STATISTICS AND MONITORING CONSULTANT, REGIONAL SAMPLING EXPERT (MICS), LACRO, PANAMA CITY, 6 MONTHS (HOME BASED)

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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PA Home-based; Panama City (Panama)

Application deadline 1 year ago: Tuesday 14 Jun 2022 at 03:55 UTC

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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.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope

Statistically sound and internationally comparable data are essential for developing evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as for monitoring countries' progress toward national goals and global commitments. Since 1995, UNICEF has supported the implementation of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), assisting countries in generating high quality data on the situation of children and women. Over the last 20 years and five rounds of MICS, more than 300 MICS surveys have been conducted in more than 100 countries.

MICS surveys are usually carried out by government organizations, with the support and technical assistance of UNICEF. For many countries, MICS surveys are among the most important sources of data used for situation analyses, policy decisions and programme interventions, and for influencing the public opinion on the situation of children and women.

In 2017, the sixth round of MICS surveys (MICS6) was launched to enable countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable estimates in the areas of health, education and child protection, including a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators. This data is essential for developing evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as for monitoring countries' progress toward national goals and the global Agenda 2030.

As part of the MICS6 programme, UNICEF will continue to strengthen its MICS 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. The type of support required by countries at different stages of a national household survey requires specialized skills that are not usually among the skills sets of UNICEF staff members. Therefore, UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) is using a highly experienced consultant to provide the necessary technical assistance at critical survey stages on a timely manner.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist, the Regional Sampling Consultant will be responsible for providing sampling-related technical assistance to MICS surveys in selected countries across the region. This includes providing assistance on sampling design, calculation of weights and finalization of the sampling related parts of the final report ensuring that MICS guidelines and protocols are being followed at all times.

Specific Tasks:

  1. Technically review the sample design of new MICS surveys in LAC ensuring that each design follows MICS guidelines;
  2. Compile reports with technical comments and recommendations highlighting proposed changes, if any, to the sample designs. Comments will be shared by UNICEF with the implementing partner;
  3. Review or perform sample selection for all stages of selection;
  4. Review the calculation of sampling weights and provide technical comments and recommendations as applicable;
  5. Review the sampling errors and the sampling appendix and other sampling related parts of the final report. Provide technical comments and recommendations highlighting proposed changes, if any to the sampling chapter and the appendix on sampling;
  6. Facilitate a sampling session during the Regional Survey Design Workshop and advise countries attending the workshop on their sample design;
  7. Respond to ad-hoc technical sampling queries from MICS 6 countries by e-mail within a maximum delay of 5 days;
  8. At the request of the UNICEF Regional Monitoring Specialist, the Regional Sampling expert will take part in country missions and will participate as an expert in regional/global UNICEF MICS related meetings. All communication with Country Offices and implementing partners will always be channeled through the Regional Monitoring Specialist.

Expected results:

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 MICS technical standards – within 7 days after the visit to the country or submission of the draft design by the country.

Country visit reports (including presentations and training materials) for each country visited – within 7 days after the visit.

Regional workshop trip report – within 7 days after the visit.

Presentations and training materials used in workshops and trainings – within 7 days after the workshop/training.

As applicable, report on support to household listing activities and first and second stages of sampling – within 5 days after submission by the country.

Final sampling weights for each country – within 5 days after submission by the country

Sampling chapter of each survey final report reviewed and with proposed modifications and/or additional information required – within 5 days after submission by the country

Evidence of other distance technical support through e-mail.

Monthly activity log with the name of a country, type of support, date and time spent for each task specified clearly.

Deliverables

Description

Duration

[in days]

Sample design as requested by country

6

Sampling workshops given

4

Country visit reports

5

Ongoing technical support

1

Total

16

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • At least a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Demography, Statistics, Epidemiology, or 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);
  • Demonstrated training experience;
  • Experience of working in developing countries;
  • Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.
  • Must be familiar with the sampling methodology of MICS and/or Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS);
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
  • Ability and willingness to travel to all countries across Latin America and the Caribbean;
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships with national partners;
  • Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability.

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.

UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Supervision: The Regional Monitoring Specialist will provide quality assurance and oversight for the consultant’s work with substantial feedback on the quality of the work. For each assigned MICS survey country, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the UNICEF MICS Focal point, the UNICEF MICS Consultant, the sampling experts from the implementing partners, and other UNICEF Regional MICS Consultants. 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.

Workplace: Home-based. Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.

• UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)

• For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

Duration: This contract is expected to start on 1 July with an estimated duration of 6 months.

Insurance: 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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). In duty stations where UNICEF provides medical evacuation, the medical insurance that the contractor holds should include provisions for medical evacuation.

How to apply? Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter, University Degrees and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily, monthly and total fees in their financial proposal.

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.

Vacancy Announcement Remarks:

Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted. UNICEF reserves the right to make additional assessment of the pre-selected candidates, if needed 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. 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.

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org