The Position:
Individual consultant for 2025 Census Thematic Report - Mortality Report
You will report to: Policy & Census Coordinator
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results
The UNFPA Country Office in Lao PDR is seeking an international consultant to provide advanced technical assistance and demographic expertise to the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB) for the computation, validation, structural modelling, and narrative write-up of the official Population and Housing Census Thematic Report on Mortality, including a high-impact Policy Brief and interactive geospatial dissemination products.
This work will be coordinated and overseen by the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator. Consultation will occur with UNFPA's Regional Advisers as needed. The consultancy will adhere to UNFPA's policies and procedures, in collaboration with national counterparts where required.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has successfully concluded the nationwide field data collection for its 2025 Population and Housing Census (PHC), marking a historic transition as the country's first-ever digital census. As the operation enters its critical post-enumeration analytical phase, turning this unprecedented digital dataset into strategic, socio-demographic intelligence is paramount.
Lao PDR stands at a critical development crossroads, shaped by its upcoming graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status and a time-limited window of opportunity to capitalize on its demographic dividend. A fundamental prerequisite for optimizing human capital and tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-being) is a precise understanding of the nation’s mortality profile. Understanding mortality transition in Laos and its socioeconomic drivers is an institutional imperative for programming, planning and policy response in the areas of population and development, women and youth empowerment, sexual and reproductive health and rights.
While recent surveys indicate progress in reducing childhood and maternal deaths, severe disparities remain. Given the absence of a fully complete Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, census data remains the most robust source for calculating national and sub-national mortality indicators. To this end, LSB requires the technical support of a senior expert to apply rigorous direct and indirect demographic estimation techniques, construct Life Tables, pair variables with geographic information systems (GIS), write the definitive national monograph on mortality, and build analytical capacities within LSB’s technical teams.
You would be responsible for:
The International Consultant will be embedded within the LSB analytical structure via an Expert Pairing Modality, working 1-to-1 with a LSB counterpart and mentoring a dedicated cohort of 2–3 junior LSB experts to maximize institutional knowledge transfer.
The scope of analysis is bound by the information captured in the 2025 PHC questionnaires (including the specific module on mortality in the household in the past 12 months, maternal deaths, and Children Ever Born/Children Surviving). The consultant will take full responsibility for guiding the validation, syntax preparation, analysis, indicator construction, and final write-up of the report.
Key Indicators and Analytical Dimensions to be Modelled:
1. Infant and Child Mortality: Direct and indirect estimation of the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Child Mortality Rate and Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR).
a) Application of indirect estimation techniques (e.g., Brass type techniques such as the Trussell and the Palloni-Heligman techniques, Model Life Tables, etc.) utilizing data on Children Ever Born and Children Surviving - CEB/CS. Indicators have to be produced for the national and provincial levels.
2. Adult and Maternal Mortality: Computation of Crude Death Rates (CDR) and Age-Specific Mortality Rates (ASMR).
a) Assessment of adult mortality using direct and indirect techniques (e.g., evaluation of recent household deaths). Indicators have to be produced for the national and provincial levels.
b) Estimation of the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) based on deaths of women of reproductive age in the household.
3. Life Tables and Life Expectancy: Construction of complete and abridged Life Tables for the national population, disaggregated by sex and geographical areas, including calculation of Life Expectancy at birth and at specific exact ages.
4. Mortality Differentials and Determinants: Cross-tabulation of mortality indicators against background variables: mother's educational attainment, household wealth quintiles, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) access, and ethno-linguistic typologies, household composition, literacy and educational attainment of the head of household, as a proxy for socioeconomic status of the household.
5. Geospatial and GIS Mapping Integration: Integrating localized indicators directly with LSB’s GIS infrastructure to produce high-resolution choropleth maps at the provincial and district levels visualizing sub-provincial mortality variations (e.g., IMR, U5MR, MMR, and Life Expectancy), and preparing standardized spatial data frames for integration into the forthcoming national Census Atlas.
The consultant will execute the assignment across the following mandatory operational steps:
1. Task 1: Inception and Methodological Design: Review the raw census questionnaires, mortality variables, and previous survey reports (i.e. LSIS III, DHIS). Produce a detailed Inception Report establishing the methodological framework, life table construction techniques, and indirect estimation equations.
2. Task 2: Structural Outline and Dummy Tables: Draft the comprehensive structural skeleton of the monograph along with empty "dummy tables" and graphic shells. This includes planning for survivorship curves, age-specific death rate graphs, and standardized data visualization templates suitable for a non-technical audience.
3. Task 3: Syntax Development and On-the-Job Mentorship: Train and guide LSB staff in writing clean, reproducible statistical scripts (SPSS and/or R syntaxes) to use the micro-datasets, use dedicated software to use indirect estimation techniques and present the results in the table and graphs.
4. Task 4: Data Validation and Indirect Adjustments: Lead the technical validation of LSB-generated outputs. Apply advanced demographic evaluation models (e.g., Brass Growth Balance method or Preston-Coale method) to evaluate the completeness of death reporting, smooth age-heaping errors in reported ages at death, and reconcile census counts against administrative health data.
