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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, opportunity.

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 Samoa, 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 200 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.

In Samoa, UNICEF is working with the Samoa Bureau of Statistics to support the Government conduct the Samoa MICS 2025. Data collection is scheduled to be conducted between May and July 2025. Many topics and modules on women and child nutrition are included in the Samoa MICS 2025 including anthropometry for children under 5 years, children 5- 9 years and women aged 15-49 years. Anthropometry assessment is a critical component of the survey and requires measurers to collect accurate height and weight measurements to meet the expected quality standards. To ensure that the measurers receive adequate training and support during the data collection phase, the UNICEF PMCO will hire a highly skilled MICS Anthropometry Consultant to support the Anthropometry Training and visit the fieldwork teams during the data collection to monitor and assure the quality of the anthropometric measurements. In addition to support the training and visiting field teams, the consultant will also work closely with the national nutrition programme staff at the Samoa’ Ministry of Health as part of knowledge transfer to local partners.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the overall supervision of the Statistics & Monitoring Specialist supported by the Nutrition Manager, the MICS Anthropometry Consultant will deliver the training on undertaking anthropometric measurements, as per the standards for such measurements (WHO, UNICEF Standards), in addition to standardizing the measurements across enumerators. The consultant will visit the data collection teams in the field to monitor quality of the anthropometric data being collected and will also provide quality assurance through review and feedback of the field-check tables throughout the data collection period.

ACTIVITY:

1. Inception meeting to discuss travel dates, work assignment and expected output.

2. Prepare and/or customize of anthropometry training materials and standardization protocol of measurements among the enumerators including PowerPoint presentations and Standardization tests.

3. Lead training of measurers including the actual standardization as well as field practice and pilot.

4. Develop a field visit spot-check plan and undertake the visits to the field teams to monitor and provide quality assurance for the anthropometric measurements.

5. Documentation of lessons learned problems and good practices

DELIVERABLES:

1. Agreed travel dates, training agenda, data collection monitoring plan and expected outputs

2. Training materials developed including a) slide deck of presentations and b) standardization protocol and tests and c) this activity’s report.

3. Training report including all aspects in the activity description.

4. a) Field visit-spot check plan for the visits

    b) Fieldwork /data collection visits reports for each team visited with clear recommendations.

5. End of consultancy report

Please refer to the ToR ( TOR for Social Policy Samoa.MICS_Anthropometry Consultant.pdf) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines. 

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:  

Interested candidates are requested to submit a separate financial offer along with your application. The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above
• Travel (economy air ticket where applicable to take up assignment and field mission travel)
• Living allowance where travel is required
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.

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

Education:

• University degree in, Nutrition, Epidemiology or any other related technical field is required.

Skills & Experience:

• At least 3- 5 years' experience in anthropometric measurement training
• Previous experience in the implementation of MICS and/or Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Anthropometry module is an asset
• Training experience and ability to organize and facilitate training and presentations

Other Competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,
• Excellent oral and written communication in English
• Familiarity and previous experience of working in the Pacific region are highly desirable,
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organization, more specifically with National Statistical Offices,
• Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability,
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively in-country.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the local language is an asset. 

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.