Consultant to support the National Statistics Committee of Kazakhstan in strengthening and improving child statistics data, particularly on number of total births

The UNICEF Country Office in Kazakhstan is looking for a Consultant to support the National Statistics Committee in strengthening and improving child statistics data, particularly on number of total births

Consultant to support the National Statistics Committee of Kazakhstan in strengthening and improving child statistics data, particularly on number of total births

Type of contract: Consultant contract
Hiring unit: Kazakhstan Country Office
Workplace: remote-based
Timeframe: 3 months

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 fair chance

Background

UNICEF is committed to continue its support to the Government of Kazakhstan in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The overall goal of the country partnership between the Government of Kazakhstan and UNICEF is to support the efforts of Kazakhstan to further advance its progress towards the sustained realization of children’s rights, with particular attention to the rights of the most vulnerable children and their families.
UNICEF is committed to supporting member states to develop, collect, analyse and report on SDG indicators related to children and consulting with national authorities on data and estimates used for the purposes of global reporting. In addition to the 17 global SDG indicators for which UNICEF is custodian or co-custodian, UNICEF supports the collection and reporting of a wide range of other child-related indicators relevant for monitoring progress at national, regional and global levels. One of aspirations for Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 is the achievement by the countries of 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration.
With the aim to improve data quality and precision for indicators on child birth, stillbirth and neonatal (during the first complete 28 days of life) death registration and their causes, other child-related indicators as proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel, under-5 mortality rate, deaths from injuries, intentional homicide, etc., it is essential to improve coordination between several state entities involved in this data collection; identify the existing national gaps; improve disaggregation of data across eight critical parameters for greater emphasis on Leaving No One Behind principle (LNOB): income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location, in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (2016).
Several state entities in Kazakhstan are involved in these critical activities contributing to formation of the national civil registration and vital statistics systems, the organized data flows, data management, reconciliation and reporting. The main government stakeholders and data collection partners in this vital process are: a) National Committee of Statistics, Department on Demographic and Social Statistics; b) National Committee of Statistics, Department of Register and Classification Statistics, c) Ministry of Health; d) Ministry of Justice, e) Ministry of Internal Affairs, and f) Civil Registrar’s Offices in the country. Due to complex and manifold nature of the nation-wide statistics, processes and procedures defining the data collection in the society, some differences and discrepancies between data derived from various administrative sources, exist. As often is the case in the many nations, even in the developed countries, the data reported on child births and deaths have some differences in numbers when reported by various entities, for instance by Ministry of Health, Civil Registrar’s Offices or by National Committee of Statistics.

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How can you make a difference?

The consultancy is to technically support the National Statistics Committee in strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics systems related to children and improving the quality of data on child birth and death registration, in compliance for nationalization of child-related SDG indicators; the consultant will cooperate with the authority on a regular basis.

Purpose of the Assignment

With the aim to diagnose the existing inequalities and discrepancies in data on number of total births, stillbirths, neonatal deaths and their causes, other child related vital statistics in Kazakhstan, and propose solutions, the international consultancy will be engaged to support the national processes to improve child births, deaths, causes-of-deaths data recording and reporting, and carry out the rapid assessment of national civil registration and vital statistics systems.
This rapid assessment should cover the main components of CRVS systems: legal basis for civil registration and vital statistics; registration practices, coverage and completeness; child death certification and cause of death; registration infrastructure and resources; coding child mortality data in accordance with ICD - X; organization and functioning of the child-related vital statistics; data quality checks, access and use; etc.; strategic options and road map for improvement.
As the next step upon needs investigated, a standards-based comprehensive assessment of CRVS for improving the quality and use of birth, death and cause-of-death information can be identified and planned by the stakeholders involved for improving the country practices.
The consultancy will be supported by the expert group representing each state body involved in the process of data collection on this indicator on national number of births, stillbirths, neonatal mortality rates within a given timeframe. 

The Consultant will:
• Work in close collaboration with the experts, identified by each respective organization responsible for provision of data on number of total births: Ministry of Health (MoH), National Committee of Statistics (NCS) and its two above mentioned Departments, Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Akimats, and other partners;
• Provide a diagnostic on how the processes and procedures for recording and calculating the numbers of child vital events as births and deaths, diseases, and causes of deaths are organized within the state entities involved: MoH, MoJ, Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Committee of Statistics and Civil Registry Offices;
• Review the data reporting at the data entry levels for international comparability, quality standards and requirements for disaggregation across eight critical parameters for greater emphasis on Leaving No Behind principle (LNOB) and SDG reporting: income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location, in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (2016);
• Provide the national CRVS systems assessment and recommendations on how to improve data reporting processes and procedures between the state entities involved with the aim to strengthen the child vital statistics, and recording the number of child birth and deaths, their proper certification and registration, based on the review of data collection templates, in paper and electronic systems;
• Develop the recommendations and the detailed action plan (the road map), with the cost estimate if needed, for supporting the data reporting on the indicators on child vital national statistics, numbers of births, deaths and causes of deaths;
• Based on the research and assessment conducted, propose methodological and public materials on the processes and procedures on how child vital statistics and registration systems are organized in the state at the community, district, regional and national levels;
• With the aim to promote and make visible the work of the national counterparts, propose and participate in disseminating the developed educational and public materials related to vital child statistics in printed and electronic formats, including video materials, via partner’s website, forums, presentations and other knowledge sharing platforms;
• Review the section of the Department of Social and Demographic Statistics on the web site of the National Statistics Committee with information and data devoted to children and propose improvements to its content, as installing the developed modules for automated update of the child-related vital statistics, tables and infographics on child birth, deaths, etc.

