Individual Consultant to provide technical assistance to assess and monitor implementation of risk screening tools and self tests for HIV among hard to reach adolescents and young people in
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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, Health
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Background and Justification:
Rwanda has made great progress in responding to the HIV epidemic. According to programme data, Rwanda has made tremendous progress towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, estimated to be 89%, 92.3% and 91% respectively by June 2018, and currently striving to achieve 95-95-95 targets. However, access to and utilization of HIV services among adolescents and young people remain a challenge. The comprehensive knowledge on HIV is still inadequate, only 62% of girls and 60% of boys have comprehensive knowledge (DHS 2014-15). With regards to the UNAIDS 90-90 -90 targets, only 57% of adolescents and young people know their HIV status, 57.7% of these are receiving ART, and 47.8% of those on ART are virally suppressed.
Similarly, Rwanda has made considerable progress in the elimination of mother to child transmission (EMTCT), keeping children and their mothers alive and healthy. The national programme for prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) has reached near universal coverage (91%), and the uptake of maternal antiretroviral therapy is estimated to be at as high as 95%. As a result, the rate of MTCT has been reduced to below 2% in program settings during the last three years, putting Rwanda in the forefront to be the first country in Africa to achieve full elimination, provided gaps in quality of care are identified and addressed.
UNICEF and its partners are working in partnership with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre to contribute to bridging some of the existing gaps in the adolescent HIV as well as the PMTCT and pediatric HIV programmes. Some of the field projects include (a) the community level peer based adolescent HIV prevention, testing, treatment referral and adherence in Huye and Gatsibo Districts, (b) HIV self-testing among hard to reach male partners of ANC clients in City of Kigali, (c) Continuous quality improvement (cQI) approaches to monitor and to improve PMTCT service delivery cascade, and Family testing of children and adolescents in City of Kigali. The core element of all these projects is documenting and sharing new learnings and best practices which would be beneficial for future national scale up plans. There is also an effort to conduct implementation studies on new and innovative ideas for which data and knowledge is insufficient to inform national programme improvements. Some of the innovative tools and interventions for which knowledge and data is required include (a) field level implementation and use of HIV risk screening tools among adolescents and young people, and (b) implementability of self-tests among hard to reach adolescents and young people aged 16 -24 years, at high risk of HIV acquisition – these two are interlinked.
Purpose
It is against this background that UNICEF is looking for a consultant to provide technical assistance to gather data and knowledge on small scale implementability of the HIV risk screening tools and HIV self tests among hard to reach adolescents and young people aged 16 -24 years, working closely with the UNICEF project implementing partners and field government staff. The findings and technical recommendations from this exercise will help to guide future quality improvements in the adolescent HIV programme. The consultant will also be required to assist in technical monitoring of implementation of the relevant UNICEF supported HIV programme projects in the geographical areas where implementation studies will be conducted.
Objectives and tasks
- Review existing local and international HIV risk screening tools, adapt and design a simple tool tailored to adolescents and young people (risk screening tool)
- Develop scientific assessment protocol, data collection, analysis and reporting tools, facilitate ethical review and clearance process (protocol, data and report tools, ethical clearance)
- Gather quantitative and qualitative information from the field including conducting interim analyses and report synthesis (interim desktop and field analytical reports)
- Write a scientific report with quantitative and qualitative analytics, including outlining technical recommendations (scientific report)
- Assist in field monitoring of implementation of the relevant HIV programme projects. Document implementation best practices and lessons learnt (monthly field implementation reports, best practices report)
Work relationships:
The consultancy involves working closely with the UNICEF technical team, district programme managers, project implementing partners and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre
Specific Numbered Deliverables and Outputs
1(a)Inception report
- Literature review conducted
- Consultancy workplan outlined
1(b) HIV risk screening tool completed -
- Mapping of existing national international and tools completed
- Stakeholder consultation and validation conducted
2(a) Project implementation status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
2(b) Assessment protocol, data tools, reporting templates completed
- Literature review conducted
- Stakeholder consultation validation conducted
- Ethical clearance obtained
3. Project implementation narrative status report and interim analytical data report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
- Stakeholder consultation and validation of data conducted
4. Project implementation narrative status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
5.Project implementation narrative status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
6.Project implementation narative status report and updated interim analytical data report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
- Stakeholder consultation and validation of data conducted
7. Project implementation narrative status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
8. Project implementation narrative status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
9. Project implementation narrative status report and updated interim analytical report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
- Stakeholder consultation and validation of data conducted
10. Project implementation status report
- Field monitoring visit conducted
11 (a). Final narrative project implementation
- Field monitoring visit conducted
- At least three best practices outlined in detail
11(b) Scientific report of quantitative and qualitative results, technical recommendations completed
- Stakeholder consultation and validation of data conducted
- Consolidated final report based on stakeholder inputs
Report disseminated at national meeting
Evaluation Criteria
The Technical proposal is weighted at 70% and 30% for the Financial proposal. Please note that the final remuneration will be negotiated by HR.
Payment Schedule
Payment is linked to agreed deliverables upon satisfactory completion and certification of deliverables by the supervisor.
General Conditions: Procedures & Logistics
- The consultant will work on his or her own computer(s) and use own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. The consultant fees shall be inclusive of all office administrative costs During the consultancy period the consultant will cover his/her transport cost in Kigali, and at the request of the supervisor, UNICEF shall provide the consultant with transport for field visits. For Field Trip, the consultant will be reimbursed the living allowances on field pegged at the applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates for any location, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and based on a submitted voucher/claim approved by the supervisor.
- The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
As per UNICEF procedure on consultants and individual contractors, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Desired competencies, technical background and experience:
a) Education: An individual with any of the following – postgraduate degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, social and allied sciences
b) Relevant work experience: a minimum of five year’s experience in the public health sector, preferably in the HIV programme delivery
c) Competencies: The individual must have ability and deep understanding of the HIV programmes in the public health sector, with demonstrable experience in quantitative and qualitative operational research methods. An understanding of the Rwandan public health system, with its different levels of health care service delivery, especially at the community, is an added advantage. d) Languages needed: English. Working knowledge of the languages spoken in Rwanda (French and Kinyarwanda) is an added advantage.
How to Apply
UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.
Interested candidates should send their complete Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded form (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc) or a CV/resume, as well as a cover letter explaining what makes them suitable for this consultancy.
Qualified and experienced candidates are requested to submit a letter of interest including a Technical Proposal outlining a road map for review and implementation timeline. In their letter of interest, candidates should highlight their previous work experience relevant to the assignment, the attributes that make them suitable, their proposed approach to the assignment.
The Selected candidates will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal outlining the total costs for this consultancy with payment linked to the main deliverables outlined above.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The functional competencies required for this post are...
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
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 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:
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.
Added 3 years ago
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Updated 2 years ago
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Source:
unicef.org
