National Consultancy to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene capacities with a focus on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Healthcare Facilities (Caracas)

Consultant Programme & Policy Medical & Health

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, opportunity

In healthcare facilities (HCFs) and communities where water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services are lacking, it is not possible to ensure adequate key infection, prevention and control (IPC) practices and precautions, such as hand hygiene, one of the most cost-effective measures to stop the chain of transmission of infections. Access to basic WASH services in health facilities is an essential requirement to address quality of care, infection prevention and control; there is also a growing need for emergency preparedness, epidemic management and climate change resilience. Since 2019, UNICEF WASH in Venezuela has supported 280 health facilities (both primary and secondary level of care) to improve their access to WASH services and practices; this implementation has been cross-sectoral to the Health and Nutrition section, monitoring its results to ensure that in the critical points of mother and child care and in the nutritionalrecovery spaces there are at least basic WASH services that benefit boys and girls, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and infants (MEL), caregivers, health personnel (at all levels of care) and community members. A crucial activity in the comprehensive implementation of WASH-IPC in HCFs has been the constitution or reactivation of Hospital IPC Commissions, expanding them to also integrate crucial health personnel who operate or maintain WASH services (cleaning, maintenance and/or general services personnel, clinical and/or health engineering) and community.

The WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) shows that around half of the world's health facilities lack basic hygiene services with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers at the point of care to patients and in the bathrooms of these centers. The report also shows that only 53% of healthcare facilities have access to a protected source of water and, of the countries with available data, 1 in 10 healthcare facilities in the world had no sanitation service. Also, many healthcare facilities lack protocols for basic cleaning and safe segregation and disposal of healthcare waste.

These data highlight the need to continue investing in the improve of WASH services in HCF to mitigate the impacts not only of pandemics and epidemics but also the day-to-day IPC. For this to happen, capacity must be created within the responsible government institutions. In collaboration with WHO, UNICEF developed the WASHFIT tool (now version 2) to help the government and its partners make incremental improvements and scale up WASH in HCF. Over the past few years, UNICEF has been supporting countries to build staff and government capacity to carry out WASHFIT implementation in more than 50 countries.

UNICEF Venezuela is now seeking a consultant to continue supporting the WASH&CEED section in Miranda, Capital District and La Guaira states to provide technical support on WASH IPC capacity building and implementation follow-up in prioritized HCF. The consultant is expected to provide support to all three prioritized regions, based on demand, but also on planning and needs. The consultant will also collect learnings and experiences on implementation and, in coordination with the central office and direct supervisor.

How can you make a difference?

Consultancy aim:

The purpose of the consultancy will be to contribute in IPC in health facilities (Hospitals and primary care network) through technical assistance and capacity building in essential water, hygiene and sanitation (support to the management of health facilities, specifically, the multidisciplinary WASH-IPC commissions), strengthen risk communication and community participation through SBC interventions. This consultancy would complement the actions in Health, rehabilitation of facilities, provision of supplies, among others that are ongoing, which will allow each healthcare facility to manage access to key WASH-IPC services and practices.

Interventions

UNICEF's WASH&CEED section requires the support of a WASH-IPC technical consultant to ensure equitable delivery of high-quality services and practices to 9 Health facilities in three states. The national WASH&CEED team as well as the WASH&CEED field team will provide the necessary support. The continuous coordination meetings with the WASH-IPC commissions and the staff and authorities of each center developed within the framework of the consultancy will facilitate continuous and adequate communication with UNICEF.

The consultant shall develop the following deliverables

This consultancy is based on humanitarian foundations and principles,

• Humanity: Established priorities focused on core commitments for children (CCC)

• Impartiality: any boy or girl who needs health services has equitable access.

• Neutrality and transparency.

• Independence and objectivity.

Activities and procedures

1. Support the constitution or reactivation of the WASH IPC commission in health facilities.

2. Develop and implement a capacity strengthening plan for authorities and main WASH IPC actors of health facilities, including the WASH IPC commission of each health facility.

3. With the WASH-IPC commission, identify key concerns, bottlenecks and barriers related to IPC practices and cleaning and disinfection services in healthcare facilities.

4. Facilitate the implementation of WASH FIT/IPC strategies and methodologies in health facilities.

5. Facilitate the identification of gaps in the provision of WASH services.

6. Prepare field reports, technical documents, recommendations, and transition or exit strategies (as appropriate) and action plans based on lessons learned from the response.

