Overview
The Census Coordinator consultant will provide strategic, operational, and technical coordination support for the implementation of the 2028 Population and Housing Census programme in Malawi. The goal is to ensure the project is implemented smoothly and according to plan, building the capacity of NSO to strengthen census delivery and widen access to statistics for decision making.
Key Responsibilities
- Smooth operation of the project through day-to-day oversight and coordination.
- Successful coordination with the NSO project coordination team for efficient and effective resource utilization.
- Facilitation of the preparation and implementation of annual and quarterly results-based work plans.
- Facilitating and coordinating all 2028 PHC activities, including drafting census strategies.
- Supporting coordination of key census technical streams including cartography and pre-enumeration mapping, digital census systems, pilot census activities, field operations preparedness, data processing, dissemination planning, and post-enumeration activities.
- Developing and maintaining close linkages with relevant government agencies, UNFPA, NGOs, civil society, international organizations, and the implementing partner.
- Supporting the Census Steering Committee and other census groups in their oversight function and meeting facilitation.
- Assisting the Implementing Partner (IP) in resource mobilization activities and incorporating priority action plans into budgets.
- Supporting coordination with development partners and donors supporting census implementation, including preparation of technical updates, progress briefs, presentations, and partner engagement materials.
- Developing operational procedures and process innovations to promote timely implementation.
- Supporting coordination of digital census innovations, including digital field operations, GIS-enabled census activities, administrative data integration, dashboards, and strengthening access to census data products for evidence-based decision making.
- Ensuring cross-cutting issues such as gender are considered in project planning, implementation, and reporting.
- Participating in joint project visits to monitor and assess implementation and resolve problems.
- Coordinating communication among all project partners.
- Identifying problems and potential barriers to delivery of results and designing effective solutions.
- Developing and maintaining a census implementation risk tracking and mitigation framework, including operational, financial, logistical, and stakeholder coordination risks.
- Supporting development and tracking of census implementation milestones, operational indicators, dashboards, and progress monitoring tools to ensure timely delivery of activities.
- Supporting planning for dissemination and use of census products, including statistical reports, thematic analyses, dashboards, data access platforms, and stakeholder engagement activities to promote wider use of census data.
Required Experience
A minimum of 2 years of project management experience, in the area of international development and/ or population and development in Malawi. Familiarity with the population and housing census process and outcomes in Malawi. Experience coordinating large-scale statistical operations, census-related activities, digital data systems, or multi-stakeholder development programmes will be an added advantage.
Qualifications
MA/MSc/Master of Social Sciences degree in a relevant discipline including demography, population studies, development studies/planning/Economics, and development communications.
