Home-based: Environmental Health Regional Technical Consultant (252 working days with travel as needed) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

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, an advocate

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The objective of the consultant’s support is to assist the health team in the design and coordination of the Healthy Environments for Healthy Children (HEHC) programme in the region. The consultant will report to the Regional Senior Programme Specialist and to the Regional Health Adviser (“dotted line”), and s/he will liaise with Healthy Environment Healthy Children team in HQ, the Health, Climate and C4D teams at RO and in Country Offices.

Background

The last three decades have witnessed huge progress in the reduction of poverty-related environmental risks to children’s health. With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, the global community made a promise to all children: to safeguard the gains made on child survival and to ensure that every child has the chance to thrive and fulfil their potential. However, climate change and environmental degradation are seriously jeopardizing these precious gains and our promise to the world’s children.

The very economic system that has helped deliver significant gains for children is also driving climate change and environmental degradation, creating new risks and threats to children’s health and development. There has been a drastic decline in the health of the environments where children live, learn and play. Patterns of disease among children are changing with a clear shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Children face a growing ‘cocktail’ of risks from air pollution, heat-stress, lead pollution, pesticide pollution, changing patterns of infectious diseases, exposure to toxic chemicals and waste, extreme weather events, and deficient built environments. These risks are preventing the realization of children’s rights and health today and in the future.

In 2021, the Health Programme launched the Healthy Environments for Healthy Children (HEHC) global programme framework (Summary, Short Video) that focuses on addressing the impact of environmental degradation (pollution, built environment) and climate change on the survival, health and well-being of children. The centrepiece of this is strengthening “primary health care,” which entails essential public health functions, empowered people and communities and multi-sectoral action. Working alongside communities, the global public health workforce needs to protect children from the impact of pollution and climate change as much as the impact of pathogens. The programme focuses on three pillars: a) Protecting children’s health from the impact of climate change, b) Protecting children’s health from the impact of pollution, and c) Climate resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities.

UNICEF ECARO is seeking assistance in the form of a consultancy for 12 months, to provide technical assistance and guidance to countries for identifying environmental health needs and for prioritizing children’s environmental health measures in the region, in coordination with other relevant sections in the ECA Regional Office. To ensure that information and documentation flows properly between the country, regional and global level, the consultant will participate in all key global and regional meetings and provide close support to the Regional and Country Offices teams, in addition to supporting the design of a regional approach to environmental child health preparing different documents (e.g., developing presentations, briefing documents, analyses, etc.) and reporting activities.

Scope of Work

• Improve the evidence base for prioritizing children’s environmental health in the region, including support to country-level Children’s Environmental Health (CEH) assessments, SITANs, uptake of global children’s environmental health profiles and other products.
• Provide technical assistance and oversight to country offices to deepen programmes on children’s environmental health, including engagement in country recruitment.
• Map potential donors on HEHC and mobilize investments in multi country programmes including drafting a regional resource mobilization strategy in consultation with relevant offices (PPD, PFP).
• Build regional partnerships around HEHC such as with regional WHO, regional UNEP, Inter-ministerial Forum on Health and Environment, civil society and others.
• Support dissemination of the WHO-UNICEF e-learning course on CEH; communications and awareness on environmental health issues affecting children, in collaboration with UNICEF Communications.
• Provide regular updates on progress and challenges being faced as required at regional level and HQ.
• Participate in all meetings at regional and global level and with country offices pertaining to environmental child health.
• Support countries to forecast the resources needed and develop tailored strategies for reaching priority populations and underserved communities.
• Prepare and write documents, briefings, analyses, presentations, etc. on HECH progress in the region.
• Support UNICEF COs in identifying and prioritizing actions, analysing data, reports and implementation strategies, assess gaps and provide recommendations for corrective actions. Identify and document enabling factors, good practices, challenges/bottlenecks, and lessons learnt from the implementation activities and ensure exchange of experience between countries in the region.
• Support sub-regional scoping on HEHC in six countries in the Western Balkans to identify and strengthen health- related work on air pollution, to mitigate impact on child health and attract domestic resources to PHC.
• Support UNICEF RO and CO in developing advocacy materials for COP28 and other relevant events.
• Perform other tasks as per request of supervisor

