Background

Helen Keller International (Helen Keller Intl) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and improving the sight and lives of the world’s vulnerable by combatting the causes and consequences of blindness, poor health, and malnutrition.

For several decades, Helen Keller International has partnered with governments across multiple countries to ensure regular provision of life-saving vitamin A supplements (VAS) to children aged 6 to 59 months. In Africa, our organization supports governments in distributing VAS through three primary approaches: biannual mass campaigns, integration of VAS into routine health systems, or a combination of both strategies.

Post-Event Coverage Surveys (PECS) serve as our primary method for evaluating VAS coverage, validating administrative data, and assessing the quality of service delivery. In collaboration with governments, Helen Keller Intl conducts these surveys in 14 countries to support VAS initiatives. Since 2018, we have conducted more than 50 of surveys across these countries.

Additionally, we collect comprehensive data on program implementation activities. This data is indispensable for informed decision-making, aiming to enhance coverage, strengthen distribution platforms, and refine the quality of implementation as countries transition from event-based VAS delivery to routine supplementation.

Of particular interest to Helen Keller Intl is exploring how VAS program activities (planning & coordination, training, social mobilization, distribution, monitoring & supervision), type of distribution model, reasons for non-receipt of VAS, distance to and location of health facilities or distribution points, and other factors impact caregiver knowledge and access to services. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for uncovering the barriers and facilitators that influence VAS coverage.

Helen Keller Intl is currently seeking a skilled data analyst (consultant) to contribute to our mission by investigating the impact of program implementation activities on VAS coverage in 14 African countries. The successful candidate will be tasked with compiling, cleaning, and analyzing data from over 50 post-event coverage surveys conducted between 2018 and 2023, as well as program implementation data from 14 African countries over the same period. In this role, the analyst will explore the relationships between program implementation activities, socio-demographic factors, and other relevant variables affecting VAS coverage. The goal is to derive actionable insights and develop at least three scientific publications based on the findings.

The main tasks and responsibilities of the analyst include:

Data compilation and management:

• Gather and compile data from over 50 post-event coverage surveys (PECS) conducted in 14 African countries between 2018 and 2023.
• Collect and organize program implementation data from 14 African countries between 2018 and 2023.
• Develop a comprehensive database of PECS data and program implementation data with the possibility of linking the two databases, as needed.

Data cleaning and pre-processing:

• Clean and pre-preprocess the collected data to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Develop a data dictionary for each database, including defining variables, labels, response options, etc.
• Develop data analysis plans for at least three unique analyses, including clear objective(s), variables to be analysed, the analysis to be conducted, and expected results.

Exploratory Data Analysis:

• Conduct exploratory data analysis to understand the dataset’s underlying patterns, trends, and relationships.
• Visualize key findings using appropriate graphs, charts, and summary statistics.

Statistical Analysis:

• Perform statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, regression, and other advanced statistical analysis, as necessary.
• Identify significant factors and variables influencing the observed trends.

Interpretation:

• Interpret the results of the data analysis in the context of the research objectives and relevant literature.

Paper Drafting:

• Prepare a structured outline for each scientific paper, outlining the key sections and their content.
• Draft the introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion sections of each paper, adhering to the target journal’s submission guidelines and formatting requirements.
• Incorporate relevant citations from existing literature to support the research findings and contextualize the study within the broader scientific community.

Revision and Finalization:

• Review and revise the drafted papers based on feedback from the VAS regional team.

• Finalize the papers for submission to scientific journals, including formatting adjustments and reference checks.

  Deliverables:

• Cleaned datasets.

• Exploratory data analysis report with visualizations.

• Drafted scientific papers (minimum of 3) for submission to scientific journals.

• Revised and finalized versions of the papers ready for submission to scientific journals.