Contact person: Business Client

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Location: Iraq

Budget: Recommended by industry experts

Time to start: As soon as possible

Project description:
"Background
UN-Habitat has been engaged in Iraq for nearly three decades, supporting national and local authorities in
reconstruction, urban recovery, and the protection of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights. Since 2015,
the programme has increasingly focused on strengthening institutional capacities related to land
governance, cadastral management, and tenure security—areas that remain central to Iraq’s long-term
development agenda as the country transitions from humanitarian response to structural reform.
Decades of conflict, administrative fragmentation, and widespread displacement have significantly
undermined the ability of institutions to manage land efficiently and transparently. More than 5.6 million
people continue to face challenges linked to incomplete, outdated, or missing land documentation, while
2.4 million experience tenure insecurity. Land records remain predominantly paper-based, vulnerable to
loss, manipulation, and inconsistencies across institutions. Overlapping mandates and weak
interoperability between the Ministry of Justice, sectoral ministries, local authorities, and the Kurdistan
Region further complicate data sharing, property verification, and evidence-based planning.
In response, the European Union is supporting the Government of Iraq through the project “Modernising
Urban Land Knowledge (MULK): Transitioning to E-Land Governance in Iraq”, implemented by UN-Habitat.
The project aims to modernise the cadastral and property registration framework through:
- Digitisation of core cadastral and land registry records.
- Establishment of two Demonstration & Training Centres in Baghdad and Erbil as the first
operational pilots for digital land services.
- Introduction of STDM-based data models and digital workflows to underpin data capture,
digitisation, archiving, and land-related service delivery.
- Support to the Ministry of Justice and Parliament on legal modernisation, including amendments to
the Real Estate Registration Law No. 43 of 1971 and related bylaws.
- Strengthened governance, transparency, and interoperability across national and KRG systems, in
line with Iraq’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Duties and responsibilities:
The Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) Software Developer will report to the Head of UN-Habitat
Iraq Programme and work under the day-to-day guidance of the MULK Project Manager. Within delegated
authority, the STDM Software Developer will perform the following functions:
1. System Customisation and Development
- Customise and configure STDM to Iraqi cadastral and land registry requirements
- Adapt data models, metadata standards, workflows, and attribute schemas
- Develop scripts, plugins, and automation tools for digitisation and spatial workflows

- Prepare comprehensive technical documentation including system architecture and manuals
2. Technical Support for Demonstration & Training Centres
- Support installation, deployment, and testing of STDM in Baghdad and Erbil pilot centres
- Manage system configuration, user accounts, access permissions, and version control
- Troubleshoot technical issues and optimise system performance throughout pilot operations
3. Capacity Building
- Deliver technical training to RERD/GDRER staff and Digital Systems Specialists
- Prepare hands-on training materials, exercises, and user guides
- Provide ongoing coaching and technical support during pilot implementation
4. Quality Assurance and Data Integrity
- Implement quality-assurance protocols for spatial accuracy, completeness, and validation
- Ensure data security and backup procedures in line with UN-Habitat digital safeguarding
requirements
- Monitor system performance and propose enhancements
5. Technical Inputs to Procurement and System Planning
- Contribute to technical specifications for servers, scanners, storage, and related equipment
- Prepare or contribute to TORs/RFPs for specialised development or integration services
6. Project Implementation Support
- Provide inputs for progress reports, monitoring documents, and EU deliverables
- Submit monthly activity reports and document lessons learned

Results of Service
The consultant will deliver a fully configured STDM system tailored to Iraq’s cadastral and land registry
environment, ensure operational deployments in the Baghdad and Erbil pilot centres, strengthen
institutional capacity to operate and maintain digital workflows, and provide high-quality documentation,
training materials, and sustained technical support.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to operationalise the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) as the core
digital platform for land administration under the MULK project. The consultant will support Iraq’s transition
from paper-based to digital property registration by designing and configuring the required data models,
workflows, tools, and quality-assurance standards to enable secure, efficient, and interoperable e-land
governance services. The outcome will be a secure, efficient, and interoperable e-land governance system,
built on a scalable digital architecture for future nationwide expansion.
Outputs/work assignment
The consultant is expected to submit the following deliverables during his/her assignment.

Deliverables:
- Inception Report (workplan, methodology, technical requirements)
- Customised STDM configuration package ready for deployment in pilot environments
- Technical documentation (architecture, configuration, QA protocols, manuals)
- Training materials and delivery of capacity-building sessions
- Fully operational STDM deployments in Baghdad and Erbil pilot centres
- Monthly progress reports
- Final Lessons-Learned and System Recommendations Report
Expected Duration
Six months part-time (with possibility of extension)
Evaluation Criteria:

Academic Qualification:
- Advanced university degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Geoinformatics, GIS, or
a closely related field
- A first-level university degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted

Experience
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience in software development, geospatial system
configuration, or GIS-based application development.
- Proficiency in Python (including PyQGIS), SQL, and REST API integration for geospatial and land
administration systems.
- Demonstrated experience working with STDM, QGIS, or similar open-source geospatial platforms.
- Strong hands-on experience with PostgreSQL/PostGIS database environments.
- Experience developing QGIS plugins, custom STDM modules, or comparable geospatial
extensions is a strong asset.
- Experience with cadastral systems, land administration processes, or e-governance digital
workflows is an asset.
- Previous work experience in the MENA region and/or in post-conflict or institutional reform
environments is desirable.

Language
English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this
Position:
- Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.
- Fluency in Arabic (both oral and written) is an asset.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO APPLY

1. CV or P11 Form including 3 references must be submitted online in PDF along with your Education Graduation Certificate.
2. Use English language only.
3. indicate clear years of experience with each job (Month/Year)
4. If the candidate is currently employed by a government institution, he/she must be able to provide an unpaid leave of absence for the duration of the consultancy.
5. Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.
6. By submitting your application, you have read the Terms of Reference for this position and agree that any false, wrong, or incomplete information might lead to your disqualification in this recruitment process.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS" (client-provided description)