UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

JOB DESCRIPTION FOR SENIOR DATA BASE ADVISOR

I. Position Information

Job code title: Senior Data Base Advisor Consultancy

Proposed Grade:
Duration of Contract: SSA 3 months (Approximately between 1 September 2010 and 30
November 2010)
Duty Station: Yangon, Myanmar (with frequent travels to Nay Pyi
Taw/ survey sites when field operations are in progress)
Position: One
Supervisor: Head, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, UNDP, Myanmar
Closing date: 27 July 2010

II. Organizational Context

UNDP’s programme in Myanmar is required by its Executive Board to be “clearly targeted

towards programmes having grass-roots-level impact in a sustainable manner particularly in the
areas of primary health care, the environment, HIV/AIDS, training and education, and food
security.” As such, UNDP has been implementing a set of projects collectively known as the
Human Development Initiative (HDI) programme. The projects under HDI’s four phases have
been designed and implemented to address the basic humanitarian needs of the rural poor
communities by supporting their sustainable livelihoods, including income generating activities
and improving access to the basic social services such as primary health care, basic education,
small village infrastructure, water and sanitation and HIV/AIDS preventative information.

The Integrated Household Living Conditions Assessment (IHLCA) is one of the five projects of
UNDP’s Human Development Initiative (HDI) Programme in Myanmar. The IHLCA-I project was
completed during 2004-2005 with two rounds of nationally representative household surveys
covering a sample of 18,660 households in both rural and urban areas. A stratified four-stage
sample design was applied in the IHLCA-I. This survey was designed to generate a
comprehensive set of data on living conditions and poverty in rural and urban Myanmar. The
project was conducted under the supervision of Steering Committee which consists of Directors-
General under the Ministry of national Planning and Economic Development and a UNDP
representative. It was technically supported by Project technical Committee and a Project
Technical Unit comprising of national professionals. The Planning Department has requested
UNDP to implement a second phase of the IHLCA project to update the information on living
conditions five years after the first survey and to provide the ability for trend analyses. The survey
was conducted for the first round in December 2009 and the second round of data collection in
May 2010. Meanwhile, UNICEF became a partner of the project and contributed both technical
and financial aid to be able to accomplish the project interventions successfully.
The proposed design for the Quantitative Survey would capture the important seasonal variations
in household income, expenditure and consumption patterns. The approach for assessing
household living conditions involved the compilation of a number of indicators for measuring the
different dimensions of well-being and poverty, including monetary income and other assets,
nutritional status, education level, habitat, and access to social services. These indicators were
used to identify the poor and their distinctive characteristics relative to the (non-poor) rest of the
population. The first round of the IHLCA-I Survey included several questionnaires:
1. A Township profile questionnaire with questions on basic economic and social
characteristics and on infrastructures and public services at township level;
2. A Community questionnaire for Key Informants with questions on basic economic and
social characteristics and on infrastructures and public services at village tract (rural
areas) or ward (urban areas) level for the sampled areas;
3. A Household questionnaire with various modules for assessing population living
conditions and deriving a poverty profile:
Module 1: Basic characteristics of household members
Module 2: Housing
Module 3: Education and literacy
Module 4: Health, nutrition and mortality
Module 5: Consumption expenditures
Module 6: Household assets
Module 7: Labour and employment
Module 8: Household business activities
Module 9: Finance and savings
4. A Community Price questionnaire which collected local market prices of food items and
representative non food items.
The Final Output of the IHLCA-I Quantitative Survey consists of four reports:
• Poverty Profile
• Vulnerability Relevant Information
• MDG Relevant Information
• Quantitative Survey Technical Report

