Statistics and Data Analysis Officer at UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Terms of Reference

Statistics and Data Analysis Officer P3 (TA)

Statistics and Demographics Section,

Global Data Service, UNHCR Copenhagen, Denmark

**UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a Temporary Appointment within the ***Statistics and Demographics Section of the Global Data Service (GDS)*** in Copenhagen, Denmark.**

UNHCR is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. We are in over 125 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.

This Temporary Appointment (TA) is to support the design and implementation of a household survey series (“Results Monitoring Surveys” (RMS)) on living conditions and welfare of populations directly and indirectly assisted by UNHCR’s programmes (forced displaced and stateless). This work will feed into UNHCR’s Results-Based Management system (RBM), led by the Division of Strategic Planning and Results (DSPR). To accomplish this, demonstrated experience and expertise in survey methodology and survey sampling is required, with experience implementing surveys, questionnaire and sample design, and data analysis on hard-to-reach or mobile populations preferred.

• Title: Statistics and Data Analysis Officer
• Duty Station: Copenhagen, Denmark
• Duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds)
• Contract Type: Temporary Appointment
• Closing date: 20 June 2021
• Start date: as soon as possible

Organizational context

High-quality data is central to the success of UNHCR’s efforts to safeguard the rights and well-being of persons of concern, and to achieving the vision of becoming, by 2025, a trusted leader on data and information related to refugees and other affected populations. When it comes to delivering data to inform programming, targeting, advocacy, partnerships (including with development institutions), results frameworks and global commitments (e.g. the Global Compact on Refugees, SDGs, Grand Bargain), the two main data sources are registration systems and household surveys. In 2020, UNHCR established a process to integrate and standardize UNHCR’s survey landscape, while at the same time expanding it to accommodate the survey-based indicators of the new corporate Results Based Management (RBM) framework. The new RBM framework includes at least 50 indicators whose preferred data collection source is household surveys, which will be collected through a new survey series (Results Monitoring Surveys – RMS), to be piloted in 2021 in 5 country operations and gradually be rolled out throughout UNHCR’s global operations.

The Statistics and Data Analysis Officer will be a member of the Statistics and Demographics Section located within the Global Data Service. The incumbent will work closely with the other stakeholders involved in an interdivisional task force on household surveys, including the Global Data Service, the Division of Strategic Planning and Results (DSPR), the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), the World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement (JDC) and UNHCR Regional Bureaux (RBs).

The position

Under supervision of the Senior Statistics and Data Analysis Officer, the Statistics and Data Analysis Officer will provide technical support to five countries which will pilot the RMS in 2021. This will encompass, among others, designing/providing technical support to protocols on questionnaire translation and testing; developing/refining sampling strategies; discussing and liaising with operational partners, UNHCR’s operations and Regional Bureaux on sampling frames; develop quality assurance protocols on data collected by third-parties; developing routines (codes) for data analysis; and the production of regional or global reports. Additionally, based on the experience gained during the pilot phase, the incumbent will support GDS and DSPR in the preparatory technical work before roll-out of the RMS in 2022.

The Statistics and Data Analysis Officer will work closely with the Data, Identity Management and Analysis (DIMAs) teams in the Regional Bureaux in providing support to the country operations and will ensure consistency between the statistical approaches used in different regions.

The incumbent will also provide general technical support to other UNHCR’s statistical activities as needed.

Duties and responsibilities

In order to carry out this function, the Statistics and Data Analysis Officer will have the following duties:

Coordination and strategy

• Technically support the development, piloting and scale-up of RMS;
• Promote information-sharing among collaborators and ensure reporting on progress of the initiative;
• Participate in the recruitment of qualified survey firm(s) to undertake data collection, together with relevant internal experts;
• Ensure interdivisional coordination between relevant colleagues, as well as inter-regional coordination on approaches and technical components of surveys.

Development of standardized methods and tools

• Develop tools, guidance and methodological material, that may include questionnaire modules, training materials and field manuals, code books, fieldwork quality assurance protocols, data analysis plans, procurement templates, etc.;
• Ensure technical quality and timeliness of prepared materials, in consultation with relevant internal and external experts;
• Coordinate translations and CAPI-coding (Kobo) of survey tools.

Piloting

• Develop technical support quality assurance mechanisms;
• Develop codes for computation of indicators in selected statistical packages (R or Stata preferred);
• Ensure timely preparation of survey design and materials (questionnaires, training material, field manuals, etc.), including instrument validation protocols as appropriate;
• Support development of sampling strategy and sample selection for individual pilot countries;
• Liaise with operations, operational partners, and Regional Bureaux on sampling frame compilation and discussions;
• Oversee the survey firm’s enumerator training and data collection work to ensure that agreed protocols and standards are followed;
• Produce timely analysis and reports of the survey data, as needed.
• Ensure full documentation of lessons learnt, and resulting adjustment and finalization of the methods and tools.
• Organize and facilitate the presentation of the pilot survey findings.

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Higher Education degree in statistics, survey methodology, economics, demography, data science, geography/GIS, social sciences or a related field.
• 6 years of relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree in data or statistical field, 2 years in international context, 2 years in humanitarian or development situation.
• Experience with national and/or international statistical systems.
• Experience with data analysis in developmental or humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in survey methodology and survey sampling (experience with mobile or hard-to-reach populations preferred).
• Strong understanding of the principles and concepts of international protection and UNHCR.
• Experience in data collection and analysis in field situations.
• Ability to translate planning-specifications into technical briefs for data collection and analysis, and vice versa.
• Understanding of different data collection methodologies.
• Familiarity with planning, programming, strategic planning, project development, budgeting and resource mobilization.
• Experience working with partners, including host and donor Governments, humanitarian and development partners.
• Familiarity with international statistical standards on labour, social protection, health, education, among others.
• Excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Fluency in English language, with advanced writing and editing skills.

Desired qualifications and competencies

• Previous experience with global multi-topic survey series and national quantitative household surveys (e.g. MICS, LSMS or DHS).
• Experience with probabilistic surveying in forced displacement contexts.
• Experience with computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) preferred, and Kobo Toolbox in particular.
• Experience with statistical software packages (Stata, SPSS, R, etc.).
• Knowledge of additional languages (French, Spanish or Arabic) is desirable

Location

The successful candidate will be based with the team in Copenhagen, Denmark. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions, initial telecommuting from other locations could be potentially explored with the selected candidate.

Conditions

The initial duration of temporary appointment is 6 months.