Consultant for Statistics and Monitoring (UNICEF NYHQ)

Terms of Reference Consultant for Statistics and Monitoring (UNICEF NYHQ)

Background:

In collaboration with other partners, UNICEF plays a critical role in monitoring the situation of children and women in the world and for reporting on progress toward internationally set goals such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS), the World Fit for Children (WFFC) goals, and the UNICEF’s Medium Term Strategic Plan (MTSP). To this end, UNICEF maintains a series of global databases on key indicators, supports countries to collect necessary data through the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), and conducts statistical analyses of the data for global reporting purposes. There is a growing demand for data and monitoring progress in Nutrition. There is also a need to improve the relevance, quality, availability and use of data for reporting on nutrition indicators, in the context of global and country-level monitoring, including data analysis and preparation of reports and other materials indicating progress in achieving goals.

Purpose of Assignment:

To analyse, report, and disseminate data related to UNICEF key indicators, focusing on nutrition specifically.

Duty Station: Can telecommute from home. Travel to New York may be required on a regular basis (once a month, which will be covered by the consultant) and a trip to attend a MICS workshop in Asia may be required.

Major tasks to be accomplished:

Nutrition report

 Provide at least two technical reviews of drafts including providing analytical inputs and display of charts and graphs

 Review and provide feedback on all dissemination materials for the report including briefings, speeches, press releases, accompanying presentations (power point slides), updating of website materials etc. Secretary General’s MDG Progress Report

 Draft MDG1 story line, including data inputs, analysis and charts/graphs related to indicator 1.8.

 Review and provide feedback on draft storylines for MDG 4, 5 and 6. Indicator/methodological work

 Draft a short technical document on nutrition and health indicators including infant and young child feeding indicators and their inclusion in MICS survey programme and potential modifications in to UNICEF global databases. This would include a write-up of key issues and final recommendations.

 Provide technical guidance to UNICEF in its joint work with WHO and the World Bank on anthropometric indicators and harmonization at country level. This would include in-depth review of the issues and a short document on the way forward.

 Review of MICS 5 tools pertaining to nutrition and maternal and child health with feedback in writing. Finalize MICS5 anthropometry training materials. Interact with MICS countries, as needed.

UNICEF global databases

 Provide specific written recommendations on how to improve global databases on nutrition and health indicators based on a technical review of existing system.

 Review submitted nutrition and health data for up to 100 countries and provide written feedback on whether to accept and reject potential country updates

Data Analysis

 Analyse nutrition data specifically and other health related data (for example related to infant and young child feeding data) for write-up in a divisional report or a peer reviewed journal. Exact scope of analysis to be determined.

 Conduct equity analysis related to nutrition and health indicators for write-up in a divisional report or a peer reviewed journal. Final submission to include at least three charts and one page of key data messages.

Data quality control

 Respond to ad hoc requests for data, review of data and other materials

 Provide high quality technical inputs to briefings, speeches etc.

Country level technical support

 As needed, provide in-depth technical support on nutrition and possibly other health related data/indicators to specific countries

Duration:

This will be a part-time contract of up to 160 days (around 4 days per week) over a 10-month period.

Qualifications and specialized knowledge, experience and skills required:

Academic: Post graduate degree in nutrition highly desirable. Candidates with public health, epidemiology, or related field, with a nutrition focus will be considered

Work Experience:

 At least eight years of solid professional work experience in global nutrition data and monitoring

 Previous experience compiling and presenting country-level nutrition data

 Proven experience in working with coverage data from household surveys and its use in policy and programming

 Nutrition data collection experience preferred

 Proven experience in data analysis and report writing to disseminate key nutrition data and findings to non-technical audiences

 Experience working with UNICEF and partners in the area of nutrition (Preference to those with this experience, but will consider others)

Other skills and attributes:  Understanding of UNICEF databases highly desirable  Good analytical skills
 Excellent writing and communication skills

The following conditions of service apply to all individual consultants:

