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National Consultancy on Child Deprivation analysis

Baku

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Baku
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Monitoring and Evaluation
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
  • Closing Date: Closed

The national consultant(s) or institution will support efforts to: • analyse findings of both Child deprivation Surveys from 2015 and 2017 to measure household and child deprivation and risk of poverty; • provide a comprehensive comparison analysis of the identified patterns/ tendencies across both surveys; • assess to what extent the currently used methodological approaches/tools (sampling, questionnaires, calculation, etc.) to estimate the relevance of the methodology of measuring child deprivation/poverty in the country; • provide recommendations on improvement of data collection and measurement strategy of child deprivation and poverty to be able to respond to national priorities and SDG monitoring and reporting needs; • present practical recommendations on improvement of policies and programs for children. An indirect objective is to support and strengthen national capacities to establish a poverty measurement system compliant with international standards and SDG requirements for monitoring progress. The results of the study will also allow to obtain insights on what constitutes good economic/social policy for children. More broadly, these results will be used to justify the importance, and guide the process of developing child-centred budgets and policies.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

Background

Child poverty is a crucial indicator of child well-being, which directly affects their mental and physical development and their future capabilities in adult life.  The importance of accurate data on country’s profiling is growing under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets. Ensuring that child poverty is taken up by Governments and becomes part of national poverty reduction plans means encouraging best practice in the measurement of child poverty across monetary and non-monetary factors.

Child poverty exists in a variety of forms, but has a focus on a lack of material adequacy at its heart. This means that child poverty is multi-dimensional and that material deprivation and monetary poverty are key elements alongside an appreciation of the links to psychosocial wellbeing, social participation and other non-material outcomes.

State Statistical Committee (SSC) of Azerbaijan Republic is the main provider of the official statistical data, including data on poverty statistics. The SSC is responsible for construction and annually updating of poverty line, and basic indicators of poverty profile.  For this purpose, SSC collects and analyses on regular basis data of Household Budget Survey, which is main source of information for estimation of poverty in the country.

As additional part of measuring of poverty level in the country, the SSC carried out the 1st and the 2nd rounds of Child Deprivation Module survey in 2015 and 2017 years, respectively. Deprivation study in 2015 collected data on income and living conditions from 5920 households, while the study in 2017 got more extensive coverage of 6120 households.  Among selected households in 2017, about 4900 out of 6120 have children under 18. EU Statistics on Income and Living conditions (EU-SILC) methodology (material deprivation by dimension) was used in both studies as applied methodological approach.

According to EU SILC material deprivation is defined as circumstances denying households’ access to certain material goods. These circumstances are lack of money, unsatisfactory housing conditions and enforced refusal from use of durables. Data are collected additionally to monetary poverty and income inequality indicators, with an aim to estimate poverty and social exclusion more comprehensively. Material deprivation indicators are available at household level and individual level.

The SSC, with the technical assistance from UNICEF and experts of the State Statistical Committee of Ukraine, had developed the research tools for this study including manual, questionnaires and analysis syntax files in 2014 year. The results of both surveys require thorough analysis to update country’ profiling on deprivation and, most specifically, on child deprivation and risk of poverty.

 Though the State Statistics Committee has significant expertise in statistical analysis, the subject of child deprivation is very specific and requires knowledge on child rights and age appropriate needs of children to conduct comprehensive comparative analysis of data from 2015 and 2017, which will conclude with practical recommendations.

How can you make a difference?

The national consultant(s) or institution will support efforts to:

  • analyse findings of both Child deprivation Surveys from 2015 and 2017 to measure household and child deprivation and risk of poverty;
  • provide a comprehensive comparison analysis of the identified patterns/ tendencies across both surveys;
  • assess to what extent the currently used methodological approaches/tools (sampling, questionnaires, calculation, etc.) to estimate the relevance of the methodology of measuring child deprivation/poverty in the country;
  • provide recommendations on improvement of data collection and measurement strategy of child deprivation and poverty to be able to respond to national priorities and SDG monitoring and reporting needs;
  • present practical recommendations on improvement of policies and programs for children.

An indirect objective is to support and strengthen national capacities to establish a poverty measurement system compliant with international standards and SDG requirements for monitoring progress.

The results of the study will also allow to obtain insights on what constitutes good economic/social policy for children. More broadly, these results will be used to justify the importance, and guide the process of developing child-centred budgets and policies.

Key assignments and tasks 

To meet the consultancy’s objectives, the consultant or institution will undertake the following:

 I. Conduct a desk review of current methodology for child deprivation measurement

The consultant or the institution will undertake a review of all available materials related to national approach to measure child deprivation, including study methodology, questionnaires, sampling techniques used, manuals, analysis approach, etc.  The SSC and UNICEF will provide necessary documentation and the literature.  