The main focus of the IHLCA-II is (I) to assess the changes in the living conditions of people in
Myanmar since IHLCA-I, (II) to increase the coverage data values for MDG indicators and (III) to
work out PPP estimation for Myanmar. The national research team considers that the survey
design, sampling units and other survey instruments should be as similar as possible to those
used in IHLCA-I. A technical workshop was conducted in April, 2009 with stakeholders and
discussions were made about survey design, questionnaire contents, data processing and
Purchasing Power Parity calculation in Myanmar. The general consensus is for IHLCA-II to follow
IHLCA-I methodology as much as possible and expand the scope of MDG indicators. In addition,
a data base component is also included. The data base component includes data base system to
incorporate IHLCA1 and IHLCA2 survey data complemented data from other sources including
other officially published data as well as relevant data from other surveys
The Senior Data Base Advisor Consultant together with the project computer staff will develop a
data base structure to accommodate the above requirements and implement it with a user-
friendly data base software like Microsoft Access. This will of great use to IHLCA stakeholders
including Planning Department , CSO, UNDP, UNICEF.

III. Functions / Key Results Expected

Summary of results and key functions:

Summary of key functions:

- Assurance of quality of data base system with easy access
- Advice to counterparts and facilitation of knowledge building on IT related issues
1. Assurance of quality of IHLCA data base system
- Produce and ensure quality of the data base structure
- Work closely with the stakeholders to ensure the usefulness and credibility of
information in the data base
- Provide managerial inputs required for the smooth and effective implementation
of data base development activities.
- In collaboration with TU staff work out Data Base system for IHLCA surveys and
other available relevant information and advocate with government on its timely
implementation.
- Be accountable for the data base management and effective utilization of project
resources.

2. Provides technical advice to Project TU staff, government counterparts and managerial

support for Data base development
- In collaboration with International consultants, local consultants and TU staff
demonstrate how a prototype MIS can be developed based on the present data base
- Advices main stalk holders on timely, regular and accurate data updating
- Provide oversight functions for data base related functions

IV. Impact of Results

The key results of the post will strengthen UNDP’s contributions to the national policy dialogue
and forward-looking pro poor growth strategies and enhance the policy impact of UNDP
programmes and projects. In particular, the data base has an impact on the design of programs.

Deliverables

The Data Base Advisor will be responsible for delivering the following:

(1) . A work plan outlining the activities to be done with sound practical suggestions to
ensure that the data base development activities will run smoothly and will produce the
desired expected results acceptable to all stake holders

(2) A functioning data base system which is acceptable to all main stake holders with
IHLCA1 and IHLCA2 as the basic information complemented by information from other
sources

(3) An end-of–assignment report describing the activities, comments and practical

suggestions for future activities including an data base system based on the developed
data base and advantages of such a system in Myanmar context
V. Competencies and Critical Success Factors
Corporate Competencies:

 Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards

 Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
 Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
 Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

 contributes to UNDP Practice Areas and actively works towards continuing personal learning
and development
 Builds knowledge in at least one practice areas, and shares
 Ability to provide top quality policy advice services on related issues
 In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues

Development and Operational Effectiveness
 Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation
 Ability to demonstrate to the stalk holders the usefulness of a good data base
 Excellent drafting and presentation skills
 Ability to plan and organize work programme
 Ability to work with minimum supervision
 Strong IT skills

Management and Leadership

 Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback
 Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovation
 Leads teams effectively and shows IT resolution skills
 Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
 Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills with diverse culture and traditions
Builds strong relationships with main stalk holders

VI. Recruitment Qualifications

Education: Master degree in IT or related fields

1. Superior knowledge of and at least 10 years extensive

Experience: experience in developing a database/MIS system
2. Excellent managerial and proven record of team
leadership
3. Relevant experience with international and local
agencies
4. Relevant experience with government departments and
agencies, preferably with experience on Socio-
economic data base development
5. Excellent oral and writing skills in English
6. Proven record of IT experience
7. Familiarity/Experience with MIS development Previous
 work experience in Myanmar or other south Eastern
Asian countries preferred

Language Requirements: Fluency in English language. Strong writing and oral

communication skills in English language an absolute
requirement.

VII. Signatures- Post Description Certification

Incumbent (if applicable)

Vacant
Name Signature Date
Supervisor

Name / Title Signature Date

Chief Division/Section

Name / Title Signature Date