Consultancy - Database Consultant, Data and Analytics (D&A), DAPM NYHQ (remote-based)

The Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) portfolio of the Health and HIV Unit, Data and Analytics Section of UNICEF New York Headquarters maintains and updates a global MNCAH database which is a key source for country- and regional-level MNCAH data. This repository is used by a wide range of stakeholders for activities related to monitoring, planning and advocacy. There are plans to expand the MNCAH database to align with emerging global health priorities (non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate change, resilience, and mental health) to include administrative data, modelled data, and subnational data, and to improve timeliness of the data availability which will necessitate strategic enhancements to the global database workflow.

Consultancy Title: Database Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health and HIV Unit, Data & Analytics (D&A) Section, DAPM, UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: 1 May 2024 – 30 April 2025

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 Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) portfolio of the Health and HIV Unit, Data and Analytics Section of UNICEF New York Headquarters maintains and updates a global MNCAH database which is a key source for country- and regional-level MNCAH data. This repository is used by a wide range of stakeholders for activities related to monitoring, planning and advocacy. There are plans to expand the MNCAH database to align with emerging global health priorities (non-communicable diseases (NCDs), climate change, resilience, and mental health) to include administrative data, modelled data, and subnational data, and to improve timeliness of the data availability which will necessitate strategic enhancements to the global database workflow.

To materialise this vision, there is a need for an extensive review and optimization of the current global database workflow which will require refactoring existing codes and writing new code to incorporate additional data sources and indicators and to improve the data flow for continuous, real-time reporting. In addition to maintaining the global database, the consultant will support maintenance and development of data products and data reporting processes. The consultant will provide technical expertise needed to navigate this process successfully under the guidance and supervision of the Statistics and Monitoring Adviser (MNCAH). The consultant will also extend support to databases related to HIV and Immunization and ensure consistent coding practices to harmonize data management processes, with a focus on overlapping areas to enhance synergy across all three databases.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will actively contribute to the MNCAH portfolio, focusing on advancing the maintenance, expansion, and functionality of the global MNCAH database.

Under direct supervision of the Statistics and Monitoring Adviser (MNCAH) of the Data and Analytics Section, DAPM, the consultant is to strengthen the MNCAH global database with additional support for databases related to HIV and Immunization by refining existing processes, expanding its coverage to address emerging priorities, and seamlessly integrating administrative and modelled data with reported data. The overarching goal is to fortify the database as a reliable and dynamic resource for comprehensive near real-time global health reporting.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

In close collaboration and working with the Statistics and Monitoring Advisor, the incumbent is responsible for the following deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Review, improve and expand MNCAH and HIV databases.

• Comprehensive review of the existing Health and HIV databases, including identified strengths, weaknesses, and improvement recommendations

Deliverables/Outputs: Report on the review of the existing Health and HIV databases

Delivery deadline: 31 May 2024

• Support refactoring of R code for maintaining the Health and HIV global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: Review refactored R codes to ensure they align with DAPM code standards.

Delivery deadline: 30 June 2024

• Support compilation of data for MNCAH global database and updating of global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: Excel spreadsheet with newly extracted data and updated MNCAH global database spreadsheet

Delivery deadline: 31 July 2024

• Support expansion of MNCAH global databases to emerging areas of interest (child and adolescent mental health, resilience and emergencies, climate change, NCDs).

Deliverables/Outputs: Integration of MNCAH database with new emerging areas (child and adolescent mental health, resilience and emergencies, climate change, NCDs)

Delivery deadline: 31 October 2024

Deliverable 2: Integration of modelled data and administrative data into global MNCAH database

• Roadmap for the incorporation of modelled estimates and administrative data into global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: Roadmap

Delivery deadline: 31 August 2024

• Code needed to incorporate modelled estimates and administrative data into global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: R Codes aligned with DAPM code standards.

Delivery deadline: 30 September 2024

• Compilation of administrative data and modelled estimates and integrating this into the MNCAH global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: Integration of MNCAH database with administrative data and modelled estimates

Delivery deadline: 31 October 2024

Deliverable 3: Support data advocacy and communication products including dashboards and webpage updates.

• Updated MNCAH datasets and quality assurance (QA) support for visualization products, including Adolescent Health Profiles, Countdown to 2030 Profiles, Children’s Environmental Health Profiles, and Child Health and Well-being Dashboard.

Deliverables/Outputs: Updated datasets and QA support for adolescent health profiles

Delivery deadline: 31 December 2024

•  Compiled and restructured data for and QA support for Countdown to 2030 profiles

Delivery deadline: 30 September 2024

Deliverables/Outputs: Updated datasets and QA for Children’s Environmental Health Profiles

Delivery deadline: 31 May 2025

Deliverables/Outputs: Updated datasets and QA for Child Health and Wellbeing Dashboard

Delivery deadline: 31 May 2025

• Update MNCAH webpage narratives, and charts to align with global database.

Deliverables/Outputs: Updated webpages and infograms

Delivery deadline: 30 June 2024

Deliverable 4: Support data reporting, consultation, and evidence health desk

• Support for data reporting on SDGs, SOWC, and SP.

Deliverables/Outputs: Data tables in the appropriate formats that have been quality assured.

Delivery deadline: 28 February 2025

• Support country consultation processes related to updating of global database and SDG reporting.

Deliverables/Outputs: Completed review of country inputs.

Delivery deadline: 31 January 2025

• Support country consultations to gather information on administrative data and data needs.

Deliverables/Outputs: Report summarizing findings from administrative data consultation sessions.

Delivery deadline: 31 March 2025

• Evidence help desk support.

Deliverables/Outputs: Brief weekly summaries of support provided.

Delivery deadline: 30 April 2025

Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in data science, Computer science, demography, public health, social sciences, epidemiology, statistics, or related field.   
• Expertise in communication, customer orientation, and preferable excellent understanding of performance management systems, training materials, and competency framework.
• The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and Lotus Notes.

Work experience

• Minimum two years of work experience at the national or international levels in statistical data processing, data analysis, and development/maintenance of statistical databases.
• Proven experience in analysing, compiling, and presenting data, with a focus on MNCAH related areas preferably.
• Demonstrated expertise working with R (preferred), python or STATA.  
• Experience with enterprise databases and ETL tools (e.g., Databricks)
• Experience with data visualization software (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) is an asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge of global health data systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.
• Proficient in English; knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

Competencies

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.
• Proficient in English; knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

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.