Data Expert Consultant: 2050 Regional Data and Evidence Systems (remote with travel for 24 months)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to advocacy

How can you make a difference?

The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is the region’s premier political and economic policy organisation and serves as the Secretariat of the Pacific Islands Forum. Guided by the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum (2005) and the decisions of Forum Leaders, PIFS supports Forum Members to strengthen regional cooperation and integration and advance shared priorities for economic growth, sustainable development, good governance and security.

PIFS leads regional coordination for the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The Strategy calls for a long-term regional commitment to act as one “Blue Continent” as the means to achieve development aspirations. Its implementation requires a credible and sustainable evidence base that connects regional priorities, collective actions and initiatives to clear data, learning and accountability, that enables Leaders, officials and partners to understand progress, identify gaps and make informed decisions.

The regional data ecosystem is rich but fragmented. Data on Pacific progress exists across National Statistical Offices and various Ministries, UN agencies, SPC that provides Secretariat for Pacific Regional Data Governance Architecture and manages the Pacific Data Hub, and other CROP organisations and development partners, but it is not consistently connected to 2050 Strategy reporting, nor systematically used to inform partnerships, policy analysis or advocacy across the regional architecture. At the same time, PIFS is approaching major milestones that will require a stronger, more integrated evidence base than the current systems, including the 2027 Outcome Report, the 2028 Deep Dive thematic analysis, and the Phase 1 review of the 2050 Strategy. To address this, this role will provide support to strengthen 2050 data systems, triangulate regional evidence sources, connect the 2050 data to the wider regional data ecosystem and support analysis of data on regional priorities.

The assignment will be delivered in close collaboration with the 2050 MEL Adviser, the Adviser Data Analytics and Insights, and key regional partners including the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Data Hub, UNICEF Pacific, National Statistical Offices, CROP agencies, United Nations agencies and other development partners.

The consultancy is supported under the PIFS–UNICEF Pacific Memorandum of Understanding. It combines two linked priorities: a) strengthening PIFS and regional data and evidence systems to support the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and b) strengthening regional data on the situation of children and women in the Pacific SDG monitoring, and related data work with SPC and the Pacific Data Hub where UNICEF is a partner.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Consultancy for 2050 Regional Data and Evidence Systems.pdf

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

• Education: Master's degree degree in Statistics, Data Science, Demography, Economics, Development Studies, Business Administration, Public Health, Social Sciences or a related field.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in data analysis, statistics, economics, development studies, business management, and, information management or monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)
• Language Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of another Pacific language is an asset.
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • Demonstrated experience mapping, accessing and triangulating data from multiple regional or international data sources, including SDG monitoring systems, household survey data, and regional data platforms such as the Pacific Data Hub, to strengthen evidence bases for reporting or policy analysis;
  • Demonstrated experience designing or contributing to data governance frameworks, evidence architectures, or data partnership arrangements in a regional or international development context;
  • Demonstrated experience coordinating or supporting quantitative household surveys, preferably MICS or a comparable national survey, including survey planning, questionnaire adaptation, training, fieldwork monitoring, data processing, analysis and report writing;
  • Strong understanding of survey data used to monitor the situation of children and women, including Sustainable Development Goal indicators and regional or national reporting processes;
  • Experience working with, or in, Pacific Island countries and regional organisations (e.g. SPC, PIFS, CROP agencies, UN agencies) is highly desirable;
  • Proficiency in statistical analysis and data visualisation tools such as Excel, R, Python, SPSS, Power BI or Tableau; familiarity with SQL is an advantage;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, accessible products for both technical and senior policy audiences;
• Desirables:
  • Knowledge of applying GESI principles to data triangulation, indicator design, data disaggregation and analysis, including responsible treatment of small populations and sensitive data.
  • Knowledge developing knowledge products, evidence briefs or advocacy materials that translate data findings for non-technical audiences including senior officials, ministerial meetings or partner organisations.
  • Has ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple institutional partners and stakeholders in a multicultural environment.

 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal PIFS Data Consultancy.docx
• A detailed technical proposal is required and applicants must outline the methodology, workplan, quality assurance approach and proposed sustainability measures.