Education research consultant

The consultant will coordinate and support the implementation of research activities in Bangladesh under the supervision and guidance of the UNICEF Innocenti education research team, working closely with the implementation team at UNICEF Bangladesh, and the University of Dhaka.

Major areas of work and responsibility:

• Coordination of research across the three initiatives, developing workplans and holding regular meetings with UNICEF Innocenti, UNICEF Bangladesh, Dhaka University and implementing partners.
• Leading the design of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and supporting data collection training and data collection management for the three initiatives under the guidance and supervision of UNICEF Innocenti education research team.
• Data analysis and drafting of research outputs, including internal feedback loops from implementation research and external evidence briefs.

Supervision:

• The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Education Manager in GORaF. The consultant will work in close coordination with the UNICEF Bangladesh Education team who are leading the implementation of different education initiatives.

Methodologies and Tools:

• Software to be used and subscription required for data analysis: Stata 14 or higher

Conditions of Consultancy:

• This consultancy may require the consultant to travel in order to complete the required deliverables effectively and efficiently. Travel costs should NOT be included in the bid for the contract as travel costs will be provided at time of travel and approved by consultant’s direct supervisor. UNICEF Innocenti does not make travel arrangements for consultants. The consultant will arrange their own travel, clear the anticipated cost with UNICEF and invoice UNICEF for the travel cost as soon as the travel has been completed. UNICEF Innocenti will assist consultants with arrangements for visas, work permits, vaccinations, etc.
• All other costs related to completing the deliverables such as hardware, required software, certificates/ subscriptions and associated running costs are expected to be factored into the proposed professional fees.
• UNICEF Innocenti will assist consultants with arrangements for visas, work permits, vaccinations, etc.
• UNICEF does not regard Individuals engaged under a consultancy contract as “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures. Consultants are therefore not entitled to benefits such as leave, pension 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.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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. Prospective consultants are encouraged to ensure that they fully understand (a) the requirements of each deliverable and (b) the workload associated with reaching a deliverable.
• UNICEF Innocenti recognizes that, due to the locations of some of its research, events may occur that either delay deliverables or prevent them from being completed. These events need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the impact on the payment schedule of the contract. It is UNICEF Innocenti’s objective to be fair to consultants in situations where deliverables are delayed or no longer attainable through no wrongdoing of the consultant.
• Consultants 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.

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

An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, Social Policy, Education, Statistics or related social sciences.

Essential skills:

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national or international levels in the design and implementation of rigorous research, with developing country-level experience essential
• Experience in managing large rounds of data collection and related trainings; experience in using common online / offline data collection packages (e.g. ODK, Kobo, SurveyCTO).
• Strong data and analytical skills and extensive knowledge of common statistical software packages (e.g. STATA, R, SPSS).
• Demonstrated experience in both qualitative and quantitative research designs and methods, including experimental and quasi-experimental methods.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and excellent attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work well as part of a geographically dispersed team and to forge and manage partnerships.
• Commitment to UNICEF’s core values of care, respect, integrity, transparency, and accountability.

Source:  https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/570883