Consultancy (Remote)- Regional Digital Health, UNICEF Regional Office For South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal

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

Digital health is a broad multidisciplinary concept that embraces intersections between technology and healthcare. The scope of digital health includes mobile health (mHealth), electronic health records (EHRs), electronic medical records (EMRs), digitized health information systems and real-time monitoring of health services and systems, tracking, and monitoring of medical supplies and equipment through the supply chain, wearable devices, telehealth, and telemedicine, as well as personalized medicine.

In recent years, country demand for global guidelines and deployment support for digital health has increased, following the experiences and lessons learned from digital health interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing access to information, and increasing digital literacy alongside a concurrently widening digital divide. As part of UNICEF’s new Strategic Plan, Programme Group (PG) Health created the Digital Health & Information Systems (DH&IS) unit under the Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Section (MNCAH). DH&IS supports the use of digital health interventions and data to strengthen programs across all sections of the Health PG.

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia has identified six programmatic ‘areas for acceleration’ within its 2022-2025 regional office management plan. Among these is a focus on “bridging the digital divide.” This area for acceleration seeks to ensure that children and young people can access the internet regardless of gender, economic situation, or whether they live in an urban or rural area. Addressing the digital divide focuses on four key areas: (i) affordable access to the internet at school and in the home, (ii) digital literacy of children and parents to use the internet and do it safely, (iii) equitable access for girls and marginalized groups, and (iv) the provision of quality, online content in relevant languages. UNICEF in South Asia works in partnership with governments, UN agencies, and the private sector to ensure the next generation becomes increasingly connected to the rest of the world and able to compete in the modern economy. The fourth area of focus within the accelerator is particularly relevant to the health sector and presents opportunities to use digital health innovations to improve knowledge and awareness about health issues among the population and frontline health workers. The accelerator will further contribute to preparing the next generation of health workers and public health professionals who are digitally literate and connected to high-quality public health information.

How can you make a difference?

Facilitate UNICEF’s Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) to identify and prioritize digital health investment opportunities at the regional and national levels, in collaboration with MOH and partners, and liaison with HQ (DICE and Health PG). Specific support includes preparation of situation/landscape analysis, production of digital health investment cases that are embedded with digitally enabled health roadmaps and health emergency response plans, and support to identified countries for design, deployment, and documentation of digital health solutions. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the regional and country health, T4D, and SBC staff, and be expected to leverage their expertise in managing partnerships, plans/strategies, and other resources to actively engage in and support this work on the ground.

This will include engaging with the UNICEF ROSA staff, digital health, and program officers based in country offices, MOH, WHO, and other stakeholders in assessing current deployments and partnerships, the status of the “foundational eHealth building blocks”, the health system bottlenecks, opportunities where digital health solutions could support and strengthen the delivery of quality care at the community level, planning for implementation of a digitally enabled PHC strategy based on solid eHealth building blocks, and supporting the costing and creation of an investment case for scale-up of the digital health implementation plan.

Key Assignments/Tasks/Deliverables:

1. Review and analyze existing digital health inventory/mapping tools used across the region, leveraging work already completed through the Map & Match initiative, the WHO Digital Health Atlas (DHA), and by UNICEF (https://uni.cf/mapping-digital-health) and INVENT, establishing a baseline for further work with country teams to evaluate the availability of digital systems for various common use-cases, for public health emergencies, and broader health system strengthening. Conduct additional mapping as needed and feed into existing inventories. As a result of this task, the consultant will produce the following:
   • The final report which includes details on regional coordination, partners engaged, assessment of existing inventory tools’ completeness and quality, final mapping of existing digital health landscape, and identification of country needs for TA.
   • Review of previous country assessment recommendations and results to determine deployment status.
   • Update INVENT and the DHA with ROSA digital health portfolio initiatives following the analysis
   • Provide a regional partner mapping with identified focal points/contacts and opportunities for partnership agreements
2. Based on the findings of the regional landscape, prepare a Regional (ROSA) Digital Health Strategy and Regional Roadmap
3. Review existing digital assessment literature, including available resources with UNICEF and partners, and develop a region-specific guidance note on digital readiness and preparedness assessments
4. Conduct Digital Readiness Assessments for all 8 countries in the region
5. Prepare costed investment plans and business cases for at least two (2) priority countries based on assessment results (country(ies) to be determined once assessments are completed)
6. Provide technical support to countries in the region on initiatives through the Health Data Collaborative (HDC) – initially Nepal and Pakistan
7. Plan and coordinate a mission from DICE to the regional office to assess the regional priorities and identify technical assistance to the countries in the region

