National Consultancy to support implementation of the Global Fund project in Uzbekistan

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed extraordinary levels of psychological stress on health care workers. Even before COVID-19 hit, medical professionals were already under strain. A review of health workers in China and Singapore found that one in four reported depression and anxiety, and one in three suffered from insomnia during COVID-19.

While little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on social work practice, there is a wide-ranging consensus that this pandemic has profoundly impacted social workers. A cross-sectional study conducted among hospital social workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that every fifth social worker (19.5%) reported a moderate level of anxiety, and 13.5% had a severe level of anxiety.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health and well-being of adolescents living with HIV. Evidence shows that adolescents living with HIV are more likely to experience mental health challenges compared to their peers who do not have HIV. Poor mental health outcomes have been linked to low rates of adherence to life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) and retention in care.

UNICEF in Uzbekistan is supporting the Republican AIDS Center as a Principal recipient of the Global Fund Project by providing technical support through social workers’ capacity building, waste management and frontline medical workers’ mental health support activities.

Thus, to support implementation of the GF projects, UNICEF Uzbekistan requires a National Individual Consultant, which will provide their support under the overall guidance of the Chief of Health and Development and the direct supervision of the Health Officer.

Duration of assignment: 10 March – 31 December 2023.

Work Assignments Overview/Deliverables/Timeline:

1. Facilitate development and integration of a system for supervision and monitoring of existing social workers’ capacity - Report - March - 10 days
2. Facilitate development of digital technology for remote care delivery including receiving and triaging requests for care, regular proactive check-ins, providing psychological services, and referral pathways - Report - April - 10 days
3. Facilitate development of a training program and training materials for social workers on principles of providing psycho-social support to adolescents living with HIV, and adopting them by the MOH - Training program and training materials - May - 10 days
4. Facilitate digitalization of training materials for social workers on principles of providing psycho-social support to adolescents living with HIV, and placing them on online platforms of 2 NGOs - Report - June-July - 20 days
5. Facilitate conducting trainings for social workers on principles of providing psycho-social support to adolescents living with HIV - Report - August - 10 days
6. Facilitate developing protocols for communication with patients in hospitals, providing them with psychological support, and adopting them by the MOH - Protocols - September - 10 days
7. Facilitate trainings for frontline medical workers on essential psychological care principles, including communication techniques, psychological support etc through the developed online platform - Report - October - 10 days
8. Facilitate conducting trainings for social workers on principles of providing psycho-social support to adolescents living with HIV - Report - November 10 days
9. Preparation of final report - December - 10 days
10. Perform other tasks as deemed necessary and requested by the Supervisor - March-December - during the consultancy period.

Total: 100 days

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

• An advanced university degree in Health/Social sciences/Psychology.
• At least 3 years of progressive professional experiences in Health/Social sciences/Psychology
• At least 3-years’ experience of capacity building of health care providers/teachers
• At least 3 years’ experience in implementation of activities focused on capacity building of health care providers/teachers
• Proven experience in technical support to UNICEF implementation of Health programs
• Good command of written Russian and English

Payment:

Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees is made against approved deliverables and monthly workplans. Monthly payments will be made upon submission of a monthly report and invoice. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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.