National Coordinator (MICS), NO-C, Baghdad, Iraq, one-year Temporary Appointment (open to Iraqi nationals only)

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

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 full 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, data

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is an international household survey programme developed and supported by UNICEF. MICS is designed to collect estimates of key indicators used to assess the situation of children and women. Over the past three decades, MICS has evolved to respond to changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators in the first round to more than 250 indicators in the current seventh round, and has become a key source of data on child protection, early childhood education, and a major source of data on child health and nutrition. In addition to being a data collection tool to generate data for monitoring the progress towards national goals and global commitments for promoting the welfare of children, MICS provided valuable data for Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and is currently providing data for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring and reporting.

The final SDG indicator framework currently includes 231 global indicators, of which around one-third are household survey-based. MICS is well positioned to play a central role in this agenda alongside other key demographic, health and socio-economic surveys and to complement data from administrative sources and censuses. After undergoing rigorous methodological and validation work to broaden the scope of the tools and include numerous topics that reflect SDG indicators and emerging issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development context, MICS7 questionnaires in the new round cover half of the household survey-based SDG indicators.

As governments develop national frameworks to monitor progress toward the SDGs, strategic planning and investments will be required to collect robust, more frequent, and timely data. This round of MICS presents a unique opportunity to support this process.

The UNICEF Country Office has supported MICS surveys in Iraq in 2018, 2011, 2006, 2000, and 1996. To support establishing a baseline for the next National Development Plan, UNSDCF and UNICEF country programme, / As part of the Mid-Term Review / other key objective of the Year-Year Country Programme cycle, UNICEF Country Office will support a MICS as part of the 7th round of the survey programme in late 2023. To ensure that the implementation of the MICS survey runs smoothly, specific deadlines are met and that the implementing partner, the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and the Kurdish Regional Statistical Organization (KRSO), receives the technical assistance necessary to produce statistically sound and reliable data, the UNICEF Country Office will hire a full-time coordinator to oversee the MICS process from preparatory work to the release of results.

The 2023 MICS will be implemented using CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing reduces the time required to collect and process survey data, facilitates real-time monitoring, improves the data quality and reduces survey costs.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall supervision of the Planning and Monitoring specialist, the National Coordinator (MICS) will support and provide guidance to the UNICEF Iraq Country Office (CO) and the CSO/KRSO for the planning, implementation and completion of the MICS survey. The National Coordinator (MICS) will advise and support the CSO/KRSO, especially sampling and data processing experts, in survey planning, follow up, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, reporting, dissemination and archiving, in line with global MICS protocols and recommendations. The National Coordinator (MICS) will and manage coordination and communication between the Iraq CO and CSO/KRSO.

The National Coordinator (MICS) will also coordinate and support the work of UNICEF technical staff/resource persons working to support MICS process including the Regional MICS Coordinator at the UNICEF Regional Office (RO) and the MICS Team at UNICEF Headquarters (HQ), as well as experts and coordinators assigned to support the Iraq MICS (collectively labelled “The UNICEF MICS Team”). Additionally, s/he will work in close collaboration with the survey team, the stakeholders, and steering and technical committees and will represent UNICEF in meetings and workshops in relation to the survey as needed.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities and end results: 1. Provide technical, managerial, and coordination support for MICS7. 2. Present the MICS methodology, tools, and guidelines to partners/stakeholders (e.g., ministries, UN Agencies, etc.), 3. Finalise, in collaboration with national partners and UNICEF CO, the Survey Plan and Budget, including the timetable, and share with the Regional MICS Coordinator, 4. Ensure that the Ethical Protocol and other ethical recommendations are addressed in the survey implementation process and that all MICS-related documents are shared with the national/international Ethical Committee on time for approval, 5. Oversee each stage of the survey process and ensure that the MICS protocols and standards are followed by the CSO/KRSO, more specifically during training and field supervision visits, 6. Communicate regularly with the UNICEF CO and the UNICEF MICS Team, responding to all MICS-related issues promptly, 7. Provide monthly updates on MICS activities to the UNICEF CO and Regional MICS Coordinator, 8. Coordinate the work of CSO/KRSO specialists and the UNICEF MICS Team, and other resource persons assigned by the UNICEF CO and the UNICEF MICS Team to support different survey stages, 9. Ensure that external technical reviews by experts (i.e., Sampling, Data Processing, and Household Survey experts and consultants) are carried out at crucial survey stages and coordinate the feedback and response between the CO, the UNICEF MICS Team and the CSO/KRSO, 10. Ensure that all survey-related documents and deliverables are properly archived throughout the survey process (for example Memorandum of Understanding, Survey Plan and Budget, questionnaires, manuals, sample design, training/pre-test reports, expert reports, CAPI application, field check tables, output and tabulation plan tables, syntaxes, datasets, cluster geocodes, boundary shapefiles, Survey Findings Report, Statistical Snapshots, dissemination materials, etc.), 11. Participate and follow up on the redocumentations of all MICS Steering and Technical Committee meetings as well as all MICS Workshops, 12. Ensure that lessons learned, problems, and good practices are documented in a detailed written report throughout the MICS process and rapidly shared with the MICS community (other MICS implementing countries and the UNICEF MICS Team) through all means available, 13. Support planning and customisation of other MICS initiatives (MICS Plus, MICS GIS, MICS Link) in collaboration with the relevant experts of these initiatives from the Global MICS Team.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have… - Advanced university degree in, Demography, Statistics, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, or any other related technical field is required. - Minimum 5 years of experience in the coordination and management of quantitative household surveys (prior MICS or Demographic and Health Survey (DH). - Strong computer skills and strong expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, particularly SPSS), - Experience with CAPI data collection is an asset. - Training experience and ability to organise and facilitate training and presentations, - Experience in data analysis and survey report writing. - Excellent oral and written communication in Arabic and English,

For every Child, you demonstrate the values and competencies required for this post: UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

Core Competencies - Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) - Works Collaboratively with others (1) - Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) - Innovates and Embraces Change (1) - Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) - Drive to achieve impactful results (1) - Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

Remarks • 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’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates will be prioritized. • 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. • Lien on post may apply to applicants who are current UNICEF staff on Permanent, continuing and Fixed Term positions applying for this Temporary Appointment assignment • Government or related entities employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF or provide a proof of leave of absence. • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. • Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.