National Consultant: Newborn, Child &Adolescents health communication, advocacy Strategy Accra

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

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,

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

How can you make a difference?

In collaboration with the international consultant, provide technical assistance to Ghana Health Service to develop a revised national newborn, child and adolescents health behaviour change communication, advocacy and social accountability strategies and five-year workplan

Despite tremendous progress made globally over the previous two decades, there is still a great deal to be done in further reducing preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths. Ghana has made some progress, but considering the current rate of decline in mortalities, based on the trajectory, the country is unlikely to meet its SDG targets for 2030, without major investments to improve quality healthcare services for every woman and every child. The COVID 19 pandemic has also threatened to rollback progress made due to disruption in provision of essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health and nutrition services. UNICEF and WHO with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is supporting the Ghana Health Service to implement a maternal and newborn quality of care (QoC) initiative in line with the National maternal and newborn quality of care roadmap and guidelines. This quality of care initiative is consistent with the Ghana Health Service implementation guidelines for the National Healthcare Quality Strategy, National newborn health strategy and action plan (2019-2023), the Global Every Newborn Action Plan and the Global Quality of Care Network strategic objectives with the overall goal of contributing to the reduction of maternal mortality, still births and neonatal mortality by 50% by 2022 in implementing health facilities and districts. One of the four objectives of the Network for improving quality of care for maternal, newborn and child health is to develop, strengthen and sustain institutions and mechanisms for accountability for quality of care.

Accountability is one of the three pillars of the “Every Woman Every Child” architecture to support country-led implementation of the Global Strategy towards achieving the SDGs. There is commitment from the Ghana Health Service leadership around the implementation and scale up of the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and community scorecard as an accountability tool, including strengthening effective community engagement and social and behaviour change communication activities at all levels in order to improve maternal, newborn and child survival. The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health (2016–2030) envisions a world in which every woman, child and adolescent living in every setting realises their rights to physical and mental health and well-being, has social and economic opportunities, and is able to participate fully in shaping prosperous and sustainable societies.

Tasks To be Completed are:

1. Review national evidence, policies, strategies, best practices and approaches in communication, advocacy and social accountability for newborn, child and adolescent health.
2. Conduct key informant interviews with stakeholders on the progress of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy (2015-2019) and National Reproductive health behaviour change communication strategy (2015-2020) and relevant workplans, and the extent to which the strategy considered equity and gender dynamics affecting MNCH.
3. Convene meetings with the Communication and Advocacy Subcommittee/Task team and other relevant stakeholders for technical inputs to revise the existing strategy and validate the draft newborn, child and adolescent health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategies and five-year workplans (2021-2025).
4. