Data Readiness Assessment of Madagascar.

• Conduct an open data readiness workshop.

• Together with the Technical Data Analyst Consultant, draft the Madagascar Open Data Roadmap.

• Final report containing all country implementations describing lessons learned, identified use cases and promising actions that can be shared with other governments.

Schedule of deliverables will be agreed upon with the Land Information Management and Advocacy Consultant 

Reporting

The Open Land Data Management Consultant will report to the Land Information Management and Advocacy Consultant. For some of the communications & engagement related tasks s/he might be asked to coordinate with the Communications Specialist.

Timeframe

This consultancy is expected to start in September 2021 and be completed over a period of 15 months, or as agreed between the Consultant and the Land Portal Foundation. The Consultant will be working from home. 

Application

Please submit your resume detailing your experience specific to the required tasks and responsibilities. Also outline your relevant country experience in relation to Madagascar. 

Please submit by 22 August 2021 your resume and cover letter detailing your experience specific to the required tasks and responsibilities by emailing jobs@landportal.info. Include Open Land Data Management Consultant   in the subject line.