BACKGROUND

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and the rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development... Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP supports the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship response Programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

The ABADEI Strategy is a tailored area-based integrated programming approach to support basic human needs, complementing short-term humanitarian life-saving assistance with safeguarding livelihoods and strengthening community resilience. It is centered around addressing worsening poverty and vulnerability, supporting community resilience and social cohesion, addressing climatic vulnerability, and enabling the rehabilitation of small-scale infrastructure vital for basic human needs. It supports the creation of immediate sources of income through vocational skills training, cash-for-work, cash-for-market, small businesses, and livelihood opportunities with a particular focus on agri-business and regenerative agriculture infrastructure and services that are under threat. It is sensitive to the chronic and newly emerging vulnerabilities of Afghan women and girls and aims at providing them assistance in a manner that does not exacerbate their susceptibility to violence and deprivation of opportunities and rights.

UNDP aspires to be a world-class knowledge leader and seamless knowledge sourcing and sharing entity. To align the systems for improved coherence between policy and programme, incentives, culture, and resources needed to move the needle on the sustainable development, UNDP Afghanistan is establishing the Policy and Knowledge Team within the programmatic units of the Country Office. The Policy and Knowledge Team will have a renewed focus on macroeconomic and SDG related research and how it can be applied to UNDP Afghanistan programing, by collecting, analysing, and using evidence from a country perspective, and from external and internal experience. It will also work in close collaboration with the M&E Unit at the CO level.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

UNDP Afghanistan is seeking to hire a Data Analyst to provide statistical analysis, exploratory data analysis, produce data visualization for the knowledge products, presentations and documents produced by the Country Office in the areas connected to the Sustainable Development Goals, namely inequality, multidimensional poverty and vulnerability, growth, employment and livelihoods, informality, public and private finance, trade and investment, social policies, gender equality, social service delivery and digital connectivity, as well as human development.

The Data Analyst is an integral member of the UNDP Afghanistan Policy and Knowledge Team that will support the country office with the use of data and analytics. The Data Analyst will report to the Coordinator of the Policy and Knowledge Team by providing insights from data sets to create additional value/opportunities for UNDP’s work, ensuring a strong connection with the work conducted under the Programmatic and M&E Teams.

Overall, the Data Analyst is responsible for the following:

Undertake research, data collection, and analysis in support of UNDP’s policy and programme work
Use data to provide analytical problem solving
Prepare high-quality data visualization using advanced tools
Support advocacy efforts, networking, and partnership building
Contribute to innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building that benefits the Country Office programming

Undertake research, data collection, and analysis in support of UNDP’s policy and programme work

Support monitoring and reporting of progress related to SDGs and other national development frameworks, including to help strengthen national and local level data collection and statistical capacity.
Undertake research, data collection, analysis, and visualization of information from diverse sources to inform knowledge products such as reports, technical notes, and presentations.
Support development of technical proposals, business cases, and implementation plans/roadmaps.
Support preparation for interviews by senior management (e.g., preparation of briefs), focus groups and workshops as required.
Support drafting of written outputs and end-of-engagement reports, as required.
Proactively seek, analyze, and apply data sets relevant for the work of UNDP Afghanistan.
Ability to coordinate the preparation of data analyses using statistical modeling and other quantitative techniques with senior technical expert consultants.
Take part in the periodic revision and re-design of indicator tables, recommend new indicators for inclusion, and make suggestions for improvements in the presentation of statistical information for the CO.
Research sources of relevant statistics and assist in the collection and assessment of data from these sources.
Apply appropriate statistical techniques to obtain estimates as required.
Participate in various rounds of proof-reading, data-checking, and providing comments on knowledge products drafts, including statistical annexes.

Use data to provide analytical problem solving

Ability to test solutions to development problems using analytical approaches, data, and a strong passion for empirical research.
Ability to analyze results by triangulating quantitative and qualitative data and evidence.
Ability to evaluate, transform and model data to derive relevant findings.
Use innovative approaches to circumvent the lack of data and identify alternative or proxy data sources.
Organize trainings and workshops on data analytics, as required by the CO and counterparts.

