UNDP Jobs - 54272- Statistics Advisor

Statistics Advisor

Location :

Nay Pyi Taw, with travel to Yangon, MYANMAR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

09-Mar-2015

Application Deadline :

05-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

9 March to 30 June 2015

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP seeks to engage an international consultant with a strong background in statistics. The assignment will include remote work and missions to Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon. It will offer a unique opportunity to work with a wide range of different government departments and UN agencies. Key objectives of the work are to assess socio-economic data, recommend measures to improve data management and introduce other countries’ successful experience. Results of the consultant’s work will contribute to policy discussions on Myanmar’s strategies to graduate from the Least Development Country (LDC) status.

Myanmar has been making a rigorous effort to further accelerate its development progress. In 2014, the Government of Myanmar set a target to graduate from the Least Development Country (LDC) status as soon as possible. In July of the same year, the government formed a Committee for LDC Graduation Status, chaired by Vice President, H.E. U Nyan Tun, and five Implementation Sub-committees for LDC graduation, including all relevant ministries.

The government of Myanmar has taken initial steps to review its possibilities of meeting the three criteria for a LDC graduation. In September 2014, the government of Myanmar and UNDP organized a technical training session for the LDC Sub-committees. In this session, government officials became aware of how each data for LDC graduation criteria is collected and calculated. In December 2014, upon Myanmar’s request, a UN-wide team (UNOHRLLS, UNDP, ESCAP, DESA and UCTAD) conducted the Myanmar Graduation Workshop, through which the team and the government officials had a preliminary review of Myanmar’s existing data for the LDC graduation criteria (Gross National Income (GNI), Human Assets Index (HAI) and Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI)).

In a recent technical discussion between the UN and the government of Myanmar, government stated that its immediate priority is to have a holistic picture of Myanmar’s current progress against the individual LDC indicators, including an assessment of Myanmar’s current arrangements for collecting relevant national data. The work of the consultant (Statistical Advisor) is to carry out a rapid assessment of the country’s LDC data and provide concrete recommendations (based on the review of other countries’ successful examples) to improve data collection and management. The total duration of the assignment is 4 months.

Other Information

UNDP will provide administrative and logistical support for arranging transport and interviews with the relevant government departments (in Nay Pyi Taw) and UN agencies (in Yangon). Costs related to travels – such as transport, per diem, accommodation, meals - will be provided by UNDP, in accordance with its regulations and policies. UNDP will also provide an interpreter/translator, as needed. Proposal should included international airfere to join duty station.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the Assignment

This assignment will focus on three key objectives:

To assess gaps in the existing LDC data;
To identify concrete ways for the collection of the missing LDC data and overall management of the LDC data in line with the national statistical systems;
To review other countries’ examples on LDC data collection and management and make recommendations relevant to Myanmar.

Scope of Work

Assessment of data and capacities

Desk review of:

Myanmar’s LDC data available online (see Annex 1. Sources of LDC Data);
Presentations and outcome documents from the Myanmar Graduation Workshop;
Documents from the country’s National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) initiative;
Any other relevant documents.

Interviews with relevant government departments and UN departments/agencies to assess:

Gaps in Myanmar’s existing LDC data;
Initiatives Myanmar government has undertaken to address those LDC data gaps;
Data activities that are already planned under the country’s National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) initiative.

Identification of improvement measures

Desk review of other countries’ successful examples of LDC data collection and management.

A set of concrete measures to identify ways to:

collect missing data for LDC indicators;
improve LDC data management in line with national statistical systems.

Duration of Assignment, Duty Station and Expected Places of Travel

Duration: From 9 March 2015 to 30 June 2015;
Duty Station: Nay Pyi Taw, with travel(s) to Yangon.

Final Products

Draft of the Assessment and Recommendation Report by 10 June, answering at the very minimum the following questions:

Section: Assessment of data and capacities

Guiding questions (indicative):

LDC data are calculated by designated agencies (i.e. UN, Research Institute, World Bank, etc. See Annex 1 for the full list). In those agencies’ websites, what are the baselines of Myanmar’s data for the LDC indicators? what data is missing from Myanmar? what existing data needs to be strengthened? When data is incomplete, what assumptions are used by those agencies for their calculation and how does it affect Myanmar’s LDC graduation status?
Within Myanmar, how are the data for the LDC indicators collected: by whom, by which method, how regularly, etc.?
If certain data is missing, what are the reasons for this data to be missing? What measures is government already taking to address those data gaps?
What are the implications of Myanmar government’s National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) initiative to the country’s LDC data collection and management?

Section: Identification of improvement measures

Guiding questions (indicative):

What are successful examples from other countries that Myanmar can learn to improve its LDC data collection and management? How are those successful examples of LDC data management incorporated into those countries’ overall statistical activities?
By short, mid and long-term periods, what are the concrete ways that Myanmar government can take to: collect the missing LDC data; and improve LDC data management in line with the national statistical systems? And what are the required capacities and resources to implement those recommendations?

Final Assessment and Recommendation Report by 19 June 2015

Presentation of key findings/recommendations through dissemination workshops within the period of 22 – 30 June 2015 (presentation files should be reviewed by UNDP 3 working days in advance to the workshops)

Provision of Monitoring and Progress Controls

The consultant is requested to submit a one pager weekly progress report, according to a template provided by UNDP. The consultant will directly report to the Development Planning & Effectiveness Programme Specialist. Technical supervision will be provided by UNDP’s regional Economist.

for more detail visit: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=20867.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates Integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to consolidate information from multiple sources;
Able to prepare strategic information for decision makers;
Ability to advance and provide timely advice;
Ability to identify issues and to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems;
Ability to work under extreme pressure in a highly stressful environment;
Developing People/Coaching and Mentoring & Fostering Innovation and Empowerment;
Self-Management /Emotional Intelligence;
Excellent Communication skill, including the ability to write in a clear and concise manner;
Excellent negotiation skills;
Strong interpersonal and coordination skills;
Ability to work well in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams;
Appropiate and transparent decision making;
Analytical and strategic thinking and results orientation/commitment to excellence; and
Knowledge sharing /continuous learning.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics or Economics, with 9 years of experience or
Master’s Degree with 7 years of experience.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years (9 years for Bachelor’s Degree) of relevant professional experience;
Experience in designing surveys and calculating the data for official statistics;
Experience in assessing institutions’ statistical capacities;
Proven record of technical contributions to statistical publications;
Proven record of delivering statistical presentations/trainings to different level of government officials;
Prior experience of statistical work in Myanmar, South-East Asia and/or countries in transition is an asset;
Prior experience of working on LDC issues is an asset.

Language:

Excellent command of written and spoken English.

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