Consultancy - MICS Plus Household Survey Consultant, Data and Analytics (D&A) Section, DAPM NYHQ (remote based)

Contract

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Consultancy Title: MICS Plus Household Survey Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Data and Analytics (D&A) Section /Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring – DAPM /NYHQ

Duration: 96 days during May – December 2022

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) enable countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable estimates of a range of indicators on the situation of children and women in areas such as health, education, early childhood development, child protection, water and sanitation, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. For many countries, MICS surveys are among the most important sources of data used for situation analyses, policy decisions, programme interventions, and informing the public about the situation of children and women.

In recent years, including during the pandemic period, the MICS programme has continued to innovate new methods and protocols for data collection. A recent initiative of the MICS programme is MICS Plus. MICS Plus is based on the probability selection of a sub-sample of households interviewed during a MICS survey or any other household sample frame furnished with telephone numbers and initiating regular calls to these households for a maximum period of one year to continue data collection. The method progressively builds up longitudinal data on the situation of children and the well-being of households; results can be reported on a near real-time basis. MICS Plus can be used for various purposes, such as (a) collecting longitudinal data on MICS topics, (b) for opinion polling, (c) generating data on children not available in MICS for both methodological and practical reasons, (d) for programme monitoring and evaluation, (e) for crisis monitoring.

MICS Plus was piloted in two districts of Belize in 2019-2020. As the pilot test progressed, the COVID pandemic created an unforeseen opportunity to take MICS Plus to the national level sooner than anticipated. In 2020-2021, 2 national MICS Plus surveys were initiated and finalized with 6 waves in Georgia and 7 waves in Mongolia. Meanwhile, more countries are coming forward to join the MICS programme to conduct MICS Plus. MICS Plus in Samoa, Nigeria, and Vietnam are expected to start in 2022, while Mongolia will continue to conduct MICS Plus for one more year.

Experience in Georgia and Mongolia showed that conducting data collection in regular intervals during the year is labour-intensive and requires dedicated human resources to support each wave of calls, including preparation, implementation, and completion. With more countries joining, more human resources are needed to provide the technical assistance necessary to support the production of statistically sound and reliable data and ensure that MICS Plus surveys are conducted with best practices and acceptable quality standards.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

In order to provide technical assistance to the National Statistical Offices (NSOs), UNICEF HQ is hiring a consultant (preferably with previous MICS experience and surveys conducted over the phone). The consultant will support MICS Plus activities in selected countries, from preparatory work to release results, in consultation with the HQ and RO MICS Plus Teams.

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF MICS Plus Coordinator, the MICS Plus Household Survey Consultant has the responsibility for supporting the preparation, implementation, and completion of MICS Plus in implementing countries. The consultant will work on assigned activities during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, data collection, data processing, data analysis, dissemination, and support sampling and data processing experts when needed, ensuring that MICS Plus protocols and recommendations are being used followed at all times. Main activities:

1. Support the MICS Plus Coordinator in providing technical assistance and oversight for MICS Plus in implementing countries (Mongolia, Samoa, Nigeria, and Vietnam)
2. For each wave of the MICS Plus survey in implementing countries, provide the support for preparation, review, and finalization of the following products/activities:
   1. Survey plan (including budget and training plans for the pilot and main data collection)
   2. Indicator list (aka. Analysis plan)
   3. Questionnaire and Manual
   4. Training for fieldwork personnel
   5. Pilot data collection and its monitoring
   6. Data quality checking plan (e.g., progress tracking tables)
   7. Main data collection and its monitoring
   8. Survey results according to the analysis plan
   9. Dissemination materials (tabulations, snapshots, dashboard, news items, and/or similar dissemination materials)

Deliverables/Outputs: A review with feedback and suggestion for each wave of the data collection for assigned countries on: (a) all planning documents, (b) questionnaire and indicator list, (c) produced progress tracking tables, and (d) findings and all dissemination materials prepared by countries.

Qualifications

The assignment is planned to be conducted by an individual. The qualifications, skills and experience as stated below:

• The consultant should have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Demography, Statistics, or other related technical fields with significant measurement or analysis component.
• At least five (5) years of experience in working with quantitative household surveys.
• Expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, SPSS desirable)
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office is necessary
• Prior MICS/DHS experience is a must; phone surveys implementation experience is desired
• Experience in survey report writing and reviewing.
• Fluency in English is a requirement. Knowledge of other official United Nations languages, in particular Arabic, French, Russian or Spanish, is an advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships with national partners.

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
  • your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent/unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.
• The MICS Plus Household Survey Consultant must respect the confidentiality of the MICS Plus data as well as any country-specific MICS Plus documents that will be produced throughout the survey implementation. The consultant can only use the documents and the datasets for the tasks related to these terms of reference.

The final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump-sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.