NATIONAL CONSULTANT: COORDINATION OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL SYSTEM (NSS) at UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund: (Deadline 27 April 2026)
Job Description
The Position:
The Government of Rwanda, through the NISR, is mandated to
coordinate the National Statistical System (NSS) to ensure the production,
dissemination, and use of high-quality, timely, and relevant official
statistics for policy formulation, planning, monitoring, and decision-making.
Despite notable progress, challenges remain in coordination,
collaboration, alignment of statistical activities, and effective engagement
among NSS stakeholders. Strengthening these areas requires a systematic
assessment of existing coordination mechanisms, identification of gaps and
coordination challenges, and the design of clear, innovative, and actionable
strategies to improve collaboration and efficiency across the NSS.
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The consultant will report to NISR’s Director General with
Close collaboration with NSS institutions and development partners as needed.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where
every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s
potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the
relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three
transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for
family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These
results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards
realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our
strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to
“build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19
pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and
reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we
need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and
standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and
deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent,
exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit
to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The overall objective of this assignment is to strengthen
coordination, collaboration, user engagement, and capacity building within the
National Statistical System by:
- Conducting
a comprehensive assessment of gaps and challenges affecting NSS
coordination; and
- Designing
clear, practical, and innovative strategies and activities to improve
collaboration, alignment, and effectiveness across NSS institutions,
thereby enhancing the quality, accessibility, and use of official
statistics.
- Development
of two to three models of Sector strategic plans for official statistics
(SSPs) aligned with the National Strategy for the Development of
Statistics (NSDS).
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You would be responsible for:
The consultant will work under the technical guidance of
NISR and in close collaboration with key NSS stakeholders:
Coordination of the National Statistical System
(NSS)
- Conduct
a systematic assessment of existing NSS coordination mechanisms, including
governance arrangements, institutional roles and responsibilities,
communication channels, data flows, and collaboration practices.
- Identify
key coordination gaps, overlaps, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies affecting
effective functioning of the NSS.
- Facilitate
the development, review, or updating of Sector Strategic Plans for
Statistics (SSPs) in alignment with the National Strategy for the
Development of Statistics (NSDS).
- Support
effective coordination of NSS institutions, including MDAs, agencies,
local governments, and other data-producing entities.
- Provide
technical guidance to sectors on integrating statistical priorities into
sector planning and monitoring frameworks.
- Propose
and design innovative coordination mechanisms and activities (e.g.
coordination platforms, technical working groups, digital collaboration
tools, joint planning processes).
- Support
harmonization of statistical activities, standards, methodologies, and
reporting across sectors; and
- Assist
in monitoring and reporting on the implementation of NSS coordination
mechanisms and proposed improvement actions.
- Facilitate
awareness and training on the data sharing policy and implementation of
data governance frameworks
User engagement and promotion of the use of official
statistics
- The
consultant shall:
- Assess
existing user engagement practices and identify gaps in reaching and
serving key user groups.
- Design
and support user engagement and data use promotion strategies to encourage
wider and more effective use of official statistics.
- Promote
and pilot innovative dissemination and engagement approaches, including
but not limited to:
- Data
storytelling,
- Interactive
dashboards,
- Data
visualizations and infographics,
- Digital
platforms and social media, and
- Structured
user–producer dialogues.
- Support
the organization of outreach and engagement activities (workshops, forums,
bootcamps, dialogues) targeting policymakers, media, academia, civil
society, private sector, and other user groups.
- Support
the development of tools, guidelines, and communication materials to
strengthen statistical literacy and evidence-based decision-making.
Capacity building across the statistical system
- The
consultant shall:
- Assess
capacity gaps within NSS institutions related to statistical production,
coordination, dissemination, data governance, and data use.
- Design
and support capacity-building programs tailored to identified gaps,
including training workshops, mentoring, coaching, and technical support.
- Develop
or adapt training materials, guidelines, and toolkits to strengthen
institutional and individual capacities.
- Promote
knowledge-sharing, peer learning, and collaboration across NSS
institutions; and
- Contribute
to building sustainable capacity aligned with national priorities and
international statistical standards.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
- Any of
the following: Master’s degree in development studies, Public Policy or
Economics.
- PhD
awarded based on research that applied statistical analysis of large-scale
survey dataset and policy-oriented research is considered a strong asset.
Knowledge and Experience:
Experience in Coordination of National Statistical
Systems (NSS):
- Demonstrated
professional experience in official statistics, including a minimum of
seven (7) years of substantive experience within a National Statistical
Office (NSO) or an equivalent institution responsible for coordinating a
National Statistical System (NSS).
- Additional
experience supporting statistical system strengthening through
international organizations, regional statistical bodies, or development
partners will be considered an advantage. Supporting evidence may include
one or more of the following documents: Statements of service, work
certificates, or consultancy/ employment contracts demonstrating the
applicant’s roles, responsibilities, and relevant professional experience.
Languages:
- Fluency
in English is required. Professional working proficiency in French is
desirable. Knowledge of Kinyarwanda is considered an asset.
Required Competencies:
Values:
- Exemplifying
integrity,
- Demonstrating
commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing
cultural diversity,
- Embracing
change
Core Competencies:
- Achieving
results,
- Being
accountable,
- Developing
and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking
analytically and strategically,
- Working
in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values
of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are
committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage
women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic
groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other
underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable
accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to
support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal
opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for
all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to
learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and
reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative
requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training,
interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or
recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’
bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional
and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other
than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon
their appointment.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND APPLY
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