Consultant - Support to Post-Campaign Coverage Survey 2026 Measles/Rubella Supplementary Immunization Activity

Job Posting Organization:
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network, comprising 191 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Established to provide humanitarian assistance and support in times of crisis, the IFRC operates under the guiding principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. The organization is committed to delivering on Strategy 2030, which emphasizes response, resilience, and respect. With its headquarters in Geneva, the IFRC has five regional offices located in Nairobi (Africa), Panama (Americas), Kuala Lumpur (Asia Pacific), Budapest (Europe), and Beirut (MENA), along with various representation offices, service centers, and delegations worldwide. The IFRC plays a crucial role in coordinating humanitarian action, supporting community resilience, and promoting health and well-being, particularly in the face of climate change and migration challenges.

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a vital role in supporting Tajikistan's follow-up measles-rubella supplementary immunization activity (MR SIA) planned for October 202

• This campaign aims to address residual immunity gaps and prevent further transmission of measles and rubella by vaccinating children aged 6-59 months in 54 cities and districts. The consultant will provide comprehensive technical leadership and quality assurance throughout the post-campaign coverage survey (PCCS), which is essential for estimating vaccination coverage, identifying reasons for missed vaccinations, and informing future program improvements. The PCCS will be conducted promptly after the campaign to minimize recall errors and ensure accurate data collection. The consultant will oversee survey design, implementation, data management, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that national bodies and partners retain decision-making authority while adhering to established protocols and ethical standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Inception and governance: Review campaign plans, eligibility rules, and monitoring data; confirm governance structures and prepare detailed workplans.
• Protocol, approvals, and probability sampling: Finalize survey objectives, define target populations, and calculate sample sizes; collaborate with national statistics authorities for sampling frame documentation.
• Survey tools and data system: Develop household listing and consent tools; establish vaccination evidence hierarchy and prepare necessary documentation in English, Tajik, and Russian.
• Recruitment, training, pilot, and readiness: Define competency criteria for field personnel; lead training sessions and conduct pilot tests to ensure readiness for data collection.
• Field implementation and quality assurance: Provide oversight during data collection, ensuring adherence to protocols and quality standards; implement daily progress reviews and corrective actions as needed.
• Data management and analysis: Oversee data validation, cleaning, and analysis; produce reproducible analysis outputs and document limitations.
• Reporting, dissemination, and handover: Present findings to technical committees, prepare reports and action matrices, and ensure a smooth handover of all survey assets and documentation.

Required Qualifications:
The consultant must possess an advanced university degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, demography, survey methodology, or a closely related field. A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience is required, particularly in designing and analyzing probability-based household surveys. Demonstrated experience with vaccination coverage surveys, especially post-measles/rubella campaign surveys using WHO methods, is essential. The consultant should also have experience in developing and testing survey instruments, training field teams, and managing data quality.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, demography, survey methodology, or a closely related field is required for this position. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of survey design and analysis, particularly in the context of public health initiatives.

Experience:
The consultant should have at least seven years of relevant professional experience, which includes a strong background in the design and analysis of probability-based household surveys. Experience specifically related to vaccination coverage surveys and post-campaign evaluations is highly desirable. Familiarity with working in Tajikistan or similar multilingual, mountainous, or hard-to-reach settings is preferred, as is experience collaborating with ministries of health and international organizations such as WHO, Gavi, and UNICEF.

Languages:
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are mandatory for this position. The ability to communicate effectively in English is essential for conducting the consultancy work. Additionally, working knowledge of Russian is desirable, and knowledge of Tajik is considered an asset, enhancing the consultant's ability to engage with local stakeholders and communities.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy will be managed by the IFRC M&R Country Platform Officer, with overall coordination from the IFRC Immunization Senior Officer based in Geneva. The consultant will be contracted by the IFRC, and standard contractual terms will apply. Travel expenses will be reimbursed at cost according to IFRC regulations. The assignment is expected to be home-based with missions to Dushanbe and selected survey areas in Tajikistan. The exact duty station, number of missions, travel dates, and selected field areas will be confirmed after the approval of the sample and field plan. The final start date, end date, workdays, and mission schedule will be agreed upon after confirming the survey design and implementation arrangements.