Statistician (Quality Assurance)

The Statistics Division (ESS) develops and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, validation, processing and analysis, in the food and agriculture statistics domains. In these statistical domains, it also plays a key role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data, and provides essential capacity building in support of Member Nations. The Division also disseminates publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agriculture and food security statistics, including prices, investments, production, trade and agri-environmental statistical data. Finally, as the ESS Director also plays the role of FAO Chief Statistician, the Division supports the various functions of the Chief Statistician, that is to ensure stronger governance of FAO's data and statistical system, foster consistency of FAO's Data and Statistical programme within the Strategic Framework, ensure statistical excellence through the implementation of statistical standards and quality assurance mechanisms, and position FAO's presence in data and statistical discussions at global level.

The incumbent will work in Data Quality Unit within the Statistics Division, which aims to ensure that the Organization produces and disseminates high-quality data and statistics related to its mandate. The unit develops, updates and implements corporate quality frameworks, policies, standards, procedures and tools to ensure that statistical processes are sound and disseminated data and statistics are of the highest possible quality. It also monitors the quality of FAO data and statistics and supports FAO technical units in improving their compliance to internal quality policies, standards and procedures. Finally, it provides quality assurance support and tools to countries to improve the quality of food and agriculture data and statistics produced at the national level.

The post is located in in the Statistics Division, ESS, at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Statistician (Quality Assurance) reports to the Senior Statistician, Team Leader of the ESS Data Quality Unit.

Technical Focus

Supports the quality assurance and management efforts of the Division. In particular:

• The enhancement of the quality of data produced and disseminated by FAO;
• Data and statistical quality assurance, management and monitoring;
• Development and implementation of statistical standards, policies, tools, procedures and methods to improve quality of FAO statistical processes and data assets;
• Technical clearances of data collection, data platforms and other data-related/statistical activities performed by FAO;
• Quality assessments and audits of FAO statistical processes and data assets;
• Capacity development on statistical and data quality-related matters.
  

Key Results

Research and analysis of information, data and statistics, statistical methods, statistical and econometric modelling. Development and maintenance of specialized tools, methodologies, systems and/or databases and the technical assistance services to support the implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programme of work and related products, projects, publications and services.

Key Functions

• Collects, reviews, processes and/or analyses key social/economic/environmental/indicators, based on both traditional statistical methods/sources or on unstructured sources and data science methods, to support the delivery of economic and social development programmes of work, which can be focused on products, projects, publications or services.
• Develops improved/updated technical, statistical and/or analytical tools, systems, databases.
• Conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting in support of the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies to be used within the Organization or by external stakeholders.
• Produces a variety of technical reports and provides input in technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.
• Provides response to requests and provides technical and/or policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional and Country Offices, including technical backstopping to field projects.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, collaborates with other Divisions/Offices/Centres on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.
• Provides capacity development services, including the planning and organization of training workshops and seminars and preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Participates in divisional teams, Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and provides specialized expertise on international technical networks and or technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Supports the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the Strategic Framework and divisional plans.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration, advocates best practices, knowledge sharing, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings and conferences.
  

Specific Functions

• Supports the the quality of the statistics produced and disseminated by FAO. Implements the FAO Statistics and Data Quality Assurance Framework and, as necessary, participates in the revision of the framework based on most recent developments in data and statistical quality management.
• Contributes to the implementation of corporate statistical policies, standards, procedures and tools to regulate and improve the quality of FAO statistical production processes and data assets based on the Generic statistical business process model (GSBPM) and FAO Statistics and Data Quality Assurance Framework.
• Participates in the establishment and implementation of quality assurance, control and audit mechanisms to monitor quality of FAO statistical processes and data assets, including data and statistics produced for non-traditional data sources such as earth observation and other big data.
• Participates in the planning, conduct and data analysis of FAO's Quality Assessment and Planning Survey (QAPS) which gathers information on all FAO's statistical activities and information systems included in FAO Biennial Statistical Programme of Work and assesses the extent to which they meet FAO's quality standards.
• Participates in in-depth quality reviews or quality audits on specific FAO statistical processes and outputs, including in the development of a proposed plan of quality reviews/audits, the development of the quality review/audit assessment framework, the conduct of the quality review/audits and the presentation of their findings and recommendations to the Data Coordination Group (DCG).
• Participates in the planning, design and conduct of users’ consultations related to FAO corporate statistical databases.
• Participates in the review and clearance of data collection and statistical activities performed by FAO, including the clearance of statistics/data-related projects, questionnaires, acquisitions and uses of non-traditional data sources for statistical purposes, data dissemination platforms, vacancy announcements and terms of reference of statisticians and data scientists.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of a corporate capacity development programme on quality-related policies, standards, best practices and tools targeting FAO employees involved in statistical and data production.
• Provides support and guidance to technical units for producing and using corporate quality indicators to document the quality of FAO statistical production processes internally and externally.
• Promotes a quality culture within the Organization and builds good collaboration with technical units and the broader statistical community on quality management matters.
• Represents ESS in international meetings related to data quality management, as required.
  

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, agricultural economics, or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in the compilation and analysis of food and agricultural statistics in national or international organizations.
• Working knowledge (full proficiency - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate proficency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
  

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
  

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Strong command of statistical methods including: data presentation, analysis and descriptive statistics; main continuous and discrete random variables (binomial, normal, standard normal, log-normal) and their properties; probability distributions; conditional probability, probabilities of intersections of events, Bayes' theorem; correlation and rank correlation; sampling and sample size: simple, stratified, and multistage random sampling; Inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and significance; linear regression (single and multiple) comparison of population means and variances, ANOVA; Chi-square and goodness of fit tests; nonlinear models; maximum likelihood estimation; elements of survey and questionnaire design.
• Two years of experience on quality management of data and statistical activities including the establishment of quality policies, processes and tools to achieve desired quality objectives for statistical production activities and outputs is highy desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the compilation, validation and analysis of food and agricultural data.
• Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of the main data sources used for the compilation of food and agricultural statistics, their underlying quality limitations and how to address them.
• Extent and relevance of experience in designing, planning and monitoringquality reviews or other data quality enhancement projects.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in monitoring and evaluating the results of a national or international organization.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the planning and implementation of statistical capacity development programmes.
• Extent and relevance of experience in conducting quantitative analyses and methodological research in food and agricultural statistics using appropriate statistical software.
• Ability to analyse complex statistical-related issues.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting technical reports/documents in English.