International MICS Consultant, Juba, South Sudan (For Non-South Sudanese)

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

This individual consultancy will support and provide guidance to UNICEF South Sudan and the NBS for the preparation, implementation and completion of the MICS survey in the South Sudan. The MC will advise and support the NBS, especially the Survey Coordinator and sampling and data processing experts, during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, reporting, dissemination and archiving, ensuring that MICS protocols and recommendations are being followed at all times.

Background & Rationale:

UNICEF South Sudan (SSCO) is implementing a three-year country programme. The 2023-2025 UNICEF South Sudan (SSCO) programme supports the rights of children and women (particularly the most vulnerable), and further strengthens systems and promotes access to high quality and resilient services. The humanitarian component of the programme seeks to ensure assistance and development cooperation address the structural causes of fragility and vulnerability. South Sudan’s 2023/2025 Country Programme is thus an adaptation of the UNICEF Global Programme Structure; beside the Social Protection and Public Finance for Children outputs, the current SSCO Social Policy Programme Component also covers Child Poverty.

Child Poverty is an output in the Social Policy Section. The SSCO child poverty portfolio aims to enhance the capacity of Government across all levels to measure and monitor child vulnerability and use the evidence to design appropriate policies, plans and budgets. The portfolio contributes to the overall result of the Section which seeks to ensure more children and families benefit from better Government services that reduce monetary and multi-dimensional poverty thereby strengthen resilience. In 2023, the SSCO Child Poverty portfolio covers child poverty & general vulnerability, with focus on: 1) production of reports and high-level publications on child poverty and vulnerabilities; 2) evidence generation, including implementation of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, round seven (MICS7), and 3) analysis and advocacy work to inform child poverty and vulnerability.

South Sudan has largely implemented MICS surveys. It participated in the in 2006 and 2010 rounds of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and generated data on key indicators on the well-being of children and women that informed policies and programmes at all levels of Government. The surveys were implemented in partnership and collaboration with Government and key stakeholders including UN Agencies. Thereafter six rounds of MICS have been implemented globally in 118 countries. Seventeen countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) have participated in at least one round of MICS, and 12 countries in the region have participated in multiple rounds of the survey, providing insights on trends for many of those indicators. The survey has continuously evolved to respond to changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators in the first round to 177 indicators in the sixth round (MICS6), thereby became acritical source of high-quality data on the well-being of children and women; MICS6 is now followed by MICS7 and was in March 2023.

MICS7 presents a unique opportunity to generate more relevant statistics on child rights and wellbeing across various domains including domestic violence against women, anthropometry for children aged 5-9 years, children’s time use, adolescent mental health, and food insecurity. MICS7 surveys will generate data on 40 SDG indicators half of all SDG indicators that can be sourced from household surveys. MICS7 features new topics and initiatives including longitudinal phone surveys (MICS Plus), geocoding, integration with administrative data sources, amongst others. The questionnaire architecture of MICS7 is shorter and covers households, women, men, under-5s and children aged 5-17. MICS7 dataset covers maternal and newborn health, education, water and sanitation, energy use and social transfers. MICS7 will address the current data needs of across all levels of Governments, strengthen the national statistical capacity and update the situation of children and women.  After long absence from the programme, South Sudan is participating in MICS7. The National Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with relevant partners will implement MICS7 in South Sudan.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the MICS Consultant (MC) will support and provide guidance to UNICEF South Sudan and the NBS for the preparation, implementation and completion of the MICS survey in the South Sudan. The MC will advise and support the NBS, especially the Survey Coordinator and sampling and data processing experts, during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, reporting, dissemination and archiving, ensuring that MICS protocols and recommendations are being followed at all times. The MC will communicate effectively between the UNICEF SS CO and NBS, responding promptly to MICS-related needs and issues as they arise.

The MC will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the work of other resource persons hired by UNICEF to provide technical assistance to the MICS process. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the survey team, the stakeholders, and Steering and Technical Committees and will represent UNICEF in meetings and workshops in relation to the survey as needed. The MC will also work in close collaboration with the Regional MICS Coordinator at the UNICEF Regional Office (RO) and the MICS Team at UNICEF Headquarters (HQ), as well as experts and consultants assigned to support the South Sudan MICS (collectively labeled “The UNICEF MICS Team”).

 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the Social Policy Specialist, and in consultation and collaboration  with the National Bureau of Statistics, the consultant will deliver the following:

1.Survey Planning:

A Steering Committee is established and composed of all relevant national and international stakeholders, including National Ethical Committee,

A Technical Committee comprised of all relevant technical experts is established,

The Survey Plan and Budget, including timetable is finalised and shared with all stakeholders,

Survey supplies are procured and distributed in time for training and data collection,

Ensure that other MICS initiatives (MICS Plus, MICS GIS, MICS Link) are discussed with national partners and properly addressed during survey planning stage,

Sample design:

• The UNICEF Sampling expert/consultant is provided with the necessary information, and visits are well managed and coordinated within survey plans,
• Sample design is prepared by the sampling expert of NBS with the guidance and review of the UNICEF Sampling expert / consultant,
• Listing and Mapping materials and operations are reviewed by the UNICEF Sampling expert/consultant,
• Cluster geocodes (cluster centre points, multi-points, or boundaries), either existing or collected during the mapping and household listing operation, are assessed by the survey team and communicated to the UNICEF MICS Team, together with the boundary shapefiles representing the sampling frame, including the boundaries of one level lower than the sample stratification,
• Sample design is reviewed by the UNICEF MICS Team before finalisation,
• The final selection of households is reviewed
• The weights are reviewed.

