TERMS OF REFERENCE (to be completed by Hiring Office) Hiring Office: UNFPA Turkmenistan CO Title: National Individualย Consultant on Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) for the Fertility Aspirations Survey in Turkmenistan Purpose of consultancy:
Demographic trends across Central Asia vary, with the region generally experiencing high fertility rates, rapid population growth, and large youth populations. However, in contrast to much of the rest of the northern hemisphere, Central Asia continues to experience higher fertility and birth rates and population growth, so that its countries have large numbers of young people. The UN DESA data shows that Central Asia's population nearly quintupled from 17.5 million in 1950 to 80.8 million in 2023. For Turkmenistan specifically, while the population has been around seven million, recent years have shown a slowing rate of population growth influenced by birth and death rates. The total fertility rate in Turkmenistan has declined from 3.2 to 2.6 over the past decade and continues to decline. The Government of Turkmenistan is actively strengthening its collaboration with UNFPA to enhance demographic resilience, focusing on the demographic dividend and human capital investments for sustainable socio-economic development. This is timely, given the 2022 Census data insights into Turkmenistan's demographic landscape. UNFPA's work in Turkmenistan will prioritize strengthening data systems and evidence-based approaches to factor in population changes and other megatrends, such as climate change, to inform the development and implementation of national policies, programmes, and financing related to demographic resilience, gender equality, and family planning.
Turkmenistan, with a population of more than seven million, has experienced a slowing rate of population growth in recent years, shaped by the interplay of birth and death rates. The population is nearly evenly divided between males and females. According to the Turkmenistan Census 2022, the age distribution shows that 57% of the population is of working age, while 8.1% is older, and 34.9% is younger than working age. The median age is approximately 30 years and dependency ratio of 39.7 percent. While UN dataย indicates an average annual increase of around 1.3% from 2010 until 2015 , more recent data of 2023 suggests an annual population growth rate around 1.8%, with a crude birth rate of 22 and a crude death rate of 6 per 1,000 persons in 2023. Life expectancy at birth in Turkmenistan is 70 years.ย This trend is projected to continue, with the medium variant suggesting a period of slower growth followed by a slight decline, potentially leading to a population size of around 9 million by 2050 .
Understanding fertility aspirations โ the desires and intentions regarding family size and timing of births โ is crucial for effective national development planning, particularly in the areas of health, education, social welfare, and economic development. A Fertility Aspirations Survey (FAS) is being conducted to provide insights into factors influencing fertility rates, which will inform policy planning in areas like health, education, and social welfare.
The survey will be a household-based quantitative study, using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) to collect data, and the questionnaires of which will need to be transferred into the CAPI environment.
The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance and guidance on all CAPI-related activities. The expert will be responsible for ensuring the successful transfer of the questionnaires to the digital (tablet) environment and providing technical support during the pre-test, training, and listing fieldwork phases, thereby preparing the project for the main fieldwork.
Scope of work:
(Description of services, activities, or outputs)
The National CAPI Expert will provide technical support and guidance on all aspects of the CAPI process until the main fieldwork begins. This includes the following key stages:
1. CAPI Development and Pre-test (15 working days)
2. Fieldwork Training and Fieldwork Support (12 working days)
Participate in the fieldwork training, which will provide theoretical knowledge and practical experience to the fieldwork teams.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Provide information on the technical aspects of the CAPI process for the fieldwork training. Resolve any technical issues related to the CAPI program that may arise during the training and pilot fieldwork.3. Documentation and Transfer (8 working days)
Conduct the installation of the finalized CAPI program onto all tablets to be used for the survey. The number of tablets will be identified after the sampling is finalized. Conduct the transfer of the developed CAPI program and survey data to the State Committee of Turkmenistan on Statistics. Design and create technical documentation, such as a user manual and instructions, to support national partners in future surveys.ย Expected Outcomes and Deliverables:The IC is expected to deliver all services and outputs to the UNFPA Country Office in Turkmenistan via online mode and in-person. At the same time, the consultant will be expected to achieve the following overall deliverables:
Deliverable 1: The finalized CAPI program for the Fertility Aspirations Survey, developed in collaboration with national partners and the international expert by November 3rd. This deliverable also includes a report on the pilot data entry and any corrections made
Deliverable 2: A report summarizing the technical issues encountered and resolved during the pre-test, training and pilot fieldworks by November 3rd.
Deliverable 3: Technical documentation, including a CAPI manual and instructions, for the implemented system by November 10th.
Deliverable 4: Transfer of the CAPI program and survey data to the State Statistics Committee, including installed CAPI program to the necessary amount of tablets ready for fieldwork by December 1st.ย
Deliverable 5: 3. Final Consultancy Report to UNFPA by December 5th. Duration and working schedule: Duration of this consultancy is from 15 October to 15 December 2025 including operational closure of the contract. Place where services are to be delivered: The consultancy services will need to be delivered online and in-person in Ashgabat. Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g., electronic, hard copy etc.): Dates for deliverables are provided under the section Expected Outcomes and Deliverables. All deliverables will be provided in an electronic format. Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: The UNFPA Head of Office with the Programme Coordination Associate will monitor the National Consultantโs work through reviewing submitted materials and participation in the meetings. Supervisory arrangements: The National Consultant will closely collaborate with the International consultant and directly report to and work under overall guidance of the UNFPA Programme Coordination Associate in consultation with the UNFPA Head of Office. Expected travel: No travel is expected under this consultancy Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
Bachelor degree in a relevant field such as demography, statistics, in computer science, statistics, or data systems, or a related social science disciplineย Minimum of 6 years of experience in a relevant field such as programming questionnaires and data analysis, particularly with large-scale household survey data like MICS, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), or similar datasets. ย OR Secondary education with 7 years of relevant experienceย Demonstrated experience with CsPro software is highly desirable. Experience working with government bodies, specifically national statistics committees or similar state entities, is an asset. Demonstrated expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methods. Experience in producing high-quality analytical reports, and presentations for a diverse audience, including government officials, UN agencies, and civil society organizations. Familiarity with the national development context of Turkmenistan, including key national strategies and policies. Fluency in oral and written Turkmen and Russian is required. Knowledge of the English language would be an asset Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g., support services, office space, equipment), if applicable: UNFPA will provide the consultant with the available materials, data, information and reports. However, additional information will be identified by the consultant through desk reviews, consultations, etc. Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:The consultancy fee will be calculated based on the GS-7 level of the UN Salary Scale for National Officer Category, effective 1 November 2020 and will be paid in a lump sum upon quality provision of all deliverables.
COA: 71305, FPA90, 54700, TKM05PDD, CENSUS, PU0074
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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. Persons with disabilities, and individuals of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity.