International Individual Consultancy - Consultancy to develop a maternal newborn and child health quality landscape analysis and improvement plan

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, Health

International individual consultant, to provide professional technical support to conduct a landscape analysis in maternal and children health quality initiatives in Sri Lanka and develop the quality improvement plan including quality road map

How can you make a difference?

Goal and Objective:

Under the supervision of the Health and Nutrition Manager, the consultant will conduct a landscape analysis and develop maternal and child health quality improvement plan. Overall, the objectives of a Maternal and Child Health Quality Improvement Plan, are centered around improving access to quality care, reducing maternal and child mortality, strengthening infrastructure and capacity, and fostering collaboration to ensure that MNCH care is readily available and effectively utilized for the well-being of mothers, newborns, and children

Activities and Tasks:

• Landscape analysis: Conduct landscape analysis and review of the existing national MCH policies, strategies, previous MNH quality plans, standards and, guidelines (available at - http://fhb.health.gov.lk/ ), and best practices related to quality assurance and improvement in MNCH services including WHO and UNICEF global guidance on MCH quality improvements (ie: https://www.who.int/health-topics/quality-of-care#tab=tab_1 )

• Advocate and work with FHB in establishing the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel: Form a multidisciplinary expert panel comprising professionals, researchers, and relevant stakeholders who have expertise in quality management in MNCH system. This panel will provide diverse perspective and ensure a comprehensive approach to maternal and child health quality improvement plan.

• Identify Key Questions and gaps: Identify key questions and gaps base on landscape analysis that need to be addressed by the maternal and child health quality improvement plan.

• Review the implementation status & challenges with past and current quality plans and initiatives through reviewing the existing documents, Technical advisory committee minutes and through stakeholder discussions

• Development of MNCH quality improvement plan: Analyze the evidence and synthesize it into actionable recommendations. Using these recommendations develop MNCH quality improvement plan with specific focus on points of integration to existing MCH health service delivery platforms and systems

• Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement: Seek inputs and feedback from relevant stakeholders including healthcare providers, professional organizations, and policymakers. Their perspectives will help ensure the relevance, applicability, and feasibility of the maternal and child health quality landscape analysis and improvement plan.

• Draft plan and presentation to the expert committee

• Dissemination and Implementation: Develop comprehensive dissemination plan to ensure broad awareness and uptake of the maternal and child health quality improvement plan.

• Monitoring and Evaluation plan: Establish mechanism for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the maternal and child health quality improvement plan including options for updating RHMIS to capture Quality improvement interventions at various levels. M&E plan should be aligned with relevant global and regional M&E frameworks (https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/quality-of-care-for-maternal-and-newborn--a-monitoring-framework-for-network-countries)

Work relationships:

• Based within the UNICEF Sri Lanka Health and Nutrition section, the consultant will report to the Health and Nutrition Manager and will work closely with the Health and Nutrition Officer, consultant in oxygen system strengthening and H & N Programme Associate

• The consultant needs to collaborate with family health bureau, ministry of health and other relevant government MNCH stakeholders and WHO/SRL.

• The consultant will also work in coordination with the County Office relevant programme sections, health/oxygen experts in other Country Offices, ROSA, HQ and external partners with relation to MNCH quality improvement.

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

Academic qualifications:

• Doctorate in Public Health, anesthesiology, emergency medicine OR relevant sector in health
• Background/familiarity with emergency management would be an added advantage

Experience:

• At least five (05) years of experience with maternal and child health management, quality management, or public health

• Hands on experience in MNCH quality management is strongly desired, and broader public health experience will be considered

• Experience in developing management plans, SOPs and guidelines is considered as an added qualification

Language competencies:

Fluency in English (written and oral) is required, along with fluency in either Sinhala (written and oral), or Tamil (written and oral).

Competencies:

• Computer literacy, MS Office Suite required

• Familiarity with, or willingness to learn MNCH quality management.

• Proven ability to analyze data and write reports that are of high quality

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to liaise with a wide variety of audiences, good attention to detail

• Able to quickly understand instructions, to proactively seek clarification when needed

• Able to work well in a team environment

• Able to work independently and problem solving oriented

• Able to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships

• Demonstrated communication and relationship building skills

• Proven capacity to work with collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills

Technical skills and knowledge on some or all of the following:

• Proven experience working in multi-stakeholder settings

• Experience in developing guidelines and management plans

• Experience in training, planning and delivery of technical assistance

• Proven track record in interfacing with national ministries of health

Work Assignment Overview:

• Review existing evidence do landscape analysis - Draft report on relevant evidence for MNCH quality improvement plan - 30th October 2023
• Advocate FHB and establishing a multidisciplinary expert panel - multidisciplinary expert panel - 30th October 2023
• Development of Draft MNCH quality improvement plan in consultation with the relevant stakeholders - MNCH Quality improvement plan - 30th November 2023
• Development of dissemination plan for MNCH quality improvement plan - Dissemination plan - 30th December 2023
• Establish mechanism for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the MNCH quality improvement plan - Developed M&E mechanism - 30th December 2023

Duration - 10 Oct 2023 - 30 Dec 2023

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.

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 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 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.

If you think this position might be for you, please take the time to review our Country Office Mutual Agreements before you apply.

If you believe you can be a team member that can uphold these every day, then we look forward to receiving and reviewing your application.