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Consultancy Title: Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys GIS Expert Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Division of Analysis, Planning & Monitor, Programme Group, UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: 31 January 2025 to 30 June 2026

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: 

Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) enable countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable estimates of a range of indicators on the situation of children and women, in areas such as health, education, early childhood development, child protection, water and sanitation, and nutrition.  For many countries, MICS surveys are among the most important sources of data used for situation analyses, policy decisions, programme interventions, and for informing the public about the situation of children and women.

Currently, the MICS programme is in its 7th round, with 2025 and 2026 expected to be the years with most survey activity in the round.

In parallel to the core maintenance, development, and servicing of the traditional MICS package, the Programme is engaged in a large number of innovations that are currently mainstreaming into the Programme.

One such aspect is to work on continued mainstreaming geospatial data availability in MICS surveys titled “the MICS GIS Initiative”.

 

Scope of Work:

In order to continue the roll-out and mainstreaming of the MICS GIS initiative, UNICEF HQ intends to engage a GIS expert consultant with previous MICS or similar household survey GIS experience.

The integration of GIS in MICS entails operational tweaks, mostly of minor pieces in processes and protocols, but with a few larger course changes, such as integrating GIS into sampling related activities (mapping & listing activity, degrees of urbanisation) and to enable and automate multiple geospatial covariates on the final data sets. The GIS domain will also include retrospective survey work, including finalization of a geospatial data repository and availability of GIS data for surveys in previous rounds of MICS.

In consultation with the HQ MICS Team members, as required, under the overall supervision of the Statistics Specialist (Household surveys), the following tasks are to be supported by the GIS expert consultant.

• Maintain and update GIS-related tools to ensure their functionality and relevance for MICS7 surveys.
• Establish and manage the geospatial covariates repository while integrating covariates into MICS GPS datasets and documenting the process in a methodological paper.
• Integrate Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) into MICS surveys, perform DEGURBA calculations for MICS and MICS Plus surveys, and develop tools for seamless integration, including a methodological paper for MICS Plus.
• Support countries with the GIS related tasks, including the GPS Data Collection and finalisation of GIS datasets.
• Maintain and update QGIS plugin to support GIS-related workflows in MICS.
• Provide GIS-related emergency support to countries conducting MICS.
• Develop GIS capacity-building materials and deliver training sessions to enhance stakeholders' skills.
• Provide tailored GIS analytical support to address ad-hoc requests.
• Review GPS data request coming through the MICS website and support the integration of NADA on the website.

 

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Task 1: Maintenance of GIS Tools

• Maintenance of and update MICS7 GIS-related tools at least twice to guarantee their relevance and functionality for current and future MICS surveys (22 November 2025)
• Develop three instructional videos for the use of MICS GIS tools, including GPS Data Collection and GIS anonymisation tool (30 June 2026)

Task 2: Geospatial Covariates

• Finalise a comprehensive geospatial covariates data repository (10 June 2025)
• Integrate geospatial covariates into new and existing MICS surveys with GIS data available (22 November 2025)
• Develop and finalise a methodological paper outlining approaches, processes, and applications of geospatial covariates (30 June 2026)
• Perform maintenance to and update the geospatial covariates repository at least twice (30 June 2026)

Task 3: Integration of Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) into the MICS surveys

• Calculate DEGURBA for MICS Plus surveys to facilitate the disaggregation of results by DEGURBA (28 February 2025)
• Develop a methodological paper for the integration of the DEGURBA into the MICS Plus surveys (10 June 2025)
• Develop tools and workflows to streamline DEGURBA integration into MICS7 (22 November 2025)
• Perform DEGURBA calculations for MICS surveys to enhance spatial analyses (05 February 2026)
• Test updates on integrating DEGURBA into the geographical displacement methodology of cluster geocodes (30 June 2026)

Task 4: GIS - Related Survey Support          

• Prepare the GIS datasets for 4 surveys (16 total), including the review, cleaning and anonymisation of the GPS datasets, and the Survey Boundaries (28 February 2025)
• Prepare the GIS datasets for 4 surveys (16 total), including the review, cleaning and anonymisation of the GPS datasets, and the Survey Boundaries (10 June 2025)
• Prepare the GIS datasets for 4 surveys (16 total), including the review, cleaning and anonymisation of the GPS datasets, and the Survey Boundaries (22 November 2025)
• Prepare the GIS datasets for 4 surveys (16 total), including the review, cleaning and anonymisation of the GPS datasets, and the Survey Boundaries (05 February 2026)
• Support two surveys for GPS data collection and the generation of the GIS datasets, including the review, cleaning and anonymisation of the GPS datasets, and the Survey Boundaries (30 June 2026)

Task 5: QGIS Plugin (MICS Geocode Plugin) Maintenance

• Update the QGIS plugin to support GIS-related processes (e.g., geographical displacement of cluster geocodes and geospatial covariates calculation), ensuring reliability for 2025 (28 February 2025)
• Perform review of feedback to and update the QGIS plugin for 2026 (30 June 2026)

Task 6: GIS Emergency Support

• Prepare 2 progress reports detailing GIS-related emergency support provided to two countries, addressing urgent spatial analytical or operational requirements in 2025 (28 February 2025)
• Prepare 2 progress reports detailing GIS-related emergency support provided to one country, addressing urgent spatial analytical or operational requirements in 2026 (30 June 2026)

Task 7: Capacity Building in MICS GIS       

• Develop 2 sets of comprehensive GIS capacity-building materials, including presentations, sample data, manuals, and training resources, specifically to address template training for individual surveys – one set of materials for advocative and planning efforts and a second for the data finalisation and analysis phase (10 June 2025)
• Deliver 2 MICS GIS capacity-building trainings for two surveys to UNICEF Country Offices and National Statistical Offices in 2025 (5 February 2026)
• Deliver 2 MICS GIS capacity-building trainings for two surveys to UNICEF Country Offices and National Statistical Offices in 2026 (30 June 2026)

Task 8: Ad-Hoc GIS Analytical Support      

• Prepare 2 progress reports detailing ad-hoc GIS analytical support to address specific requests and unique challenges provided to 10 MICS implementing countries in 2025 (22 November 2025)
•  Prepare 1 progress report detailing GIS-related work, such as the generation of thematic maps and other analytical outputs in 2026 (30 June 2026)

Task 9: MICS Programme Website Support 

• Prepare a set of comprehensive survey-based datasets for 16 surveys for harmonisation with the integration of NADA into the MICS Programme website (handled by the Data Advocacy and Communication Unit, Data & Analytics Section), i.e., match dataset variables with website NADA categories (28 February 2025)
• Review and process at least 100 per month GPS data requests submitted online through the MICS Programme website (handled by the Data Advocacy and Communication Unit, Data & Analytics Section) (30 June 2026)

 

Qualifications

Education: 

Advanced university degree (Bachelors) in Geography or Social Sciences with significant GIS-related coursework and significant measurement or analysis components.

 

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

• A minimum of two (2) years of experience with geospatial work in household surveys is required. Experience with MICS data in this aspect is preferred.
• Expert skills in QGIS and ArcGIS is a requirement.
• Experience with SPSS is highly desirable.
• Experience with the MICS CSPro data collection platform through fieldwork assignments (Supervisor or Interviewer) during the 6th or 7th round of MICS is preferred.
• Knowledge of the Global MICS Programme is desirable.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office is necessary.
• Fluency in English is a requirement. Knowledge of other official United Nations. languages, in particular Arabic, French, Russian or Spanish is an advantage.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships with national partners.

 

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.