National Consultancy for the development of a statistical manual and a guidance package for using Belarus Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey dataset for analysis

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child. Everywhere, in everything the organization does, in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action.

UNICEF in Belarus is strongly committed to investing in data and evidence generation to be able to provide policy advice based on accurate and timely evidence on child rights realization.

How can you make a difference

1. Purpose and Objectives

Under this assignment, the contractor will prepare a detailed manual for statistical data analysis using Belarus Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6) (hereinafter – Manual). The Manual should offer an overview of the steps in the data lifecycle: data collection, data preparation, data analysis, and data visualization.

UNICEF, together with partners, continuously supports conducting of MICS and seeks to enhance the use of data generated by the sixth round of the survey. The aim of developing the Manual is to provide knowledge on using tools visualizing inequities and vulnerabilities, detail the calculation process of specific indicators, conducting descriptive and regression analysis, hypothesis testing, and linking its results to policy discussions. The manual and accompanying guidance package with presentations and video tutorials will focus on ECD and social protection areas (a report with findings of the conducted analysis will be provided by UNICEF) and give answers for the following policy questions with a user-friendly step-by-step guidance package, including a manual, presentations, video-tutorials and annexes documenting Stata/SPSS commands:

• What are the equity gaps and factors behind the variations in different aspects of early childhood development?

• How progressive are social transfers overall and by different types of households with children? Do they target well multiple deprivations and vulnerabilities?

The Manual and guidance package will be a helpful tool for developing the statistical capacity of the national government, academia, and students. UNICEF will be advocating with the biggest universities in the country on including the manual in the curricula for public administration students, sociologists, statisticians and economists. The ambition is to make MICS dataset the most demanded data used to enhance evidence-informed programming in the country. The manual will be aligned with the similar efforts and guidance prepared by MICS-EAGLE initiative.

2. Key Tasks

The expected scope of work is as following:

1. preparing a draft plan with the structure of the manual and presentations;

2. preparing draft presentations;

3. conducting workshops for students and UNICEF volunteers, collecting their feedback and validating presentations;

4. preparing manual with step-by-step guidance documenting Stata/SPSS commands in a user-friendly manner and providing detailed explanations;

5. drafting scripts for short tutorial videos covering and providing links to the best available tutorial resources.

3. Supervision, Work Relations & Oversight

The contractor will be supervised and report directly to the UNICEF M&E Specialist with active involvement of the UNICEF Data Analysis Consultant and required Programme Specialists.

Debriefings will be arranged upon a need to support the progress of the consultancy. The Consultant must respect the complete confidentiality of the data as well as any specific documents that will be produced. The M&E Specialist and Data Analysis Consultant will be closely monitoring the fieldwork and attending trainings. The Consultant can use the documents and the datasets only for the tasks related to these Terms of Reference.

4. Payment conditions

Payment will be made based on invoice upon submission of deliverables. It is expected that two payments could be made – in the middle and end of the contract period.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• At least 5 completed projects in public policy research with household microdata analysis;

• Advanced university degree and/or academic background in economics or management;

• Extensive experience in conducting econometric research using MICS and other household surveys data;

• Record of work with the government on public policies in social sector;

• Availability of publications or academic works on the topics relevant to the study;

• High analytical and conceptual skills and ability to work in a team;

• Fluency in Russian and English (written and spoken);

• Record of work with UN is an asset.

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.

For more details on deliverables and minimum requirements, please refer to attached Terms of reference (ToR)

TOR MICS Data Use Manual final_va.pdf

The application must include:

1. Technical proposal:

a. A short methodological proposal on how the indicated assignment will be undertaken, including extended outline of the manual and topics of presentations and videos;

b. CV.

2. Financial proposal for the services to be provided.

The technical proposal and the price offer must be separate. The technical proposal shall not contain any price information.

Applications for this assignment must be received no later than: 24 June 2021.

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. 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.