Statistics and Monitoring Consultant, Regional Household Survey Expert, LACRO, Panama City

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope

UNICEF provides technical assistance to countries in collecting and analyzing data in order to fill data gaps for monitoring the situation of children and women and to respond and track the progress on the Agenda 2030. Within this framework, technical assistance is required to a) support LAC RO in the launch of the new round of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS7) in LAC, and b) support LAC RO in its work to monitor the situation of children in the region.

Since 1995, UNICEF has supported the implementation of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), assisting governments in generating high quality data on the situation of children and women. In 2021, the seventh round of MICS surveys (MICS7) will be launched with the objective of supporting countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable estimates in the areas of health, education and child protection, including a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators.

This data is essential for developing evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as for monitoring countries’ progress toward national goals and global commitments.

To respond to the increasing demands for technical support on the described initiatives, the Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LAC RO) requires a consultant to work with its Monitoring & Evaluation team.

This consultancy is part of the Regional Office strategy for providing technical support and quality assurance to Country Offices undertaking MICS and supporting countries’ efforts to monitor the situation of children.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist, the Statistics and Monitoring consultant will promote comparability, data harmonization and elimination of data gaps on the situation of children in LAC countries by supporting the implementation of sixth round of MICS in selected countries in LAC. The consultant will also support the regional offices efforts to measure the situation of children in LAC through other surveys, further analysis of existing data, support to regional statistics groups, and other duties as needed.

Specific Tasks:

1. Assist in the preparation and adaptation to the regional context of the new survey tools launched for the MICS6 round.

2. Support countries conducting/planning a MICS survey (or related surveys) remotely or through in-county visits in carrying out the following MICS survey activities:

a. Survey planning and questionnaire design

b. Pre-test training and pre-test monitoring

c. Fieldwork training and fieldwork monitoring

d. Key Findings and Final Report

3. Provide organizational, logistic and technical support in any regional or national events related to MICS in LAC. This includes facilitating selected sessions and working bilaterally with different countries in the design of their initial survey plans and budgets.

4. Support UNICEF’s LAC RO technical secretariat functions of the Group on Statistics on Children and Adolescents of the Statistical Conference of the Americas.

5. Provide country and regional status updates to the RO and HQ on the monitoring of the situation of children in the region, as well as background material and working papers for briefing and review sessions.

Expected Results:

Consultant will be paid by deliverable and based on working days per task agreed with the Supervisor (Regional Monitoring Specialist). Expected deliverables for this consultancy are:

1. Review of Survey Plan of surveys to be conducted in 2020 and 2021 (outlining key recommendations and proposed changes and how the survey plans meet or do not meet MICS technical standards – within 7 days after submission by LAC RO)

2. Feedback on draft questionnaires using the questionnaire review form – within 5 days after submission by LAC RO

3. Country visit reports (including presentations and training materials) for each country visited – within 7 days after the visit.

4. Survey tools reviewed/adapted for MICS 6 (it includes questionnaires, manuals, templates, presentations, tabulations (within 7 days after submission by HQ)

5. Feedback on field-check tables for ongoing surveys through e-mail (under request)

6. Ongoing comments and feedback during all survey activities (within 5 days of request)

7. Comments and feedback on the Key Finding Report and Final Report for ongoing surveys within 7 days after the submission by the country.

8. Report for each activity of the Children and Adolescents Regional Statistics group – 7 days after the finalization of the activity

9. Produce fact sheets and analysis for advocacy materials on the situation of children in the region.

For tasks 8-9, the deliverables will be agreed upon on the basis of short ToRs with a description of the assignment. For the others, deliverables will follow established Global MICS guidelines. Additional tasks could be included based on the needs and demands of the Regional Office.

Deliverables
Description	Duration [in days]	Expected deadline
Review of survey plans	4	NA
Feedback on draft questionnaires using the questionnaire review form	4	NA
Country visit reports	5	NA
Survey tools adapted for MICS7	4	NA
Ongoing comments and feedback during all survey activities	5	NA
Comments and feedback on the Key Finding Report and Final Report	4	NA
Report for each activity of the Children and Adolescents Regional Statistics group	4	NA
Other tasks as required	7	NA
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To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education:  At least a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Demography, Statistics, Epidemiology, or other related technical field with significant measurement or analysis component is required.

Work Experience:

• At least 8 years’ experience in the coordination and/or management of quantitative household surveys. (Prior MICS/DHS coordination experience highly desirable);

• Expertise in statistical analyses is desirable.

• Experience in survey report writing;

Languages: Working knowledge of English or Spanish is required. Knowledge of both languages is considered an asset. Knowledge of French will also be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge (if applicable):

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;

• Ability and willingness to travel to all countries across LAC.

• Experience working with qualitative data would be an asset

Other skills and attributes (optional):

• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships with national partners;

• Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Administrative details:

Supervision: 

The Regional Monitoring Specialist will provide quality assurance and oversight for the consultant’s work with substantial feedback on the quality of the work.

For each assigned MICS survey country, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the UNICEF MICS Focal point, the UNICEF MICS Consultant and other UNICEF Regional MICS Consultants. Working closely with the Regional Monitoring Specialist and the Regional Sampling and Data Processing Consultants, the Regional Household Survey Consultant will carry out technical reviews and advise COs and implementing agencies at key moments in the survey process. The Regional Household Survey Consultant will also, often together with the Regional Monitoring Specialist and / or the Regional Sampling Consultant and / or the Regional Data Processing Consultant, carry out a series of country visits, in order to monitor progress and be present at critical stages of survey implementation.

Workplace: Home-based. In case travel, it  will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. • Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations. • For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts. • Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling. • UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e) • For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

How to Apply?

Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter, University Diploma and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily fees in their financial proposal. Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Duration of contract: Estimated start date of this consultancy is the second week of November 2021 for a period of 11.5 months.

Vacancy Announcement Remarks:

Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted. UNICEF reserves the right to make additional assessment of the pre-selected candidates, if needed UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.