Result of Service

Under the direct supervision of the Programme/Project Officer and general supervision of the Chief of the Population and Social Statistics Section (PSS), Statistics Division, the consultant will specifically undertake the following duties related to Project ID: 2023-SD-002: Develop learning modules 1-3 and create interactive training materials on Moodle, including setting assignments/deliverables for participants (by 1 July 2024) Provide guidance to participants in the programme to ensure online learning and progress on theirs research proposals (by 1 August 2024) Participate/moderate and finalize first workshop programme for participants in collaboration with another consultant and ESCAP staff (by 1 September 2024) Follow up with participants and ensuring they are working with their mentors and progressing on their research, review their deliverables (no 4 and 5) and conduct regular office hours for participants and mentors to ask questions related to the programme and their research (by 1 October 2024) Develop learning modules 4-6 and create interactive training materials on Moodle, including setting assignments/deliverables for participants (by 1 November 2024) Finalize CART live session programme and review participants deliverable number 6 (by 1 December 2024) Participate/moderate and finalize second workshop programme for participants in collaboration with another consultant and ESCAP staff (by 31 January 2025)

Work Location

Work remotely with travel to one workshop

Expected duration

5 Jun 24 – 31 Jan 25

Duties and Responsibilities

ESCAP supports members and associate members to enhance their Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems to achieve universal civil registration and legal documentation of all vital events, and production of accurate, complete and timely vital statistics. When governments attended the first Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Asia and the Pacific in 2014 they proclaimed the Asian and Pacific CRVS Decade, 2015-2024. Through the declaration of the CRVS Decade, governments marked 2015-2024 as a timeframe for realizing their shared vision that all people in Asia and the Pacific will benefit from universal and responsive CRVS systems facilitating the realization of their rights and supporting good governance, health and development. During the 2014 Ministerial Conference, Governments also adopted the Ministerial Declaration to “Get Every One in the Picture” in Asia and the Pacific and committed to focusing their efforts on improving national CRVS systems by endorsing the Regional Action Framework on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. There is a need to improve the ability and strengthen the capacity of practitioners to produce research, as evidenced by the first Asia Pacific CRVS Research Forum held in 2023. Writing up study protocols, seeking funding, collecting and analysing data, writing manuscripts, dealing with peer review, revision of papers and communicating and disseminating results are all essential components of taking a research project from conception to completion and into use, but capacity and time for such activities within most programme settings are often lacking and prevent quality research being carried out and used. There is also an issue in creating a critical mass of trained researchers to sustain an applied research programme. Many talented local individuals do not become involved in research even if they have the skills to do so which further reduces the research capacity or, alternatively, they go to study in universities abroad and often either do not return to work in their countries or move to the private sector. This project builds on a successful model implemented previously by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and Medicins Sans Frontieres to build operational research capacity among health professionals, known as the “SORT-IT” model. While the project needs to be adapted for the CRVS context, the approach will be similar and incorporate the essential element as identified by Kumar et al. 2020, Zachariah et al. 2020 and Zachariah et al. 2016. Additionally, lessons reflecting the significant advances in elearning in recent years and the concomitant move to elearning of the SORT-IT model will be considered to find the best blend and types of learning to achieve the objectives (Decroo et al. 2918, Hay et al. 2021). The project will create a modular research training courses for CRVS practitioners in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and ESCAP regions. To move to the next module, a defined product of sufficient quality needs to be submitted. There will also be a mentorship or coaching component through partnerships with universities (local in the first instance but if appropriate expertise is not available then regional can be considered but ideally placed in the Global South) whereby experts in the area to be studied will provide input and feedback as the research develops. This will also allow strengthening of local research capacity and will increase collaboration and partnerships between CRVS practitioners and academic and research institutions. Eventually, each participant will be expected to submit a paper to a peer-reviewed journal at the end of the course and to create appropriate dissemination products such as policy briefs, posters etc. Other key indicators of success, in addition to papers published, will be research disseminated at conferences and improvements in programmatic and service delivery. The project aims to build a cadre of enthusiastic, well-trained individuals in developing countries who will spear-head momentum for research within programme settings, the wider related CRVS areas and if appropriate within wider relevant settings to improve programmes and policies. Longer term and to create sustainability, outstanding participants could be further supported to acquire academic qualifications on the basis of their research and partnerships with local universities should be established. In this way, they can acquire qualifications while still working and in country as well as developing appropriate knowledge products. Thus, a cadre of enthusiastic and skilled practitioners will be built up who will become leaders in this field and further create knowledge. Ideally, if the training becomes established, they can also mentor and support more junior colleagues in the upcoming cohorts in the course and in their production of research. Finally, the applied research produced will be used to strengthen and improve CRVS systems through the production and uptake of relevant and targeted evidence. ESCAP is seeking to employ a consultant to implement the CRVS applied research capacity initiative (CART). The contractor will create modular research training courses for CRVS practitioners in the ECA and ESCAP regions, combining a mixture of elearning and face to face training. Each module will support researchers in their work towards the creation of a product on the path towards producing the final research products (e.g. developing research question, applying for funding if needed, initial literature review, proposal and analytical approach, analysis, first draft, final draft, communication strategy, dissemination etc).

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced degree in statistics, demography, public health or related fields. – Experience in providing technical assistance to strengthen national CRVS Systems -Experience with publication of articles in peer-reviewed journals and developing training materials on research skills -Experience of working in the area of official statistics within the Asia-Pacific region -Working experience within an international organization is desirable -Working experience with academic institutions, national statistical offices and CRVS practitioners in the Asia Pacific region is desirable Skills -Strong understanding of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems and other data sources for estimating vital statistics -Strong drafting skills, including the ability to summarise technical material. -Excellent coordination, planning, communication and organizational skills -Ability to collate a vast array of information and ideas, use critical thinking, conceptualize ideas, and articulate relevant subject matter in a clear and concise way -Ability to support electronic-only forums and finalize virtual and face-to-face workshops.

Languages

Fluency in English, including writing.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE 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.