National Consultant - Newborn Care Data Systems, Accra, Ghana, Health Section, 6 months

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, health

In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to defend the rights of children and help them fulfill their potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending child marriage and ending open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

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How can you make a difference?

UNICEF works closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service to improve health outcomes for women, newborns, children and adolescents. The Government of Ghana -UNICEF Program of Cooperation (2023- 2027) identifies key intervention areas in quality of care and places a strong focus on strengthening data systems as part of an overall health system strengthening objective. Over the years, the Ghana Health Service has provided strong leadership and shown commitment to improving the health of Ghanaians with emphasis on the use of data for decision making. Together with other stakeholders, UNICEF is working to support the Government's vision to provide quality healthcare to all.

The consultant will support the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to improve the quality of data captured at the facility level and subsequently enhance facility-level interventions and community level follow up of newborns to improve survival. The Consultant will serve as a project coordinator to liaise with and support Ghana Health Service and other partners with planning, coordination, and implementation of the project.

This project seeks to improve the quality of data captured at the facility level to improve facility-level interventions and community level follow up of newborns to improve survival. The first phase of the project will focus on the development of a standardized paper -based data collection tool for use in 10 facilities and the use of data generated for community level follow up of newborns in 2 facilities. The second phase of the project will seek to develop an electronic format of the data collection tool and integrate it with e-health platforms such as Lightwave, which the GHS is deploying across its facilities. The second phase of the project will target 15 facilities in 3 districts.

The project coordinator will therefore be required to support GHS to:

1. Developing standardized data recording system for individual patient in 10 newborn care units

2. Roll out of facility and community follow up system in 2 facilities in 2 districts.

Task/Work Assignment

1. Review of existing tools/ data collection (paper-based and electronic) platforms for newborn care including referral, in-patient care and follow up care, highlighting points of convergence /divergence and potential opportunities for compliance with international best practice and to complement data in GHS FHD -revised data tools and MNCH indicators in DHIMS.
2. Organize one (1) Stakeholder engagement on improving and harmonizing newborn care data collection tools/ systems.
3. Facilitate the development/ Adaptation validation and testing of data tools, SOPs, and guidelines.
4. Facilitate capacity building of frontline health staff and Health Information Officers, and deployment of forms for data collection.
5. Provide support to Ghana Health Service (GHS)to strengthen functional linkages between health facilities and community health systems.
6. Strengthen accountability and facilitate shared learning.
7. Draft manuscript on lessons learnt in development and implementation of the project.
8. Final consultancy report

Kindly click on the link below and provide your proposed all-inclusive fee based on the deliverables.

Proposed all-inclusive- Care Data System consultancy.docx

• An Advanced university degree (at least at master’s level) in Public Health, (preferably with specialized training in public health, health informatics, Newborn Care or health care system management) or other relevant disciplines
• At least 5 years of professional work experience at the national and international levels in project management coordination, planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health programmes relevant to child survival, health care
• Familiarity with Ghana’s National Newborn Strategy and Action Plan, District Health Information Management System (DHIMS), newborn care data collection tools and reporting platforms.
• Experience interfacing with National and sub-national ministries of health will be an advantage.
• Expert technical leadership and knowledge of theories, principles and methods in Public Health, International Health, Public Health Policy and Management, Child-Neonatal and Maternal Health & Nutrition Care, Family and Community Health & Nutrition and Health System Management – strong asset
• Proven knowledge in strategic negotiations and planning in muti-sectoral settings.
• Experience in developing data collection tools - Child-Neonatal and Maternal Health data collection tools
• Experience in capacity building, planning, and delivery technical assistance
• Relevant experience in project management
• Analytical, conceptual ability; skills in communication and documenting
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural environment.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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.