Result of Service
ESCAP is seeking to employ a consultant to support the CRVS Applied Research Training initiative (CART). The consultant will provide mentorship and support to ESCAP participants as part of Cohort 2 of the initiative. Duties will include: • Mentoring two groups of participants (with approximately 10 participants per group) to ensure they are progressing their research. Mentorship will include regular online support to participants in the initiative to ensure online learning modules are completed and deliverables are submitted on time. • Marking submitted deliverables according to existing marking schedules. Comments are to be returned within 10-working days of submission. • Facilitating sessions during the first face-to-face workshop tentatively planned for August 2025 (in Nairobi, Kenya). Duties will include assistance in developing the agenda and facilitating sessions and group work during the workshop. • Regular meetings with other CART staff and contributing to other tasks and activities as directed by the CART Coordinators.
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 analyzing 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 program 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 program. 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. The initiative provides modular research training courses for CRVS practitioners in the ECA and ESCAP regions. To move to the next module, a defined product of sufficient quality needs to be submitted. Each participant is also assigned a mentor. 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 program settings, the wider related CRVS areas and if appropriate within wider relevant settings to improve programs and policies. Finally, the applied research produced will be used to strengthen and improve CRVS systems through the production and uptake of relevant and targeted evidence.
Qualifications/special skills
Advanced degree in statistics, demography, public health or related fields • At least 10 years of experience in providing technical assistance to strengthen national CRVS Systems. • Experience with publication of articles in peer-reviewed journals on topics related to CRVS • At least 5 years in the area of official statistics. • Understanding of official statistics in the Asia-Pacific region. • Working experience with academic institutions, national statistical office and CRVS practitioners in the Asia Pacific region is desirable.
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.
