Consultancy: Regional Sampling for UNICEF West & Central Africa, WCARO, Dakar, Senegal, Remote/home-based) 8 months (168 days

Contract

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UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Regional Office, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Governments to realize children’s rights on survival, development, protection and participation.

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 fulfil their potential.

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

For every child, hope

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Many surveys are carried out by government organizations, with the support and technical assistance of UNICEF. When countries adhere to the UNICEF protocols and recommendations and make use of the tools provided, the survey process goes very smoothly. However, in many countries, the provision of survey tools alone has not been sufficient without the additional support of experienced personnel providing technical assistance to the survey implementing partners.

UNICEF will continue to strengthen its survey technical support mechanism at the regional level so that country offices can receive the required level of technical assistance at critical stages of the survey and are in a better position to support the implementing partner.

Planning, preparation and fieldwork for new surveys – such as the BMZ endline/baseline surveys, or MICS – will be initiated in the region of West and Central Africa (WCA). UNICEF WCARO will, therefore, hire an experienced Sampling Expert Consultant to provide necessary technical assistance to country offices and their partners at critical survey stages in a timely manner.

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist (MICS and Other Surveys) in the Planning Monitoring and Research Section of UNICEF WCARO, the Sampling Expert Consultant will be responsible for providing sampling-related technical assistance on different surveys conducted in the region of West and Central Africa (WCA), e.g. BMZ endline/baseline survey, MICS, etc.

This sampling-related areas of work will include:

1. Sampling design
2. Sample weights and sampling errors calculation
3. Reviewing sampling related chapters of survey finding reports

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist (MICS and Other Surveys) – PMR, the Sampling Consultant will advise country offices implementing the resilience initiatives and lead the technical work on:

1. Provide in-country support to review or develop the sampling plan for different surveys in WCA Region following MICS guidelines,
2. Review or perform sample selection for all stages of sample selection,
3. Work closely with the Data Processing Expert on preparation of digital household listing application
4. Support countries remotely or during country visits to conduct any household listing activities that may be necessary,
5. Review sampling weights calculation procedures, and in close collaboration with the Data Processing Expert verify and finalize the calculated sample weights,
6. Review sampling errors calculation programmes and results,
7. Prepare or review the sampling appendix of the final survey report,
8. Respond to technical sampling queries from countries by e-mail and internet calls,
9. Work closely with the Regional Household Survey and Data Processing Experts as needed,
10. When necessary, work closely with the HQ GIS expert to i) gain access to and facilitate sharing of boundary shapefiles representing the sample frame (including one level lower than the geographic stratification of the survey sample), and ii) gain access to (e.g., from geocoded sampling frame) or plan for collection of cluster geocode during household mapping and listing,
11. When necessary, support planning and customization of other initiatives (MICS Plus, MICS Link) in collaboration with the relevant experts of these initiatives.

Administrative Requirements:

1. The consultant will work from his/her own office and provide their own equipment (stationary, hardware and software).
2. Payment will only be made for work satisfactorily completed and accepted by UNICEF and submission of an activity log and invoice.
3. If the final reports and documents are not submitted according to the deliverables stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld.
4. The Sampling Consultant must respect the confidentiality of the survey data as well as any country specific survey documents that will be produced throughout the survey process. The Sampling Consultant can use the documents and the datasets only for the tasks related to these terms of reference.

Type of Supervision Required and Cooperation with Other Consultants:

1. The Planning, Monitoring and Research section from the WCAR Office will provide quality assurance and oversight for the consultant’s work with substantial feedback on the quality of the work.
2. For each assigned survey country, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist (MICS and Other Surveys), the National Consultant, other UNICEF Regional Consultants, and sampling expert of the implementing partner in that country. During country visits, the consultant will be expected to implement capacity development activities with the implementing partner as required and organized by the UNICEF Country Office.

How can you make a difference?

Work Assignment Overview:

Work Assignments OverviewDeliverables/OutputsDelivery deadlineEstimated BudgetBMZ - Sampling Selection (3 countries)a. Depending on the country capacity and arrangements, either a report on sample design itself or a report for each sample design reviewed outlining key recommendations and proposed changes and how the design meets or does not meet UNICEF technical standards – within 3 days after the visit to the country or submission of the draft design by the country. b. As applicable, technical report on reviewed digital household listing application, as well as report on support to household listing activities and first and second stages of sampling – within 5 days after submission by the country.September – November 2023USD 9,450 64%BMZ - Weight Calculations (3 countries)c. Final sampling weights for each country – within 5 days after submission by the countryDecember 2023USD 2,700 18%BMZ – Reporting (3 countries)d. Sampling chapter of each survey final report reviewed and with proposed modifications and/or additional information required – within 5 days after submission by the countryJanuary 2024USD 1,350 9%BMZ - Othere. Other tasksSeptember 2023-January 2024USD 1,350 9%To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced University degree (Master’s or higher) Demography, Statistics, Epidemiology, or any other related technical field with special expertise in survey sampling is required
• At least 8 years of experience in designing samples for household surveys (experience in countries without recent census information highly desirable)
• Must be familiar with the sampling methodology of MICS and/or Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS),
• Demonstrated training experience,
• Experience of working in developing countries,
• Fluency in English or French,
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Ability and willingness to travel to the countries where the surveys are

Other competencies

• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships with national partners,
• Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability.

• Demonstrated exceptional organizational skills and consistent quality delivery

  Requirements

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system /P11/ Resume

• Academic credentials/certificates
• Consultancy proposal
• Financial proposal that will include
• Costs for each deliverable and total all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the whole assignment
• Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TO
• Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
• Previously relevant consultancy products & final evaluations (if available)
• Indicate your availability
• 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.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

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

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations, or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF and other UN Agencies will be moving to the new United Nations House, presently under construction in Diamniadio, 30 kilometers from downtown Dakar. The name of the duty station for this position will remain Dakar, Senegal.