Individual National Consultant for Supporting Kangaroo Mother Care Implementation in Seven Selected Province in Viet Nam

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

Contract

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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, an opportunity...

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

High neonatal mortality and lack of comprehensive early development care for children from infancy continue to be a burden in provinces, economically and geographically disadvantaged regions and the child health care system in Viet Nam.

The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Việt Nam have made efforts to regularly deploy and supplement activities to improve health and reduce neonatal deaths in 7 regional provinces belonging to Northern mountainous region and Central Highlands region. One of priority activities is to promote the application and sustain of the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) method for premature and low birth weight (LBW) babies in the healthcare system. The goal is to bring great benefits to this group of fragile children: reduce neonatal infections, increase organ maturation (heart, lungs, brain, nervous system and immune system...) increase survival and Early Child Development from this important neonatal period of life.

However, up to now, 1) the rate of KMC application for premature and LBW babies is still very low compared to the number of premature and LBW babies in the district and province; 2) Percentage of children who receive KMC in accordance with the guideline of the Ministry of Health and WHO of the hospitals and are supported to continue KMC at home and supported with nutritional care, disease detection and treatment timeliness for children after discharge from the hospital is even lower; and 3) statistical data and reports are not complete or accurate.

Therefore, it is necessary to focus on supporting the KMC practice, monitoring the process of implementing and sustaining KMC from each KMC Unit of the provincial hospital; to build a KMC practice center with a team of KMC practice trainers to train and replicate KMC for the district and community levels to meet the goal of reducing neonatal mortality rates and enhancing early child development specially for mountainous provinces and Central Highlands.

UNICEF would like to seek a consultant to provide technical support for provincial hospitals in organization of KMC trainings for provincial and district health staff and providing hand-on coaching on KMC implementation.

Scope of Work:

• To facilitate organization of KMC trainings for provincial and district health staff at provincial hospitals;

• To provide technical hand-on coaching to provincial and district health staff on performance of KMC to be in line with national standards.

• To document the results of KMC intervention at provincial hospitals in 07 provinces supported by UNICEF.

How can you make a difference?

For full Objective, Tasks, Deliverables, please find as enclosed TOR to support KMC implementation in 07 provinces.pdf

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

Education: Minimum Qualifications required:

- at least mater degree or equivalent in medicine, public health, or related areas.

- MD degree specialized in newborn care is preferred.

- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional work in Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), experience in KMC implementation is an asset.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

- Experience in development of project concepts/proposals/documents, coordination and planning and implementation of health projects relating to Maternal, Neonatal and Child health, especially on Kangaroo Mother Care method for preterm and Low birthweight babies.

- Knowledge on the health system overall and the health sector’s management system of maternal and Child health Care as well as advantage, disadvantage/limitations so far in Viet Nam.

- Experienced pediatrician, especially on clinical and management of child health problems in both hospital and community, such as newborn health issues, Kangaroo Mother Care, Breast-Feeding, Early Child Development, Collaboration between Pediatrics and Obstetrics branches.

- Experienced trainer, especially on Newborn Care Practice, Kangaroo Mother Care, Breast-Feeding, Continuum of care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival and Perinatal health.

- Experienced researcher, especially for Neonatal Health and Survival, Kangaroo Mother Care, challenges and effects of the community-based Participatory Intervention for Maternal, Newborn Survival.

- Good written and communication skills in both Vietnamese and English.

Evaluation Criteria:

A) Technical Evaluation: maximum 75 Points

- Educational background: 20 points

- Relevant work experience (45 points)

- Required language(s) (10 points): Good written and communication skills in both Vietnamese and English.

B) Financial Proposal: maximum 25 points

- The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened /evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 50 points score in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

- The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview if needed.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Submission of applications:

a. Letter of interest/confirmation of availability and CV;

b. Three references;

d. Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel and any other relevant costs for this assignment.

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/individual contractors 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.

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 14 days ago - Updated 7 hours ago - Source: unicef.org