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / DeadlineMap harmful pollutants for children in line with the HEHC in ECARRegional Report on key environmental health risks for children by country (22 UNICEF program countries).10 working days;

By 30 September 2023

Develop advocacy documents on Environmental Health in ECARWritten information for UNICEF to use at COP28 and other relevant international and national events11 working days;

By 30 September 2023

Provide oversight and technical support on HEHC to 5 COs and partners in Central Asia;

Map needs and opportunities for UNICEF environmental health engagement in 5 countries in Central Asia

Country specific reports presenting needs and opportunities for the health sector in 5 COs.45 working days;

By 31 March 2024

Organise and undertake a visit to the WHO office on Environmental HealthTrip report5 working days;

By 30 October 2023

Provide oversight and technical support to COs and partners in the Caucasus;

Map needs and opportunities for UNICEF environmental health engagement by country in the Caucasus.

Country specific reports presenting needs and opportunities for the health sector in 3 COs35 working days;

By 31 May 2024

Provide oversight and technical support to 6 COs and partners in the Western Balkans;

Map needs and opportunities for UNICEF environmental health engagement by country in the Western Balkans.

Country specific reports presenting needs and opportunities for the health sector in 6 COs40 working days;

By 31 May 2024

Develop Regional Strategy Note on Environmental Health including identification of strategic partnerships for UNICEF.Regional Strategy Note on Environmental Health20 working days;

By 20 April 2024

Develop strategy for additional fundraising based on country case studiesStrategy for fundraising21 working days;

By 30 April 2024

Develop sub regional programmatic proposals on mitigation of air pollution impact on children’s health in the Western BalkansSub regional Concept Note on Health Environment for Healthy Children (HEHC) in the Western Balkans20 working days;

By 30 May 2024

Develop sub regional programmatic proposals on mitigation of air pollution impact on children’s health in the Caucasus.Sub regional Concept Note on Concept Note on Health Environment for Healthy Children (HEHC) in the Caucasus15 working days;

By 30 June 2024

Develop sub regional programmatic proposals on mitigation of air pollution impact on children’s health in the Central AsiaSub regional Concept Note on Concept Note on Health Environment for Healthy Children (HEHC) in the Central Asia20 working days;

By 30 August 2024

Develop recommendations and final reportFinal report on activities carried out, achievements, and recommendations on the way forward10 working days;

By 30 September 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

252 working days (between September 2023 and September 2024)

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based.

As part of this assignment, an estimate of ten (10) technical assistance missions are expected. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a financial offer (in USD) in your application based on 252 working days to undertake this assignment. Please do not include travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Masters or post-graduate degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Medical Sciences, Non-communicable diseases, Health research or related disciplines;
• Minimum eight (8) years’ work experience in the areas of public health, environmental health;
• Demonstrated past experience in design of studies and assessments, and conducting research related to the environment, environmental health, climate and health, child health, pollutants;
• Experience in capacity building, government relationship building, training and/or facilitation an asset;
• Previous experience working in the ECA region is an asset;
• Knowledge of the United Nations system or other international organizations is an asset;
• Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues and children’s rights is an asset.

Skills and attributes desired:

• Proven experience in programme assessments and strategy development;
• Understanding of public health systems and policies related to environment and health;
• Excellent communication, facilitation and presentation skills;
• High level of analytical ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, including using relevant software packages;
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality, concise, analytical and insightful reports and presentations in English;
• Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas;
• Strategic thinking and critical analysis;
• Commitment and drive, with a clear focus on results;
• Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other languages relevant to the ECA region is an added advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

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.

Apply now

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unicef.org