Prepare high-quality data visualization using advanced tools

Prepare high quality data visualization snippets for use by the CO in different knowledge products.
Ability to use data visualization (Power BI, Tableau, or JS Libraries and other) tools to support the development of digital products and fast dissemination of data.
Develop infographics through sourcing data and produce storyboards on selected issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as poverty, inequality, and inclusive and sustainable growth, gender equality, jobs and livelihoods, climate change and others.
Partner with relevant external organizations, in particular the UN, to exchange data sources and visualization.
Collaborate with the M&E Team to strengthen the visualization of the data to demonstrate the CO’s results and effectiveness.

Support advocacy efforts, networking, and partnership building

Set up a Data Hub by consolidating available relevant data (indicators) at the CO level, on human development, poverty levels, climate impact, gender equality etc (e.g., explore existing platforms for data consolidation).
Perform a variety of specialized tasks related to results management, including support to design, planning and implementation of programme, managing data, and reporting.
Build strong networks with UN agencies and the UN Country Team, national institutions, academia, and think-tanks to ensure the best available data can be used by the UNDP CO to inform its policy and programmatic work.
Participate and/or represent UNDP Afghanistan in national and inter-agency discussions on data on SDG related issues to ensure organizational position, interests and priorities are fully communicated and considered by partners.
Consistently liaise with partners to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results
Facilitate data analysis sessions with statisticians, economists, and policy experts, as required.
Be well networked and informed about data collection systems, methodologies and processes and connect with local partners collecting and producing data that can be of relevance to UNDP’s policy and programmatic work

Contribute to innovation, knowledge management and capacity building that benefits the Country Office programming

Undertake data research and analysis of results and lessons learned.
Support internal coordination, communication, and knowledge management efforts.
Contribute to communities of practice at country, regional and global levels to facilitate knowledge sharing, improve coordination, and contribute to improvement of human development, poverty and SDGs statistics in all areas.
Promote critical thinking and innovative approaches and good practices for timely and sustainable implementation of programs/projects initiatives through advocacy and technical advisory services.
Institutionalize and disseminate best practices and knowledge learned.
Lead/plan/implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders to promote data analytics.
Undertake training activities on selected topics of programmatic relevance to support capacity development and programme implementation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

None foreseen this time

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy – System Thinking

Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks, and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Business Management – Communication

Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Digital & Innovation – Data Governance

Ability to visualize and clarify ideas, processes or (complex) situations by making quick sketches, drawings or using diagrams, illustrations, photos, videos, animations, three dimensional mock-ups to support group dialogues, reflection, ideation, problem solving or decision making. Using abstraction, analogical and metaphorical thinking to create compelling visuals, maps, models or embodied thinking that provide new perspectives and help a group of disparate actors to find a common language and develop a shared mental model.
Knowledge of data science, skills to develop data management tools, organize and maintain databases and operate data visualization technologies

Business Management – Result Based Management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Programme and Policy – Effectiveness

Programming principles & standards and development effectiveness principles

Business Management – Risk Management

Ability to identify risk mitigation measures and monitor implementation.

Crisis Response and Stabilization – Programming Approaches

Has a sound understanding of the components of an integrated crisis response and/or stabilization programming offer.
Has an understanding of how to mainstream approaches to Project design (i.e. gender, LNOB, conflict sensitivity, etc.)

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Masters degree in fields related to data analysis, statistics, development studies, or equivalent field.
Or Bachelor’s degree in fields related to data analysis, statistics, development studies, or equivalent field with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

At least 2 years (with a master’s degree) or 4 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of solid professional experience in data analysis, applied statistics, or another analytical field.
Proven experience in using development statistics, with a focus on multidimensional poverty and vulnerability, gender equality, climate impact, jobs and livelihoods, and economic growth.
Proven record of writing and/or publishing on policy and programmatic aspects, including conducting and coordinating research, data collection and publication.
Strong experience in using data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or JS Libraries and others).
Working knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, as well as experienced in the handling of web-based management systems.
Prior UNDP experience and familiarity with its policies and procedures, particularly in the applicable job area, or previous UN assignments and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations would be an asset.

Language requirements

Fluency in English (both written and spoken) and Dari or Pashtu is required.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period
Afghanistan

Salary Criteria