  MICS questionnaires:

• Appropriate UNICEF programme staff and the Technical Committee are involved in reviewing the customisation of relevant sections of the MICS questionnaire,
• Selected Modules address country data gaps and address SGD data needs,       
• Questionnaires and manuals undergo an ethical review,
• Questionnaires are pre-tested, and a pre-test report is produced,
• Questionnaires are reviewed by the UNICEF MICS Team before finalisation.

  Manuals:

MICS Household Listing and Mapping (GPS Data Collection, if applicable), Supervisor, Measurer, and Interviewer Manuals are customised for the country-specific context.

 CAPI application template:

• CAPI application template is customised by the data processing expert of the NBS with the guidance of the UNICEF Data Processing expert/consultant,
• Customised CAPI application is reviewed by the UNICEF MICS Team before finalisation,
• Secondary editing guidelines and Field Check Table tabulation plan and syntax are customised by the data processing expert of the NBS with the guidance of the UNICEF Data Processing and Household Survey experts / consultants.

2. Listing and Mapping, Training and Fieldwork, and Data Processing:

Listing and mapping is planned and carried out per MICS guidelines,

Training schedules are adequately adapted to the county context while following MICS guidelines,

Appropriate resource persons are identified to facilitate training (i.e., nutritionists for anthropometry training, survey experts for methodology, etc.),

Contribute to the pre-test, CAPI test, and fieldwork training,

Fieldwork and fieldwork monitoring visits are planned and performed according to MICS guidelines,

Field Check Tables are produced on a weekly basis, immediately analysed by survey coordinator/managers, and the main findings are reported to field supervisors for action. Field Check Tables are immediately shared with the Regional MICS Coordinator,

UNICEF CO staff is trained and organised to assist in monitoring data collection,

UNICEF Household Survey and Data Processing experts/consultants are timely provided with the necessary information, and country visits are well managed and coordinated,

Hardware is made available for the CAPI application (data collection and central office menu components), the software is properly installed and a working, data transfer system and data backup system are established,           

Monitor sample selection with the NBS after the listing and mapping exercise is completed,           

Monitor pre-test, CAPI test, and main data collection              

Monitor data processing and secondary data editing

3. Data Analysis and Report Writing:

•  Sampling Weights are included in the datasets and reviewed by the sampling expert of the NBS with the guidance and review of the UNICEF Sampling expert/consultant,

•  MICS tabulation plan and standard syntax are customised, reviewed by the UNICEF MICS Team, and used in generating SPSS datasets and tables,

•  Datasets/Tables, including the wealth index are substantively reviewed by technical experts (e.g., sampling and household survey experts) and subject matter experts at the NBS, as well as by the UNICEF MICS Team before the report writing commences,

•  Facilitate communication on the process of anonymisation of geocodes between the UNICEF MICS Team and the NBS as per the Memorandum of Understanding,

• Coordinate and contribute substantively to the elaboration of the Survey Findings Report and Statistical Snapshots, using the MICS template and according to MICS standards to ensure a timely release,

• Ensure that the Survey Findings Reports and Statistical Snapshots undergo the technical review process by the UNICEF MICS Team,

• Coordinate the printing and distribution of the Survey Findings Report and Statistical Snapshots,

• Organise and facilitate the presentation of the Survey Findings Report and Statistical Snapshots through a national seminar,

• Provide technical expertise and advice for the wide dissemination of the Survey Findings Report, Statistical Snapshots, and main results,

• Ensure that the MICS survey archive with all final survey documents and materials (Memorandum of Understanding, Country Survey Plan, questionnaires, manuals, sample design, field reports, CAPI application, syntaxes, database, cluster geocodes, boundary shapefiles, tables, Survey Findings Report, and Statistical Snapshots, dissemination materials, etc.) is being produced by the NBS.

4. Attend all MICS Regional and/or National Workshops

 

Deliverables

1. Survey Plan finalized

2. List of households in all selected clusters/ Training delivery and report

3. Finalized dataset and tables for data analysis

4. Coordination of survey field activities (report)

5.  Data cleaning/analysis

6.  Survey Findings Report (SFR) and statistical snapshots

7.  Presentation and dissemination of MICS7 report

Minimum Qualifications required:

 Education:

Advanced Master’s degree in Demography, Statistics, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, or any other related technical field is required. A PHD in the above mentioned disciplines is an asset.

Skills and Experience:

Proven minimum of 5 year experience in the coordination and/or management of quantitative household surveys (prior MICS or Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)) preferred,

Strong computer skills and strong expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, particularly SPSS),

Experience with CAPI data collection,

Training experience and ability to organise and facilitate training and presentations,

Experience in data analysis and survey report writing.

 

Other competencies:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills,

Excellent oral and written communication in English local languages are an advantage.

Familiarity and previous experience of working in South Sudan and other emergency contexts are highly desirable,

Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organisation, more specifically with National Statistical Offices,

Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability,

Ability and willingness to travel extensively in-country and to attend regional workshops

 

Detailed technical and financial proposals must accompany all applications.

UNICEF’s values are 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.