UNICEF Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT
REGIONAL DATA PROCESSING CONSULTANTS - MICS4
1. Background
UNICEF places a high priority on the availability of recent and reliable information with which to monitor the
situation of children and women. Statistically sound and internationally comparable data are essential for
developing evidence-based policies and programmes, as well as for monitoring countries’ progress toward
national goals and global commitments, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
UNICEF assists countries in collecting and analyzing data in order to fill data gaps for monitoring the
situation of children and women through its international household survey initiative, the Multiple Indicator
Cluster Survey (MICS). MICS enables countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable
estimates of a range of indicators in the areas of health, education, child protection, water and sanitation
and HIV and AIDS. MICS findings are typically among the most important sources of data within a country
used as a basis for policy decisions and programme interventions, and for influencing public opinion on the
situation of children and women.
MICS surveys are usually carried out by government organizations, with the support and technical assistance
of UNICEF. The type of support required by countries at different stages of a national household survey
requires specialized skills that are not usually among the skills sets of UNICEF staff members. Therefore, for
the fourth round of MICS, UNICEF Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent
states (CEECIS) is seeking to hire highly experienced household survey consultants who will be able to
provide country offices with the technical assistance at critical survey stages on a timely manner.
Serbia has already finalised and printed its MICS4 final report and Kazakhstan is expected to complete the
final report very soon. Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia FYROM has completed the fieldwork while
MICS4 fieldwork in BiH and Turkmenistan will continue until February 2012. FYROM will need support with
finalisation of tables and production of standard error tables, while Turkmenistan and BiH will be provided
with assistance in terms of editing, cleaning and exporting process as well as analysis and report writing in
2012.
Three countries, Republic of Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine, will require technical assistance during the
stages of questionnaire design, pre-test, customisation of the data entry application and fieldwork training,
fieldwork monitoring and data analysis and report writing.
In order to be able to support the countries with data processing work, the Regional Office for CEECIS
is seeking to hire two individual data processing consultants.
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2. Objectives
Under the overall supervision of the Regional MICS Coordinator, the Consultants will be responsible for
supporting MICS4 countries in CEECIS with the reviewing of the data entry (CSPro) and data analysis (SPSS)
programs.
3. Activities and Outputs
1. To technically review the adapted data entry programs (CSPro) of selected MICS country(ies) in
CEECIS ensuring that data entry programs follow MICS guidelines and in agreement with the
adapted questionnaires for the national survey;
2. To technically review the adapted data processing programs (SPSS) of each MICS country in
CEECIS ensuring that tabulation programs follows MICS guidelines and the output tables are in
agreement with the adapted questionnaires for the national survey;
3. To compile reports with technical comments and recommendations highlighting proposed
changes, if any, to the data entry and data analysis programs. Comments will be shared by
UNICEF with the implementing partner;
4. Facilitate the data entry and analysis training sessions during the MICS regional workshop (Data
Processing) and discuss and advise countries attending the workshop on their data entry and data
analysis approach;
5. Provide in-country support to selected countries in order to assist the implementing partner in
adapting the data entry and analysis programs (including providing technical support to data
cleaning, recoding, analysis and tabulation of country-specific modules and/or questions).
The consultants will be expected to travel to 4-5 countries in 2012 and to facilitate at the regional
MICS data processing workshop, if organised.
Suggested timing of country visits:
 Trip #1: Prior to the start of fieldwork in order to advise on the set up of the Data Processing
System;
 Trip #2: At the end of the fieldwork -during the editing, data cleaning, exporting process,
including the first run of tables;
 Trip #3: To take place within a few months after the trip #2 in order to finalize all tables,
including production of sampling error tables.
The timing of the visits will depend on the survey schedules of the countries.
During the country visit, the activities should include:
 Presentations on MICS data entry and analysis approach to UNICEF MICS focal points and the
data processing experts from the implementing partner;
 Review of necessary documents to support the data processing activities;
 Support and ensure the use of ‘Supervisor’s menu’ during data entry
 Support data editing and ensure the use of double data entry;
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
In collaboration with the implementing partner, put together the final datasets and standard
as well as country specific tables;
Further activities in support to selected countries may include:
 Participating in setting up the data entry room;
 Establishing a backup system;
 Adding weights to datasets;
 Creating wealth index;
 Finalising datasets;
 As a follow-up to field work training, provide training in data entry including the following
topics:
o certification of the data entry facility,
o installation of data entry equipments,
o training data entry supervisor,
o certification of 100% double data entry process,
o verification of consistency checks and correction of inconsistencies,
o training for how to code the ‘other’ answers,
o questionnaire verification, and
o running data quality tables.
6. Review the data processing related parts of the final report. Provide technical comments and
recommendations highlighting proposed changes, if any to the relevant chapters. Comments will
be shared by UNICEF with the implementing partner.
7. Support the data archiving and anonymisation of the MICS datasets in the country;
8. Respond to ad-hoc data processing queries from MICS4 countries by e-mail and through MICS4
Forum.
4. Qualifications and Competencies
Education
Master’s Degree or PhD in a field related to Information Technologies, Statistics, Demography, or any
other related technical field with special expertise in data management/processing.
Skills and Experience

Minimum 8 years experience in data processing for household surveys;

Extensive knowledge of CSPro and SPSS softwares.

Familiarity with the IHSN Microdata Management Toolkit an asset

Must be familiar with the data processing approach of MICS and/or Demographic and Health
Surveys (DHS);

Demonstrated training experience;

Experience of working in developing countries;

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;

Ability and willingness to travel to all countries across CEECIS region.
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
Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and
effective relationships with national partners;
Languages

Proficiency in oral and written Russian is desirable.
5. Deliverables
1. Report for each MICS survey data entry program (CSPro) and data analysis (SPSS) package
outlining key recommendations and proposed changes and how the data processing approach
meet or do not meet MICS technical standards;
2. Country visit reports (including presentations and training materials) for each country visited;
3. Regional workshop trip report including findings and recommendations;
4. Design presentations and training materials used in workshops and trainings;
5. Report on the final datasets produced in each country including recommendations for
improvement;
6. Review and report on each survey draft report before finalisation from a data processing point of
view.
For each task, the number of days and deliverables will be agreed upon on the base of specific short
ToRs.
6. Duration of the contract
The contract duration is estimated between 06 February – 30 November 2012.71 days of data
processing consultancy will be required. The number of contract days will depend on the type of
support expected as well as other engagements from the consultants.
7. Official travel involved
The consultants will be expected to travel to 4-5 countries in 2012 and to facilitate at the regional
MICS data processing workshop, if organised. Expenses related to the travel costs will be covered by
UNICEF as per its rules and regulations.
8. How to apply
Qualified candidates are requested to email a cover letter, CV and P11 form (which can be
downloaded from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) to
smahmudlu@unicef.org by 25 January 2012. Please indicate your relevant experience, availability
and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily
rate will not be considered.
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