Health, Nutrition and Early Child Development Specialist

Volunteering Medical & Health

Overview

Support UNICEF in Health, Nutrition, and Early Child Development initiatives in Rio de Janeiro.

You have:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in public health and child development, focusing on public health systems at local levels.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including drafting and reporting skills.
• Experience working with municipal or state level organizations, especially in the context of child development programs.
• Deep understanding of and experience in the Rio de Janeiro context, particularly regarding health challenges and the impacts of armed violence on children.
• Ability to work collaboratively and inclusively with various partners including community members and authorities.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications and familiarity with database management.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Sound security awareness, particularly in vulnerable contexts.

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

In Brazil, almost 27 million children and adolescents (49.7% of the total) are denied one or more rights. The most affected ones are black and indigenous girls and boys, from poor families, living in rural area or in peripheries of urban centers. Most of these children are in a situation of inequality, excluded by public policies, with a very high social deficit. For young children living in contexts of poverty and inequality, the lack of integrated care may have long term consequences in their lives, considering that they are at important stages of growth and development, considered a window of opportunity for health, learning and emotional well-being. Infant mortality, malnutrition, lack of access to early childhood education, and the high incidence of domestic violence and sexual abuse, have been identified as some forms of violation of the rights of young children in the region.

UNICEF works with governments, businesses, civil society and academia to strengthen their systems so that children receive the services required for their developmental needs in the territory. The Early Childhood Friendly Unit Initiative (UAPI), implemented in seven Brazilian capitals (Belém, Manaus, Fortaleza, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Luís) aims to support the qualification of services of excellence for young children through the technical assistance, training, monitoring and certification of health (Primary Health Care Facilities),education units (daycare centers and preschools) and social assistance equipment (Social Assistance Reference Centers). The initiative has the potential of promoting intersectoral work between different areas, gathering efforts from different institutions for the strengthening of services, improving monitoring and evaluation of workflows, and leading to the elaboration and implementation of a concrete action plan for improving the identified bottlenecks.

As part of Rio de Janeiro team, the UN Volunteer will contribute to the implementation of UNICEF Immunization, Healthy Eating and Mental Health strategies, UAPI, Agenda Cidade UNICEF, early child development (ECD) and Primeira Infância Antirracista ( PIA) initiatives and other activities related to Rio de Janeiro office Strategic Framework, closely coordinating with the areas of education, social protection, adolescents and child protection. As a final result, most excluded boys and girls will benefit from enhanced and inclusive public policies and services, especially to ensure that all children are surviving, thriving and with good health in contexts of armed violence.

This assignment will support the implementation of the national and local health, nutrition and ECD strategy in Rio de Janeiro as the main focus, guiding the local strategy on the same topic as an integral part of the Rio de Janeiro Strategic Framework focused on Violence Prevention and Response in contexts or armed violence. As such, the UN Volunteer is supposed to design, implement, and monitor health, nutrition and ECD activities, in partnership with government and relevant civil society organizations, based on the strategies developed by Brasília’s Health, Nutrition and ECD Teams and the Strategic Framework for Rio de Janeiro.

Under the supervision and guidance of the Rio de Janeiro Chief Field Office and working closely with the UNICEF Health and ECD specialists’ team, the UN Volunteer will provide support on strengthening the Health and ECD programmes, with focus on the strengthening health initiatives and their connections to violence prevention and response in territories affected by armed violence in Rio de Janeiro.

As such, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks/ responsibilities:

• Monitor and implement Early Childhood Friendly Unit (UAPI) Initiative • Participate in strategic meetings and discussions about the UAPI initiative in Rio de Janeiro with government stakeholders and external consultantsby providing technical expertise and inputs for the strengthening of the initiative, identifying bottlenecks and lessons learned as well as potentialities that must be taking into consideration for a solid and sustainable programme. • In close coordination with the Child Protection Specialist for Rio de Janeiro co-lead and support the discussions about the UAPI incorporation in the Rio de Janeiro framework focused on violence prevention, including through UAPI Social Assistance, and other revelant Violence Prevention and response initiatives • Lead and participate in the Scientific Committee meetings of the UAPI in Rio de Janeiro, supporting the municipality in decisions regarding the need of specific training, diagnosis, definitions of targets, strategic action plans and the final evaluation. • Organize and implement the certification process together with Scientific Committee and City Hall. • Immunization: support advocacy activities for the active search for the most vulnerable children with no immunization or with delay in vaccination, especially in contexts of armed violence. • Provide technical inputs for Communication campaigns and Social Behavior Change initiative, in close collaboration with the Communications specialist for Rio de Janeiro. • Participate in strategic meetings and support capacity building focused on the Health and ECD results for the Agenda Cidade UNICEF, such as Semana do Bebê and PIA – Primeira Infância Antirracista. • Support the discussions and implementation of activities related to prevention of violence against children and healthy eating throughout education. • Collaborate with Adolescents Development area in supporting the development of mental health and adolescent health programmes, especially in contexts of armed violence, Coordinate the development and implementation of programmatic interventions with implementing partners in Rio de Janeiro. • Support the preparation of donor reports and proposals, annual reports and other relevant documents. • Monitor and implement the Annual work plans and its budget for Health, Nutrition and ECD, including PIA, in Rio de Janeiro. • Participate in team meetings and external events.

For every Child, you demonstrate UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are (1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

Brazilian public health and child development, with a focus on public health systems at local level including public policies advice, implementation or design, or other relevant programmes for child development; • Experience working with Municipal or State level, as well as experience working in the UN or other international development organization. • Deep understanding of and experience in the Rio de Janeiro context, including health challenges and the impacts of armed violence on children and adolescents’ health and development is desirable.

Other mandatory required technical knowledge

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills. • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing. • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. • Sound security awareness.

Rio de Janeiro state and capital city presents itself as a high-potential pole for Programs and Innovation. The state and the capital city possess considerable resources and capacities, both financial and human, despite having suffered from the most acute financial crisis peculiar to the state. RJ has an oversized presence and influence on national life in Brazil as well as regionally and globally. The city’s topography means that the “periphery” and the center (the privileged neighborhoods) are situated close to each other. This is a peculiarity unique to the city of Rio.

The city houses a large corporate sector, a network of active CSOs with experience and capacity, a large network of governmental and state bodies, universities and a network of impressive research institutes. RJ has a diverse and active network of social movements and community-based organizations. It hosts the biggest social-environmental business in the country.

There are acute deprivations in the peripheral areas, with children and adolescents facing unacceptably high levels of violence. The state and city of RJ has experienced an intense economic, social and political crisis in the last decade. There has been an outflux of population from the city – diminishing the vibrancy of civil society and community-based organizations. Nonetheless, the city continues to possess a rich resource base and capacity and has a vibrant civil society.

All United Nations personnel must scrupulously comply with UNDSS procedures and recommendations during their assignment. For missions in rural areas, favelas or indigenous reservations, special procedures may apply; UN personnel should consult with the local DSS office in advance.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials.

Specific UN Volunteer entitlements, including insurance coverage, Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), and Deployment / Repatriation lump sums, among others, are available at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos https://www.unv.org/

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Potential interview questions

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