Consultancy: Review of Administrative Data on Justice for Children, D & A Section, DRP - NYHQ, Requisition #512432

The Data and Analytics section is seeking a consultant to undertake a desk review and produce in-depth case studies on issues pertaining to administrative data on justice for children (including children’s involvement in the justice system as victims, offenders and witnesses). The consultant will also develop guidance and strategies for engaging with countries to support them with strengthening and improving administrative data on justice for children. This work will contribute to a larger project that includes in-depth reviews and assessments of administrative sources of data in other areas of child protection.

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Background & Rationale

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest among governments and international development partners in exploring ways to better utilize existing administrative data for monitoring and reporting. Making use of administrative data offers an important and effective complement to large-scale data collection efforts such as household surveys. Administrative data in many, but not all, countries are typically collected on a routine basis and are continuously updated. Such data can also be useful in exploring historical trends and often capture hard to reach populations that may not be accessible via traditional survey methods. Administrative data will also help to inform general programme planning as it will demonstrate utilization of systems (in particular, justice and social welfare). Utilizing administrative data has the advantage of relieving respondent burden since the data are collected as part of routine administrative processes. However, there also are some important limitations with regards to administrative data. Administrative data typically reflect incidence (i.e., the number of cases in a given time period) and it is therefore difficult to calculate prevalence as denominators need to be estimated. Other challenges are differences in national or sub-national definitions and inconsistencies with international definitions, a lack of comparability across sources and/or countries given that there can be significant differences in definitions, coverage, samples and data collection methodologies, and potential duplication in recording of cases due to parallel monitoring systems. The likelihood of underreporting (particularly for some administrative sources such as police records) or over-reporting due to multiple service delivery points, high levels of missing or incomplete data, and inconsistent and/or limited data quality assurance processes are additional constraints. 

Despite these challenges, in some areas of child protection where international standards and guidelines and solid data collection methodologies and tools are still lacking, administrative records might be the only (or best) source of data. Strengthening such records is therefore an important and useful investment. Additionally, administrative records can be a good source of data in those countries with well-developed and functional administrative systems; such is often the case in upper middle income and high-income countries. In addition, by working more systematically with administrative data, the limitations that are specific to each country can be identified. This, in turn, can be used to inform efforts towards systems strengthening.

 Purpose

The Data and Analytics section is seeking a consultant to undertake a desk review and produce in-depth case studies on issues pertaining to administrative data on justice for children (including children’s involvement in the justice system as victims, offenders and witnesses). The consultant will also develop guidance and strategies for engaging with countries to support them with strengthening and improving administrative data on justice for children. This work will contribute to a larger project that includes in-depth reviews and assessments of administrative sources of data in other areas of child protection.

The countries for the in-depth case studies will be identified in consultation with UNICEF headquarters (HQ) as well as UNICEF Regional and Country offices. One country will be selected from each of the following regions: Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. Two more countries will be high-income ones. As part of development of the case studies, the consultant will undertake a five-day mission (excluding travel time) to each of the selected countries.  

Expected results

The consultant is expected to develop and prepare, in consultation with UNICEF HQ and Regional Offices, an inception report that will need to include specified criteria for the selection of countries and outline the suggested sections of the written report. This inception report will be reviewed and approved by UNICEF HQ and Regional Offices before implementation.

The written report is expected to have three main components:

1. A desk review to outline and summarize some of the most salient issues related to compiling and using administrative data on justice for children (e.g., definitional issues, availability of comparable indicators etc.). This section should also include illustrative examples of similar investments or initiatives undertaken in other sectors (such as health and education) that have been supported by international agencies and successful at strengthening national administrative data systems. Finally, the desk review should summarize and describe the characteristics and qualities of an ideal and effective administrative data system on justice for children.
2. In-depth country case studies for a subset of 5 countries to summarize the available sources of official administrative data, actual data that can be extracted, available indicators, persistent challenges and opportunities in each country around administrative data on justice for children as well as any existing or planned approaches or initiatives to improve/strengthen data systems on justice for children. 
3. Guidance and concrete suggested strategies for UNICEF to undertake to engage with countries in support of systems strengthening and improving administrative data on justice for children. This section should outline possible scenarios of different national administrative systems and what would be needed at country level in each scenario in terms of capacity, processes, mechanisms/partnerships and resources (including financial) to support work to address a country’s data needs and build (or improve) the system.

A final list of deliverables will be defined in detail and mutually agreed between the consultant and supervisor once the inception report is finalized.

Duty Station : Remotely-based, the consultant can work from his/her own home office.

Travel : The consultant will be expected to undertake travel to the selected countries but the details of this will be determined at a later stage in consultation with the supervisor. Expenses related to the trips will be paid for by UNICEF according to its rules and regulations. 

Timeframe

Start date:  14 May 2018                 
End date:  25 February 2019

Copyright : UNICEF will retain all copyrights of any materials produced by the consultant under this contract.

Remuneration

Payments will be made upon the satisfactory and timely submission and approval of the deliverables and not actual number of days worked.

 Key competences, technical background, and experience required

• An advanced university degree in demography, statistics, public health, law or other social science field is required
• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in conducting international research is required preferably in the area of law, criminal justice, child protection or child welfare
• Familiarity with data from administrative systems is required and knowledge of child protection topics, specifically justice for children, is highly desirable
• Prior experience with conducting systematic reviews, particularly on topics related to child protection, is required
• Prior experience with conducting internet and database searches is required
• Proven experience in report writing and data compilation is required
• Excellent command of English is required. Proficiency in Spanish is an asset.
• Analytical, methodical and precise style of writing
• Demonstrated communication skills, both written and oral
• Previous experience working with UNICEF, other UN agencies or relevant national government ministries is highly desirable

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

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.  

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

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

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