7. Contribute to ensuring that establishment staff know and/or update and apply relevant guidelines (e.g., disinfection and cleaning protocols, IPC regulations, etc.), relevant technical norms and standards (WHO standards for IPC, WASH FIT, Sphere standards, etc.) and that WASH sector actors are in line with existing technical guidance.

8. Ensure collaborative monitoring with health facilities of WASH interventions and progress against implementation plans, with disaggregated indicators for the adequacy of WASH services in terms of quantity, quality, coverage, etc. and access of vulnerable groups, prioritizing the use of the WASH FIT and PCI KOBOs and other pre-existing initiatives in the HCF

9. Prepare documentation, systematization and timely exchange of information, and collection of lessons learned about WASH activities, in prioritized health facilities.

10. Contribute to the reporting of WASH sector results through systematization and provision of consolidated updated information.

11. Coordinate with other actors present in health facilities in prioritized areas to avoid duplication.

Working conditions

• Consultancy is in person, with most of the work time based in prioritized health facilities.
• Travel to prioritized health facilities is required, at the frequency established in the work schedule.
• The consultant will attend face-to-face meetings at UNICEF offices when required.
• Periodic visits to health facilities under the consultant's coverage area are required according to the established schedule.
• Travel expenses are the responsibility of the consultant, so they must be included in their financial proposal.
• The consultant will not have an assigned office working space, but may have spaces to meetings at UNICEF offices, which must be requested in advance.

• The consultant must have her/his own work instruments necessary to develop the consultancy.

  Responsibilities and Criteria for final evaluation

1. Deliver high quality products

2. Deliver within the planned deadline agreed together with the Field Office WASH Officer

3. Deliver 100% of the products.

4. Respect and abide by UNICEF procedures.

5. Presentation of the products

6. Ensure attendance and participation in meetings assigned by the WASH Officer of the Field office he supervises or, failing that, by the head of the Section if the presence of the consultant is required.

7. Maintain transparency and confidentiality.

8. Ensure close communication and coordination with the WASH&CEED Officer of the supervising Field office.

9. Inform the WASH Officer of the supervising field office or the WASH&CEED section head of any situation that makes compliance with the agreed activity plan difficult.

Evaluation Criteria (This will be used for the Selection Report (for clarification see Guidance)

A) Technical Evaluation (e.g. maximum 75 Points)

The technical evaluation of the candidates will be done according to the criteria and weighting:

• Academic background: First university degree (5 points) in medicine, nursery, engineering, public health, or other health related field and Advanced university degree (5 points) in Public health, Epidemiology, Infectious diseases, Paediatrics, Neonatology, Obstetrics, or Sanitary Engineering
• Professional experience: minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience at the health-related field (15 points)

• Experience with developing capacity building activities or training materials and/or delivering associated learning opportunities and platforms: Especially those involving WASH and/or Infection, Prevention and control in healthcare facilities (25 points)

  Technical interview: based on technical topics on WASH IPC in Healthcare facilities and case-type situations from the health care setting. (25 points)

B) Financial Proposal (e.g. maximum of 25 Points)

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

Minimum Qualifications required:

• First university degree in medicine, nursery, engineering, public health, or other health related field and Advanced university degree in Public health, Epidemiology, Infectious diseases, Paediatrics, Neonatology, Obstetrics, or Sanitary Engineering
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience at the health-related field.
• Experience with developing training materials and delivering associated learning opportunities and platforms.
• Technical and Financial Proposal with general adherence to the Terms of Reference with the following travel plan

Desirable:

• At least 2 years of proven experience in the implementation of WASH-IPC strategies in HCFs.
• Experience developing training materials for Water, sanitation and hygiene, public health or health topics and fostering active groups.
• Experience working in humanitarian Organizations, Civil Society Organizations or Public Sector in WASH-IPC related fields.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

• Demonstrable skills in communication, both for producing and disseminating WASH-related content and for capacity building sessions and meetings, are essential.

• Strong ability to coordinate across diverse teams and to respond effectively to technical queries to encourage WASH technical guidance.

• Familiarity with health sector dynamics and protocols.

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary and multi-level teams.

• Demonstrated ability to rapidly integrate and review technical information.

• Excellent writing skills.

• Excellent organizational, team and interpersonal/communication skills.

Languages:

• Essential: Fluency in Spanish.
• Desirable: Working knowledge of English

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.

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Added 3 days ago - Updated 1 hour ago - Source: unicef.org