Consultants - Bayesian Statistician for modelling of violence against women prevalence estimates

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to producing global, regional and country prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence.

This will entail adapting and expanding the existing statistical model, conducting consistency checks on input datasets, providing technical inputs to support responses relating to data or modelling queries from Member States or other stakeholders, investigating and fixing program bugs which may arise.

Background

The World Health Organization's Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH) includes the UNDP-UNFPA-UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP). HRP is the main instrument within the United Nations system for identifying research priorities on sexual and reproductive health and rights; for promoting, conducting, evaluating and coordinating related interdisciplinary research; for collaborating with countries to build national capacity to conduct research; and for promoting the use of research results in policy making and sexual and reproductive health programmes. The Department draws on research and global expertise to set norms and standards and develop global guidelines on sexual and reproductive health and rights. More information about SRH and HRP can be found at https://www.who.int/teams/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-research-(srh)/human-reproduction-programme.

WHO leads the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence Against Women Estimation and Data (VAW-IAWGED) and the production of the country, regional and global prevalence estimates on violence against women, supported by the UN Women-WHO Joint Programme on Strengthening Measurement and Building National Capacities for Violence Against Women Data (Joint Programme on VAW Data). These internationally comparable estimates contribute to global monitoring including for the UN Sustainable Goals’ (SDGs) violence related indicators (5.2.1 and 5.2.2).

The estimates and details of the methodology which interested candidates may wish to review can be found in the links below:

• Violence against women prevalence estimates, 2018: global, regional and national prevalence estimates for intimate partner violence against women and global and regional prevalence estimates for non-partner sexual violence against women. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022256
• Maheu-Giroux, M, Sardinha, L, Stöckl, H. et al. A framework to model global, regional, and national estimates of intimate partner violence. BMC Med Res Methodol 22, 159 (2022).
• Sardinha, L., Maheu-Giroux, M., Stöckl, H., Meyer, S.R., García-Moreno, C. (2022). Global, regional, and national prevalence estimates of physical or sexual, or both, intimate partner violence against women in 2018. The Lancet. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)02664-7/fulltext

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support and input into the models to produce global, regional and country estimates (adapting and expanding the existing models, conducting consistency checks on datasets, providing technical inputs to support responses relating to data or modelling queries from Member States or other stakeholders, investigating and fixing program bugs which may arise e.g., from package updates.

The work is located in the Addressing needs of Vulnerable Populations Unit (AVP) in SRH/HRP which is responsible for the work on violence against women /gender-based violence, including research, data and monitoring and evaluation, development of guidance and implementation tools, and provision of specialized technical support, among others. It is supported by the UN Women-WHO Joint Programme on Violence Against Women Data started in 2018. The JP aims to ensure quality, comparable data on different forms of violence against women are available and collected over time to address national data gaps and meet policy and reporting commitments. This includes work on strengthening and dissemination of measurement and methodologies for VAW data collection and use.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1. Prepare Technical Note detailing proposed methods and estimates’ modelling strategy.

Deliverable 2. Produce country, regional and global prevalence estimates and related outputs.

• Activity 2.1 Consistency checks of input datasets.
• Activity 2.2 Adapt, develop, test run and finalize codes for the estimation modelling.

Deliverable 3. Develop relevant technical documentation for country consultation of estimates with Member States.

• Activity 3.1 Prepare country profiles summarizing estimates and data used.
• Activity 3.2 Respond to specific modelling queries when required.

Deliverable 4. Contribute to relevant reports and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.

• Activity 4.1 Develop summary of methodology for manuscripts as needed.
• Activity 4.2 Review and provide input to reports and manuscripts.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree in statistics, demography, epidemiology or related field.

Desirable:

• PhD on any of the above fields.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 5 years relevant experience in areas relating to statistical modelling using Bayesian methods.

Desirable:

• Experience with statistical modelling of sexual and reproductive health, women’s health or violence against women data.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Demonstrated expertise with Bayesian statistical methods and modelling.
• Competence using R software programming including an ability to code and work independently investigating and resolving program bugs.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently whilst working remotely from other members of the team.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to produce high-quality outputs whilst working to short deadlines.
• Familiarity with Github, Tidyverse, cloud computing, R markdown and REDCap.
• Expertise in data visualization.
• Knowledge and understanding of key issues in violence against women data.

Languages required:

Essential

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable

• Intermediate knowledge of French, Spanish or another UN language.

Location

Off-site: Home based.

Travel

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B-USD 7,000-9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

11 Months.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html