Impact Evaluation Analyst Consultant

UNICEF – Impact Evaluation Analyst Consultant, Sudan

The mission of the UNICEF evaluation function is to help drive results for children by fostering evidence- informed decision-making. Evaluation in UNICEF supports both learning and decision-making, which in turn support better results for children. The evaluation function conducts a diverse set of independent, credible and impartial corporate thematic, institutional effectiveness, humanitarian, country-led, impact and joint evaluations to ensure UNICEF uses evaluation evidence to improve outcomes for children.

Evaluation at UNICEF is a largely decentralized function with senior-level regional evaluation advisers and multi-country evaluation specialists, as well as dedicated country evaluation specialists and evaluation focal points in the UNICEF country offices around the world. The UNICEF Evaluation Office serves as the steward of the UNICEF evaluation function. The director of evaluation provides strategic leadership to the global evaluation function at all three levels of the organization.

In 2023, the Evaluation Office (EO) launched the UNICEF Evaluation of Impact Strategy and Action Framework 2022–2025, which sets the institutional priorities and vision for a harmonized and strategic approach to the generation and use of impact evidence at UNICEF.

As part of the effort to provide technical assistance in impact evaluation to UNICEF Country Offices (COs), the EO team has partnered with German Development Bank (KfW) and the Sudan Country Office to evaluate the impact of the Mother and Child Cash Transfer Plus (MCCT+), now in its sixth phase. The MCCT+ programme represents a key intervention to support the first 1000 days of a child’s life in Sudan. Phase VI of the MCCT+ introduced innovations to the way the programme is delivered as compared to previous phases, while retaining key characteristics of the programme. As mentioned, the MCCT+ is delivered as a cash plus programme, complementing cash disbursements with service provision at health centre level.

UNICEF proposes a mixed-methods impact evaluation of the main activities of the MCCT+ to understand the impact of the programme as a whole. Additionally, the evaluation will explore the opportunity of evaluating the plus component of the programme alone, making use of its implementation in health centers that no women registered to receive cash support visit. Finally, the impact evaluation will investigate the feasibility of making use of the phased-in implementation of social cohesion communication in MSGs to evaluate its impact.

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide quantitative data analysis support for the inception and baseline phase of the MCCT+ impact evaluation in Blue Nile, Sudan. The consultant will work as part of a multidisciplinary team including the UNICEF Impact Evaluation Specialist and program leads to ensure high-quality data collection, management, and analysis that meets international evaluation standards. This assignment focuses on establishing robust data collection systems, conducting baseline analysis, draft aa baseline report, and creating comprehensive documentation to guide subsequent evaluation phases.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible – under the supervision of the Evaluation Specialist acting as the evaluation manager - for the planning and overseeing of the quantitative data collection process. The consultant will also act as a key contact person with country-level stakeholders, supporting communications and field supervision. For this reason, it is required for the consultant to be based in a country within the Sudan time zone (+/- 2 hours from CAT time zone) and be available to travel to the country for approximately 20% of the assignment. The consultant will also support data analysis processes within the EO and significantly contribute to the drafting of baseline report including preparation and formatting of statistical tables and graphs.

Under the supervision of the Evaluation Specialist, the consultant will:

A. Study preparation and sample frame

• Contribute to the evidence review for the inception phase, summarizing relevant literature on cash plus and maternal and child health programming

• Draft the survey tool based on available surveys from similar programmes, building data quality checks into the programming, and develop secondary modules where needed

• Coordinate instrument piloting and integrate the resulting revisions

• Prepare the sample frame with the data collection firm and country office, documenting the sampling approach and assignment to study arms

• Support ethics review submissions, study registration and drafting of the pre-analysis plan

• Put in place the cost data collection mechanisms defined by the evaluation team

B. Data collection oversight and quality assurance

• Oversee enumerator training delivered by the data collection firm and verify that field protocols are followed

• Review the firm's quality assurance system and monitor incoming data throughout collection, giving the firm regular feedback

• Act as the main field-level contact between the evaluation team, country office, implementing partners and the firm, resolving implementation issues with the evaluation manager

• Monitor adherence to the sample frame and study arm integrity during collection

C. Data cleaning, analysis and reporting

• Clean and prepare the baseline datasets following a cleaning protocol agreed with the evaluation manager

• Conduct the baseline analysis, including descriptive statistics and balance checks across study arms, in reproducible and documented code

• Draft the baseline report, including tables, figures and technical annexes, in line with UNICEF evaluation quality standards

D. Data management, documentation and dissemination

• Maintain secure data storage and access in line with UNICEF data protection requirements and ethics approvals

• Prepare dataset codebooks and study documentation sufficient to support follow-up data collection

• Develop presentations and briefs for dissemination to internal and external stakeholders

• Take part in stakeholder consultations and reference group meetings as requested by the evaluation manager

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Evaluation Specialist. The duration of the assignment will be 10 months, between November 2026 and August 2027, with possibility of extension. The expected total workload is 137 days. Sudan is the location of the assignment; however, the consultant may spend up to 20% of their time in a country with an overlapping time zone of +/- 2 hours. The consultant will also be expected to support other evaluation projects as requested.

Under UNICEF staff guidance, the consultant will engage in activities, communications, and collaborations across different levels of UNICEF evaluation function, national and international partners, at internal and external events (as related to the scope of this assignment and at the request of the UNICEF supervisor). To this end, he/she should adhere to the UN and UNICEF norms and standards in evaluation and ethical guidelines for evidence generation. It is also expected that the consultant clearly identifies any potential ethical issues or violations if any may arise over the course of this consultancy contract.

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