SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR (STATISTICS)
OVERVIEW
Post Number : 6SNUIS0006PA
Grade : P-5
Parent Sector : UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Duty Station: Dakar
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Project Appointment
Duration of contract : 2 years with possibility of renewal
Recruitment open to : Internal and external candidates

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Established in 1999, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) serves as UNESCO’s statistical agency for its 193 member states (MS) and 12 associated members. The UIS agenda is focused on the delivery of cross-national comparable data for Global, regional and development agendas, covering the fields of education, science, culture, and communication and information. The UIS delivers the technical support for MS to produce transformative data based on the 3 pillars (Standards and methodologies; Data production; Brokering and outreach). The UIS’ vision, described in its 2022-2029 Medium Term strategy, is to ensure that countries’ policies and decision-making are informed by sound statistical information; that they can benchmark progress towards national and international goals and learn from the experience of others. The UIS is seeking to build a management team that will lead the successful implementation of that vision.

The UIS provides the data and technical inputs for global, regional, and funding mechanisms for education work, such as the UN Transforming Education Summit, the Global Education Cooperation Mechanism (GCM), G7, G20 and the GPE results framework. The UIS meets data needs for emerging priorities, for example through its work with UNICEF, World Bank, OECD and the GEMR on the Joint Survey of national education responses to COVID 19. Within the mandate of strengthening reporting, the UIS in partnership with the Global Education Monitoring report (GEMR) achieved consensus on the adoption of an SDG 4 benchmarking process and supports countries in setting and monitoring targets for 2025 and 2030 as co-leaders of the data and monitoring function of the GCM.

This position is part of the Regional Field Network Unit of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and leads the UIS team in Africa. The incumbent is part of the senior management team and works under the supervision of the Head of Research and Innovation for Monitoring Education UIS and in collaboration with other Heads of Sections including Foresight and Innovation, Science, Culture, Communication, and Information Section (SCCI) as well as the Director of Operations.

The Senior Regional Advisor is responsible for providing strategic advice and support to regional, sub-regional and national authorities and/or organizations in UIS’s fields of competence in order to improve the quality of data in Africa; and for providing technical assistance and methodological guidance to build statistical capacity, and strengthening their capacity to monitor SDGs including securing national commitments to SDG4 benchmarks, thus contributing to the implementation and monitoring of UIS strategy in the region.

Long Description
Main responsibilities and tasks


1. Data Collection
• Develop and implement a Regional Engagement Strategy to improve the quality, timeliness and completeness of data and indicators collected for the UIS Core System of Education Indicators.
• Develop analytical capacity to strengthen traditional data collection and provide guidance and support countries in reporting. Monitor the response rates and the quality of data reported by countries to the UIS and coordinate the needed actions to increase these. Obtain country validation of indicators to be reported by the UIS.
• Follow up on the response rates in the region and coordinate the needed actions to maintain or increase the current response rates with the Heads of Education Administrative data section, Foresight and Innovation section, and Science, Culture, Communication, and Information Section (SCCI)

2. Capacity Development
In line with the UIS strategy and priorities:
• Lead in the development of regional analysis activities aimed at supporting the monitoring and follow-up of the SDGs and the Education 2030 Agenda; work closely with other units in UNESCO regional and field offices to cover cross-cutting themes such as gender and inclusive education, while ensuring the inclusion and cost-coverage of monitoring and evaluation functions, and activities related to statistics and indicators, in their programmes.
• Lead in delivering UIS responsibilities for the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) and the SDG 4 benchmarking process in the region.
• Contribute to the work of the Education Standards and Methodology Unit and the Foresight and Innovation Team in exploring methods to increase the robustness of education indicators and their coverage.
• Coordinate, plan and monitor a funded programme of work for capacity building in statistics and information systems, working with internal and external partners in order to align to criteria for prioritisation and reduce fragmentation, gaps and overlaps.

Long Description

3. Partnership and Resource Mobilisation
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with the African Union, regional organisations, National Commissions and Member State line ministries to develop and further the Institute’s strategy for education data, accountability, and alignment.
• Ensure that all field operations related issues are effectively and efficiently coordinated with the UIS HQ relevant teams in education.
• Serve as UIS liaison to facilitate the implementation of UIS regional programme in the areas of Science, Culture, Communication and Information (SCCI).
• Participate in resource mobilisation through regional and inter-regional collaboration and co-ordination of multilateral and bilateral funding and in matters related to statistics and information systems.
• Lead resource mobilisation for UIS activities in the region.

4. Contribution to UIS Core work
At the beginning of each year, provide to the UIS/DIR an annual plan outlining the priorities for the region and recommending an action plan.
• Ensure coordination with the UNESCO field offices and other key stakeholders in the development of the UIS programme of work and alignment of work with national, regional and UN development frameworks.
• Perform additional activities required in support of the UIS mandate and to ensure the success of the team’s work programme.
• Contribute to UIS reporting, including the preparation of documents for UIS and UNESCO governing bodies as well as for other internal and external stakeholder including donors and development partners.

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)
• Professionalism (C)
• Building partnerships (M)
• Driving and managing change (M)
• Leading and empowering others (M)
• Making quality decisions (M)
• Managing performance (M)
• Strategic thinking (M)
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For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education
• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in statistics, economics, demography, education or social sciences with a substantial applied statistics / data sciences component.

Work Experience
• A minimum 10 years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience as a statistician working with administrative, finance, survey, and/or assessment data relating to education of which preferably at least 3 (three) years acquired at regional / international level strengthening education data capacity in Africa.
• Experience working in developing countries with National Statistical Offices or Planning Units.
• Experience with partnership development and resource mobilisation.

Skills and competencies
• Ability to explore innovative options to deliver education data, including understanding how to leverage on emerging methodological and technology opportunities.
• Capability to prepare analytical and dissemination products on complex technical issues suitable for a general policy audience.
• Experience with relevant coding languages (e.g., Python, R), data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and database management (SQL).

Languages
• Excellent knowledge of either English or French and a working knowledge of the other.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education
• Advanced university degree (PhD degree or equivalent) in statistics, economics, demography, mathematics, education, social sciences or related areas.
• An advanced degree in applied statistics / data science is highly desirable.

Work Experience
• Experience in applied research, education data analysis and statistical modelling.
• Experience with modernization of official statistics.
• Experience of working with learning assessments
• Experience in the UN system or a similar agency.

Languages
• Knowledge of another official language of UNESCO (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish)