Consultancy: Implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), LAC Region

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Friday 28 May 2021 at 03:55 UTC

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Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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

There is ample evidence of the importance of breastfeeding for mothers, and for the health and development of newborns and children- exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months and continued up to 24 months or beyond. The first hours and days of a newborn’s life are a critical window for establishing lactation and mothers need support to breastfeed successfully.

UNICEF and WHO have been supporting countries in their efforts to implement successful Baby Friendly Hospital initiative (BFHI) programs for decades. Although breastfeeding is a well-known and culturally accepted practice, its implementation has not come yet as common health behavior and is not a health core intervention and adopted policy and practice in many countries. In 2011, it was estimated that 28% of all facilities providing maternity and newborn services had been designated as “Baby-friendly “at some point in time. However, as of 2017, WHO estimated that only about 10% of babies in the world were born in a facility currently designated as “Baby-friendly”.

In 2018, WHO and UNICEF revised the BFHI guidelines and the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding. They can be found here.

The revised BFHI focuses on the incorporation of the 10 Steps into national policies and curricula, and a quality improvement methodology for strengthening capacities and practices in all facilities attending to mothers and children during pregnancy, delivery and in the neonatal period. The training materials for maternity staff have been updated (here), and WHO and UNICEF have published a Competency verification toolkit (here) .

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

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Maternal & Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) Specialist, the consultant will ensure wide dissemination of the new BFHI guidelines in LAC and provide technical assistance to countries for the incorporation of these guidelines into national policies, protocols, curricula etc.

  1. Hold consultations with ministry of health officials and other relevant stakeholders in selected countries in addition to specific countries with a functional neonatal alliance, to understand the progress with the implementation of the new guidance, and provide technical support
  2. Update existing webinar presentations on the guidelines where needed
  3. In collaboration with PAHO and UNICEF, organize webinars targeting national BFHI focal persons, neonatal alliances members and civil society organizations including breastfeeding support groups when available from selected countries, for sharing of progress and experiences.
  4. Liaise with PAHO, UNICEF and Ministry of Health representatives in selected LAC countries to provide (additional) technical support for the revision / development of BFHI national plans, and monitor progress.

Expected results

  • Updated webinar content
  • A calendar for country consultations and webinars
  • At least 2 webinars [MA1] on the new guidance are held from June to September
  • At least 3 virtual meetings held until November with National neonatal alliances, Health Ministries, and strategic partners in selected countries to coordinate BFHI activities of the neonatal alliance within their workplan
  • At least 3 meetings with PAHO and UNICEF regional offices

Deliverables

  • Webinars for sharing of progress and lessons learned: 2 webinars: (English/Spanish)
  • Webinars/technical consultations are organized and held with full participation of UNICEF, PAHO, MOH staff, national neonatal alliance members, civil society organization promoting breastfeeding
  • Country plans is revised, and TA provided
  • At least 10 countries in LAC have their national protocols revised according to the new guidelines

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

  • University degree in medicine, nursing, public health, nutrition, or other relevant area.
  • A minimum of 8 years management of networks, program and projects.
  • Work experience with MNCH, Nutrition, Public Health with focus on breastfeeding and BFHI
  • Experience of working with UN agencies.
  • A good understanding of health policies and standards and advocating for newborn /infant wellbeing and development.
  • Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.
  • Technical knowledge in health programs in the LAC Region in the areas of newborn/infant health and nutrition, maternal health, quality improvement processes.
  • Demonstrated excellent skills in negotiating with partners like Ministries of Health, NGO’s and Multilateral Organizations
  • Demonstrated experiences of providing TA, knowledge transfer and training to health personnel and civil society organizations, medical and paramedical groups of professionals
  • Demonstrated ability to manage approaches focused on human rights, gender, generational and intercultural approaches
  • Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines and results oriented
  • Ability to clearly defined objectives and plan activities with experience in program and project management, monitoring and evaluation
  • Demonstrated teamwork experience

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Supervision: the consultant will work under the direct supervision of the MNCH Specialist and in close collaboration with PAHO and UNICEF team at country level.

Workplace: this is a 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 fees in their financial proposal.

Duration: the approximate duration of this consultancy is 6 months, expected start date is 1 July 2021.

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.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org