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Consultancy Title: MICS Data Processing Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Division of Analysis, Planning & Monitor, Data and Analytics, UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: 01 December 2024 to 31 August 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys) Programme is seeking a remote-based consultant to support MICS data processing activities specifically in the Pacific region. This consultancy will provide targeted technical assistance to the MICS data processing teams in Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Samoa, and Tuvalu, each of which is conducting MICS this or next year. The consultant will offer both on-site and remote support to the technical teams at the National Statistical Offices in these countries.

The selected candidate is expected to travel within the Pacific region to provide on-site technical support during various stages of the MICS process, including design, implementation, analysis, and reporting. Key responsibilities will include assisting local agencies with developing and testing digital data collection and monitoring tools, setting up local data processing systems, training enumerators, and supporting the analysis and dissemination of collected data.

In a constrained resource environment, a focused and targeted approach to partnership building will be critical to secure sufficient funds for the future of UNICEF child protection programmes. The UNICEF CP Resource Mobilization Strategy provides an overall vision and direction for mobilizing resources to support the achievement of goals set in the UNICEF CP strategy 2021 – 2030 and the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2025 – 2029 as it pertains to child protection – taking into consideration the different levels of accountability and collaboration between HQ, Regional teams, and Country Offices to advance a coherent approach. The HQ Strategy may hence also be used as a guide to develop regional and country level CP resource mobilization strategies where relevant and useful.  

Scope of Work:

The selected candidate will assist Pacific region countries (Tonga, FSM, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tuvalu) in customizing and implementing MICS data processing tools, ensuring adherence to recommended guidelines.

• Technical Support and Oversight: The consultant will support the MICS Data Processing team and Regional MICS Coordinators by providing technical assistance and oversight for data processing and analysis activities in the Pacific region.
• Review and Feedback on Data Processing Materials: In collaboration with the MICS Data Processing team, Regional MICS Coordinators, and national MICS implementation teams, the consultant will review and provide feedback on all relevant data processing materials. This includes digital data collection applications, data processing manuals, templates for monitoring and data quality reports, analysis programs, tabulation plans, micro-datasets, and final reports, ensuring they meet MICS standards.
• On-Site and Remote Support: The consultant will remotely support the MICS implementing countries and conduct two in-country visits to assist with various survey activities. Responsibilities include designing and testing digital data collection applications, training field staff, setting up data editing systems, generating monitoring reports, preparing analysis datasets, developing analysis programs, producing tabulations, and creating survey findings reports.
• Facilitating Training and Workshops: Additionally, the consultant will facilitate sessions at Regional Data Processing and Local Data Dissemination Workshops, providing technical guidance and developing necessary training materials.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Technical Support and Customization for MICS Data Processing in the Pacific Region.

• A set of customized MICS Data Processing Tools for Pacific Region Countries: Completed customization and implementation of MICS data processing tools for Tonga, FSM, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tuvalu, ensuring compliance with recommended MICS guidelines
• 10 Technical Assistance and Oversight Reports: 10 Detailed reports on the technical assistance and oversight provided to the MICS Data Processing team and Regional MICS Coordinators, documenting all support activities related to data processing and analysis, separately for each assigned survey and two phases: data collection and analysis
• A set of reviewed and Refined Data Processing Materials: A set of reviewed and refined data processing materials, including digital data collection applications, data processing manuals, monitoring and data quality report templates, analysis programs, tabulation plans, micro-datasets, and final report preparation, with feedback aligned to MICS standards
• On-Site Support Summary and Activity Report: Summary and detailed report of two on-site visits to the MICS implementing countries, covering activities such as digital data collection application design and testing, field staff training, data editing system setup, monitoring report generation, analysis dataset preparation, program development, tabulations, and survey findings report production.
• Workshop Facilitation and Training Materials: Documentation of sessions facilitated at three Regional Data Processing Workshops and five Local Data Dissemination Workshops, along with the developed training materials tailored for each workshop.
• Workshop Facilitation and Training Materials: Documentation of sessions facilitated at Regional Data Processing and Local Data Dissemination Workshops, along with the developed training materials tailored for the workshops.           

Consultant is required to travel for a maximum of 4 international flights for in country support.

Qualifications

Education: 

Minimum of five years' working experience in data processing in household surveys, preferably with prior MICS or DHS data processing experience. A Master’s degree is preferred for this position. A Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of relevant experience can be accepted in lieu of a Master degree 

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

• Expertise in programming with CSPro.
• Expertise in programming with SPSS. Programming with STATA or R is considered as an asset. Expertise in using Microsoft Power BI.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel to countries across regions.
• Preference for candidates with experience in delivering training courses and knowledge of household surveys.
• Good communication skills in English.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. 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. 

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.