National Consultant, Data Collection for Tracer Study on Girls Education and Skills Partnership at UNICEF

Background

• Nigeria has striven to provide quality education, learning and skills development opportunities to the increasing number of children, but it has fallen short of the goal.
• Although basic education is free and compulsory, 10.2 million children of primary school age and 8.1 million children of junior secondary school age remain out of school. 
• Due to the limited access to schooling and poor quality of education, about 75 per cent of children aged 7–14 do not develop foundational literacy and numeracy skills, which are building blocks for continued learning and acquisition of advanced skills.
• The gaps in foundational skills are cumulative across the life cycle, resulting in an increased risk of school dropout and a lower chance of developing the skills necessary to participate in society and the labour market. 
• For example, 74 per cent of the adult population in Nigeria are financially illiterate.  Over 80 per cent of Nigerian youth aged 15–24 years do not have digital skills, which are essential to work and thrive in a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy.
• The skills deficiency has impacted labour market outcomes, especially for adolescent girls and young women.
• The female labour force participation rate in 2023 was as low as 52.2 per cent, compared with 65.9 per cent for males. 
• Only 37 per cent of youth are employed, and half of employers reports that they cannot find appropriately qualified employees for the roles they aim to fill. 

Purpose Of the Job

• Nigeria decided to harness the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) to address the skills gaps. The GESP is a public–private partnership between the Government of the UK government and major global businesses to empower young women with skills and opportunities in developing countries. It aims to provide 1 million young women aged 13–24 years with high-quality and market-relevant skills to enable them to become employable and entrepreneurial in local labour markets. The UK government partnered with UNICEF Generation Unlimited (GenU) to deliver the GESP
• The tracer study aims to:
  • Assess the effectiveness of GESP in increasing girls’ skills and attitudes to work, as well as the programme's impact on transition to work (i.e., employment and entrepreneurship) and income generation.
  • Assess the extent to which the GESP interventions are gender-transformative (e.g., sense of agency; self-esteem; self-efficacy) and address barriers faced by adolescent girls and young women.
  • Examine the social impacts of the programme on parental and community attitudes toward girls’ education and employment.
  • Identify enabling and constraining factors by examining how various factors (e.g., programme designs; characteristics of girls; skills and practice of trainers and employers; attitudes of parents and community) are associated with the outcomes

Scope of Work

• Activity 1: Preparation for data collection. The national consultant will support the development of survey instruments and survey protocols under the guidance provided by the international consultant. The national consultant will conduct pilot testing of data collection, collect lessons learned, and support finalization of survey instruments and protocols. Based on the results of sampling of beneficiary girls and other target personnel, the national consultant will work with the international consultant and GESP partners to develop and finalize a survey plan.
• Activity 2: Data collection. The national consultant will conduct data collection from January to August 2026. Most quantitative data is expected to be collected through digital tools (e.g., sending a link to a questionnaire to girls and personnel). Qualitative data will be collected through field visits and remote interviews. The national consultant supports data entry and cleaning.
• Activity 3: Follow-up to data collection. Upon request from the international consultant, the national consultant will support verification and quality assurance of the data collected. This may include a follow-up survey with select girls and personnel.

Work Assignment Overview
Task/work area:
Training and Preparation for Data Collection:

• Review fieldwork plan, sampling frames, and logistics arrangements.
• Support piloting and pre-testing of questionnaires and provide feedback on local context and language clarity.

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Participate in training sessions conducted by the international consultant and programme team on survey tools, digital data collection methods, protocols, and ethical considerations.

Data Collection -Quantitative and Qualitative:
Administer structured digital surveys with sampled beneficiaries (both 6-month and 12-month cohorts).

• Conduct focus group discussions (FGDs) with adolescent girls and young women.
• Carry out key informant interviews (KIIs) with parents, educators, employers and community representatives.
• Conduct field-based data collection, including quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews/focus group discussions.

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Household surveys,
• FGDs and KIIs with beneficiaries, trainers, employers, parents, and community members.
• Ensure sampling protocols are followed.
• Collect and upload complete datasets using digital tools

Data Quality Assurance:

• Review data daily during collection for completeness and accuracy.
• Liaise with the international consultant and GESP focal points to flag inconsistencies or gaps.
• Participate in periodic debrief calls to refine protocols during data collection.
• Assist in clearing raw datasets by cross-checking entries and notes.
• Work with the international consultant to address discrepancies, missing information, or errors.
• Conduct daily checks to ensure completeness and accuracy of collected data.
• Ensure data is securely transferred to the central system/platform if applicable

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Ensure accuracy and completeness of data.
• Submit weekly field notes on challenges/observations.
• Provide short interim reports on field progress.)

To qualify as an advocate for every child, you will have… 
Minimum requirements:

• Advanced university degree in education, international development, social sciences or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in conducting field-based data collection (quantitative and qualitative) in development and/or humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in administering household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with diverse stakeholders.
• Practical experience in using digital data collection tools (e.g., Kobo, ODK, SurveyCTO, tablets).
• Experience in ensuring data quality assurance, including verification, cleaning, and validation of field data.
• Knowledge of education, skills development, and labor market contexts in Nigeria.
• Prior experience working with UN agencies, INGOs, or reputable research institutions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team and engage with community members respectfully.