Statistical Analyst for Household Surveys in support of equity refocus for children
1. Overview
The purpose of this call for CVs is to select a consultant for 11 months (starting October 1, 2012) to carry out analyses of child-related surveys such as DHS and MICS to assist UNICEF in i) better identifying the most deprived and most vulnerable children and ii) better measuring inequity through the lens of a child who faces overlapping multi-dimensional deprivations.
2. Background
Reaching the most deprived and most vulnerable children has always been UNICEF’s central mission. A focus on equity for children is not only a moral imperative but also a necessary condition for ensuring a country’s long-term growth prospect, which hinges on the wellbeing of children today.
The equity focus is motivated by evidence of a growing inequity in a wide range of countries. Despite positive economic growth and progress in child-related MDGs, recent analyses find that a wide gap exists in that deprivations of children’s rights are disproportionately concentrated among the poorest and most marginalized populations within countries.
To assist the operationalization of the equity refocus agenda, UNICEF Policy and Strategy jointly with UNICEF’s Office of Research aim to provide an enhanced tool, the Multiple, Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA), that will facilitate the identification of the most deprived and most vulnerable children.
Presently these children tend to be identified one deprivation at a time (i.e. in health, nutrition, education etc.). However, from UNICEF’s Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparitieswe know that the children who simultaneously experience multi-deprivations may be concentrated in places and situations that are different from those children who experience single dimensional deprivations. This has programmatic implications for two reasons. First, to the extent that there are common barriers and bottlenecks behind multiple deprivations, interventions may be designed to address them simultaneously, improving cost effectiveness. Second, because there are feedback loops among the different deprivations, integrated intervention is needed to ensure effectiveness.
In addition, presently inequity is measured at UNICEF one deprivation at a time and in relation to wealth quintiles. This makes it difficult to summarize and track inequity from the lens of a child who often faces multiple deprivations. For example, what can we tell about the inequity situation when the gap for children who only experience one deprivation has narrowed based on some wealth correlates, but the gap for children who simultaneously experience at least four deprivations has widened? Moreover, while wealth maybe a good marker in some cases for the situation of inequity, it masks the other potentially more relevant markers for alienating the inequity situation in many other cases.
3. Expected output
Under the guidance of the Chief of Social Policy and Economic Analyses, Policy Analysis of Policy and Strategy at UNICEF New York, the consultant is expected to i) analyze the new MICS datasets which are expected to become available over the last quarter of 2012, applying the MODA methodology; and ii) conduct trend analyses using DHS or MICS datasets to show how multiple, overlapping deprivations have evolved for selected countries and the drivers for their changes. In doing so, the consultant will carry out routine data processing and management, statistical analysis through programs such as STATA, producing output tables and results, and drafting of technical papers on the findings.
Deliverables
--Compilation, processing, and management of DHS and MICS datasets, by end-Jan. 2013
--Analysis of data for identification of the most deprivation children for at least 5 countries using newly available MICS data, by end April 2013
--Trend analysis of multiple, overlapping deprivations for at least two countries by end June 2013--Draft of technical papers, by end August 2013
3. Duration
The consultancy will be full-time, on-site for the duration of 11 months, starting October 1, 2012.
4. Competency and skills required
─ Minimum of master degree or graduate student working towards a Ph.D. in economics, statistics, or other relevant social science
─ Substantial hands-on experience (over five years) in managing and analysing large-scale household survey data. Experience with longitudinal and multidimensional poverty analyses is a strong plus.
─ Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and drive for results
─ Strong drafting and communication skills
─ Solid training in econometric theories and applications
─ Knowledge in child poverty measurements and indicators is preferred
─ Demonstrated competency in applying statistical programs such as STATA
─ Fluency in EnglishInterested persons are invited to submit their CV, P11 form (available here), and a cover letter summarizing relevant experience to socialpolicy.unicef@gmail.com with subject line “Multiple Deprivation Analysis Consultancy” NO later than September 21, 2012. Please indicate daily rate of remuneration in the submission (required for consideration).