UNICEF recruits 01 Consultancy Sampling Expert (Consultant Roster) PM&E UNICEF WCARO
UNICEF
Dakar, Sénégal
Humanitaire (ONG, Associations, …), Projet/programme de développement
Consultancy Sampling Expert (Consultant Roster) PM&E UNICEF WCARO Dakar, Senegal – Home based with travels (once borders are open)
Job Number: 531967 | Vacancy Link
Locations: Africa: Senegal
Work Type : Consultancy
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 Hope
UNICEF places a high priority on the availability of recent and reliable information with which to monitor the situation of children and women. Statistically sound and internationally comparable data are essential for developing evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as for monitoring countries’ progress toward national goals and global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals. UNICEF RO assists countries in collecting and analyzing data in order to fill data gaps for monitoring the situation of children and women through household large scale surveys (including not limited to MICS, DHS, VAC), smart surveys, KAP studies, etc. Those household survey initiatives enable countries to address needs of data in the areas of health, nutrition, education, child protection, water and sanitation and HIV and AIDS.
In WCA region, UNICEF often conducts surveys (SMART, VAC, etc.) and studies (KAP, etc.), sample based, whose final rigour and quality are greatly affected by a weak sample design. As part of its effort to improve the quality of sample-based surveys, UNICEF RO intends to create a roster of experienced sampling experts, consultants, to specifically provide colleagues and partners the required level of technical assistance on a timely basis and at the required critical stages (design, weighting result tables, defining the limits of the data generated – sampling error) of the survey.
How can you make a difference?
As part of UNICEF RO efforts to increase the quality of data collection to better monitor progress towards the SDGs and the KRCs, or as part of program related studies (baselines, sectoral surveys etc.), the WCA Regional office PM&E Section intends to create a roster of experienced Sampling Experts. He/ She will therefore be expected to provide high-level technical assistance to programme sections, at CO and RO levels, that conduct surveys and studies that are based on a sample of households or sample of people, in the following areas:
Sampling design
Sample weights and sampling errors calculation
Sampling related chapter of the survey final reports review
National capacity strengthening in sampling design for proper use to ensure the generation of quality and representative data.
The experts who will qualify to be part of the roster will then be recruited by country offices or regional office sections for large scale surveys (MICS), sample based surveys (baseline surveys, etc. ) and studies or research work that uses small scale surveys.
Scope of work
Under the overall supervision of the recruiting PME Specialist at regional or country level, etc… the Sampling expert, hired on a need basis, will be responsible for the sampling design elaboration, calculation of sample weights and sampling errors, strengthening the capacity of the national resource persons in the sampling area, in compliance with the required guidelines[1] and protocols.
So, he/she is expected to play a key role in support to partners (in-country as well as remotely), implementing large scale or baseline surveys, in the following areas of work:
Technical assistance to country offices or the regional office for sampling design related matters such as: a) Sample size calculation, b) Primary Sample Units (PSU) selection, c) PSU mapping update and Households listing, d) Households selection, e) Sampling plan elaboration
Calculation of sample weights
Data analysis with focus on the review of sample weights calculation
Calculation of sampling errors
Report writing with focus on sampling related components of final reports
Review of sampling related chapter of the survey final reports.
