Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist (MICS), P3, Suva, Fiji #106568

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is an international household survey programme developed and supported by UNICEF. MICS is designed to collect data on key indicators that are used to assess the situation of children and women. UNICEF Pacific is recruiting a M&E Specialist (MICS) to support and provide guidance to UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office and the NSO’s in the respective countries for the preparation, implementation and completion of the MICS’s in Pacific.

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For every child, results

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is an international household survey programme developed and supported by UNICEF. MICS is designed to collect data on key indicators that are used to assess the situation of children and women. Over the past 20 years, 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 sixth round, and becoming 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 MDG monitoring as a major source of data for the UN Secretary General’s Final Millennium Development Goals Report.

Since the inception of MICS in the 1990s, over 300 surveys have been carried out in more than 100 countries. As part of the global effort to further develop national capacities to generate and analyses high quality and disaggregated data, UNICEF launched the sixth round of MICS in October 2016. This new round is in accordance with the list of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in 2016, following the global adoption of the 17 SDGs and 169 targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The final SDG indicator framework currently includes 230 global indicators, of which around 30 per cent are household survey-based. Today, MICS, covering almost half of the SDG indicators that are household survey-based, is well positioned to play a central role in this new Agenda alongside other key demographic, health and socio-economic surveys and to complement data from administrative sources and censuses. The MICS questionnaires have undergone rigorous methodological and validation work to broaden the scope of the tools and include new topics that reflect SDG indicators and emerging issues in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development context, including: rapid water quality testing, social transfers, foundational learning skills (children age 7-14), child and adult functioning, migration status, use of clean fuels and technology, and victimization.

As governments develop national frameworks to monitor progress towards the SDGs and establish baselines, strategic planning and investments will be required to collect robust, more frequent, and timely data. This round of MICS presents a unique opportunity to support this process.

The UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office in Fiji will be supporting several MICS, during the coming months/years. To support countries in the Pacific region to provide estimates for the SDG and Pacific Sustainable Roadmap Indicators that can be generated using MICS tools/approach.  During the 2018-2022 Pacific Multi-Country Programme cycle, UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office will be supporting 4-6 MICS as part of the 6th round of the survey programme during 2018-20. To ensure that the implementation of the MICS runs smoothly, specific deadlines are met and that the National Statistics Offices (NSOs) receives the technical assistance necessary to produce statistically sound and reliable data, the UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office will hire a full-time to oversee the MICS process, who will be based at UNICEF Multi-Country Office, Suva, Fiji.

The MICS’s will be implemented using CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) in which the interviewer uses a tablet to record data. CAPI data collection can reduce the time needed to collect and process survey data, facilitate real time monitoring, improve the quality of the data and reduce survey costs

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist and close coordination and guidance from the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the M&E Specialist (MICS) will support and provide guidance to UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office and the NSO’s in the respective countries for the preparation, implementation and completion of the MICS’s in Pacific. The M&E Specialist (MICS) will advise the NSO, especially the Survey Coordinator and sampling and data processing experts, during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, dissemination and archiving, ensuring that MICS protocols and recommendations are being followed at all times. The M&E Specialist (MICS) will communicate effectively between the UNICEF Pacific-Multi Country Office, NSO’s, and Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)[1], responding promptly to MICS related needs and issues as they arise.

The M&E Specialist (MICS) will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the work of other resource persons hired by UNICEF to provide technical assistance to the MICS process. He will work in close collaboration with the survey team, the stakeholders, and Steering and Technical Committees and will represent UNICEF in meetings and workshops in relation to the survey as needed. The M&E Specialist (MICS) will also work in close collaboration with the Regional MICS Coordinator, UNICEF EAPRO, Bangkok and the Global MICS Team in UNICEF HQ.

Main Tasks Related to the Job

1. Provide technical and managerial support to the MICS’s in Pacific Countries;
2. Present the MICS methodology, tools, and guidelines to partners/stakeholders (e.g. ministries, UN Agencies, etc.);
3. Finalize, in collaboration with national and regional partners and UNICEF Multi-CO, the Survey Plan and Budget, including timetable and share with UNICEF Regional Office (RO);
4. Ensure that the Ethical Protocol and other ethical recommendations are addressed in the survey implementation process and that all MICS related documents are shared with the national Ethical Committee on time for approval;
5. Oversee each stage of the survey process and ensure that the MICS protocols and standards are followed by the NSO’s, more specifically during training and field supervision visits;
6. Communicate regularly with the UNICEF Multi-CO, RO and/or Headquarters (HQ) responding to all MICS related issues in a timely manner;
7. Provide monthly updates on MICS activities to the UNICEF Pacific Multi-CO/RO/HQ;
8. Coordinate the work of NSO specialists and UNICEF Regional Consultants and other resource persons assigned by the UNICEF Pacific Multi-CO and/or RO to support different survey stages;
9. Ensure that external technical reviews by experts (i.e. Regional Sampling Consultant, Data Processing Consultant/Expert, and Regional Household Survey Consultant) are carried out at key survey stages and coordinate the feedback and response between the Multi-CO/RO/HQ and NSO;
10. Ensure that all survey related documents and deliverables are properly archived throughout the survey process (for example: Memorandum of Understanding, Survey Plan and Budget, questionnaires, manuals, sample design, training/pre-test reports, expert reports, CAPI application, output and tabulation plan tables, syntaxes, datasets, Survey Findings Report (and Final Report), dissemination materials etc.);
11. Participate in all MICS Steering and Technical Committee meetings;
12. Participate in, and contribute to, MICS Regional Workshops;
13. Ensure that lessons learned, problems, and good practices are documented throughout the MICS process and rapidly shared with the MICS community (other MICS implementing countries, RO, and HQ) through all means available.

