Consultancy – Education and Data and Analytics Consultant, Data and Analytics Team (DAT), DAPM NYHQ (remote-based)

Consultancy Title:  Education Data and Analytics Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Division of Data, Analysis, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM), Education Data & Analytics Unit, NYHQ (remote-based)

Duration: 14 months

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The overarching aim of this consultancy is to deliver a comprehensive suite of technical assistance and specialized knowledge across various facets of the educational data and analytics of Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) program. This intricate endeavor includes pivotal support for the MICS-Education Analysis for Global Learning and Equity (EAGLE) Initiative, which is instrumental in deciphering complex educational data to inform policy and practice on a global scale, with a special focus on educational landscape of several selected countries.

Furthermore, the consultancy will undertake critical analysis within the MICS-Link project, an initiative that strives to merge and link household survey data with administrative records from Ministries of Education in several countries, thereby creating a robust and coherent data ecosystem that can fuel strategic educational planning at the national level.

Finally, another essential component of this role includes the enhancement of the foundational learning data collection through MICS, which includes revision of the current module that measures foundational learning skills at grade 2/3, and develop a new module (FLM 2.0), which targets children at the end of primary school age to measure their reading and numeracy skills.

Scope of Work:

The Consultant will perform the following tasks:

1. Data Harmonization and Analysis:

   – The consultant is responsible for unifying foundational skills data from MICS6 household survey data to ensure consistency and comparability of the variables across datasets.

   – Perform in-depth analysis of response rate and data quality to uncover insights and trends within the data that can inform improvements of the module.

   – Develop codes published on GitHub repositories so that all the harmonization work can be easily reproduced.

2. MICS-EAGLE Factsheet:

   – Create a comprehensive factsheet for the MICS-EAGLE Initiative in Yemen, summarizing key findings and insights in an accessible format for national education stakeholders.

   – Respond to ad-hoc requests for MICS-EAGLE data from Yemen, providing customized analysis and support as required.

3. Donor Reporting and M&E Platform Updates:

   – Prepare the Donor Annual Report for the KIX-GPE grant, highlighting progress, outcomes, and the impact of the initiatives supported by the grant.

   – Update and enhance the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) platform with recent data and findings to facilitate ongoing project tracking and reporting.

4. Technical Support for MICS-Link:

   – Provide technical assistance to the MICS-Link project in Fiji, Eswatini, and Vanuatu, aiding in the integration of MICS education data with administrative data from Ministries of Education.

   – Support the inception and customization workshops for MICS-Link, tailoring the approach to fit the context of each country and ensuring effective implementation.

5. Develop a tool to collect data on foundational learning skills through MICS:

   – Assist in the revision of the learning assessment tool to measure foundational reading and numeracy at the grade 2/3 level.

   – Assist in the completion of the early primary learning assessment tool as part of the Foundational Learning Module 2.0.

– Coordinate the establishment of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG), manage the TAG meetings, and synthesize inputs from various experts to refine the instrument.

   – Prepare for and participate in the field test of the early primary instrument, ensuring the collection of high-quality data and the tool’s efficacy.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables
Deliverable 1:  

Harmonizing MICS FLS data for 10 priority countries/territories.

Deliverables/Outputs: 

Scripts in Stata/R on GitHub and harmonized data files for each country.

Delivery deadline: 15^th June 2024

Deliverable 2:  

Harmonizing remaining 30+ country and territory FLS data and conducting additional analysis. Deliverables/Outputs: 

Scripts in Stata/R on GitHub and harmonized data files for each country +

Statistical tables by country with basic analysis of the module (sample, response, etc).

Delivery deadline: 8^th Aug 2024

Deliverable 3:  

Prepare 1 MICS-EAGLE factsheet (Yemen) and prepare 1 data brief for country office using MICS data.

Deliverables/Outputs: 

1 Fact Sheet + reproducible code in Stata/R and 1 data brief for advocacy support.

Delivery deadline: 2^nd Oct 2024

Deliverable 4:  

To produce an annual donor report and M&E report.

Deliverables/Outputs: 

1 Donor Report, 1 M&E Report.

Delivery deadline: 10^th Nov 2024

Deliverable 5:  

MICS-Link technical support to link EMIS and MICS data (i.e. review EMIS and MICS questionnaires, identify set of questions to link data, check quality of link and administrative boundaries, 3 countries).

Deliverables/Outputs: 

3 presentations with the results of MICS Link process, one for each country.

Delivery deadline: 2^nd Jan 2025

Deliverable 6:  

FLM2.0 TAG (technical advisory group) and 1 field test support to early primary instrument for foundational reading and numeracy skills aligned with SDG4.1.1a.

Deliverables/Outputs: 

A summary/report of the field test results.

Delivery deadline: 17^th Feb 2025

Deliverable 7:  

FLM2.0 instrument version 1 to be ready for deployment in MICS (questionnaire with filter).

Deliverables/Outputs: 

Questionnaire module

Delivery deadline: 3^rd Apr 2025

Deliverable 8:  

Concept note for each country to implement MICS-LINK and inception presentation prepared for MoE, NSO and department of planning leading to finalized MoU to confirm participation in the initiative (MICS-Link).

Deliverables/Outputs: 

Finalized MoUs with 5 countries.

Delivery deadline: 31^st Jul 2025.

Qualifications

Education

• Advanced University degree (i.e., Masters or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Education, Statistics, Public Administration, or related discipline.

Work experience

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in education data and analytics, preferably in international organizations.

Competencies

1. Advanced Data Analytic Proficiency:

   – Demonstrable expertise in data analysis with a strong command of statistical software, particularly Stata and R, with an emphasis on R as a significant asset. The candidate must be adept at utilizing these tools for complex data manipulation, analysis, and visualization to support decision-making processes. Link on public platforms with codes (like GitHub, etc.) is desirable.

2. Reproducible Research Techniques:

   – Proficiency in using GitHub for version control, with a proven track record of developing and maintaining reproducible codes. This skill is critical for ensuring transparency, consistency, and collaborative potential in all analytical work.

3. Sector-Specific Experience with MICS Data:

   – In-depth knowledge and practical experience in handling, interpreting, and analyzing education data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) household survey program. This experience is crucial for generating actionable insights from large datasets.

4. Project Management in Education Data:

   – A history of effectively managing education data projects, demonstrating a capacity to oversee complex tasks from inception through to completion while maintaining high standards and meeting deadlines.

5. Collaborative Work with Educational Authorities:

   – A background in working collaboratively with Ministries of Education, aiding in data project delivery. This includes providing technical support, facilitating capacity-building initiatives, and ensuring that data projects align with educational policies and goals.

6. Delivery of Donor-Specific Outputs:

   – Experience in creating and delivering high-quality donor products, such as reports and presentations, that align with donor requirements and effectively communicate the outcomes of education data analysis.

Requirements: 

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system
• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• the costs per each deliverable and the total all-inclusive (lump-sum) fees for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Health Insurance:

The Consultant is fully responsible for arranging at their own expense, such as life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the Contract as he or she considers appropriate.  The Consultant is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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:  

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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.