READVERTISEMENT - Quantitative data analyst consultant - Global Office of Research & Foresight - Florence, Italy

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy 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 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, Research

Background to Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research and foresight on emerging or current issues of relevance for children to inform the strategic directions, policies and programs of UNICEF and its partners. The Global Office explores emerging issues, identifies research gaps, brings together existing researchers, and supports or undertakes research, foresight and data collection to address critical questions and inform global debates relevant to children.

UNICEF Innocenti conducts research on child well-being and rights, including cross-cutting research on how the digital development impacts children and society. Access to digital technology can be an important enabler for children to develop the skills and literacies necessary to achieve learning objectives and to prepare for an increasingly digitalized world. At the same time, internet access may compound existing risks to children that, unless managed, could undermine their well-being.

UNICEF Innocenti has led or supported the implementation of comparative, cross-national household surveys with children and parents in a wide range of countries, focusing on their online use, risks and opportunities. Having reached a critical mass of data collected, UNICEF Innocenti is well positioned to leverage this data to inform the global agenda on protection and empowerment of children in a digital age.

The Social and Economic Policy Team is currently working with the unit on Digital Engagement and Protection to leverage this data to produce insights that can steer the global agenda on how to best support children in a digital age. To that end, UNICEF Innocenti is now looking for two quantitative researchers to conduct comprehensive analysis of our extensive multi-country household survey datasets on children’s online use and experiences.

The result will be an office-wide flagship product led by the unit on Digital Engagement and Protection with cross-office support. The overall responsibility for the data analysis lies with the Supervisor (Social & Economic Policy Manager) of the consultancies, who will work closely with the Research Manager (Digital) to conceptualize and guide the analysis. We estimate that this work will require approximately 44 weeks, or 220 days, to complete.

Major areas of work and responsibility:

• Collaborate with the Supervisor and the Digital Engagement and Protection unit at UNICEF Innocenti to plan the report structure and content.

• Develop an analysis plan for each chapter or thematic area, including a wide variety of exploratory and confirmatory analyses. This will include identifying comparable indicators across datasets and proxy indicators where needed.

• Using primary micro-data data from 40+ countries and other macro-level data sources as needed, conduct all of the analysis needed to inform the report.

• Produce initial write-ups of the interpretation of results and findings and contribute to the final report and interim research briefs.

• Contribute to presentations of findings internally and to external experts and advisors.

Methodologies and Tools:

• The candidate must be familiar with at least one common statistical software package (either Stata or R) and ability to run advanced statistical testing. • The candidate must be familiar with the Office suite (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint).

Conditions of Consultancy:

1. UNICEF Innocenti will assist consultants with arrangements for visas, work permits, vaccinations, etc.

2. UNICEF does not regard Individuals engaged under a consultancy contract as “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures. Consultants are therefore not entitled to benefits such as leave, pension 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.

3. Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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. Prospective

4. Consultants are encouraged to ensure that they fully understand (a) the requirements of each deliverable and (b) the workload associated with reaching a deliverable.

5. UNICEF Innocenti recognises that, due to the locations of some of its research, events may occur that either delay deliverables or prevent them from being completed. These events need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the impact on the payment schedule of the contract. It is UNICEF Innocenti’s objective to be fair to consultants in situations where deliverables are delayed or no longer attainable through no wrongdoing of the consultant.

6. Consultants 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.

Education:

Advanced university degree in a relevant discipline and a strong background in statistical analysis of micro-data.

We strongly encourage people with a background in psychology or epidemiology to apply

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Essential • Documented experience conducting empirical research, especially analysis of large datasets (descriptive and inferential statistics, complex statistical modelling, path analyses, SEM, etc.). • Proven ability to interpret statistical analysis and communicate their substantive and practical implications for technical and non-technical audiences. • Experience working with cross-national analysis of survey data is considered an asset. • Experience with writing for – and verbal presentation to – varied audiences, including both specialists and policy makers. • A good record of professional publications based on quantitative research. • Excellent knowledge of advanced statistical software (Stata, R). Experience of research with low- and middle-income countries.

Desirable  Previous experience of working with UNICEF Regional and Country Offices

Competencies • Strong research and analytical skills. • Creative and innovative thinker and problem solver. • Strong planning and organisational skills. • Excellent writing and verbal communication skills. • Ability to work well as part of a team and in a multi-cultural environment. • Aims to achieve high standards for quality of work.

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:

Due to the complex nature of this project and the necessity to work together with the rest of the team, it is proposed that the consultant will work principally in the office. This will enable swift communication with the supervisor and with colleagues and will have access to IT equipment for efficiency and data protection purposes.

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.