Data Management Consultancy

The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture(ICBA) is an international, non-profit agricultural research center established in 1999 through the visionary leadership of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ICBA is a unique applied agricultural research center in the world that is focused on marginal areas where an estimated 1.7 billion people live. It identifies, tests and introduces resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies that are best suited to different regions affected by salinity, water scarcity and drought. Through its work, ICBA helps to improve food security and livelihoods for some of the poorest rural communities around the world. ICBA is an equal opportunity employer and appoints qualified staff regardless of race, creed, color, age, gender, religion or national origin. We demonstrate our commitment to each member of our team through a competitive benefits package designed to assist our employees to cover their needs and the needs of their immediate family members.

Job Summary

ICBA, an international agricultural research center based in the United Arab Emirates – Dubai, focused on scientific research aiming to deploy solution that make livelihoods in marginal agricultural environment and its communities sustainable; supported largely by the government of the UAE and the Islamic Development Bank. ICBA to develop and deploy research solutions across Central Asia, the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa relay on basic and applied scientific research. To achieve this goal the ICBA’s scientists collects genomic and phenomic data, as wells as precise environmental measurement of variables that might compromise their complex biological performance.  This allows scientists to propose crops soils and water best practices using analytical tools to advance the best solution of its portfolio. 

ICBA has many databases but nearly all can be considered stand alone and no synchronized.  The main process for collecting data is manual tedious and time consuming in terms of generating and using the information for decision making; data is stored using several software including the most common such as MS Access, MS Word, MS Excel, which makes it difficult to manage and analyze, in real time.

This has resulted in difficulties of accessing the necessary data and information, processing, and analysis, comparing performance across departments and projects, as well as responding adequately, and timely to the information needs of member states, donors, and other key stakeholders, but most importantly has prevented organization to develop a meta database

ICBA is therefore, inviting proposals from qualified Consultants/Firms to develop a comprehensive strategy for a program database and integrated management information system to support effective processing, storage and sharing of information in 2023 and beyond. The consultant/firm will also be required to build capacity within ICBA to use and maintain the developed database and system. The assignment may therefore be divided into 2 broad phases covering Phase-I: Database development and deployment, and Phase-II: Integrated System development and deployment.

 

Job Responsibilities

Consultancy phase-I :

Scope of work:

Whereas ICBA has provided the general scope of work for this assignment, the consultant/firm is expected to propose a plausible approach for undertaking this assignment, covering the design/customization of a future web enabled program activity database system, and subsequently the linking and integration of the program meta-database system with existing databases and systems to produce in the future a web enabled Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) during Phase-II.

Responsibilities will include but not limited:

• Propose and develop the organization meta-database and mater data management strategy.

• Propose best industry practices for quality data collection to ensure accuracy and legitimate data is acquired by scientist.

• Develop a roadmap for efficient and secure procedures for data handling and analysis with attention to cross research data mining approaches.

• Proposes and procedures for organizational data sharing with all relevant stakeholders.

• Create a daily use of data systems and ensure adherence to the organization’s high scientific standards.

• Develop weekly reports data as well as data extraction protocols for easy used when needed.

• Propose the most efficient approach for web-based digital databases and archives with the best practices for data security to prevent data losses.

 

Detailed Deliverables and Outputs

  1. The Consultant/firm will prepare a report on the existing databases and systems at ICBA.  
  2. The consultant/firm will develop a written plan for development of a meta-database and database system which is specific to the needs of ICBA, as well as uploading and cleaning procedures. The consultant will work with the Chief Scientist, Research Program Leads, Monitoring and Evaluation specialist, and Information Technology officer of ICBA as focal points for this assignment to develop the written plan and ensure that the Research Program Leads, and the Monitoring and Evaluation specialist develop the necessary expertise to use the software and hardware for the developed database system. Issues to be covered in the plan are:
  • What database platform ICBA will be used?
  • What data and metadata standards will be employed at ICBA?
  • What procedures will be used to ensure quality (accuracy, integrity, and completeness)?
  • How will data storage and preservation be handled?
  • How will data security management (access, erasure, security, privacy) be ensured?
  • How will long-term access be ensured?
  • What procedures will be used to process, upload, transfer, and share data?
  1. The consultant/firm will provide cleaning, editing, and capturing of existing data in ICBA’s current database platform as well as other databases, then uploading. Also a program for cleaning and uploading data must be provided and piloted to make modifications as needed. During this consultancy the consultant will ensure that all necessary data is uploaded and cleaned, as well as training provided.
  2. The consultant/firm must develop a Standard Operating Procedures Manual. The consultant will develop a standard operating procedures manual that will include an explanation on how:
  • data are entered
  • to use the data cleaning program
  • to secure and protect data. 

 

Duration: ICBA will provide a timeframe for completion, but the Consultant/firm is expected to propose a plausible duration, aligned to the scope and methodology for undertaking this assignment. 

Qualifications and Experience

Necessary qualification and experience to fulfill the above scope of work

Post Date
7 November 2022
Status
Closed
Vacancy Type
Consultancy
Closing Date
open until filled
Location
ICBA, Dubai
Report To
Chief Scientist
Job Number
NA
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