National Consultant: Hand Hygiene for All Operational Guidelines, Accra (open to Ghanaian National only)

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Monday 19 Jul 2021 at 23:55 UTC

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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,

The latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017/2018, indicates that only 48.5 percent of Ghana’s population (estimated to be 30 million) practice handwashing with soap. This shows steady progress, from 11.9 percent in 2011 (MICS, 2011) and 20.9 percent in 2014 (DHS, 2014). However, there is a need to urgently accelerate the rate of handwashing practice in the country, firstly to protect from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and secondly to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 which ends by 2030. This is critical, given the pivotal role handwashing with soap (HWWS) and hand hygiene (HH) plays in preventing spread of COVID-19. In addition, HHWS is also one of the most effective measures in preventing diarrhea (estimated 45% - WHO 2004): in Ghana, estimated 3,600 under five (U5) children die every year due to diarrhea (WHO 2015 – Global Health Observatory data repository: Ghana).

The COVID-19 pandemic was a jolting reminder that hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of a virus and also one of the simplest. Not only does hand hygiene protect us; it also stops transmission of infection to other people. The severity of the pandemic requires hand hygiene to be practiced by all and in all private and public settings to control the spread. This includes households, public places such as transport hubs, markets and worship centres, institutions such as schools and health care facilities, jails, refugee camps etc.

The momentum created as a result of this pandemic has no doubt given Ghana the opportunity to build on and make hand hygiene a social norm in this crisis period and also during the recovery and post recovery periods. This means making sustainable hand hygiene products and services such as improved handwashing facilities, regular supply of water, soap and hand sanitizers available and accessible for all at all times. Thus, a multi-faceted approach including mobilizing the private sector, civil society organisations, academia, donors, religious leaders etc is a pre-requisite for the success of NHH4AS.

In response to this challenge, the Government of Ghana is reviewing the national handwashing strategy originally developed in 2011, into a Hand Hygiene for All Strategy (HH4AS) to broaden and incorporate all of the emerging issues in hand hygiene in the country. In addition, various sub-sectors of WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene in communities, WASH in Institutions (schools, health facilities), public places, public office, childcare homes, jails and refugee camps, have been implementing hand hygiene activities in one form or other applying different approaches, standards and communication materials. In this regard, there is a need to review and update the operational guidelines, minimum standards, and communication materials to improve the HH4A in all settings and sub-sectors.

How can you make a difference?

To assist the WASH sector in developing operational guidelines for implementing the National Hand Hygiene for All Costed Strategy (NHH4ACS)

Tasks To be Completed

  1. Develop Minimum standards, including QA & certification protocols for HH4A for all settings and contexts in the country
  2. Provide technical support to collaborating sectors to implement pilot HH4A activities and consolidate information from pilot activities into draft operational guidelines for each sector
  3. Provide input for developing the hand hygiene strategy based on lessons learnt from supporting implementation of pilot HH4A activities
  4. Develop operational guidelines for various sectors (WASH, Education, Health, Correctional Facilities, Private Sector, Civil Society etc) to promote/enforce HH4A in relevant settings and contexts in the country in collaboration with key national and sub-national actors. This should cover both development and emergency programming including risk Communication and Community Entry (RCCE) for hand hygiene in emergency situations
  5. Develop a communication strategy for HH4A through review of existing promotional materials to make it target (audience) specific for all contexts and settings including that for COVID-19. The tasks include:
    1. Review existing research and documentation to carry out hygiene behavior analysis to identify barriers and enablers in relation to adoption of practices and recommend key behaviour performance indicators for monitoring.
    2. Identify and recommend key communication tactics and channels that can be used to counter key behavioral barriers as well as promote enablers to sustain hygiene practices.
  6. Support in establishing a partnership for HH4A in Ghana with partners from Government, development partners, private sector and Civil Society Organizations. As part of this task the consultant will be required to develop a memorandum of understanding for Members of the partnership.

Expected Deliverables

1. Minimum standards including QA & certification protocols submitted

2. A report on experiences from the collaborating sectors and indicative steps for sectoral operational guidelines

submitted

3. A comprehensive review of the proposed hand hygiene strategy undertaken, and written input provided for its refinement.

4. Operational guidelines for various sectors to promote HH4A in relevant settings and contexts including Risk Communication and Community Entry for hand hygiene in Emergency situations in Ghana submitted

5. A communication strategy with recommendations for Audience specific communication materials for all contexts and settings in Ghana submitted

6. A report on establishment of partnership for HH4A submitted

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

  • Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Programme Communication with a bias in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene related subject
  • At least 5 years progressive experience, 3 of which should be in the WASH Sector particularly in Hygiene Promotion and Communication for Development (C4D)
  • Excellent interpersonal and professional skills in interacting with the government and development partners and other stakeholders
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills in English
  • A strong drive for results and team spirit
  • Skills in facilitation of stakeholder engagements/workshops
  • Ability to operate computer Microsoft office programmes (MS Word, Excel, Power Point).
  • Experience in undertaking similar assignments.

NB: Refer to the attached TOR for more details on the assignment WASH - ToR National Consultant - Operational Guidelines .pdf

Application Procedure:

Interested candidates should apply on-line to the link provided indicating their monthly professional fees in Ghana Cedis. In addition to the CV/Resume, candidates should attach a two-page note on how he/she intends to effectively accomplish this assignment within time frame.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

[insert competencies]

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org