Financing Data Systems Consultant: Strategic Approaches for Country Action, DAPM, Data & Analytics Section, NYHQ, remote. Req#585593

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines fordeveloping countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Consultancy: Financing Data Systems Consultant: Strategic Approaches for Country Action

Duty Station: DAPM, Data & Analytics Section – Data Collection Unit    

Duration: 24 November 2025 – 15 December 2026

Home/ Office Based: Remote

 

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) enable countries to produce statistically sound and internationally comparable data on the situation of children, women, and families — covering key areas such as health, education, early childhood development, nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation, and hygiene. In many contexts, MICS represents one of the most critical and trusted sources of data used for situation analyses, policy formulation, programme design, and public accountability.

Over the past decade, MICS has evolved from a donor-driven initiative to a nationally led programme. While many governments continue to rely on external financial and technical support, an increasing number of countries now fully or largely finance MICS and similar national household surveys through domestic budgets. These cases provide valuable lessons on how governments can institutionalize and sustainably finance high-quality data systems that inform national priorities and strengthen accountability.

However, this shift requires a new paradigm in the way national statistical systems operate. The focus must move from mobilizing external aid to negotiating and securing domestic resources through established public finance management (PFM) processes. National statistical offices (NSOs), with UNICEF’s support, need practical tools and capacity to engage effectively with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and sectoral ministries—including participation in budget formulation, medium-term expenditure frameworks (MTEFs), and national development planning cycles—to position survey implementation as a core public investment rather than an ad-hoc, donor-funded activity.

Strengthening the link between data production and public finance decisions is therefore essential. Integrating national survey plans into multi-year budget frameworks and PFM systems will ensure predictable and sustainable domestic financing for regular, high-quality data collection.

This consultancy will produce an evidence-based analytical report and operational toolkit enabling governments and UNICEF to plan, cost, and finance regular MICS and child-centred household surveys through domestic PFM systems (budget lines, MTEF, program budgeting)—including tested guidance and country-ready templates

Scope of Work: 

The purpose of this consultancy is to document and analyze how MICS and other major national surveys have been financed over the past decade, highlighting successful national financing models and developing actionable recommendations for UNICEF and governments to mobilize domestic resources and create sustainable data collection national plan.

Specific objectives:

The consultancy will pursue the following objectives:

• Analyze MICS financing patterns over the past decade, identifying trends, cost structures, and evolving funding models across regions and income groups.
• Document countries that now fully or predominantly fund MICS or similar national household surveys, examining the institutional, policy, and fiscal mechanisms that have enabled the transition toward domestic financing.
• Compare MICS financing experiences with those of other major survey programmes — particularly the now-closed Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) (donor-funded) and Labour Force/Household Budget Surveys (LFS/HBS)  — to draw lessons on sustainability and integration into public finance frameworks.
• Assess and synthesize existing global and regional initiatives promoting data and statistics financing, including the outcomes of the recent Financing for Development Conference, and other initiatives  Sustainable Development Data.
• Engage