1. LEGAL STATUS Individuals engaged under a consultant contract serve in a personal capacity and not as representatives of a Government or of any other authority external to the United Nations. They are neither “staff members” under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and procedures nor “officials” for the purpose of the Convention of 13 February 1946 on the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. Consultants may, however, be given the status of “experts on mission” in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention. If they are required to travel on behalf of the United Nations, they may be given a United Nations certification in accordance with Section 26 of Article VII of the Convention.
2. OBLIGATIONS Consultants shall have the duty to respect the impartiality and independence of the United Nations and shall neither seek nor accept instructions regarding the services to be performed for UNICEF from any Government or from any authority external to the United Nations. During their period of service for UNICEF, consultants shall refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on the United Nations or UNICEF and shall not engage in any activity that is incompatible with the discharge of their duties with the Organization. Consultants are required to exercise the utmost discretion in all matters of official business of the Organization. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, consultants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil Service. Consultants are to comply with the UNICEF Standards of Electronic Conduct and the requirements set forth in the Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, both of which are incorporated by reference into the contract between the consultants and UNICEF. Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the office concerned, consultants shall not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or other authority external to UNICEF any information that has not been made public and which has become known to them by reason of their association with the United Nations. The consultant may not use such information without the written authorization of UNICEF. Nor shall the consultant use such information for private advantage. These obligations do not lapse upon cessation of service with UNICEF.
3. TITLE RIGHTS UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material which bears a direct relation to, or is made in consequence of, the services provided to the Organization by the consultant. At the request of UNICEF, the consultant shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the Organization in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law.
4. TRAVEL If consultants are required by UNICEF to travel beyond commuting distance from their usual place of residence, such travel at the expense of UNICEF shall be governed by conditions equivalent to the relevant provisions of the 100 series of the United Nations Staff Rules (Chapter VII) and relevant UNICEF policies and procedures. Travel by air by the most direct and economical route is the normal mode for travel at the expense of UNICEF. Such travel will be by business class if the journey is nine hours or longer, and by economy class if the journey is less than nine hours, and first class by rail.
5. MEDICAL CLEARANCE Consultants expected to work in any office of the Organization shall be required to submit a statement of good health prior to commencement of work and to take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement, including confirmation that they have been fully informed regarding inoculations required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized.
6. INSURANCE Consultants are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services on behalf of UNICEF as they consider appropriate. Consultants are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. The responsibility of the United Nations and UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in paragraph 7 below.
7. SERVICE INCURRED DEATH, INJURY OR ILLNESS Consultants who are authorized to travel at UNICEF’s expense or who are required under the contract to perform their services in a United Nations or UNICEF office, or their dependants as appropriate, shall be entitled in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the performance of services on behalf of UNICEF while in travel status or while working in an office of the Organization on official UNICEF business to compensation equivalent to the compensation which, under Appendix D to the United Nations Staff Rules (ST/SGB/Staff Rules/Appendix D/Rev.1 and Amend.1), would be payable to a staff member at step V of the First Officer (P-4) level of the Professional category.
8. ARBITRATION Any dispute arising out of or, in connexion with, this contract shall, if attempts at settlement by negotiation have failed, be submitted to arbitration in New York by a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties. Should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of the request for arbitration, then each party shall proceed to appoint one arbitrator and the two arbitrators thus appointed shall agree on a third. Failing such agreement, either party may request the appointment of the third arbitrator by the President of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal. The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of the dispute.
9. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT This contract may be terminated by either party before the expiry date of the contract by giving notice in writing to the other party. The period of notice shall be five days in the case of contracts for a total period of less than two months and fourteen days in the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on the grounds of misconduct by the consultant, UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice.

In the event of the contract being terminated prior to its due expiry date in this way, the consultant shall be compensated on a pro rata basis for no more than the actual amount of work performed to the satisfaction of UNICEF. Additional costs incurred by the United Nations resulting from the termination of the contract by the consultant may be withheld from any amount otherwise due to the consultant from UNICEF.

1. TAXATION The United Nations and UNICEF undertake no liability for taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant on payments made under this contract. No statement of earnings will be issued by the United Nations or UNICEF to the consultant.

How to apply: 

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and P11 form (which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) to pdconsultants@unicef.org with subject line “Nutrition Consultancy (SMS/DPS)” by 23 November 2012. Please indicate your availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above.