Specific Activities

In consultation and collaboration with the UNICEF Pacific Multi-CO, NSO’s, SPC, and other UN agencies, the M&E Specialist (MICS) will be responsible for ensuring the following activities have been undertaken following the MICS guidelines and will contribute to the coordination and implementation of these activities for all planned MICS surveys

1.       Survey Planning:

• A Steering Committee is established and composed of all relevant national and international stakeholders, including National Ethical Committee;
• At least one Technical Committee comprised of all relevant technical experts is established;
• The Survey Plan and Budget, including timetable is finalized and shared with all stakeholders;
• A Memorandum of Understanding between UNICEF and NSO is signed before funds are spent on survey activities;
• Survey supplies are procured and distributed in time for training and data collection;

• Sample design:

  • The UNICEF Regional Sampling Consultant is provided with necessary information and visits are well managed and coordinated within survey plans;
  • Sample design is finalized by the sampling expert of NSO with the guidance and review of the UNICEF Regional Sampling Consultant;
  • Listing and Mapping materials and operations are reviewed by the UNICEF Regional Sampling Consultant and carried out on the field per MICS recommendations;
  • Sample design is reviewed by the UNICEF RO and/or HQ before finalization.
  • The final selection of households is reviewed.
  • The weights are reviewed.

• MICS questionnaires:

  • Appropriate UNICEF programme staff and the Technical Committee are involved in reviewing the customization of relevant sections of the MICS questionnaire;
  • Selected Modules address country data gaps and address SDG data needs;
  • Questionnaires undergo translation and back translation process;
  • Questionnaires and manuals undergo an ethical review;
  • Questionnaires are pre-tested and a pre-test report is produced;
  • Questionnaires are reviewed by the UNICEF RO and HQ before finalizations.

• Manuals:

  • MICS Household Listing and Mapping, Supervisor, Measurer, and Interviewer Manuals are customized for the country specific context and translated.

• CAPI application template:

  • CAPI application template is customized by the data processing expert of the NSO with the guidance of the UNICEF Data Processing Consultant;
  • CAPI application template is reviewed by the UNICEF RO and/or HQ before finalization;
  • Secondary editing guidelines and Field Check Table syntax are customized by the data processing expert of the NSO with the guidance of the UNICEF Data Processing Consultant.

2.       Listing and Mapping, Training and Fieldwork, and Data Processing:

• Listing and mapping is planned and performed per MICS guidelines;
• Training schedules are adequately adapted to the county context while following MICS guidelines;
• Appropriate resource persons are identified to facilitate training (i.e. nutritionists for anthropometry training, survey experts for methodology, etc.);
• Contribute to the fieldwork training;
• Fieldwork and fieldwork monitoring visits are planned and performed according to MICS guidelines;
• Field Check Tables are produced on a weekly basis, immediately analyzed by survey managers, and main findings reported to field supervisors for action. Field Check Tables are immediately shared with UNICEF RO;
• Participation of UNICEF CO staff is organized to assist in monitoring data collection;
• UNICEF Data Processing Consultant is timely provided with necessary information and country visits are well managed and coordinated;
• Hardware is made available for the CAPI application (data collection and central office menu components), and software is properly installed and a working, data transfer system and data backup system is established;
• Monitor data processing and secondary data editing.

3.       Data Analysis and Report Writing:

• Sampling Weights are included in the datasets and reviewed by the sampling expert of the NSO with the guidance and review of the UNICEF Regional Sampling Consultant;
• MICS tabulation plan and standard syntax are customized and used in generating SPSS dataset and tables.
• Dataset/Tables including the wealth index are substantively reviewed by technical (e.g. sampling expert) and subject matter experts at the NSO, as well as by UNICEF RO and HQ MICS Team before the report writing commences;
• Coordinate and contribute substantively to the elaboration of the Survey Findings Report (and eventually to the Final Report), using the MICS template and according to MICS standards to ensure a timely release;
• Ensure that the Survey Findings Reports (and Final Report) undergoes the technical review process by RO and HQ;
• Coordinate the printing and distribution of the Survey Findings Report (and Final Report);
• Organize and facilitate the presentation of the Survey Findings Report (and Final Report) through a national seminar;
• Provide technical expertise and advice for wide dissemination of the Survey Findings Report (and Final Report) and main results;
• Ensure that the MICS archive with all final survey documents and materials (MOU, CSP, questionnaires, manuals, sample design, field reports, CAPI application, syntaxes, database, tables, survey findings report (and final report), dissemination materials, etc.) is being produced by the NSO.

4.       Attend to all MICS Regional and/or National Workshops

Deliverables

1. Finalization of survey questionnaires
2. Monthly Progress Report of activities, describing activities undertaken during the month and highlighting problems met and solutions put in place to mitigate them;
3. Field trip reports;
4. Regional workshop trip reports;
5. Presentations and training materials used in trainings, workshops, and other meetings.
6. Preliminary survey finding reports (and final reports) reviewed submitted for global review;
7.  Final survey finding reports (and final reports) after global review and validation by partners.
8.  Final MICS survey archives

• Education:

  University degree in, Demography, Statistics, Social Sciences, Epidemiology or any other related technical field is required.

  Skills and Experience:

• Proven minimum of 5-year experience in the coordination and/or management of quantitative household surveys (prior MICS or Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)requested;
• Strong computer skills and strong expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, particularly SPSS);
• Experience with CAPI data collection;
• Training experience and ability to organize and facilitate training and presentations;
• Experience in data analysis and survey report writing.

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

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent oral and written communications in English is required and French (preferred);
• Familiarity and previous experience of working in Pacific countries and/or in the region 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 and to attend regional workshops.

Remarks:

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