OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)  produces data to fuel the policies and investments needed to transform lives and propel the world towards its development goals. Providing statistical and technical inputs for global, regional and funding mechanisms for education, the UIS enables the work of the UN Transforming Education Summit, the Global Education Cooperation Mechanism (GCM), G7, G20, etc. The UIS meets data needs for emerging priorities, for example, most recently, tracking and monitoring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education worldwide. The UIS maintains the most comprehensive education statistics database in the world – the official source of data of the UN system, used for various purposes, including for the SDG monitoring.

Established in 1999, the UIS serves as UNESCO’s statistical agency.  The UIS is focused on delivering cross-nationally comparable data for global, regional and development agendas, covering the fields of education, science, culture, and communication and information. The UIS assures the technical support for Member States to produce transformative data based on the 3 pillars (Standards and methodologies; Data production; Brokerage and outreach). The UIS vision, described in its 2022-2029 Medium Term strategy, is to serve the needs of Member States, ensuring that their 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.

This position is part of the Regional Field Network Unit of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics based in Africa. 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

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:
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, 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 in collaboration with the Heads of Education Administrative data section, Foresight and Innovation section, and Science, Culture, Communication, and Information Section (SCCI)

2. Capacity Development 

• Lead the development of regional analytical 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 the UIS responsibilities for the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) and the SDG 4 benchmarking process in the region.
• Contribute to the work of other UIS teams 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, other 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 relevant teams in education.
• Serve as the UIS liaison to facilitate the implementation of the 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)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education 

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

Work Experience

• Minimum 7 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.
• Experience in capacity building and developing field projects.
• Experience with relevant coding languages (e.g., Python, R), data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and database management (SQL).

Skills/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.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of 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.

Work Experience

• Experience in applied research, education data analysis and statistical modelling.
• Experience with modernization of official statistics.
• Experience with current initiatives and issues in the area of data management.
• 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)