UNICEF – Egypt Country Office
Terms of Reference (TOR) for Individual Contract
Title of Assignment: Consultancy for data collection and analysis for
establishing a new ‘Monitoring System’ (MoRES) for the Perinatal Care
Programme in Upper Egypt and supporting the statistical work of the UNICEF
country office
15 May 2012 – 14 April 2013
(for immediate recruitment)
PCR 2: Families and health staff have adopted key family care practices in the targeted areas of
Upper Egypt
IR 2.1: Neonatal and child care best practices are adopted by pregnant and lactating women in targeted
disadvantaged villages in 3 governorates of Upper Egypt
IR 2.2: The Community Health Workers’ Department under the MoHP is strengthened to implement
and up-scale community based health and nutrition interventions through CHWs’ systems
PCR 10: By December 2011, national strategies and policies to reduce child deprivation and
disparities are based on evidence and analysis
IR 10.2: By December 2012, evidence on child poverty and disparities is available to contribute to
strengthening influence on pro-equity social policies and budgets, with advocacy and technical support
1. Background
Over the past two decades, Egypt has made significant progress in reducing childhood mortality.
However, large disparities in child survival persist in the country, in particular for the neonatal period:
according to the 2008 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, the infant mortality rate was ranging
between 15 deaths per thousand live births in urban Lower Egypt and 39 deaths per thousand live births
in rural Upper Egypt. More than half of the infant deaths in rural Upper Egypt were occurring in the
neonatal period (with a neonatal mortality rate of 20 per thousand live births).
Narrowing the gaps to achieve better results for all children is a key objective of UNICEF in Egypt. To
respond to the large disparities in child mortality, since 2008 UNICEF is supporting the Egyptian
Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) in the ‘Perinatal Care Programme of Excellence (PCP)’
which aims to accelerate the national efforts to reduce neonatal mortality, especially in the most
disadvantaged areas of Upper Egypt. The PCPE offers a model for continuum of care by integrating
maternal, neonatal and child health and nutrition at the facility and community level. The programme is
currently implemented in selected areas in three Upper Egypt governorates, with a plan of expansion in
the near future.
The reduction of neonatal mortality is one of the key result areas of UNICEF globally. To measure and
evaluate the impact of its interventions and to support the implementation of the programmes on its key
result areas, UNICEF is supporting the creation of new monitoring systems which will enable the
organization and its partners to regularly access information on key indicators of inputs, process,
outputs and outcomes of the programmes, as well as on the determinants and the bottlenecks which
should be addressed to obtain key strategic results for children with equity.
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UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population, is piloting a new ‘Monitoring
Results for Equity System’ (MoRES) for the PCPE programme in Upper Egypt, in particular focusing
on the barriers (determinants and bottlenecks in the enabling environment, as well as in the supply,
demand and quality of services) to the reduction of neonatal mortality. In the preparation phase of this
pilot, four key data sources/tools have been identified, i.e. data from the MoHP registration (at the
Family Health Unit level and at the District Hospital level), data collected by Community Based
Workers (Community Based Monitoring, implemented until late 2011), data from an ad hoc survey
focusing on children under-5 and their mothers, and data from qualitative research tools, like Focus
Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews etc.
The preparatory phase of the new system is on-going, with the preparation of the list of quantitative and
qualitative indicators to be monitored and the definition of the data tools. The piloting of the collection
of routine registration data in one village is planned for July 2012, while the implementation of the
qualitative data tools expected for September and the field work for the ad hoc survey (MICS-type)
planned for the end of the year.
To support the implementation of this plan, UNICEF Egypt is recruiting a consultant for supporting the
preparation and the refinement of the data tools, and for supporting the analysis of the qualitative and
quantitative data collected with these tools.
2. Purpose of Assignment
 To support the successful implementation of all the four elements of the ‘Monitoring Results for
Equity System’ for the Perinatal Care Programme (PCP)
 To support the Young Child Survival and Development (YCSD) unit and the Social Policy,
Monitoring and Evaluation (SPME) unit of UNICEF Egypt in data and research work.
3. Scope of Assignment
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To take part to the establishment of a regular reporting from the Health System records (pilot in one
village in July 2012, scaling in all 14 villages covered by PCP in Autumn 2012)
To contribute to the revitalization of the Community Monitoring Systems in the villages covered by PCP
To contribute to the definition and to the implementation of the qualitative data collection tools (by
September/October 2012)
To contribute (with the support of the UNICEF Regional Office and other local technical partners) to the
preparation of an ad hoc survey (MICS type) and its fielding (end 2012) in the villages where the PCP is
currently implemented and in the villages where it is planned to expand.
To contribute to the data analysis and related research for the monitoring system
To contribute to the statistical work of the country office (including support to studies on child poverty,
contribution to the upcoming DHS etc.)
4. Methodology
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Desk review of indicators and data tools (especially those relevant for early childhood survival and
perinatal maternal and child care).
Review of the data sources (administrative data and survey data), review of data tools (qualitative and
quantitative).
Preparation of data reporting matrix for administrative data, with instruction for compilation and the
calculation of indicators
Background work for the preparation of the survey (questionnaire, sample selection etc)
 Data analysis, research, preparation of statistics sheets on the indicators collected in MoRES
 Support to the contribution of UNICEF to upcoming DHS, support to the review of the work on child
poverty and disparities
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5. Stakeholder/Partner Participation
The activities will be carried out in coordination with Ministry of Health and Population (at different levels) and
with the support of the SPME and YCSD units at the UNICEF Egypt country office.
6. Duty Station: Cairo, Egypt
7. Supervisors: Leonardo Menchini, Chief SPME
8. Description of Assignment
Key Tasks
Deliverables
Review of framework of indicators to be
monitored by the MoRES, with relative data
sources
Final indicator framework, including description
of the data tools and schedule of the
implementation of MoRES
Preparation of the data matrix for the
administrative data collection from the Family
Health Units, District Hospitals etc
Data matrix, manual for the calculation of the
indicators and other instructions
Support to the review of the Community Based
Monitoring activities (including list of indicators,
questions etc)
Reviewed data reporting tools for the community
based monitoring
Preparation of the plans and tools for the
qualitative data collection (FGD, KII)
Plan for the implementation of the qualitative data
collection work
Review of the data obtained from the
Administrative sources, community based
monitoring and qualitative data tools, and
analysis/research (including on the background
data for the community covered by the PCPE)
Reports on the data collected
Contribution to the preparation of the ad hoc
survey (questionnaire, sampling etc)
Questionnaire of the survey, sampling plan etc
Support to the review of the studies on child
poverty and disparities supported by UNICEF
Contribution to the review of the research/studies
(especially of the statistical analysis)
Support to the UNICEF activities for the
upcoming Egypt Demographic and Health Survey
UNICEF contribution to the DHS 2012-13
9. Duration of Assignment:
 15 May 2012 – 14 April 2013 (11 months)
10. Division of Roles and Responsibilities
The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Chief SPME and the member of the YCSD unit
involved in the PCPE programme. The technical work for the preparation of the survey will benefit of
the technical support of the MICS team (global and regional), as well as other technical experts
11. Qualifications/ Specialized Knowledge Required For Assignment
 Master degree in Statistics/Demography/Health or Development Economics/Public health (PhD
preferable)
 3 years of experience in social and economic statistics work (data collection and analysis),
including familiarity with survey data and data from administrative sources
 Familiarity with Demographic and Health surveys or MICS
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Familiarity with UNICEF work and with the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Good communication, presentation and drafting skills
Fluency in English (Arabic is an asset)
12. Suggested level of the Consultancy: Junior to Mid level. P2/NOB - P3/NOC
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