Data Analytics Consultant (International)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Deliver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbkJiMmvKqk

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The PMU seeks to recruit a home-based international consultant in the capacity of Data Analytics Consultant. The Consultant is expected to undertake the assignment remotely with one (1) in-country mission to Kabul. The Consultant will engage in critical data management and information systems management processes necessary for implementing complex Humanitarian Cash Transfer (HCT) projects and Incentive Payments projects.

The Consultant will work directly with the PMU Beneficiary Data Management team under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist, who is based in Kabul. The Consultant will also coordinate with various PMU teams and Programme Sections in the Afghanistan Country Office in carrying out the assignment. This consultancy will directly contribute to UNICEF’s transformative work by:

• Effectively managing beneficiary data and project information.
• Overseeing information systems management.
• Supporting the onboarding and building the capacity of the incoming NOB Data Analytics Officer, ensuring a seamless transition and continuity of operations.

In carrying out the work defined in this assignment, the Consultant will ensure full compliance with UNICEF’s Data Protection and Security requirements.

Scope of Work:

The Data Analytics Consultant will play a critical role in managing and enhancing data processes to support operational efficiency, decision-making, and reporting. The consultant will ensure the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of data across 

various stages, from beneficiary registration to cash distribution monitoring, dashboard management, and capacity building. The scope of work includes the following key responsibilities:

• Beneficiary Data Management
• Provide technical recommendations for new project designs and any essential changes or adjustments in approaches.
• Oversee beneficiary data registration, ensuring data quality and identifying inconsistencies for resolution.
• Prepare and validate accurate payment lists based on approved data submissions.
• Distribution Data Monitoring and Payment Reconciliation
• Track and monitor distribution data submissions for alignment with distribution plans.
• Update and maintain the reconciliation dashboard to reflect near real-time cash distribution and payment.
• Information Management
• Contribute to project reporting-based data-driven analysis and lesson learned.
• Manage existing dashboards (Registration and Verification, Complaint and Feedback, Payment confirmation, Post Distribution Monitoring, Payment Reconciliation) and develop ad hoc dashboards to meet emerging operational and reporting needs.
• Support for the vendor maintenance monitoring of the in-house Management Information System.
• Provide technical support to monitor the in-house Management Information System maintenance by the vendor.
• Capacity Building and Handover
• Train and mentor the Data Analytics Officer on data management, dashboard tools, and MIS operations.
• Provide a smooth transition of responsibilities through skill transfer and comprehensive handover documentation.

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Delivery deadline
Project Design Technical support	Provide substantive inputs for the Service Level Agreements (SLA) being prepared for 2025 cash transfer projects, ensuring Beneficiary Data Management requirements are reflected. The SLAs supported must be specified in a consolidated January Progress Report.	February 28, 2025) (20 working days)
Data Management	Finalize January payment lists for the assigned projects, based on approved data. Those payment lists will be included in the consolidated January progress report.
Payment Reconciliation technical contribution	Complete January distribution data monitored, and payment reconciled. The reconciled payment dashboard screenshot will be included in the consolidated January progress report.
Information Management	Optimize 1 dashboard to display accurate information.  The issues/formulas solved will be included in the consolidated January progress report.
Vendor support monitoring	Provide a report (incorporated into the consolidated January Progress Report) on the engagement and status of the MIS vendor activities, including progress updates, issues identified, and actions taken.
Information Management	Provide substantive inputs for Winterization, Child Protection, and Ad Hoc project reporting and lesson learned generation. Those reports will be included in the consolidated February progress report.	March 31, 2025 (20 working days)
Vendor support monitoring	Provide a report (incorporated in the consolidated February Progress Report) on the engagement and status of the MIS vendor activities, including progress updates, issues identified, and actions taken.
Project Design Technical support	Provide substantive inputs for additional SLAs being prepared for 2025 cash transfer projects, ensuring Beneficiary Data Management requirements are reflected. The SLAs supported must be specified in the February consolidated Progress Report.
Data Management	Finalize February payment lists for the assigned projects based on approved data. Those payment lists will be included in the consolidated February progress report.
Information Management	Optimize 2 dashboards to display accurate information.  The issues/formulas solved will be included in the consolidated the February consolidated progress report.
Payment Reconciliation technical contribution	Complete distribution data monitored, and payment reconciled. The reconciled payment dashboard screenshot will be included in the February consolidated progress report.
Vendor support monitoring	Provide a report (incorporated in the March consolidated Progress Report) on the engagement and status of the MIS vendor activities, including progress updates, issues identified, and actions taken. It will be included in the March consolidated progress report.	April 30, 2025 (20 working days)
Information Management	Optimized 2 dashboards to display accurate information.  The issues/formulas solved will be included in the March consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	1 registration and distribution form design session conducted for the Data Analytics Officer.  The session record file will be included in the March consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	1 data analytics workflow in cash project session conducted for the Data Analytics Officer.  The PowerPoint file will be included in the March consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	3 MIS use sessions for the Data Analytics Officer.  The PowerPoint file will be included in the March consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	2 data protection sessions conducted for the Data Analytics Officer.  The PowerPoint file will be included in the March consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	2 data processing sessions conducted for the Data Analytics Officer. The cleaned and merged data links will be included in April consolidated progress report.	31 May 2025 (14 working days)
Capacity Building	2 project Python script programming conducted for the Data Analytics Officer. The script(s) will be included in April consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	2 information management sessions (all existing dashboards) conducted for the Data Analytics Officer. Those dashboards and taught notion reports will be included in the April consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	2 project Python script programming conducted for the Data Analytics Officer.  The script(s) will be included in May consolidated progress report.	June 30, 2025 (10 working days)
Capacity Building	2 information management sessions conducted for the Data Analytics Officer. Those dashboard and taught notion reports will be included in May consolidated progress report.
Capacity Building	1 session on project reporting based on finalized data and dashboard/information. The PowerPoint file should be provided, or training sessions should be recorded, and the links will be included in June final report.
Capacity Building	2 wrap up final sessions about data-information-system management with the data analytics officer.  The training sessions should be recorded, and the links will be included in June final report.	July, 31, 2025 (12 working days)
Handover	Comprehensive handover documentation summarizing Programme Officer progress and recommendations.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Applications must include:

• Cover letter.
• Resume.
• Samples of previous work.
• Financial offer in USD. (This should only be the day rate for working days. UNICEF will provide a daily sustenance allowance for calendar days spent in Afghanistan, including weekends, to cover out-of-pocket costs while in-country, including accommodation. Travel, international and local, will be reimbursed.)
• Applications submitted without financial and technical proposals will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advanced 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.

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

• An advanced university degree in Data science, computer science, demography, public health, social sciences, epidemiology, statistics, or related field.  Any other additional certification in a field directly related to this assignment is desirable.
• A minimum of five years of work experience at the national or international levels in data cleaning, processing, data analytics, and information management required.
• Advanced knowledge in R/python and PowerBI programming is required.
• Demonstrated experience in building team capacity and knowledge is required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills is required.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment is required.
• Having worked with Beneficiary Data management systems (e.g. HOPE) is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience working in complex project implementation settings or emergency settings is desirable.

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:  

Interested consultants are required to apply online, indicating availability and all-inclusive lump sum fee to undertake the terms of reference.

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.