Eleanor Reserva joined the UNICEF Data, Research, and Policy (DRP) Division as an intern in the Spring 2018 semester. She works under the supervision of Liliana Carvajal, IPED 2004 alumna, who serves as the focal point for Health at the Data and Analytics Section of DRP. Eleanor first met Ms. Carvajal during IPED’s career trip to the UN. In November 2017, UNICEF called for volunteers for data support work which Eleanor contributed to. After several weeks, the initial task called for a longer commitment and opened the door for an internship opportunity.
As an intern, Eleanor supports the projects and initiatives of the health data and analytics section. In particular, she conducts data analyses, creates data visualizations, manages maternal and newborn care databases, and generates reports for the health data and analytics section. She has also provided data support for the Every Child ALIVE campaign and the Progress for Every Child in the SDG Era report. “I have good background and exposure in quantitative analyses, but not in health. Not having the technical expertise was intimidating at the beginning, but I am thankful that Liliana guides me all the way through. It helps too that Liliana is an IPED alumna and therefore understands the mentoring I need and how to best complement the IPED Program,” says Eleanor.
The internship also allowed Eleanor to be rapporteur for technical experts meetings regarding SDG indicators, such as the Adolescent Mental Health and Skilled Birth Attendant. She cites these meetings as one of the highlights of her internship and feels grateful to have witnessed how the raw and rough discussions evolved into actionable plans for all the stakeholders involved.
In her remaining months at UNICEF, Eleanor looks forward to seeing her work contribute to the goals of the UNICEF Health Data and Analytics Section of DRP in an integral way.