Capacity strengthening on the implementing partner resources persons in the survey sampling related area based on the strategy of learning by doing
[1] All guidelines are provided in the MICS6 manuals ton found in the MICS website : http://www.mics.unicef.org/
Deliverables and Schedules
To be defined by the recruiting office in line with the following options:
Usually, In the case of large-scale survey as MICS, specific key deliverables and duration (16 working days) are expected and figured out as in the below table
Technical Assistance Support Items
| Technical Assistance Support Items | Tasks & Deliverables | Duration |
| 1. DESIGN & PREPARATORY WORK | 1.1 Survey Design Workshop
1.2 Sample size calculation, 1.3 Primary Sample Units (PSU) selection 1.4 PSU mapping update and Households listing, 1.5 Households selection 1.6 Sample plan elaboration 1.7 Review sample design, selection, weight calculation template |
12 working days |
| 2. SECONDARY DATA PROCESSING & WEIGHTING | 2.1 Calculation of sample weights
2.2 Data analysis with focus on the review of sample weights calculation |
2 working days |
| 3. REPORTING | 3.1 Calculation of sampling errors
3.2 Report writing with focus on sampling related components 3.3 Review of sampling related chapter of the survey final reports. 3.4 Capacity strengthening of the implementing partner |
2 working days |
Study – Small-scale representative survey specific key deliverables and duration (9 working days)
| Technical Assistance Support Items | Tasks & Deliverables | Duration |
| 1. DESIGN & PREPARATORY WORK | 1.1 Sample size calculation,
1.2 Primary Sample Units (PSU) selection 1.3 PSU mapping update and Households listing 1.4 Households selection 1.5 Sample plan elaboration 1.6 Review sample design, selection, weight calculation template |
5 working days |
| 2. SECONDARY DATA PROCESSING & WEIGHTING | 2.1 Calculation of sample weights
2.2 Data analysis with focus on the review of sample weights calculation |
2 working days |
| 3. REPORTING | 3.1 Calculation of sampling errors
3.2 Report writing with focus on sampling related components 3.3 Review of sampling related chapter of the survey final reports. 3.4 Capacity strengthening of the implementing partner |
2 working days |
Timing
Start date: To be defined by the recruiting office in line with the following options
First option: Large-scale Survey (ex. MICS)
The total duration of the contract is 16 days over the period of 1st June 2020 to 31st May 2021.
The number of working days will be distributed (within calendar days) based on country needs and immediate availability for urgent work.
The consultant is expected to spend:
One third (1/3) of his consultancy time dedicated to in-country support at specific moments of the survey implementation process (sampling design).
Two third (2/3) of the technical support work will be done remotely.
second option: Small-scale Survey for study (ex. Baseline/mid-line/end-line study)
The total duration of the contract is usually 9 days (depending on the sample to be defined), over the period of 1st June 2020 to 31st December 2021.
The number of working days will be distributed (within calendar days) based on country needs and immediate availability for urgent work.
The consultant is expected to spend:
All of the working days (100%) of the technical support work will be done remotely.
But, when need by CO, depending on the human resource capacity in place, the consultant could dedicate some limited working days (one third) to in-country support, during the sampling design phase.
Reporting Requirements:
During his period of assignment, the sampling expert reports to his/her technical supervisor. Given the nature of sampling work UNICEF usually needs, it is expected that the Sampling Consultant will be providing, against sampling activities planned for the survey during the contract period, the following reports:
Country visit reports (including Training and or Presentation material if appropriate) for each country mission if required.
Progress report, bi-monthly focused on review with advice on: (i) sample weights calculation after the data collection is completed and before data is processed and analysed, (ii) sampling errors calculation, (iii) relevant chapters in survey or study reports.
Technical Report, at the end of the consultancy focused on following key outputs: (i) sampling plan, (ii) sample weights calculation ; (iii) sampling errors calculation, (iv) sampling chapter of final report, (v) lessons learned and technical recommendations for follow-up work.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Profile / Requirements
Education:
At least 8 years’ relevant working experience in designing samples for household surveys and studies.
Experience & technical background :
Expertise with the sampling methodology of household surveys like MICS or DHS (Demographic and Health Surveys) is a very strong asset.
Experience of working in developing countries.
Ability and willingness to travel to all countries across West and Central Africa.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Administrative issues:
The Regional Sampling Consultant recruitment conditions:
He will be recruited for a home-based consultancy with travels (once borders are open).
He will report directly to the recruiting manager/Specialist/Officer (PME Specialist, etc.)
Consultant will be required to sign the Health statement for consultants/Individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment
The contract may not commence unless signed by both UNICEF and the consultant
The Sampling Consultant must respect the confidentiality of the Baseline survey data as well as UNICEF ethics standards.
The consultant can use the documents and the datasets only for the tasks related to these terms of reference
The consultant will be in charge of paying his/her own travels and daily subsistence allowances (DSA) in advance. WCARO will reimburse money for this upon requested and presentation of invoices.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The functional competencies required for this post are…
View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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.
Due to COVID19, office physical presence and travel restriction might be in place at the duty station. In this regard, it is expected that the selected incumbent will have the resources to work remotely as long as it is required.
Closing Date Wed Jun 17 2020 01:55:00 GMT+0200 (Paris, Madrid (heure d’été))