Consultancy: Child Survival Action Country and Partner Engagement - Req

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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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Child Survival Action Country and Partner Engagement

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health Programme Team, New York HQ

Duration: 15 September 2022 to August 30,2023 (250 days)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

UNICEF is seeking the services of a consultant to support efforts to accelerate progress for child survival, within UNICEF and with partners, across global, regional, and country levels.

With eight years to go towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goal target of 25 or fewer deaths per 1000 live births, 54 countries remain off track to achieve this target, 80% of them in Africa. There are huge inequities within and across countries, with the most vulnerable children often facing an accumulation of risks as well as lack of access to quality health care. Deaths in the post-neonatal period (1-59 months) represent 52% of global under-five deaths, however in some countries the proportion reaches up to 70%, with pneumonia, diarrhea and malaria continuing to be the leading causes of death. Primary Health Care, inclusive of community-based health care, delivered through a comprehensive, multi-sector approach by the private and public sector, with focus on both access as well as improved quality of care, is the key platform to strengthen and ensure universal access to preventive, promotive and curative interventions to address child survival and supporting children’s growth and development.

Ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths remains a key strategic priority for UNICEF. Over the past year, UNICEF and key global health partners have come together to reinvigorate joint action for child survival, in close alignment with ongoing efforts to address maternal and newborn survival, but focusing on the 1-59 month age period. The aim of this effort is to a) collaborate with countries around sharpened as well as costed strategic priorities and plans, with well-defined milestones and targets, and efforts to ensure the availability of adequate resources and technical support; b) seek opportunities to align at global and country level across complementary efforts that will result in strengthened health systems and a reduction of risks (this includes, for example, the institutionalization of community health/community health roadmap, Global Action Plan for Wasting, the Immunization agenda/zero dose, etc.).

UNICEF global, regional and country teams are supporting this effort, across sectors and through strategic engagement, partnerships, resource mobilization, data analyses, health systems strengthening as well as direct implementation support to governments.

Scope of Work (Activity/Assignment)

Under the supervision of the Health Specialist, Child and Community Health Unit, the consultant will support country engagement, strategic country reviews, technical assistance as well as global partner coordination. Specifically, the consultant will be responsible to:

• Support work in Sierra Leone and a second country to improve pediatric quality of care at PHC and community level: document learnings and country stakeholder input into draft technical guidance notes and support the finalization of these notes. (10%)
• Support country engagement coordination under the child survival action partnership, together with the Child Health Task Force Secretariat. (10%)
• Assist country teams in pathfinder countries (Sierra Leone, Tanzania, others TBC) in mapping and profiling of cross-sectoral/cross programme child survival efforts including coordination and investments, and data reviews to refine priorities and actions, investment, and TA needs. (25%)
• Develop and apply country priority profile template.
• Document country engagement and priority setting exercises to develop a structured process and translate to additional countries, identify overlapping gaps and needs and foster cross-country learning.
• Apply learnings from pathfinder countries to perform higher level mapping of child survival action across additional 7-10 countries, identifying leadership and coordination mechanisms and strategic priorities; reviewing existing data and equity profiles; and identifying and mapping complementary efforts and opportunities. (15%)
• As part of this: Work in close coordination with and leveraging the Community Health Roadmap platform to articulate and showcase opportunities for alignment and joint action and investment – at global, regional and country level
• Work with UNICEF regional offices to map UNICEF child health priorities, ongoing activities and technical support needs across targeted country offices. Address urgent TA needs directly. (10%)
• Assist HQ and country teams in resource mobilization efforts, including donor mapping and leveraging opportunities such as Global Funds NFM4 and country investment cases for GFF. (10%)
• Document and disseminate best practices and learning from the survival effort, including case studies, blogs, webinars etc. Support communication and advocacy efforts for child survival. (10%)
• Provide additional ad hoc support to the child and community health unit on activities and meetings linked to child survival and pediatric quality of care. (5%)

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

• Support work on pediatric and community QoC in two countries (10%)

Learnings and inputs to technical notes documented

• Support country engagement coordination under the child survival action partnership (10%)

Country engagement mechanism established/TORs

• Assist country teams in pathfinder countries in mapping context, priorities and actions (25%)

Country profiles developed

• Perform higher level mapping across additional countries (15%)

Country mapping completed, at least 7 country profiles developed

• Map UNCIEF CO child health priorities and TA needs and provide urgent country TA. (15%)

Priorities and TA needs across 3 regions mapped and at least 4 countries supported

• Support resource mobilization for child survival (10 %)

Donor mapping, proposal template and at least 2 funding pitches

• Document and disseminate best practices and learning (10%)

Case studies/ articles/reports/blogs

• Provide additional ad hoc support to the child and community health unit (5%)

Report to supervisor of tasks completed

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Advanced university degree (Masters) in Public Health, Medicine, Social policy or relevant other subject
• Fluency in English, both spoken and written is essential, fluency in written and spoken French is highly desired.

2) Work experience

• • At least 5 years of relevant work experience at national and/or international level in planning and programming in primary health care and child health
  • Professional experience in a managerial or technical expert position in child health or primary health care
• Experience in managing complex partnerships
  • Experience in data analysis and presentation/use of data for decision making
• Work experience in low- and middle-income countries
• Strong advocacy, communication and partnership building skills

3) Other skills and qualifications

• Excellent communicator of verbal and written concepts to an international audience
• High level of academic technical writing expertise
• High level of analytical skills and attention to detail
• Knowledge of MS Office Suite
• Knowledge of the environment in which UNICEF operates (i.e., global health sector)
• Able to quickly understand instructions, to proactively seek clarification when needed
• Able to work well in a team environment

UNICEF core values

The consultant must follow UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability

Functional competencies

• • Able to work independently and problem solving oriented
  • Able to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships
  • Demonstrated communication and relationship building skills
  • Proven capacity to work with collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills

Requirements****: do not edit

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference (can be downloaded here: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• 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.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.