RFP: Data for Children Consultant(s), Pretoria, South Africa, 2-year LTA, (Remote national 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, ADVOCACY. 

UNICEF South Africa

We believe that ensuring a child is happy and healthy begins before birth: from ensuring their mother has access to good health care to reaching adulthood as a healthy, empowered and informed young person of the next generation. This journey relies on every child having access to quality health care, good nutrition, education, and growing up in a safe environment free from violence.

UNICEF South Africa believes that consistent, credible data about children’s situations are critical to the improvement of their lives – and  indispensable to realizing the rights of every child. In 2023, UNICEF South Africa embarked on a process to collect all the disparate data  sets for children coming out of the national statistical system, UNICEF global data warehouse, and other credible sources, to develop  thematic data for children fact sheets and a corresponding PowerBI dashboard.

Given that new data is continually being produced by the National Statistical System in South Africa (at least on an annual basis) it is  important that these fact sheets and data repository is continuously updated and improved. The aim is to embed this within the  Government system and to this end, support to advocacy efforts in this area is also critical. 

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is to support the strengthening of UNICEF South Africa’s mandate to contribute towards the monitoring of child rights in the country. This consultant (s) sits in the Planning, Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation (PMRE) section under the monitoring pillar reporting to the PME manager. The consultant (s) will work in close collaboration with all UNICEF South Africa  programme sections.

The two main objectives of this assignment are:

1) Ensure child rights related data is updated regular in UNICEF South Africa Data for children Fact sheets and Dashboard.
2) Support advocacy efforts to embed the Data for Children Dashboard in the National Statistical System.

The below outlines the major tasks to be undertaken:
1) Continual scanning of the Data for Children Landscape in South Africa to flag new data sets and information being produced, relevant  for children, in the National Statistical system
2) Support advocacy efforts for inclusion of Child Rights into National Statistical system 
3) Review of Available Data for Children information available in UNICEF, StatsSA and with partners 
4) Updating of existing UNICEF South Africa Data for Children Fact Sheets 
5) Updating and continual improvement of the UNICEF South Africa Data for Children Dashboard 

Responsibilities of the Consultant:
The consultant is responsible for providing their own computer and workspace including internet and software applications needed to  produce data visualizations. This is a home-based consultancy.

Responsibilities of UNICEF:
UNICEF South Africa will support the consultant with clear guidance, coordination with UNICEF programme sections and regular virtual  touch-base meetings.

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

• A university degree in information management, communications, monitoring or data related field or equivalent experience  including a basic degree in a social science with relevant work experience in data visualization, infographics and graphic design with  a strong grasp of monitoring and data presentation
• South African nationality
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another local language is an asset

The selection of consultants for the LTA will be based on technical evaluation and financial offers in the ratio of
80/20. The criteria for technical evaluation will be as follows:

Please indicate your Daily Rate.

The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain 5 separate attachments:
1) A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be  uploaded online) 
2) Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online) 
3) Three Work Samples – This includes three examples of data visualizations done 
4) A financial proposal indicating professional fee as per the above template. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents) 
5) Certificates of mandatory courses (Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF (2020 version); Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of  Authority (2021 version) & Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) (2021 version) consolidated in one single pdf

– Without all the above 5 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further 
– Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant 
– Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted 
– Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process 
– Female candidates meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply 
– UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with  disabilities to apply

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.