Consultancy: Mapping the existing data sources for monitoring Public health Emergency indicators, 3 months, Remote- MENA Regional Office

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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JO Home-based; Amman (Jordan)

Application deadline 1 year ago: Tuesday 7 Jun 2022 at 20:55 UTC

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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, care

The MENA region has been the theater of several protracted humanitarian crises, natural disasters and epidemics over the last years. In 2021, six WHO 2 and 3 graded emergencies were reported in the region (Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Palestine and Sudan). Several infectious diseases epidemics (Diphtheria, Measles, Chikungunya, Dengue, Hepatitis A) were reported in Sudan and/or Yemen, five countries experienced or are at-risk of vaccine derived Polio epidemic while the COVID-19 pandemic strongly affected all 20 countries of the region. As of 11 April 2022, more than 20 Million COVID19 cases and 302,000 associated deaths were reported in the UNICEF MENA region – challenging a health system already strongly impacted by the pre-existing health issues. In addition to this, some countries (Yemen, Iran, Sudan) regularly experience major flooding laying the ground for vector and water borne diseases epidemics, and four countries (Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon) have been flagged as high risk of famine in 2022.

In support to the national authorities, UNICEF is a key actor in the different pillars of the Public Health Emergency response: direct and indirect health response at primary health care level, WASH intervention at health facility, household or public places, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), nutrition interventions, supply and logistics, child and social protection but also risk communication and engagement with communities. Enabling effective actions required to be alerted and informed early enough to put in place contextualized and integrated responses in terms of supply preposition, health workers capacity building, risk awareness, social and child protection mechanisms at country level. At regional level, a consolidated early warning system may help anticipating and activating technical and funding support to country offices in a more comprehensive and holistic way.

Nowadays, multiple surveillance systems, early warning and data collection systems exist and have been built to monitor key indicators at national, provincial or local level. National authorities, UN agencies, NGOs, research or surveillance institutes have created platforms to visualize and monitor indicators that fit their mandates and priorities. Due to the specificity of each infectious diseases (risk factors, severity, transmission mode, transmissibility...etc ) or sectors (Health, WASH, child protection, Communication and Community engagement.), the monitoring of relevant indicators has been organized by disease (polio, EPI, cholera, COVID, nutrition…) or sectors, and are coordinated by experts. The direct consequence of this, is the multiplicity of data sources and visualization platforms, that do not allow to have a clear overall picture of the situation in terms of public health indicators per country or sub-geographical areas that can inform the UNICEF multisectoral preventive and preparedness actions at regional and country level. More clarity is also needed to figure out what the data gaps are and what would be the best strategy to fill them.

In this context, UNICEF MENA RO is looking for a consultant qualified in public health and health information system who will support the mapping of on-line or off-line existing surveillance and early warning systems in UNICEF MENA countries, and their dissemination mechanisms.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this work is to produce a list of data sources that can be used for developing an automatically populated multisectoral dashboard or platform with key Health, WASH, Social and Nutrition indicators, that can alert enough in advance on the need to start preventive and preparedness actions in the UNICEF supported PHE components at regional and country level.

Objective:

- Mapping all the existing on-line and off-line data sources and data sharing platforms existing in the 20 countries of the UNICEF MENA region, where key indicators on epidemic prone diseases, acute malnutrition/food insecurity, WASH, child protection and social behaviors are monitored

- Assessing the relevance and feasibility of a multisectoral early warning platform with one page per country, where all the country-relevant multisectoral indicators can be visualized in one glance.

- Proposing the design of an automatically populated portal or dashboard with key information per country, that may be replicated at country level if disaggregated information at provincial or local level are accessible.

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

To submit a 1-2 pages workplan to explain how they envisage to achieve the consultancy milestones

Education:

An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Epidemiology, Public health, Social Sciences, Information and Communication Technology and/or related discipline.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 8 of relevant professional experience in public health or Epidemiology
  • Demonstrated experience in public health information systems in low- and middle-income countries, specifically in dealing with diseases surveillance systems, WASH and social behaviors indicators
  • Previous work with the UN or International Organizations is an asset
  • Familiarity with innovative methods of data collection, dissemination and use.
  • Experience with dashboards and alert system
  • Excellent skills in latest technologies for data visualization
  • Capacity to work independently yet with ability to share information, receive feedback and engage in dialogue with other partners.
  • Expertise in report writing
  • Excellent communication, reading and writing skills in English
  • Good reading and speaking skills in Arabic would be an asset
  • Familiarity with UNICEF Mission and mandates is a key asset
  • Any other relevant work experience

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit 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 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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org