II. Support the SSC in data cleaning, validation and data weighting of data of both surveys

The consultant or institution should provide methodology on weighting the data of both 2015 and 2017 surveys on next levels ‘household, ‘personal’ and ‘child’.

 III. Analyse material deprivation rate

Material deprivation rate from both 2015 and 2017 surveys will be comparatively analysed based the situation of people who cannot afford a number of necessities considered essential to live a decent life in Azerbaijan. According to EU SILC methodology ‘deprived’ means lack of 3 items out of 9 items, ‘severely deprived’ is lack of 4 out of 9 and ‘extremely deprived’ is lack of 5 out of 9.

 IV. Analyse share of households and children affected by material deprivation

Material deprivation from both 2015 and 2017 surveys should be comparatively analysed in each of three dimensions, namely ‘economic strain’, ‘lack of durables’ and ‘housing conditions’ disaggregated by age, location and gender.

V. Calculate the work intensity of the household

The consultant or institution should calculate the work intensity for both surveys that refers to the number of months that all working age (18-64) household members have been working during the income reference year as a proportion of the total number of months that could theoretically be worked within the household;

VI. Calculate at-risk-of-poverty threshold

The consultant or institution should calculate at-risk-of-poverty threshold for both surveys by taking the XX percentage of the median value of the equivalised disposable income after social transfers.

VII. Analyse at-risk-of-poverty rate

Based on the at-risk-of-poverty threshold the consultant should analyze the share of population and children at-risk-of-poverty rate for both surveys and compare the results.

VIII. Estimate share of people at risk of poverty and social exclusions

The consultant or institution should estimate the share of people at risk of poverty and social exclusions that includes at-risk-of-poverty rate, severe material deprivation rate and rate of people living in households with low work intensity for both surveys and compare results.

IX. Run significance analysis of deprivations for children and total population

The consultant or institution should conduct significance analyses (correlation, t-test, regression, etc. where applicable) of total population with child populations in terms of deprivations in each dimensions (economic strain, durables, housing and poverty) and provide ‘significant difference at the advantage of children’, ‘significant difference at the disadvantage of children’ and ‘not significant difference between population and children’. The analysis should be done for both 2015 and 2017 year surveys and the results should be comparatively analysed.

 X.  Develop a report based on results of calculations and analysis

A draft report is envisaged to be discussed with the working group established by the main stakeholder that includes the State Statistical Committee and UNICEF Azerbaijan. The consultant or institution will need to review all comments/recommendations on the draft report and incorporate them into the final study report.

 XI. Present the findings and recommendations on a workshop

Upon the SSC and UNICEF Azerbaijan’s approval of the workshop concept prepared by the consultant or institution, the consultant or institution should facilitate a workshop on study’s results and recommendations for the staff of the SSC, UNICEF Azerbaijan and relevant stakeholders.

The workshop is expected to enable participants to become familiar with the survey’s findings and recommendations on how national system on measurement poverty, including child poverty, can be further strengthened, how the national policy and programs on children should be improved in order to better address deprivations of vulnerable children.

 Deliverables

Under the overall supervision of UNICEF Azerbaijan, and in continual consultation with the SSC’s designated staff, the consultant or institution will be accountable for the following measurable deliverables:

Description of Deliverables

Days required

Target Delivery Date

I. Desk review of current methodology for child deprivation measurement

5

 

II. Support provided to the SSC in data cleaning, validation and data weighting of data of both surveys

2

 

III. Analyse material deprivation rate

3

 

IV.  Develop a report based on results of calculations and analysis

25

 

V. Presentation of the findings and recommendations on a workshop

3

 

TOTAL DAYS

35

 

Duration and Expected Timeframe

The contract will cover the period of mid-December to end March with totally 35 working days in total. The selected consultant or institution should be available for the assignment by 20 December 2017.

To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…

  • Hold advanced degree in Social Sciences (preferably in Economics), Statistics, Finance, Public Policy or any other relevant field;
  • Have extensive work experience in production of studies for different international agencies, preferably UN system, in the field of social development and in application of social and economic policy advice;
  • Have good skills in statistical and policy analysis and detailed knowledge of statistical tools/methodologies applied in child poverty profiling and analysis;
  • Have excellent analytical and report writing skills. Proven experience in conducting high quality analysis and producing high quality reports in the areas of this Terms of Reference;
  • Fluency in English and Azerbaijani;
  • Effective communication, good consensus-building and inter-personal skills;
  • Familiarity with UNICEF’s mandate and goals is desirable.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

Application

Interested individuals or research institutions should submit:

1) Individual resume or resumes of key team members;

2) a  cover letter with emphasis on relevant experience;

3) 1-2 written examples for similar assignments in the past.

4) Financial proposal

Deadline:   15 December 2017, 5PM Baku time

 

 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

 

This vacancy is now closed.
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