Immunization Consultant, LAC Regional Office

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

For every child, health

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac).

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Maternal-Neonatal Child Health [MNCH] Specialist in close collaboration with the Regional Advisor Survive and Thrive, the main purpose of this consultation is to provide Technical Assistance for the roll out of a COVID-19 vaccine and support immunization activities from country regular program. The consultant will provide technical assistance and guidance to countries preparing for the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in line of the country readiness guidelines and checklist jointly developed by UNICEF and WHO. Technical assistance will include strengthening core immunization components as supply chain management, information, support to communication and social mobilization (C4D), planning for coverage and equity, support data monitoring and analysis. The consultant will assist in the efforts for resource mobilization up on request in providing technical information and data in support to countries and the RO in time of application for financial assistance from partners such as Gavi and US CDC Japanese and Canadian Governments.

Specific tasks

Technical assistance will be provided to countries in LAC in support to the following: - Country readiness to access COVAX principle for ensure of availability of COVIC-19 vaccine in country. - Monitoring of implementation of immunization services during COVID-19 vaccine delivery - Report to the regional office on a regular basis about progress being made. - Gather information of immunization supply chain in assessing strength and weakness and provide recommendations to managers for reinforcement. - Assist countries under request by providing key information to be used for advocacy, communication and social mobilization / review technical components of communication materials. - Collaborative opportunities utilized on operational research on immunization priorities with strategic partners and others. - Provide technical updates to UNICEF Cos with regards to immunization-related matters. - Summary of discussions and action points from key meetings reported back to LACRO in form of report on a regular basis. - Recommendations for UNICEF’s ongoing immunization role in LAC elaborated at the end of the consultancy. - Supported other immunization-related tasks during the period of the consultancy. - Any other task related to the job under request.

Expected results

- Develop a template to follow-up and provide update information on the degree of planning and country readiness for introduction of a COVD-19 vaccine. - Develop a matrix to follow up on regional envelop budget for country financial resource on immunization including status of expenditure of funds allocated to CO to be submitted to Regional Office. - Coordinate with PAHO/WHO in planning and preparation and provide update information to country offices and regional office. - Comprehensive Evaluation Vaccine Management with document sharing. - Produce short reports on outcomes of key meetings in which the consultant participates, as agreed with supervisors. - Support the office in other immunization-related tasks as needs arise

Deliverables

- Report progress made and level of implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine. - Report regarding country readiness status. - Report on country action plan for vaccine implementation and analysis and recommendation to Regional Office. - Final report and recommendations on UNICEF’s role on immunization in LAC

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

- Master's degree in public health or related fields. - A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in public health and related immunization programme. - Professional experience with UNICEF or other organizations working with EPI or immunization. - Fluency in English and Spanish.

Technical knowledge

- Demonstrated oral and written communication skills, including scientific publications and presentations on vaccine-preventable diseases. - Technical knowledge and expertise in the field of health with Public Health experience with capacity for planning, coordination, analyzing data and fully aware of the specifies of immunization, vaccines and cold chain. - Knowledge of UNICEF programme work in the LAC Region in the areas of immunization; including knowledge of strategic partners in the area of immunization such as PAHO/WHO.

Skills and attributes

- Demonstrated excellent skills in drive for results. - Demonstrated ability to work with people and easily develop networking. - Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines. - Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment. - Sets high levels of quality and productivity for self-autonomy of work. - Ability to clearly defined objectives and plan activities.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, and accountability. UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the MNCH Specialist in close collaboration with the Regional Advisor Survive and Thrive and the Emergency Specialist.

Workplace

This is a home-based consultancy, the consultant will be requested to work remotely. If travel restrictions are lifted, in coordination with the supervisor, the consultant may be requested to travel. Travel will be covered by UNICEF and calculated per the United Nations standards.

How to apply

Application should be submitted online and should include: completed online application form, CV, cover letter and financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Duration

This consultancy is expected to last for 11.5 months, with estimated start date 1 December 2020.

Remarks:

UNICEF 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.

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.

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.