Consultancy (6 months) to produce a documentation on best practices and lessons learned from Immunization activities, WCARO-Dakar, Senegal (Home-based with travels to selected countries)

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Health.

How can you make a difference?

Over the past few years there has been an alarming increase in unvaccinated children in West and Central Africa (WCA), with 6.3 out of 20.7 million surviving infants in the region who did not receive the three recommended doses of DTP vaccine in 2022. This is resulting in an increasing number of outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases (measles, polio, diphtheria etc.) claiming lives and causing disabilities. Only 69 percent of children have had all three doses of DTP containing vaccine, much lower than the 84 percent average globally. Around 21 percent of children in WCAR are zero-dose[1]. Around 30 percent of children in WCA are under-immunized.

Currently, eight priority countries throughout WCA with immunization gaps and contributing to 88% of zero doses children in the region have been targeted to implement catch up and recovery activities. These countries include Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Central African Republic (CAR), Mali and Niger. Out of these countries, Nigeria, DRC, Chad, Cameroon, Mali, and Guinea are among the top 20 countries contributing to burden of zero-dose children globally. Nigeria is currently ranked first in the world for zero-dose children and CAR and Guinea both have below 50 percent coverage of the third dose of DTP. As part as the global commitment to revert the immunization backsliding an Essential routine immunization recovery plan is being implemented in these countries to catch up missed children, restore, and strengthen immunization program.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Senior Immunization Specialist, in close collaboration with the program focal points (Polio, Covid-19, Measles& Rubella) and in consultation with the Regional Health and HIV Advisor and other relevant sections. His/her work will be carried out in close collaboration with UNICEF Country Offices’ Health/Immunization and SBC staff, and the knowledge management team. Mix of hhomebased and field presence in targeted countries. S/He will spend 80% of his/her time reaching the country offices (remotely or physically if needed). Potential countries to be visited (not exclusive) based on initial deep dive sessions with WCAR countries: Nigeria, DRC, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Niger, Senegal, CAR, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone.

• The scope will address the systems improvement which encompasses processes; National leadership, management tools; training materials; guidelines; Innovation; Capacity building of actors; Multi stakeholder partnerships at various levels; service delivery including routine service ( facility based, outreach and mobile ) and timely quality campaigns, supportive supervision & monitoring, Risk communication and community engagement, immunization financing, vaccines/cold chain and logistics management.
• The process will focus on Where, When, what, and Why achievements and major challenges/problem statement are, and How countries with RO support overcame it, what was done differently, the lessons learned.
• The operational aspects could be supplemented with Human Centered Stories having details on person’s firsthand account, problems and concerns, achievements, their motivation to achieve etc. The stories or photos shared by the country offices will receive due authorship/credits in the documentation. This would also acknowledge the contribution of all stakeholders.

Deliverables / Outputs

• Methodology and work plan, including travel plan and/or coordination meeting with COs, validated with the RO Immunization Team.
• Report on countries concertation’s outcome (including UNICEF staffs, and other stakeholders) and/or through country visits according to the initial planning.
• Drafts of main findings including digital compendium and human centered stories submitted to RO and COs for review and comment.
• Workshop with RO and relevant stakeholders organized to share the findings and receive feedback and inputs.

• Final report submitted including the digital compendium and the document of human centered stories.

  To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, global/international health, health policy and health programme management, socio-medical, health education, community health epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.

• Minimum of eight years professional relevant work experience including at least four years in immunization planning, management specifically on Polio eradication and/or COVID-19 vaccination and/or Measles & Rubella control and Routine Immunization.
• Experience on documentation
• Working experience in West and Central Africa or in Sub-Saharan countries is an asset
• Experience of working in health emergencies is an asse
• Fluency in written and spoken French and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Requirements

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system/Resume
• Academic credentials/certificates
• Consultancy proposal
• Financial proposal that will include
  • Costs for each deliverable and total all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the whole assignment
  • Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TO
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
• Previously relevant consultancy products & final evaluations (if available)
• Indicate your availability
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations, or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.