Consultancy - Qualitative Research Consultant – Data Must Speak - Global Office of Research and Foresight - approx. 181 working days (Remote/Work from home)

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, answers

Data and evidence are key to understanding and improving the performance and equity of an education system. Countries and development partners have increased investments in Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) and learning assessments, yet data and evidence remain vastly underutilized in education policy, planning, and decision-making at all levels. Further research is needed to understand “what works” for improving data-driven policymaking and “how” to better align data and policy systems, particularly at the middle-tier level. There is growing focus on the role of the middle-tier to bridge policies developed at the national-level with teaching and leadership practices at the school level, which ultimately influence learning outcomes, equity, and inclusion. However, there is a significant research gap on the role of the middle-tier in using data and evidence to support education policymaking.

Data Must Speak to Strengthen Capacity and Advance Local Evidence Use (DMS SCALE) is a research initiative that aims to fill this evidence gap, fostering greater national ownership of knowledge derived from existing education data at the country-level. DMS SCALE will collaborate with MoE officials in four countries (Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Nepal) to understand their policy priorities and identify pertinent questions on learning, education, and gender equality, equity, and inclusion outcomes that can be answered by data already being collected. This includes engaging with local officials and harnessing the power of data held at the local level, including from school inspections and instructional supervision. DMS SCALE will employ experimental research methodologies to investigate the process of evidence-based decision-making, including robustly testing knowledge co-production, mobilization and dissemination approaches that could support data use and harmonization at the central and local levels.

Data Must Speak | Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight

How can you make a difference?  The consultant will perform the following activities in collaboration with other DMS researchers and in partnership with Ministries of Education, UNICEF Country Offices and Regional Offices:   • Work with a wider team of DMS researchers to develop and/or refine the conceptual framework, theory of change, research questions and research methods based on already completed country-level scoping reviews and policy/literature review. • Work with a wider team of DMS researchers and with in-country stakeholders to design country-specific qualitative data collection instruments (e.g. Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Observations). • Support the finalization of the qualitative sampling strategy and selection criteria for related participants who will be engaged during qualitative data collection activities. • Organize meetings and relevant trainings with the hired survey firm/data collection entity, including on ethical protocols, piloting and data collection plans and timelines, as well as data quality assurance procedures. • Strengthen the capacity of Ministries of Education and UNICEF field offices and through trainings and ‘learning-by-doing’ activities in the areas of qualitative data collection and analysis. •  Contribute to development and submission of Institutional Review Board (IRB) ethics protection protocols for qualitative data collection components prior to starting data collection activities. •  Support quality assurance of audio files and transcriptions to ensure high quality data submitted by hired survey firm. • Collaborate with DMS research team member(s) to develop coding framework and analytical strategies for qualitative data collected at country-level. • Code qualitative data in French and/or English using Nvivo; ensure consistency in application of the codebook across qualitative research consultants working in the same country. • Complete qualitative data analysis by identifying key analytical points emerging from the data • Draft country, regional, and/or global level reports based on research results and ensure publications adhere to UNICEF Innocenti Quality Assurance processes, including soliciting and responding to internal and external review. • Develop additional dissemination outputs, knowledge products and donor reporting requirements, including blog posts, PowerPoint presentations, and/or social media content. • Contribute to activities aimed at increasing the use of research findings by decision makers at country level. • Work hand-in-hand with the DMS research team and the DMS managers to continuously learn, improve, and refine (using iterative processes) the DMS SCALE methodologies, including through regular team meetings and sense-making sessions.   If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  DMS SCALE Qual Researcher 2025 EXT.pdf

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

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Remarks:  

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.