National Consultancy, Development of national guidelines to sustain the silver tier of EMTCT certification and achieve golden tier, Gaborone, Botswana

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, good health

Background

In 2021, Botswana became the first country with a generalized HIV epidemic that was certified the silver tier towards the Path to elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, following a rigorous validation approach according to WHO guidance. The Silver Tier is awarded when countries achieve 90% of antenatal care coverage (at least one visit), 90% of HIV testing coverage among pregnant women, 90% antiretroviral treatment coverage among pregnant women living with HIV, and a case rate of new pediatric HIV infections due to mother-to-child transmission of less than 500 cases per 100,000 live births. In 2024, Botswana will be due for undertaking a validation of status on maintaining the silver-tier certification, or better, which is dependent on Botswana’s compliance with a series of recommendations. As Botswana responds to these recommendations and continues to make efforts to maintain the silver-tier and achieve the golden tier certification for EMTCT and be certified and awarded status by the World Health Organization, efforts must be doubled to ensure that the progress made is not lost and that programme efficiencies are enhanced, with improved tangible outputs. To this purpose, this consultancy will focus on developing country guidelines to that respond to the recommendations to maintain the silver tier and put the country on the right path to achieve the golden-tier certification.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Assignment

Under the supervision of the Chief Adolescent Development, the consultant will develop EMTCT National Guidelines, which is one of the key conditional recommendations, towards maintaining the EMTCT silver tier and / or achieve the golden tier certification.

Scope of Work

1. Activities and tasks

• Literature review of available data, existing policies, and technical briefs at the national, regional, and global levels.
• Consult key informants and stakeholders to inform an analysis on existing bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks, and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification.
• Produce, validate, and present to the Ministry of Health, an analysis of the EMTCT component of the HIV response, and identify bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks, and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification.
• Consult key informants and stakeholders to inform the development of national guidelines.
• Develop, validate, and present draft national guidelines

2. Outputs and deliverables

• Inception report, including workplan.
• Situational analysis of bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification.
• One draft national guidelines document to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification, based on WHO and UNICEF technical guidance.
• Final National guidelines incorporating comments from WHO, UNICEF and Government.

3. Schedule of activities: consultancy will be for 85 days spread over 5 months.

4. Working relationships

The consultant will report to the UNICEF Chief Adolescent Development, and a committee composed by UNICEF, WHO, and the HIV Department at the Ministry of Health.

5. Payment schedule

Payment will be done against approved deliverables, as follows: • 25% inception report / workplan • 25% situation analysis report • 25% final draft national guidelines documents • 25% consultancy report and final national guidelines

TasksDeliverable/OutputTimeline/deadlineEstimated budgetLiterature review of available data, existing policies, and technical briefs at the national, regional, and global levelsInception report, including workplan23 February 202415 daysConsult key informants and stakeholders to inform an analysis on existing bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks, and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certificationSituational analysis of bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks, and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification29 March 202425 daysProduce, validate, and present to the Ministry of Health, and analysis of the EMTCT component of the HIV response, and identify bottlenecks, efficiencies, potential risks, and opportunities to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification. Consult key informants and stakeholders to inform the development of national guidelinesOne draft national guidelines document to maintain the silver tier and achieve the golden tier certification, based on WHO and UNICEF technical guidance3rd May 202425 daysDevelop, validate, and present draft national guidelinesFinal national guidelines incorporating comments from WHO, UNICEF, and Government31 May 202420 daysTo qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Qualifications Required:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s) in Education certificate higher than, or at the level of a Nursing Degree with Midwifery or related fields, and/or medical sciences, public health, social work, research, public policy, public administration, public policy, monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning, knowledge management, and research.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.

Relevant work experience required (in years):

• At least 7 years of professional experience at the national level in the HIV response and programming, with an experience on PMTCT, sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and child health, and/or strategic information on health.
• Proven experience in developing public health guidelines, standard operating procedures, and/or treatment and care protocols, and/or other related fields.

• Proven experience in developing strategies for public health at the national and/or district level.

  Specialized skills and/or training if needed:

Desirable: trained in PMTCT and/or programme design, implementation, and monitoring.

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/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.