National consultant - Qualitative Citizen Data (based in Nairobi)

Result of ServiceObjective In close collaboration with UNSD and under the guidance of the TWC, the consultant will conduct research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement to develop guidelines and validation criteria, including an implementation roadmap, for the production of qualitative citizen data that KNBS can use for official reporting in Kenya. The work will ensure alignment with global and local best practices and will be contextually relevant for organizations producing qualitative data. The work will also include applying the validation criteria to at least one gender or governance indicator and presenting the guidelines and the validation criteria to national and international audiences. Finally, based on these findings, the consultant will provide recommendations to KNBS to strengthen its internal capacity on the production and use of qualitative data. Work assignment The consultant will: 1. Conduct a comprehensive desk review for the development of the deliverables, including existing standards/principles such as those being developed by the Collaborative of Citizen Data and others. The review shall also take into account Kenya’s legal and policy frameworks relevant to gender, governance, and public participation, including the Women Economic Empowerment Strategy 2020–25, the Revision of the 2014 National Policy on Prevention and Response to GBV, and the Constitution & Public Service Charter, to ensure full alignment with national priorities and legal context. 2. Through a co-creative approach, and in consultation with different stakeholders, co-create the development of guidelines for the production and use of qualitative citizen data in Kenya, including related validation criteria. This will include a peer review process for the guidelines by experts, including KNBS, SDG Kenya Forum, local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), government ministries and agencies, and the TWC, as well as with international stakeholders through the Collaborative of Citizen Data, UNSD, and other NSOs. 3. Draft the practical guidelines that will guide non-state actors who want to collect qualitative citizen data. The package will include a full version of the guidelines (max 20 pages) and a summary version (max 5 pages). The guidelines shall also include clear explanations of key statistical concepts and definitions, a step-by-step guide for producing qualitative data and references to global best practices drawn from NSOs and non-state actors, building upon previous publications and guidelines for producing citizen data. In order to provide practical and context-specific examples, the guidelines should also highlight local case studies from Kenya’s experience and take into account Kenya’s national policy environment, particularly with reference to gender and governance. 4. Draft the validation criteria for qualitative citizen data that will be used by KNBS to accept non-state actors’ qualitative citizen data for reporting purposes. The development of the criteria will follow the process that KNBS took to develop the existing validation criteria for accepting quantitative citizen data for official reporting and should be applied to validate existing citizen data for the production of prioritized indicators on gender or governance. 5. Facilitate approval of the product by KNBS and CSOs through the SDG Kenya Forum and the TWC by organizing and leading a consultative workshop with key stakeholders from government and civil society. Expected outputs and delivery dates By 1 January 2026 • Detailed work plan outlining the steps for implementation, based on consultations with KNBS, TWG, and other stakeholders (Output 1) • Literature review including existing standards/principles for the development of the guidelines (Output 2) By 15 February 2026 • Draft qualitative citizen data guidelines and validation criteria through a co-creative approach (Output 3) By 31 March 2026 • Delivery of consultations and validation workshop (Output 4) • Final short report, summarizing the key consultations held, key findings, and recommendations for KNBS to strengthen its internal capacity for the production and use of qualitative data (Output 5) • Final qualitative citizen data guidelines and validation criteria (Output 6) • Presentation of the guidelines to the relevant stakeholders (Output 7) Performance indicators • A clearly defined methodological approach. • Quality of the meeting materials and documentation provided with every output. • Degree to which reports are reader-friendly, concise, clearly structured and written • Timeliness of delivery of outputs Work LocationThe consultant will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. The consultancy is home-based with regular phone and web conference meetings with staff members of the TWC, KNBS, UNSD and other partners and stakeholders, as well as in-country visits to partners and government offices. The consultant must be available for regular technical meetings to monitor the progress of the work with the TWC, KNBS and the UNSD team. Travel or return travel time to KNBS or other relevant institutions, as well as related expenses, are not part of the consultation. Expected durationThe consultant will work in the period between 1 December 2025 and 31 March 2026. Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Data For Now initiative (Data4Now), co-led by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), aims to develop countries’ capacities to deliver the information needed by local and national policy and decision-makers to achieve the 2030 Agenda. As part of the implementation of the Data4Now initiative, the project supports the development of capacities to (1) use innovative sources, technologies and methods for the streamlined production and dissemination of better, more timely and disaggregated data for sustainable development and (2) make analytic insights derived from them readily available to policy and decision-makers, while strengthening partnerships with government, academia, civil society, and the private sector. Mandated by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 54th session, the Collaborative on Citizen Data (The Collaborative) was established in 2023, in recognition of the potential of citizen data to support effective reporting and policy development. It brings together actors from different sectors, including civil society, human rights institutes, national statistical offices and other government institutions, multilateral agencies and academia, working jointly towards strengthening citizen participation and leveraging solutions to produce and use citizen data for impact. Since its establishment, the Collaborative has taken on a number of tasks, most notably the completion and implementation of the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data, meant to serve as a joint reference for governments, civil society actors and other citizen data protagonists around the globe, guiding them to work with citizen data that is “fit for purpose” as well as for official purposes, e.g. in monitoring and planning processes. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) was among the first national statistics offices (NSO) globally to champion citizen data. Dating back to 2019, KNBS has actively contributed to the development of guidelines for producers of quantitative citizen data. It also led to the development of validation criteria for accepting quantitative citizen data for official reporting purposes. Through this effort, Kenya uses citizen data for reporting on some of the SDG indicators, particularly on Goal 4 (education). KNBS has continued to share its experiences with other national statistics offices to inspire others to champion citizen data as a data source for reporting. To institutionalize citizen data efforts in Kenya, in 2023 the KNBS established a Technical Working Committee for Citizen Data (TWC) in partnership with the SDG Kenya Forum. The TWC is the main institutional mechanisms for coordination and operationalization of citizen data work in Kenya. Through the TWC, KNBS continues to endeavor to align its citizen data efforts to the Copenhagen framework on citizen data and ladder up these efforts to the Collaborative on Citizen Data. In the next 12 months, KNBS and the SDG Kenya Forum in consultation with national stakeholders has prioritized a series of activities, including building capacity on qualitative data production and producing a validation criterion for qualitative citizen data that will enable KNBS to sufficiently steward the producers of qualitative citizen data in producing quality data and to accept qualitative citizen data for official reporting purposes. These qualitative citizen data are particularly relevant for producing data for gender and governance indicators, such as drivers of gender-based violence (GBV), public service delivery, land use, and citizen perceptions, helping to explain the “how” and “why” behind observed trends. In line with national policies, including the Women Economic Empowerment Strategy 2020-25, the revision of the 2014 GBV Policy, and the Constitution & Public Service Charter, as well as their relevance for SDG monitoring, these indicators have been prioritized under the Data For Now initiative. Qualifications/special skillsAn advanced university degree in economics, statistics, mathematics, social sciences, international development, public policy or a related field, with five (5) years of experience in data analysis and/or data management is desired. A bachelor’s degree and two additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. A solid understanding of Kenya's data ecosystem and experience in stakeholder engagement. Experience working with national statistical offices is desirable. Experience with citizen-generated data disaggregated by geography, sex, and key population groups for sustainable and international development is desirable. Experience working on issues relevant to gender and governance is desirable. Experience working in/with international development organizations is desirable. Experience with developing practical data guidance documents addressed to civil society actors or to NSOs, preferably in the area of qualitative data and/or citizen data is desirable. LanguagesFluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN Language is an advantage. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.