To achieve the objective of the assignment, the incumbent should be able to perform the following tasks and activities:
• Get familiarized with the necessary documents, procedures and processes existing in the state entities, review paper-based forms and electronic systems;
• Review and provide suggestions in terms of compliance for data reporting of child-related SDG indicators, and data disaggregation across eight parameters LNOB ( principle “Leave No One Behind”);
• Conduct consultations with the National Statistics Committee and other relevant national and international partners;
• Work in close collaboration with the experts proposed by each entity for data quality review, reconciliation and improvement of child vital statistics;
• Propose recommendations, the processes, procedures and tools to strengthen data reporting on child vital statistics;
• Develop and propose and the detailed action plan or the road map for strengthening the national CRVS systems, timeline and costs’ estimates, if needed;
• Provide support for user-friendly visualization and presentation of data and deliverables;
• Provide support for developing methodological and public materials for the broader national audiences to promote SDG nationalization and localization for child-related data, as well as information on child vital processes and statistics, for improving child rights monitoring and child wellbeing in KZ;
• Upon additional request, provide recommendations for enriching and improving the content of the section of the Department of Social and Demographic Statistics on the web site of the National Statistics Committee with information and data related to child births and deaths, the department’s press releases, and other relevant presentation of child vital statistical data to the public.

In support of this work, the expert reference group may be convened upon the needs. The SDG Indicators’ Working Group under the NSC, SDG Department, may support this work, if the consent is achieved.

Performance indicators for evaluation of results:
The evaluation of the results will be based on the
• Quality of work (i.e. work is acceptable by UNICEF and the National Statistics Committee);
• Timeliness of work (delivered according to schedule below).
• Responsibility.
• Communication.

The consultant is expected to perform tasks and provide deliverables shown below.

1. Tasks/Milestones: Provide a report with a diagnostic on how the processes and procedures for recording and calculating the numbers of child vital statistics (births, deaths and their causes) within a specific time frame are organized within the state entities: MoH, MoJ, MIA, Committee of Statistics and Civil Registry Offices. 
Deliverables/Outputs: Initial rapid assessment report with the specificities of the national CRVS system. The document should include the description across the main components of CRVS system, main barriers, problems at the national, regional and local levels, the actors and stakeholders involved and their roles, legal framework, etc. It may include documents developed in Word, Excel, Power Point, etc. 
Timeframe: 15 September 2020
*50% payment can be made upon completion of these deliverables, and the remaining 50% after the final report completion.

2. Tasks/Milestones:
- Provide recommendations to the process on how to achieve the combined and consolidated data reporting between all state entities involved with the aim to strengthen the child vital statistics, and recording the number of child births and deaths, and their causes, with disaggregation across eight critical parameters for greater emphasis on Leaving No Behind principle (LNOB) and SDG reporting for the same or associated data: income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location.
- Provide the detailed action plan, or the road map for improvement, with the cost estimate if needed, for supporting the data reporting on the child vital statistics. 
Deliverables/Outputs: Report with recommendations and the detailed action plan, or the road map for improvement and strengthen existing systems to meet the required standards of performance across the main components of the national CRVS system:
-strengthening legal basis for civil registration and vital statistics; - improving registration practices, coverage and completeness; - improving the quality of child death certification and cause of death; - improving registration infrastructure and mobilizing resources; - correct coding of child mortality data; - ensuring better organization and functioning of the child-related vital statistics; - ensuring better coordination and integration between the entities; - strengthening digitalization and automated processes for the CRVS system; - etc. 
Timeframe: 15 November 2020

3. Tasks/Milestones:
- Provide methodological and public materials on the processes and procedures on how child vital statistics is organized in the state at the community, district, regional and national levels, for publication and dissemination to the broader audience in paper and electronic formats.
- Propose and participate in disseminating the developed educational and public materials related to child statistics in printed and electronic formats, which may include video materials, via partner’s website, forums, presentations and other knowledge sharing platforms. 
Deliverables/Outputs: Final report describing the achieved progress of deliverables 
Timeframe: 15 November 2020

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

• Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Public Health, Demography, Statistics or other related technical field with significant measurement or analysis component is required• Excellent knowledge of and expertise in statistical analysis
• Documented experience in conducting assessment, research, data analytics or related work in CRVS programmes (at least 5 years)
• Progressive work experience in data / SDG statistics analysis, preferably in the Europe and Central Asia region (at least 5 years) is an asset
• Documented experience in analyzing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative information from different sources
• Strong communication skills
• Experience in preparation of reports, analytical references
• Fluency in English; Knowledge of Russian is desirable.
• Work experience in similar assignments in Kazakhstan is desirable
• Prior experience with UNICEF or the United Nations is an asset
• Competencies:
- Communication;
- Working with people;
- Drive for results;
- Deciding and initiating action;
- Analyzing;
- Learning and researching;
- Formulating strategies and concepts;
- Technical competencies:
1) conducting assessment, research, data analytics or related work in CRVS programmes;
2) analyzing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative information from different sources;
2) administrative data collection systems.

For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture)

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

Remarks:
• Completion of the UN/UNICEF mandatory trainings is obligatory upon commencement of the consultancy.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• 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.
• 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.
• All deliverables will be reviewed by UNICEF and relevant partners.
• All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.
• UNICEF reserves the right to use interim project products (all type ones) in other project sites.
• The Consultant will perform his/her duties in line with UNICEF standards and procedures.
• The successful candidate will be required to have medical insurance (at his/her own cost), covering the whole period of contract, including travel.
• Deadlines may shift and the exact schedule of activities, being agreed with the consultant.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.
• UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, does not meet the quality standards of both UNICEF and Government of Kazakhstan, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission: 20 days - 10%; 1 month-20%; 2 months-50%; more 2 months – payment withhold).