International Consultant, Technical Specialist – Last mile Reproductive Health, Lomé -Togo

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Purpose of consultancy

The consultancy's objective is to offer specialized technical expertise to the UNFPA Country Office, ensuring the comprehensive integration and consideration of reproductive health service delivery, and particularly Family planning, within its 8th country program.

This includes a particular focus on family planning services, extending these services to the last mile and the furthest behind, such women and men in the most remote areas and populations in displacement situations. This strategic consultancy aligns with and supports Togo's national strategy, leading the implementation of the RH supplies partnership while ensuring quality and accountability in actions across the country.

The Togolese government has recognized the importance of population issues as a key component of national development. This high-level political commitment towards health and wellbeing is reflected in several key policy documents, including the National Development Plan, Vision 2050, the Reproductive Health Policy, the National Population Policy 2015-2024, and the Family Planning Policy. A primary goal of the government is to reduce the country’s high maternal mortality ratio by over 50 percent by 2024. To achieve this, the Ministry of Health has identified family planning as the most cost-effective intervention. The government is committed to expanding access to family planning and maternal health services nationwide, ensuring even the most remote areas are reached.

Scope of work: (Description of services, activities, or outputs)

Strategic Technical assistance

· Provide technical support and advice to strengthen the national health system for increased accessibility, demand creation, and use of family planning, reproductive and maternal health services, and consistent availability of RH commodities up to the last mile. This will entail a demonstrated ability to provide technical advice and information on how to increase contraceptive prevalence rate, condom usages, and effectiveness of national logistics systems.

· Lead the technical assistance in support of the national advocacy efforts with partners for the adoption of an integrated approach to SRH in general and specifically to RHCS that takes as its foundation the reliable and consistent availability of planned RH commodities, including in humanitarian settings. This integrated approach is complemented by a focus on issues of quality of care, improvements to the national environment as well as questions of access and demand with a gender, cultural and environment friendly approach.

· Collaborate with the country office staff members to promote integrated approaches to improving reproductive and maternal health, particularly in areas such as: (i) Condom programming under HIV/AIDS program; (ii) Improving access to contraceptives and lifesaving maternal health medicines by young people and the further behind; (iii) upscaling family planning for underserved population.

Develop a strategic and operational framework for the provision and access of family planning services for the furthest behind, including population in the move or displace

· Collaborate with other UN Agencies and development partners to promote and provide integrated technical support for RH/MH/RHCS within the country (particularly with WHO, UNAIDS, DFAT, Marie Stopes, PSI, FHI360, FHA/IPPF) and to carry out operations research and implement findings.

· Advocate with government and development partners for increased and sustained financing for family planning, reproductive and maternal health programming.

Capacity development and Technical Support to enhance holistic last mile /RFB programming and delivery including in humanitarian setting

• Provide government and nongovernmental organization (NGO) counterparts with technical assistance and advice on the strategic direction for strengthening the delivery, access to and quality family planning and maternal health services, including in humanitarian emergencies.
• Provide technical assistance to partners to ensure effective demand for family planning, MH services and RH commodities.
• Build national capacity in contraceptive technology (including long-acting methods) and logistics planning and management (quantification and forecasting, warehousing and distribution, communicating with NDOH on stock availability, providing updates and accurate reports, etc.)
• Assist national partners and government in the preparation of National Supply Plan and in analysing and disseminating data on the status, movement and utilization of FP/RH commodities.
• Provide technical support in the monitoring of the procurement of Reproductive Health Commodities to ensure uninterrupted flow of RHCs (Reproductive Health Commodities)
• Technical leadership and support to national partners in setting up an effective procurement and supply chain management for all health commodities, including the logistics management information system, in compliance with national standards and norms
• Pursue strategy of partners capacity on MISP as part of the CO response to humanitarian emergencies.
• Evidence and knowledge development

· Contribute to the identification, analysis and synthesis of technical knowledge and evidence-based information in family planning, reproductive and maternal health, and RHCS

· Coordinate the implementation of various surveys/data collection mechanisms on FP/RHCs initiated by the office and programmes

Collect, compile and share relevant data on Family Planning and RHCS, including those required to fulfill UNFPA Supplies reporting requirements of national program implementation and UNFPA operations.

· Consolidate, document and disseminate good practices on RHCS, including Family Planning.

· Undertake any other assignments as may be given by UNFPA Representative.

Duration and working schedule

From February 15, to May 14, 2024 according to UNFPA TOGO's official schedule.

Place where services are to be delivered:

Lomé, Togo, at UNFPA CO with possible mission in the country

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

Deliverable 1 (March 14, 2024):

One Comprehensive strategic report analysis of the accessibility and availability of family planning services up to the last mile in the Republic of Togo including :

• Situation and Data analysis of FP unmet needs with maximal granularity and a specific analysis for the Savanes region with a historic & future perspective (2015-2024) using up to date population data trends and the
• Analysis of FP use and procurement by products and management systems (LMIS, warehouses, cost & financial flows, etc)
• Analysis of good practices supported in Togo (by the MoH, UNFPA or other partners)
• Analysis of integration of Family planning services in UHC : achievements and perspectives
• FP national and international Partners analysis, including capacity building priorities

Deliverable 2 (April 14, 2024)

One Integrated Operational plan for FP to the last mile with key outputs, indicators, resources, deadlines and partnerships in a nexus approach/ development and humanitarian programming

Deliverable 3 (May 14, 2024)

One Delivery and results analysis highlighting strategic and operational opportunities and bottlenecks and corrective measures to accelerate results towards Zero unmet family planning needs

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

The consultant will report on their activities in the form of a written documents with annex.

This report will serve as a certificate of services rendered for the payment of her fees

Supervisory arrangements

The consultant will be under the Resident Representative as first line manager with the Assistant Representative/Programme coordinator as second line supervisor.

Expected travel:

The consultant will be able to carry out missions outside of Lomé as required by the needs of the service. Expenses related to these trips will be covered by UNFPA.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Education:

Master degree in medicine, public health, pharmacy, supply chain management social sciences of business or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 7 years of increasing responsibilities in managing RH or health program with direct experience relating to family planning, maternal health and supply management systems, of which at least threeyears national and/or international experience in advising on RH commodities, health systems strengthening and financing, and supply management.
• Proven experience in coordinating/managing a multi-disciplinary team of staff, experts and consultants;
• Experience in drafting and implementing legislation;
• Field experience is an asset;
• Prior experience in the UN system is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in French; knowledge of English is desirable.

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

The consultant will be provided with an office, a telephone and a work computer. They will also benefit from all other common facilities offered by UNFPA Togoommon fac