CONSULTANT: To support the implementation of Nurturing Care Activities for Early Childhood Development in the African Region

Overview

Support the implementation of Nurturing Care Activities for Early Childhood Development.

You have:

• First-level university degree in Medicine, Nursing or social science, or related fields.
• Postgraduate training in Pediatrics and child health, Mental health, clinical psychology, or Public Health.
• Minimum of five years of experience in roles related to Maternal, Child Health, Mental Health and health systems strengthening.
• Experience in planning, implementation, monitoring, and supervising health programs.
• Experience of managing programs at the national and subnational levels.
• Experience in supporting the implementation of Child development (ECD) and related activities.
• Proven ability to analyze synthesize and present data for use by varied audiences.
• Fluency in English or French, written and spoken.
• Working level in French or English as a second language is an asset.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Background

In 2015, Member States endorsed the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health 2016–2030 (GSWAC), and its three overarching objectives “SURVIVE, THRIVE and TRANSFORM”. The timing and principles underlying this strategy have been used as a reference for SDGs and in the formulation of WHO’s thirteenth Genegal Program of Work (GPW13). One key outcome in for SGDs and GPW15 is to ensure that children are developmentally on track to achieve their full potential.

The 2016 Lancet series “Advancing Early Childhood Development: From Science to Scale” highlighted the importance of supporting children and families during the first 1,000 days of life when development is most rapid and when nurturing care (including responsive caregiving, stimulation and early learning, health, nutrition, and security and safety) by parents and other caregivers is among the most decisive factors for healthy child growth and development. The series further highlighted the need for the health sector to play a stronger role in supporting the development of young children given its reach to families and children in the early years.

One key tool for strengthening child development is the Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development (NCF). Launched in May 2018 at the World Health Assembly, The Framework provides an evidence-based roadmap for action and outlines how policies and services can support parents, families, other caregivers, and communities to provide nurturing care for young children. Nurturing care consists of five inter-related components: health, nutrition, safety and security, early learning and responsive care. Children need all five domains of nurturing care to meet their developmental potential. The NCF includes healthy pregnancy, and childbirth, postnatal care and the newborn, and infant and toddlers 0-3 years. NCF recognises the importance of mental health and wellbeing for these populations, on the health, nutrition and ECD outcomes of the child. The Framework calls for attention to be paid to communities where children are most at risk of being left behind.

A dissemination meeting for the NCF was conducted in Nairobi in November 2018 for 7 African region countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – following which the countries developed action plans. The NCF was also presented to the ECD stakeholders and partners in Kenya, mainly comprising of the Ministry of Education and Education training institutions, during a national ECD meeting coordinated by the African Early Childhood Development Network (AfECN). The purpose was to advocate for its inclusion in the overall planning and implementation of National ECD strategy which was mainly focused on education of children older than 3 years, to ensure consideration of every aspect of development covering the pregnancy period to the first 3 years of life.

Building on increasing evidence and global momentum, ECD stakeholders are now focused on advancing proven and promising approaches to improve caregiving and early learning as part of existing health services, working in partnership with non-governmental organizations, and local and national government departments, including Ministries of Health. Although countries are making progress, this is variable across Countries. With financial resources from Conrad Hilton Foundation and other donors, WHO, UNICEF and PATH have supported activities focusing on several African countries - Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Implementation of Nurturing Care Framework within the health system has not been optimal due to a lack of clear guidance, but also due to the complexity of coordinating work across multiple sectors, and partly due to the disruption of Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020 WHO launched the ‘World Health Organization Guideline for Early Childhood Development (March 2020) to further support the adoption and adaption of the NCF. WHO in collaboration with other partners would like to re-establish the support to the Member States to implement actions to strengthen health systems to deliver and monitor services that support nurturing care for young children. Work is also ongoing on developing internationally validated tools to assess the development of children under the age of three at population level

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant is expected to conduct a rapid scoping and stock-taking of the ECD efforts in the region, and document promising practices and lessons learned; and support high-level advocacy with member states to place NCF high on the agenda. S/he will facilitate the development of the regional plan, establish member states technical assistance needs and facilitate such assistance, in close consultation with member states and stakeholders. The consultant will support the active dissemination of and testing of tools and guidelines, and their adaptation and implementation at Country level. S/he Coordinate ECD activities within the regional office, with WHO/HQ and country offices. The consultant will ensure that mental health, especially perinatal mental health is integrated into the regional and national plans.

Deliverables

The contract will be for a total of six months (6) months beginning on 1 February 2023.

The following will be the deliverables:

• A desk review report which includes in-depth work in selected Countries
• Regional review meeting conducted with the participation of countries Coordination structure for research and implementation of the Global Scales for Early Development (GSED) tools.
• Regional Implementation work plan and budget for Nurturing Care, ensuring participation of key programs, including mental health.
• Nurturing Care advocated in all relevant for and engagement with others and stakeholders strengthened.
• Mapped and compiled existing technical products to support NCF implementation in the African region
• Countries supported to adapt tools and guidelines, and capacity building for testing of technical products.
• Comprehensive Quarterly and Annual Regional report on Implementation for Nurturing of Care activities
• Collated Regional information/content prepared for dissemination in Webs, Seminar etc
• Onsite to technical support to countries including to Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique which have focused support from KBUS conducted
• Best practices and Lessons from countries documented and disseminated.

Qualifications, experience, skills, and languages

EDUCATION

Essential:

• First-level university degree in Medicine, Nursing or social science, or related fields;
• Postgraduate training in Pediatrics and child health, Mental health, clinical psychology, or Public Health.

Desirable:

• Training in Early Childhood Development
• Training in Monitoring and Evaluation or related is highly preferred
• Training in implementation research.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of five years of experience in roles related to Maternal, Child Health, Mental Health and health systems strengthening;
• Experience in planning, implementation, monitoring, and supervising health programs;
• Experience of managing programs at the national and subnational levels;
• Experience in supporting the implementation of Child development (ECD) and related activities;
• Demonstrable experience in strategic program design and managing partnerships and stakeholders.

Skills and Competencies

• Proven ability to analyze synthesize and present data for use by varied audiences
• Proven ability to work under pressure to make decisions, to elaborate strategies and organize priorities
• Management and coordination skills and an ability to communicate effectively with diverse partners and donors at international, regional, and country levels
• Ability to work in an international and multi-cultural environment
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to present information
• Ability to coordinate activities and multitasks
• Ability to liaise with people at all levels and to proactively search for information
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate with and convince officials with tact and diplomacy
• Skills and experience to deliver timely and high-quality products
• Self-motivated, flexible, and able to innovate
• Good facilitation and networking skills
• Working to produce results
• Ability to foster teamwork.

Languages

• Written and spoken fluency in English or French.

• Working level in French or English as a second language is an asset.

Location:

On-site: Congo, Brazzaville, WHO Regional Office

Remuneration:

• Monthly rate at Band B level (P3).
• Expected duration: 6 months.

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: who.int