Education Data Consultant,Suva,Fiji, 13 Months, Remotely with Travel (Open For Both International & National Candidates) Req#596147

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Contract Duration:  13 Months

Working arrangement: HomeBased

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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 Education.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Pacific is seeking technical assistance to strengthen the use of education data for evidence-informed sector planning, policy dialogue and programme design across selected Pacific Island countries.

Over the coming 12 months, several countries supported by the UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office will be undertaking, finalizing or disseminating MICS surveys, results and analytical products related to Education and ECD, including contextualization of MICS training notes on Education and ECD, contextualization of FLS modules, support to MICS-EAGLE and other targeted products for Education and ECD, cross-sectoral analysis related to resilience and education, and MICS-EMIS (MICS-Link) analyses..

This creates an important opportunity to support Ministries of Education and related Ministries, as relevant, to engage with MICS processes from the outset, contextualize tools appropriately, and use resulting data alongside EMIS and other administrative datasets for decision-making.

This further creates an opportunity to coordinate more closely with regional organizations with leading roles in data to demonstrate the complementarity of MICS and other data.

In addition, UNICEF Pacific will be engaging in the development of the next 5-year MCPD, requiring thoughtful analysis of key issues for children across the 14 Pacific Island countries and territories served by the Pacific office.

The technical support provided will ensure MICS and relevant education-related data is used to the maximum possible extent in guiding the direction of the MCPD 2028-2032.

The consultancy will contribute to UNICEF Pacific’s broader education data and evidence agenda, including early childhood development, school readiness, inclusive education, climate resilience and other emerging priorities.

The overall purpose is to help ensure that education data investments translate into practical, country-owned recommendations, stronger monitoring systems, and more equitable and responsive education programming across the Pacific.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will provide technical support to UNICEF Pacific and select Ministries of Education to strengthen the earliest possible engagement with the preparation, analysis, interpretation, dissemination and use of MICS, EMIS and other education datasets.

The work will be organized around five main workstreams, with specific country support to be prioritized jointly with UNICEF Pacific during the assignment period.

A cross all areas of work, the consultant will apply equity, gender and inclusion lens, including through disaggregated analysis where data allow.

The assignment will provide targeted technical support to UNICEF Pacific and government partners in several Pacific countries (including, Samoa, RMI, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Fiji and other prioritized countries), depending on evolving needs and timelines.

The consultant will support the analysis, interpretation, dissemination and uptake of MICS and EMIS data, with a particular focus on strengthening linkages between household survey data and education administrative data for sector review, planning and advocacy.

The assignment will also support foundational learning data work, including FLS adaptation and analysis, and help position MICS learning data in relation to PILNA, EGRA/EGMA, national assessments and examinations.

1. MICS-EMIS linkages and use for sector planning

The consultant will support UNICEF Pacific and selected Pacific Ministries of Education to strengthen the engagement in MICS processes and use of MICS data alongside EMIS and other administrative education datasets for sector review, planning and decision-making.

This may include support to ongoing or planned MICS-EMIS work in selected Pacific countries, such as Samoa, RMI and Solomon Islands, depending on government interest and data availability.

The consultant will also support technical discussions or workshops with Ministries of Education, UNICEF colleagues (HQ/Pacific) and other partners; prepare/consolidate the identification of priority policy questions; coordinate with the MICS team to analyze relevant indicators; and help prepare short reports, policy briefs, slide decks or advocacy products as useful and relevant to each context for Ministries of Education to translate findings into practical recommendations for education planning.

2. Foundational learning data, FLS adaptation and learning outcomes strategy

The consultant will support UNICEF Pacific’s work on foundational learning and learning outcomes data, including MICS Foundational Learning Skills, PILNA, EGRA/EGMA, national assessments and examinations.

This may include early engagement with government and MICS teams; World Bank and SPC’s EQAP on FLS contextualization in selected Pacific countries, such as Kiribati and Fiji; review of adapted tools and technical materials; and support to the analysis and interpretation of MICS learning data where available.

The consultant will also prepare a short regional note on the learning outcomes data landscape in the Pacific, identifying key data sources, gaps, opportunities for better alignment, and potential areas where UNICEF Pacific can add value in the next MCPD period.

3. ECD data, school readiness and early learning

The consultant will support UNICEF Pacific to better understand and use MICS data related to early childhood development, school readiness and early learning.

This may include reviewing relevant MICS ECD indicators, identifying key messages for education and ECD programming, and exploring how MICS data can complement other ECD measurement efforts, including EHCI and country-level monitoring systems.

The work should help UNICEF Pacific identify practical entry points for using ECD data in policy dialogue, programme design, advocacy and cross-sectoral collaboration.

4. Climate, resilience and education data scoping

The consultant will support initial scoping on how education data systems in the Pacific can better capture issues related to climate risk, resilience and education continuity.

This may include reviewing existing indicators and data sources, identifying gaps in current education data systems, and proposing potential areas for future programming particularly in Fiji; FSM; Kiribati and Solomon Islands.

The consultant may also support UNICEF Pacific to identify how MICS, EMIS, school-level data and other datasets could better inform planning for climate-resilient education systems, especially in small island, remote and climate-vulnerable contexts where smaller scale but frequent emergencies are resulting in learning losses.

5. Education data and evidence support for capacity development

The consultant will provide technical support to UNICEF Pacific on emerging education data and evidence priorities during the consultancy period.

This will include data analysis for MCPD development, donor reporting, regional meetings, programme briefs, products, internal strategy processes, or country-level technical support where there is a clear strategic need.

This flexible component is intended to ensure that the consultancy can respond to evolving country timelines, (MICS) data availability, Ministry requests and UNICEF Pacific capacity needs and programme priorities.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Terms Of Reference TMC0006509.pdf

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

Minimum requirements: 

• Education:

Education, statistics, economics, public policy, social sciences, international development, data science, demography, or another relevant field.

• Work Experience:

A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in education data, quantitative analysis, monitoring and evaluation, learning assessment, EMIS, household survey data, or education sector planning.

Demonstrated experience supporting the analysis and use of education data for policy dialogue, sector review, planning, advocacy or programme design is required.

• Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required, including strong written communication skills and the ability to prepare clear, concise and policy-relevant analytical products.

• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

Strong quantitative analytical skills, including experience working with large education datasets and using statistical software such as Stata, R, SPSS, Python or equivalent.

Good understanding of MICS, EMIS, education indicators, foundational learning data, learning assessments and/or early childhood development data.

Ability to translate complex data into practical recommendations for government counterparts, UNICEF teams and partners.

Knowledge of key thematic areas relevant to education data use in the Pacific, including foundational learning, learning outcomes, ECD and early learning, climate-resilient education, gender, equity and inclusive education.

Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage competing timelines and produce high-quality outputs in a remote or multi-country working environment.

• Desirables:

Experience with MICS, MICS-EMIS/MICS Link, MICS-EAGLE, MICS Foundational Learning Skills, PILNA, EGRA/EGMA, national assessments or examinations is highly desirable.

Prior experience working in the Pacific, small island developing states or complex multi-country contexts is an asset.

Experience working with UNICEF, Ministries of Education, or development partners in low- and middle-income countries is an asset.

Knowledge of a Pacific language is an asset.

 

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

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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 TMC0006509.docx