GRAP Opportunity – GIS Mapping of Health Facilities and Catchment Areas in Zambia (Scott)
Opportunity ID: 02-Scott
Project Title: GIS Mapping of Health Facilities and Catchment Areas in Zambia
Faculty Mentor: Nancy Scott
Description Statement:
The Maternity Homes Access in Zambia Project (the MAHMAZ Project) is a cluster randomized controlled trial with the aim of evaluating whether or not maternity homes can increase access to skilled delivery for women who live the furthest away. Maternity homes (also referred to as mother’s shelters and maternity waiting homes) are short-term residential structures built adjacent to health care facilities where women can stay for the days preceding their due date and the days following their delivery. A component of the evaluation will be collecting GPS data on study health facilities, the villages within the health facility catchments areas (HFCAs), and the households that partake in the household survey. This data will be used to calculate absolute distances to help the team better understand the study population and access to skilled delivery services.
Scope of Work:
We are looking for a student research assistant with experience in GIS who can assist in taking the GPS information collected by the field team and ascertaining the following data points:
- Distance between health facilities and each village in their HFCA
- Distance between each household surveyed nearest health facility
- Mapping of health facilities and HFCA villages
- Potential mapping of topography, roads, water sources, and other key community resources
Minimum skills desired:
Proficiency in ArcGIS or similar software; experience in creating maps and calculating distances with GPS data; self-motivated and ability to work independently
Time / Date Expectations:
10-15 hours per week, spring semester 2016 (or until completion). Success with initial tasks will lead to opportunities for further involvement with the project.
Additional Material Requested: Example deliverable from prior project that required similar skillset
Number of Positions: One (1)
Logistics & Support: Weekly or bi-weekly meetings with project staff and/or principal investigator. If needed, project may buy ArcGIS license for RA. Desk space at CGHD on the MED campus may be made available.
