International Consultant: National newborn, child & adolescents health behaviour change strategy- Accra Ghana

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,

In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfill their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP), and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage, and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation

How can you make a difference?

As the lead consultant, provide technical assistance to Ghana Health Service to develop a revised national newborn and child health, adolescents reproductive health and nutrition behaviour change communication, advocacy and social accountability strategies and five-year workplans

Purpose of the Assignment

The global strategy is intended to inspire political leaders and policy makers to further accelerate their work to improve the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents. It also serves as a guide to enable people and communities to drive change, demand for quality, equitable and dignified health care, claim their rights and hold leaders to account. In 2016, the Ghana Health Service developed the national newborn and child health advocacy and communication strategy for 2015 to 2019 and one-year work plan as well as National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2015-2020).

The strategies provided a framework for targeted advocacy and effective communication strategies to be applied at various implementation entry points – the policy level, in health facilities, communities and during home visits. This advocacy and communication strategies, however, did not include a social accountability component which is a key tenet in the concept of quality maternal, newborn and child health care and engagement of adolescents. The purpose of this consultancy is to i) review the extent of implementation of the current national newborn and child health and adolescents reproductive health communication and advocacy strategies, ii) review global and national evidence, policies, strategies, best practices and approaches for communication and advocacy for newborn, child and adolescents health, iii) review social accountability initiatives and approaches in newborn, child and adolescents health, iv) assess how the strategies have effectively considered the key gender dynamics affecting maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and adolescents engagements v) develop a revised national newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy and five- year workplan (2021 – 2025) and National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2015-2020). The international consultant will work in close coordination with a national consultant to finalise the revised strategy and workplan.

Coordination between international and national consultant

The national consultant will first review the existing national policy and strategy documents as well as approaches in communication, advocacy and social accountability for newborn, child and adolescents health used so far, to develop a draft report (report A) and share with the international consultant and the task team which is the GHS/MOH Advocacy and Communication

Subcommittee.

Secondly, the national consultant with guidance from the task team identify key stakeholders and conduct key informant interviews and document (report B) the progress of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy (2015-2019), National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2015-2020) and one-year workplans. The national consultant will share these two reports (A and B) with the international consultant.

The international consultant will review report A in the context of the global evidence and policies and incorporate the findings into the draft inception report. The international consultant will review report B and develop a summary report on the progress of implementation of the national strategy and workplan. The national consultant will work with GHS and MOH and convene the task team meetings. The international consultant will be responsible for presenting the reports and will solicit feedback and technical inputs from the task team. The minutes from all meetings will be compiled by the national consultant and shared with the international consultant and the task team members.

The final revised national newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy as well as adolescents reproductive health behaviour change communication strategy and five-year workplans (2021-2025). In addition international consultant will develop SBCC training package on IYCF and resources on communication skills around SRH with review and local case studies by national consultant and conduct a ToT for relevant stakeholders jointly with the national consultant.

Tasks To be Completed

The main tasks to be performed are:

1. Review report on progress of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy (2015-2019), National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2015-2020) and relevant workplans and assess the extent to which the strategy considered equity and gender dynamics affecting MNCH.
2. Review global and national evidence, policies, strategies, best practices and approaches in communication, advocacy and social accountability for newborn and child health; and adolescent reproductive health and nutrition .
3. Develop a revised national newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy and five-year workplan (2021-2025) and National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2021-2025).

4. Develop SBCC training package IYCF and resources on communication skills around SRH, and conduct a ToT for relevant stakeholders.

5. Deliverables

Activity

Deliverable

Number of Days

Review global and national evidence, policies, strategies, best practices and approaches for communication, social and behaviour change, advocacy and social accountability

• for newborn and child health
• for adolescent reproductive health and nutrition

An inception report detailing the scope, objectives, broad strategies and interventions for communication, advocacy and social accountability for 1) newborn and child health; and for 2) adolescent reproductive health and nutrition strategies and the alignment with national and global policies and evidence, to include gender and equity dynamics.

10

Review report on progress of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy (2015-2019) and National adolescent reproductive health behaviour change communication strategy (2015-2020) as well as accompanying workplans and the extent to which the strategy considered equity and gender dynamics affecting MNCH.

Summary report on progress of implementation submitted by national consultant (report will be incorporated into the revised strategy document)

6

Facilitate and incorporate inputs from the task team meetings into the draft revised strategy document

Draft National newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy and five-year workplan (2021-2025) and draft National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy (2021-2025) are submitted

10

Make a PowerPoint presentation during the validation meeting to debrief stakeholders on the draft revised strategy and workplan

Power Point presentation on the status of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy and National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy, and one-year workplans, highlights of the content of the draft revised strategies and a brief report of comments and suggestions from the validation meeting.

2

Incorporate inputs from the stakeholders briefing and finalise the strategy

Final draft National newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy and National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy are submitted

4

Develop SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on IYCF.

SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on communication around IYCF is submitted.

5

Conduct ToT on SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on IYCF.

Two days ToT on SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on communication around IYCF is delivered online.

2

Review of adaptation of CP adolescent manual / models on communication skills and TOT for health workers and teachers to enhance their knowledge and dialoguing skills for appropriate enabling environment for adolescent SRH.

Manual is adopted and two days online ToT is conducted.

6

Total

45 days

2. Supervision and reporting arrangement

The consultant will be directly supervised by Health Specialist, UNICEF with technical supervision by the Deputy Director Family Health Division (RCH) and with oversight from Communication for Development Specialist, UNICEF and Director Family Health Division and Chief Health and Nutrition UNICEF.

The consultant will work with the National Advocacy and Communication Subcommittee and Task team, Ghana Health Service (Health Promotion Division and Family Health Division) and UNICEF Communication for Development and Health/Nutrition and Gender teams.

Payment and Payment Schedule

The cost of the consultancy will be negotiated with the recommended consultant. Fees will be paid based upon submission of agreed deliverables and upon certification and approval by the supervisor

Payment schedule will be as follows:

20% payment upon submission of inception report

40% payment upon submission of initial draft strategy

40% payment upon submission of the final draft strategy

Recourse: UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Timeframe

March to June 2021

Official Travel Involved:

The consultancy will be homebased, from the location of the consultant, no travel will be involved.

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

• Advance university degree (at least a Master’s level) in Communication, Behavioural Science, Public Health or other related social or medical sciences disciplines.
• A minimum of seven *****year**s*** of relevant professional experience in the public health field, communication, behaviour and social change.
• Portfolio of developed communication and advocacy strategies that includes social and behaviour change interventions.
• Experience in MNCH and Adolescents reproductive health communication will be an asset.
• Good understanding of the national/international developments in relation to social accountability, preferably in health.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural environment with previous experience in the region as an asset.
• Fluency in English- communication, report writing with critical analysis.
• Portfolio of developed communication and advocacy strategies that includes social and behaviour change interventions.
• Experience in MNCH and Adolescents reproductive health communication will be an asset.
• Good understanding of the national/international developments in relation to social accountability, preferably in health.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural environment with previous experience in the region as an asset.
• Fluency in English- communication, report writing with critical analysis.

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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org