5. Task 5: Monograph and Narrative Drafting: Write the definitive text of the monograph, synthesizing findings, detailing mortality transition trends, comparing with other countries in the region, and translating correlations into evidence-based recommendations.
6. Task 6: High-Impact Policy Brief Production: Author a highly concise, visually appealing 2-to-3 page national Policy Brief that distills complex life table data and mortality differentials into immediate, actionable policy levers for senior planners and the Ministry of Health.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables:
The successful completion of this consultancy will yield the following key outputs:
● Output 1: An approved Inception Report detailing the methodological framework, life table equations, and indirect estimation techniques.
● Output 2: A complete set of populated dummy tables and the fully reproducible, clean SPSS/R syntax files used to generate them. Explanation of the use of dedicated applications for indirect estimation.
● Output 3: A comprehensive, publication-ready Mortality Thematic Monograph.
● Output 4: A 2-to-3 page high-impact Policy Brief with actionable policy recommendations.
● Output 5: A final package of geospatial products (ready-to-publish thematic maps and shapefiles) for integration into the Census Atlas.
Duration and working schedule, delivery and how work will be delivered
35 working days during the period (3rd August to 30th November 2026) The work will be completed in a structured, phased sequence across the calendar year 2026, aiming to close all core technical processing loops by December.
The following table shows a tentative timeline for the deliverables of the TOR. The proposed timeline will be agreed and finalized in discussion with the consultant.
*The 5-day on-site mission to Vientiane is strategically recommended for late September or early October 2026. The primary objective is to conduct face-to-face technical validation of the populated census tables, resolve data anomalies (such as under-reported infant deaths), and facilitate a Preliminary Findings Consultation Workshop with key stakeholders.
Submission Requirements:
All deliverables must be submitted in English, in electronic format. The exact delivery dates will be finalized through discussions with the selected consultant and partners. A detailed working schedule will also be developed in consultation with the recruited consultant.
Workshop materials and presentation files must be submitted to UNFPA at least 7 days prior to the events for review.
Payment Modality:
In line with UNFPA financial rules and standard Individual Consultant guidelines, payments are strictly performance-linked and will be disbursed in two equal installments upon satisfactory technical clearance and confirmation of milestones by the UNFPA Country Office in Lao PDR:
● First Installment (50%): Upon timely submission and technical approval of Deliverables 1 to 3 (Inception, Tables/Outline, Syntaxes/Populated Matrices), scheduled by September 30, 2026.
● Second Installment (50%): Upon completion of the on-site mission, final submission, technical validation, and official government endorsement of the final Monograph and Policy Brief, scheduled by November 10, 2026.
Monitoring and progress control: Milestones and timelines for the assignment will be agreed upon at the beginning of the contract.
UNFPA will provide periodic follow-up and monitoring based on the working schedule to ensure timely delivery of the tasks as well as timely mitigation of any unexpected obstacles.
Technical Supervision:
The selected consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator, and in consultation with the UNFPA’s P&D Team and UNFPA’s Regional Specialist on Population and Development and LSB.
The consultant will work closely with the Population and Development Team in UNFPA Country Office in Laos as well as the senior experts from Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB), and other experts involved in the census analysis and report writing as needed. S/he will significantly engage with the relevant stakeholders and development partners as needed.
Place of assignment
The international consultant is expected to perform this work on a hybrid modality including remote working and on-site missions to Lao PDR. The consultant will provide
'over-the-shoulder' technical coaching via screen-sharing sessions to the national team during the preparation of syntaxes and other technical work.
For remote working, the consultant is expected to engage with the LSB team and UNFPA via online meeting platforms at least twice a week for technical guidance, progress reporting and technical discussion.
For the on-site missions, it is expected that the consultant will travel to Lao PDR once during the contract period as tentatively planned above. The 5-day on-site mission to Vientiane is strategically recommended for late August 2026. The primary objective of this mission is to conduct face-to-face technical validation of the populated census tables alongside LSB counterparts, resolve any data anomalies, and facilitate a stakeholder consultation session to review the preliminary findings before drafting the narrative monograph.
During the mission, the consultant will be based in the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB), in Vientiane Capital, and will work closely with the LSB Team and the UNFPA Policy and Census Coordinator, and other stakeholders to complete the deliverables as mentioned above.
UNFPA will cover all travel costs related to any potential mission as per the UNFPA’s rules and regulations.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Knowledge and Experience:
Languages:
Required Competencies:
Values:
Core Competencies:
Functional Competencies:
Recommended Presentation of Proposal: N/A
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:
The consultant shall complete the following on-line training courses and submit the certificates to UNFPA before signing the ICC:
● BSAFE, Link: https://training.dss.un.org/course/category/6
● Fraud and Corruption Awareness and Prevention: https://extranet.unfpa.org/Apps/Antifraud/English/story_html5.html
● PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse): https://extranet.unfpa.org/Apps/PSEA2017/story_html5.html?lms=1
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
