Consultancy: Data Consultant, Islamabad, Pakistan, # 528435, 11.5 months

Join UNICEF for an exciting role as a Data Consultant. UNICEF in collaboration with other key partners are conducting various household surveys designed to collect estimates of key indicators that are used to assess the situation of children and women. UNICEF is presently providing technical and some financial support in conducting National Coordinated MICS (NCMICS), NNS and Child Labour Survey (CLS) to all provincial Governments and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) at the national-level. Currently, these surveys are at various stages of survey phases and each of the provincial Bureau of Statistics are implementing these surveys with technical and financial support from UNICEF.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a safe home

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves. 

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF in collaboration with other key partners are conducting various household surveys designed to collect estimates of key indicators that are used to assess the situation of children and women. UNICEF is presently providing technical and some financial support in conducting National Coordinated MICS (NCMICS), NNS and Child Labour Survey (CLS) to all provincial Governments and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) at the national-level. Currently, these surveys are at various stages of survey phases and each of the provincial Bureau of Statistics are implementing these surveys with technical and financial support from UNICEF.

The consultant is expected to oversee and manage the project management needs, including, fulfilling additional data demands received from different sections within the PCO and from the Government.

The Consultant will also support and assist providing technical and operational input during the entire implementation of Nationally-Coordinated Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (NCMICS) in Pakistan and other data evidence generation activities such as National Nutrition Survey (NNS) and CLS. The consultant will ensure an effective communication in responding promptly to Data related general needs and issues.

To make a difference, you will be accountable for the following tasks and deliverables:

• Support overall project management design and implementation around household surveys including MICS: 

• Developing a project management, risk management, quality control and stakeholder management plans; Monitoring the survey plan implementation and providing timely support to keep the survey on track;
• Providing ‘hands on’ support when required to the overall survey project implementation;
• Reviewing and updating Survey documents (including Survey plan, questionnaires, tabulation plan etc.);
• Closely monitoring data’s behaviour/pattern by ensuring the review of field check tables and other data quality products for survey progress and data quality monitoring to ensure smooth functioning of the field work. Extensively support the development phase of data quality products for all the surveys carried out by UNICEF Pakistan;
• Providing comments and feedback based on field monitoring and data quality assessment products at the time of data collection and processing on weekly-basis to ensure highest data quality;
• Provide support and ensuring the preparation of presentations developed by the Data Officer and for de-briefing sessions/meetings;
• Review findings on data analysis and provide support and ensure preparation of presentation for different stakeholders;
• Critically reviewing the survey reports. These reports can be at provincial level or country level;
• Maintaining close coordination with the field team, UNICEF field and central office;
• Liaising and coordinating with FOs and provincial and National Statistics Bureaus to arrange regular progress review/consultative meetings;
• Initiate communication on various operational issues of the surveys and provide input and backstopping to UNICEF provincial offices;
• Support in preparation of district profile based on the existing products available within UNICEF and other UN agencies;
• Provide support and input on provincial atlas;
• Implementing any other task related to surveys, and general data activities assigned by the Chief of the Social Policy Section.

Deliverables: Consolidate various survey plans and develop a single timeline identifying the major activities and timelines:

• Support in development of survey plans for upcoming surveys and provide review on technical aspects of the household surveys;
• Monthly report on review carried out on survey documents;
• Tabulation plans for all UNICEF household surveys are reviewed and input is provided for all provincial MICSs and NCMICS;
• Output tables for all surveys including NMICS and provincial MICSs are reviewed and input is shared with relevant stakeholders/colleagues;
• Update survey plans on regular basis and provide feedback reports on data quality assessments for various surveys;
• Review/feedback report on survey draft reports and Field visit reports;
• Customized data quality products on need basis including graphs, tables, summary and descriptive statistics;
• Presentations in power points on survey findings made;
• Survey monitoring debriefing sessions for each province on data quality assessment products held weekly;
• A monitoring plan developed for data pattern and take remedial actions ensuring quality assurance compliances of survey protocols are reviewed, delivered and reported. This shall also involve providing day to day monitoring oversight to the process under the responsibility of the Data Officer;
• A dissemination plan for each of the MICS related surveys: NMICS, Sindh, KP and Baluchistan;
• Develop and agree with relevant stakeholder’s three provincial survey launch plans and one NMICS launch plan;
• National district profiles are produced and approved by the Social Policy Chief;
• Deliver any other data product assigned by the Chief of Social Policy and with or without the support from the Data Team.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have... 

• Master’s degree in statistics, economics, public health, nutrition, public policy, social sciences, education, demography, or related field. PhD a distinctive advantage.
• At least eight (8) years of relevant work experience in university, research organization, consulting firm, or related;
• Extensive experience with quantitative/statistical and analytical data, including ability to carry out statistical analyses autonomously; or qualitative data analytical skills. Applicants must clearly specify in the application if they have quantitative or qualitative skills (or both when applicable);
• Demonstrated experience conducting national surveys and analysing household and/or other survey data or qualitative data, preferably with a focus on children. Experience with big data will be an asset;
• Demonstrated experience in project management. Experience with ‘cascade’ and/or ‘Agile’ environments will be significant advantage.
• Prince II and/or Agile experience and/or current/valid certification will be an advantage;
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing;
• Proven experience in monitoring, research and field engagement with strong experience in household surveys.
• Basic/extensive knowledge of MICS, will be a distinctive advantage;
• Substantive knowledge in one or more of the following: statistics, economics, public health, nutrition, public policy, social sciences, education, demography, or related field;
• Excellent knowledge of SPSS and other statistical packages; and/or qualitative software such as MAXQDA, NVivo or similar. Experience and knowledge of STATA would be an advantage. Applicants must clearly specify in the application which software or package they excel at; 
• Knowledge of canopee, GIS/GPS and other data mapping/analysis technologies will be advantageous;

• Experience with field work and data collection, including with vulnerable groups and/or emergency situations is desirable;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Ability to speak and write fluently in English; good working knowledge of Urdu will be a distinctive asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

• UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. Functional competencies required: Persuading and Influencing, Planning and organizing, Relating and Networking. View our competency framework at: Here
• 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.
• 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

NOTE:

• Estimated Duration: 11.5 months, estimate starting date: January 2020
• Official Travel Involved: Consultant will be based in Islamabad.
• Applicants are requested to submit a financial quotation indicating monthly fee as part of the application against each deliverable.
• HEC Attested and verified degrees are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF. During the recruitment process candidates will be required to present attested and verified degrees.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.