Senior Statistics Coordination Officer (EGRIS) in Copenhagen, Denmark or teleworking, Temporary Appointment

Senior Statistics Coordination Officer (EGRIS),

P4 Temporary Appointment

Global Data Service, Copenhagen/Remote Working

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UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a Temporary Appointment within the Global Data Service (GDS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, however, due to Covid-related travel restrictions, remote working arrangements can also be considered. UNHCR is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. We are in over 125 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.

Title: Senior Statistics Coordination Officer (EGRIS)

Duty Station: Copenhagen, Denmark or teleworking

Section/Unit: Global Data Service (GDS)

Duration: 1 year

Contract Type: Temporary Appointment

Position Grade: P4

Supervisor: P5 Chief Statistician – GDS

Closing date: 12 November 2020 (midnight Geneva time)

Start date: ASAP

Organisational context The Statistics and Demographics Section, located within the Global Data Service, is the focal point in UNHCR for the compilation, collection, analysis and dissemination of global population statistics, and for technical support, including training, on related methodologies and activities. The effective management and analysis of statistical data is a prerequisite for successful interventions which have an impact on the well-being of UNHCR’s beneficiaries. It is the goal of the Statistics and Demographics Section to support the development of improved and more 2 efficient systems for statistics on refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR, such as stateless people and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Increasingly, UNHCR’s approach to strengthening data and information systems is based on collaboration, collective efforts and joint engagement with partners and stakeholders to ensure the effective use of resources and achieve outcomes for those affected by forced displacement.

As part of this effort, UNHCR has taken a leading role in the Expert Group on Refugee and IDP Statistics (EGRIS), both as a steering committee member and as facilitator and secretariat. The Statistics and Demographics Section is coordinating this group in close collaboration with the steering committee, consisting of African Union, World Bank, Eurostat, Statistics Norway, Joint IDP Profiling Service (JIPS), Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center (JDC), Ukrstat, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). EGRIS has been mandated by the UN Statistical Commission to develop recommendations on refugee and IDP statistics and develop guidance on implementation of the recommendations at country level.

The work is ongoing and both International Recommendations on Refugee and IDP Statistics were approved by the UN Statistical Commission in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The group is currently working on strategies to support the implementation of the recommendations in terms of advocacy, capacity building, and continuous refinement of the recommendations and its Compilers’ Manual. Building on the EGRIS experience and aligned with UNHCR’s commitment in the #iBelong Campaign to end statelessness by 2024, the Statistics and Demographics Section is also actively engaged with partners in the area of statelessness statistics. Achievement of the abovementioned commitment will require a wide range of deliverables, including improvement of data on statelessness. The Statistics and Demographics Section is committed to work with identified experts and through an EGRIS-like process to build national partners’ capacity in the area of statelessness statistics, including developing International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics to be presented at the UN Statistical Commission by March 2022.

The position

The Senior Statistics Coordination Officer (EGRIS) will be a core member of the Statistics and Demographics Section and support the Section’s mandate to coordinate the Expert Group on Refugee and IDP Statistics (EGRIS) and lead the work on improving statistics on stateless persons. S/he will report to UNHCR’s Chief Statistician.

Duties and responsibilities

In order to carry out this function, the Senior Statistics Coordination Officer will have the following duties:

• Lead the coordination and day to day management of the global EGRIS group composed of 45 national statistical offices and the statistical arms of about 20 international organizations.

• Coordinate the development and implementation of phase 3 of EGRIS, with a focus on supporting the implementation of EGRIS TORs as adopted by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2020. This includes coordination of strategic guidance and communication development, leading and facilitating information-sharing among international statistical partners, organizing statistical activities in the workplan, facilitating peer exchange at technical level and monitor progress against the implementation plan.

• Effectively coordinate and manage EGRIS’ steering committee structures and Secretariat, including follow up from steering committee meetings.

• Coordinate the collaboration with statistical partners and stakeholders, including implementers at national/regional/global level, donors and new and old members.

• Support the development of an agreed-upon capacity building roadmap based on outcomes of the consultation process on the implementation plan.

• Identify funding opportunities for the EGRIS work and prepare grant proposals for statistical activities where possible.

• Identify and explore implementation and capacity building opportunities for the International Recommendations on Refugee Statistics (IRRS)/ International Recommendations on IDP Statistics (IRIS) with partners such as national statistical offices and monitor progress of its implementation at national level.

• Support the statistical refinements of the Compiler’s Manual accompanying the two International Recommendations on Refugee and IDP Statistics and its associated e-platform.

• Oversee the development of integrated and modularized statistical training material for both IRRS and IRIS, including an introductory E-learning module as part of the Compilers’ Manual platform.

• Under the EGRIS umbrella, coordinate UNHCR’s agenda to improve statistics on stateless persons.

• Coordinate the drafting process of the International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics (IROSS), including provision of technical support on statistical substance to ensure a final and consolidated draft is available for submission to the UN Statistical Commission in March 2022.

• Prepare a progress report on the IROSS for the UN Statistical Commission in March 2021.

• Coordinate the IROSS submission and its accompanying background report to the UN Statistical Commission in March 2022.

• Oversee the establishment and functioning of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to improve statelessness statistics. • Facilitate the development of statistical papers on stateless persons with an inception report and excel file taxonomy as starting points.

• Oversee the contracting, managing, coordinating and monitoring of work conducted by statistical project consultants as well as EGRIS consultants.

• Lead the strategic thinking on how to increase buy-in for the EGRIS work at both statistical and political level, with a strong focus on country ownership.

• Coordinate joint work on EGRIS and the statelessness statistics workstreams with the UNHCR-World Bank Joint Data Centre (JDC) including development of workplans, regular communication and reporting.

• Draw linkages between EGRIS and the work on improving statistics on stateless persons with workstreams in the Statistics and Demographics Section related to the Sustainable Development Goals and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS).

• Participate in statistical events, trainings and workshops to promote the work of the two expert groups and ensure implementation of their recommendations.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

Years of Experience/Degree Level:

• 10 years of relevant experience with an Advanced University degree, equivalent of a Master’s degree.

Education:

• Quantitative Social Science

• Statistics

• Demography

• Economics

• Political Science;

• International Relations;

• or another relevant field.

Relevant Job Experience:

• Strong knowledge of official statistics, applied statistics and social research methods;

• In-depth knowledge of international statistical recommendations and the functioning of UN statistical bodies (e.g. UN Statistical Commission);

• Practical experience with census, survey design and methodology;

• Proven understanding of the interlinkages between forced displacement and statelessness;

• Proven understanding of the legal framework relevant for the development of the International Recommendations on Statelessness Statistics;

• Experience working with or in a national statistical office;

• Proven experience in working on international statistical cooperation, in particular with countries in the Global South;

• Proven coordination and management experience with a wide range of partners including national governments and their statistical offices, UN agencies, donors and civil society;

• Excellent drafting and presentation skills including skills in development of strategic communication products on statistical topics;

• Ability to work well in a demanding, dynamic environment and meet overall objectives.

Language requirements: For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English. Knowledge of French, Spanish or Arabic is an asset.

Desired qualifications and competencies

• UNHCR relevant learning/training activities (i.e. all mandatory UNHCR trainings).

• The Senior Statistics Coordination Officer (EGRIS) should have experience in translating data into policy-relevant products.

• S/he should also be familiar with the preparation and submission of official documents and reports to the UN Statistical Commission in New York.

• Given the close linkage between displacement and statelessness, the Senior Statistics Coordination Officer should ideally have international experience in a humanitarian environment.

Location

The successful candidate will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark or will work remotely due to COVID-related travel restrictions.