NATIONAL CONSULTANT: COORDINATION OF THE NATIONAL STATISTICAL SYSTEM (NSS)

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.

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).

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.