Health & WASH Consultant for training municipal health agents, Boa Vista, Brazil

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

Contract

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While important progress has been made in Brazil and throughout the world over the last years regarding the implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), much remains to be done to guarantee an integral protection of children and to ensure that all children have their fundamental rights fulfilled and respected in an equal manner and without discrimination. The urgent need for authorities at all levels to further address the rights of children in their legislations, programmes, policy frameworks, services and budgets has become even more evident in the light of the current pandemic, given the multiple impacts that COVID-19 has on children, including indirect impacts such as increased threats to their wellbeing, safety, and health.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The constancy of the daily migratory flow on the border between Brazil and Venezuela keeps the humanitarian emergency busy with the allocation of entire families, unaccompanied children and adolescents, including people with diverse health demands.

The estimated global vaccination coverage rates identified by UNICEF teams were cause for concern: below 70%, even in sheltered populations. Municipalities have inputs, immunologists, plans, and proposals for active vaccine search, but do not have enough vaccinators for mobile teams, with transport support to reach areas of difficult access, especially in the interior. In May 2022, Boa Vista Health Department had to control outbreaks of chickenpox, in addition to taking on the task of complying with the yellow fever vaccination target issued by the Ministry of Health to cities of border, as well as the measles vaccination target.The situation and demands of the Roraima municipalities are specific to this border context and requires additional support and resources from the Ministry of Health (UNICEF has also alerted the National Immunization Programme about this situation). However, there is a need for a transition in phases that still requires humanitarian action.

Regarding the provision of sanitation services in Brazil, despite the advances in the percentages of coverage in recent years, the country still has important challenges to universalization. According to data from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS), the North and Northeast regions of the country have the lowest percentages of attendance, considering water, sanitary sewage and solid urban waste management, respectively. In this context, UNICEF has supported local health and sanitation services, with an emphasis on maintaining essential primary health care services, fostering actions relevant to prevent waterborne diseases, malnutrition and acute diarrheal. In this sense, basic actions in health and sanitation are determining and conditioning factors for the welfare of the migrants and host communities population it covers four services.

In this way, we propose to coordinate the training of 220 community health agents in the themes of health and WASH and other areas relevant to UNICEF to qualify the offer of public services in this context.

To take action, UNICEF Boa Vista/RR office is promoting the strengthening of public services with special attention to the diversities of indigenous populations in urban areas through capacitation and build capacity of health and endemic agents (Agente Comunitário de Saúde e Endemias – ACS and ACE) in the thematic areas of Health and WASH strengthening emergency preparedness and response.

To achieve this goal, a consultant will be responsible for implementing and executing the work plan that underpins the demand described in this ToR and which will be developed with UNICEF in liaison with the municipal health department.

The consultant will work closely together and with the UNICEF Boa Vista team, especially with the Health and WASH teams, with the support of other areas such as Child Protection and Education.

DELIVERABLES

1. Work Assignment overview 1

1.1. Updated lesson plan and class schedule validated by UNICEF in liaison with the Boa Vista Public Health Department, along with a booklet containing relevant content for course participants. Summarize a report on a three-day in-person event in Recife/PE focused on good practices in WASH and health, highlighting the effective methods of ACS and ACE (airfare and DSA should be included in the consultant's fee).

1.2. Deadline: 30 days from the contract signature date

1.3. Estimate Budget: 15%

2. Work Assignment overview 2

2.1. Plan and give 2 presential classes for around 220 health agents (ACS and ACE) of Boa Vista presenting the UNICEF core purpose and its Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in humanitarian action and basic themes of health, nutrition and WASH in emergencies (general approach)

2.2. Deadline: 60 days from the contract signature date

2.3. Estimate Budget: 20%

3. Work Assignment overview 3

3.1. Plan and give classes of the Course Program and produce graphic content, for around 220 health agents, with aspects of the migration issues and sensitivity towards migrants:

• Health, Nutrition and WASH: main legal and political frameworks in the three government spheres.
• Introduction to Indigenous Health and WASH: sociohistorical discussion, deconstruction of myths and stereotypes and anti-racism in health;
• Ethnic plurality (national and local) and migration issues;
• Specific attention: role of ACS and ACE in serving indigenous people in urban areas.

3.2. Deadline: 90 days from the contract signature

3.3. Estimate Budget: 15%

4. Work Assignment overview 4

4.1. Plan and give classes of the Course Program and produce graphic content, for around 220 health agents, with aspects of the migration issues and sensitivity towards migrants:

• Address health surveillance with a focus on the role of ACS and ACE;
• Provide guidance on access to quality water: supply and storage (boxes and buckets with lids, cleaning and disinfection), the importance of access to quality (potable) water and what diseases and illnesses the consumption of unsafe water can cause;
• Present an overview of the local water treatment system (CAER) and the role of ACS and ACE;
• Instruct on basic sanitation and the risks of defecation and open sewage (present the fecal-oral diagram);
• Address the main diseases with epidemic potential (DPES) in emergency situations, their histories and forms of monitoring – focusing on the role of ACS and ACE;

4.2. Deadline: 120 days from the contract signature

4.3. Estimate Budget: 15%

5. Work Assignment overview 5

5.1 Plan and give classes of the Course Program and produce graphic content, for around 220 health agents, with aspects of the migration issues and sensitivity towards migrants

• Pregnant woman's health and child's health;
• Basic WASH Actions and Good Practices (part 1);
• Role of ACS and ACE in active search (vaccination, school and other specific cases);
• Health Communication (general approach);

5.2. Deadline: 150 days from the contract signature date

5.3. Estimate Budget: 15%

6. Work Assignment overview 6

6.1 Plan and give classes of the Course Program and produce graphic content, for around 220 health agents, with aspects of the migration issues and sensitivity towards migrants

• Monitoring of epidemic-prone diseases in humanitarian emergency situations
• Active vaccination search
• Water, sanitation and hygiene in humanitarian emergencies, including water quality monitoring
• Environmental health education with a focus on disease prevention
• Child Protection and the Rights Guarantee System
• Reception of the indigenous population in health care units, indigenous peoples' rights, with a focus on public policies and traditional knowledge.

6.2. Deadline: 150 days from the contract signature date

6.3. Estimate Budget: 15%

DURATION OF CONTRACT: 6 months

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT

• Bachelor's Degree in health science, nursing, biology, Public Policy, Social Sciences, biology, sanitary engineer or another relevant technical field.
• A minimum of two years of experience in the fields of public health, child rights, WASH sector, and/or public policy analysis.
• Prior experience in conducting classes.
• Prior work experience in the field of international cooperation will be an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Strong communication skills.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: Fluency in Portuguese. Spanish would be considered as an asset.

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone*, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.*

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultant will work from home using own equipment and stationery. UNICEF will provide office space for consultative meetings when needed.
• Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant and mandatory courses are completed.
• Consultants will not have any representative, certifying, or approving authority, or supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.
• The consultant will work remotely on a delivery basis.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.
• The payment will be based on submission of agreed 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.

INSURANCE AND HEALTH COVERAGE

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

RESTRICTIONS

• Consultants may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF. Notwithstanding, consultants must complete the applicable mandatory trainings before the signature of the contract.
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

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.

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 prior to 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.

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