• Support countries with resource mobilization, providing inputs into proposals for GAVI Full Portfolio Planning (FPP), Global Fund, and other donor mechanisms.
• Expand the WHO-ITU-USAID-UNICEF-PATH digital health training courses (ie Digital Health: Planning National Systems), including localization and national deployments.
• Identify areas for Implementation Research and prepare a concept note for technical and financial support from RO and HQ (minimum 2, up to a maximum of 4)
• Identify and document country case studies (minimum 2, up to a maximum of 4).
• Identify and drive at least two priority digital health initiatives from the regional office in more than 2 COs in the region. These could involve taking to scale what is already proven in any of the COs or deploying and scaling relevant global initiatives in the region.
• Provide on-demand technical support and advice to country offices in the implementation of digital health public goods and associated technologies for Health System Strengthening such as DHIS2, eCRVS, GIS, eLMIS, Commcare, telemedicine, supply chain, chatbots, frontline workers capacity building, etc.
• Contribute to country office resource mobilization and integration of digital health priorities into national planning and budgeting exercises.
• Conduct digital health capacity-building activities for the region through the transfer of skills, training, and webinars.

Through the above deliverables, the consultant will ensure:

• Alignment of COVID-19 digital health activities with National Deployment of Vaccines Plans, Health Sector Development Plans, and Digital Health Strategies
• Alignment of digital platforms with national data protection, cyber security, health standards, and information exchange guidelines

• Building relationships and strengthening UNICEF ROSA involvement in regional health informatics networks, such as the Asia eHealth Network (AeHIN), and close collaboration with WHO regional HDC consultant; strengthening joint regional planning with WHO SEARO and EMRO offices.

  ROSA Digital Health Analyst_TOR.pdf

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

• An advanced university degree (Master's) or equivalent professional experience in health informatics, public health/medicine, development studies, geography, economics, or a related field is required. A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University degree.
• Seven years of work experience at the international and/or national level in digital health, especially in the deployment of information systems and digital solutions.
• Experience in providing technical assistance and thought leadership surrounding the design and implementation of digital solutions for health system strengthening, routine immunization, and use of geospatial solutions for health programs, including the application of recommended Health Information System architectures and standards.
• Knowledge and experience in community health/primary health care programs
• Experience designing and supporting digital health projects with Governments (including Ministries of Health, Statistics, Information, and Communication Technologies, etc.).
• Experience with project management and proven ability to translate complex ideas from various areas into unified, clear guidance

• Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in at least one South Asian language is desired. Knowledge of another official UN language is considered an asset.

  For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

Competencies:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Extensive experience working with the digital health/eHealth community
• Knowledge and experience with a multitude of digital platforms, including DHIS2, OpenMRS, RapidPro,iHRIS, OpenHIE, MoTECH, CommCare, OpenSRP, mSupply, etc
• Knowledge and experience working with GIS tools such as ESRI / ArcGIS, QGIS, MapBox, etc.
• Familiarity with open-source technology
• Ability to work in a team and in a diverse work environment.
• Exposure to UNICEF, UN, or other INGO programmatic areas, including (but not limited to) health, nutrition, child protection, and/or education, and experience in applying technical solutions to address programmatic issues is an asset.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

Application to include an all-inclusive financial proposal in $ for the daily/monthly rate to undertake the terms of reference and indicate your availability for the assignment.

Travel will include four missions within South Asia and at least one visit to Regional Office (if not based in Nepal); additional missions may be added.

Payment of professional fees will be based on the 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

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 the program 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 before 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.

Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF.

Payment of professional fees will be based on the 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.