National MICS Consultant, Belize City, Belize, 18 months

Contract

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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 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, hope.

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 Belize, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government in realizing children’s rights to 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 fulfill their potential.

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

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 that are 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 currently providing data for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) monitoring and reporting.

Since the inception of MICS in the 1990s, over 350 surveys have been carried out in 118 countries. As part of the global effort to further develop national capacities to generate and analyse high-quality and disaggregated data, UNICEF launched the seventh round of MICS in 2023, with results of the first surveys expected to be available by the end of 2023. This new round is in accordance with the list of Sustainable Development Goal indicators endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in 2016, following the global adoption of the 17 SDGs and 169 targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The final SDG indicator framework currently includes 231 global indicators, of which around one-third are household survey-based. Today, MICS, covering almost half of the SDG indicators that are household survey-based, 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 covers about one-third of 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 Belize Office has already supported MICS surveys in 2006, 2011 and 2015. To support establishing a baseline / As part of the Mid-Term Review / other key objective of the 2022-2026 Belize Programme cycle, UNICEF Belize Belize Office will support a MICS as part of the 7th round of the survey programme in 2023. To ensure that the implementation of the MICS survey runs smoothly, specific deadlines are met and that the implementing partner, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) receives the technical assistance necessary to produce statistically sound and reliable data, the UNICEF Belize Belize Office will hire a full-time consultant to oversee the MICS process from preparatory work to release of results.

The 2023 Belize MICS will be implemented using CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing), in which the interviewer uses a tablet to record data. CAPI data collection reduces the time needed to collect and process survey data, facilitates real-time monitoring, improves the quality of the data and reduces survey costs.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the National MICS Consultant (NMC) will support and provide guidance to UNICEF Belize and the SIB for the preparation, implementation and completion of the MICS survey in the Belize. The NMC will advise and support the SIB, especially the Survey Coordinator and sampling and data processing experts, during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, reporting, dissemination and archiving, ensuring that MICS protocols and recommendations are being followed at all times. The NMC will communicate effectively between the UNICEF CO and SIB, responding promptly to MICS-related needs and issues as they arise.

The NMC will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the work of other resource persons hired by UNICEF to provide technical assistance to the MICS process. The consultant 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. The NMC will also work in close collaboration with the Regional MICS Coordinator at the UNICEF Regional Office (RO) and the MICS Team at UNICEF Headquarters (HQ), as well as experts and consultants assigned to support the Belize MICS (collectively labeled “The UNICEF MICS Team”).

Main Tasks Related to the Job

1. Provide technical and managerial support to the MICS,
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 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 SIB, more specifically during training and field supervision visits,
6. Communicate regularly with the UNICEF CO and/or the UNICEF MICS Team, responding to all MICS-related issues in a timely manner,
7. Provide monthly updates on MICS activities to the UNICEF CO and Regional MICS Coordinator,
8. Coordinate the work of SIB specialists and the UNICEF MICS Team, and other resource persons assigned by the UNICEF CO and/or 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 key survey stages and coordinate the feedback and response between the CO, the UNICEF MICS Team and the SIB,
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 in all MICS Steering and Technical Committee meetings,
12. Participate in, and contribute to MICS Regional Workshops,
13. Organise, as required, and facilitate the national Data Interpretation and Report Compilation Workshop,
14. Ensure that lessons learned, problems, and good practices are documented throughout the MICS process and rapidly shared with the MICS community (other MICS implementing countries and the UNICEF MICS Team) through all means available,
15. 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 an advocate for every child you will have…

• University degree in Demography, Statistics, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, or any other related technical field is required.
• Proven minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in coordination and/or management of quantitative household surveys (prior MICS or Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) preferred)
• Strong computer skills and strong expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, particularly SPSS)
• Experience with CAPI data collection,
• Training experience and ability to organize and facilitate training and presentations,
• Experience in data analysis and survey report writing.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge in Spanish is an asset.

Other competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Excellent oral and written communication in English (s) required,
• Familiarity and previous experience of working in Belize and/or in the region are highly desirable,
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organisation, more specifically with National Statistical Offices,
• Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability,
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively in-Belize and to attend regional workshops.

Office Arrangements and Travel Requirements

During the contract period, the NMC is expected to travel within the Belize and to MICS Regional Workshops (locations to be confirmed later) in other countries and UNICEF Regional Office. The consultant will be responsible to cover all logistical arrange for and should not surpass UNICEF DSA rates. UNICEF will reimburse all travel cost upon submission of receipts. Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

The NMC will be based at the SIB who will provide her/him space, adequate working conditions with Internet access, and equipment as necessary.

Detailed TOR to support Financial Proposal Costing can be found in link: Deatiled ToR National MICS Consultant 7.1 UNICEF Belize 2023.docx

The applicants must submit to the UNICEF BELIZE office for review:

• Cover letter
• Updated CVs. Individual profile – previous work experience (samples of similar research/studies carried out and published), etc.
• Copies of Transcripts and/or Degrees
• Financial proposal: estimated daily and monthly rate in USD. Reference the section on :Estimated Duration of Contract and Fees”
  • a detailed financial proposal should include daily and and monthly rate, estimated travel cost, life and medical insurance coverage for duration of the contract, etc.

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.