Consultancy, Conduct Desk Review on the Status-Quo of Zero Dose Children in the LAC Region

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

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

In 2019, the LAC region was already showing sub-optimal and declining vaccination coverage. DTP3 coverage was 81% and MCV1 86%. Two million out of more than ten million surviving infants were not or not fully vaccinated with the DTP vaccine.i Measles and diphtheria cases have been reported in several countries over the past few years.

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted immunization activities across the region, both campaigns and routine services, increasing the risk of outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases. Two of the ten countries with the greatest increase in children not receiving a first dose of DTP vaccine, so called zero dose children, are in Latin America. For example, in Mexico, 454,000 children did not receive a single vaccine in 2020, a 30% increase compared to 2019.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Assignment

In the Latin American and Caribbean Region, UNICEF has worked with governments to design and implement strategies to better reach vulnerable and marginalized communities to both strengthen immunization systems and close the immunization gap. UNICEF has also procured vaccine-related supplies, such as syringes, cold chain equipment and in some instances routine vaccines. UNICEF has also supported the design and organization of KAP studies and design of tailored, context-specific campaigns and activities to tackle hesitancy and low vaccine uptake. In addition, UNICEF has worked with countries to utilize COVID-19 vaccine introduction to strengthen routine immunization systems.

The UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean is seeking to hire a consultant to document the current situation about zero dose children in LAC, including where they live and the underlying and basic causes for the fact that they are not vaccinated. As the reference for immunization data and coverage, the joint WHO and UNICEF estimates on national immunization coverage (WUENIC) shall be used. In this context, the number of children not reached with the first dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP-1) is used as a proxy and reference for zero dose children and where possible MCV1 coverage is also studied.

Where possible, addition, the consultant shall also study the drivers and barriers for complete vaccination with DTP3 as a proxy, to the extent that they are different from driver and barriers for enrolment in vaccination, Under the overall guidance of the Maternal and Child Specialist, the consultant will conduct an analysis of the drivers and barriers to routine vaccination services in the region with a special focus on zero dose children and the communities they live in.

Based on the results from the analysis, the consultant will make recommendations on how UNICEF can strengthen its activities to improve vaccination coverage in general, with a focus on zero dose children and where possible also on complete vaccination.

Specific Tasks

The consultant will carry out the following activities:

1. Desk review on zero dose children in the region. The desk review shall focus on the entire region with a special focus on the countries with most zero dose children per the 2020 WUENIC data. The review shall shed light on the following issues: 1) the number of zero dose children and their geographic locations and include qualitative information about the drivers and barriers to vaccination services and their general uptake. 2) identify strategies and programmatic approaches in place to closing the immunization gap 3) assess the level of integration of services that can facilitate access to vaccines while ensuring the provision of other essential health services and 4) assess the capacity of routine immunization surveillance systems to ensure adequate documentation of zero dose children.

2. Draft strategic recommendations on how UNICEF can utilize its expertise, capacity and staff to reach zero dose communities and children. Based on the desk review, the consultant will draft key inputs for an overall strategy on improving vaccination coverage in general and reaching zero dose children in LAC in particular, and where possible on improving MCV- 1 and

DTP-3 coverage.

3. Presentation for regional webinar to present results. The consultant shall prepare a presentation for a regional webinar to present the findings and recommendations to colleagues from LAC country offices, LACRO and headquarters.

Expected Results

The consultant will draft a report consisting of the findings of the desk reviews and the steps necessary to better reach zero dose children and improve vaccination coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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

Education: University degree in public health, medical science or other related fields.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in immunization, vaccine preventable diseases, primary health care, health system strengthening and research.

• Work experience with the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, scientific research and primary health care strengthening and immunization-related activities.

• A good knowledge and insights into immunization systems in Latin America and the Caribbean are of advantage.

Languages: Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge:

• Professional technical knowledge and expertise in immunization and primary health care with a focus on Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

• Good knowledge of UNICEF programme work in the LAC Region in the areas of health, in particular immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases.

• Experience in data collection and analysis, and of designing of recommendations.

Other skills and attributes:

• Demonstrated excellent skills in strategic thinking finding innovative ways to foster organizational change.

• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.

• Must be detail-oriented and present thoughts and ideas in a structured way.

• Ability to clearly define objectives and plan activities.

• Demonstrated experience with UNICEF will be an asset.

Supervision: The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Maternal and Child Health Specialist and in close collaboration with the Individual Contractor working on immunization-related issues in LAC.

Workplace: This is remote, home-based consultancy.

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Duration: This consultancy is expected to start on 15 November, and will have an estimated duration of 1.5 months.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies.

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.

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.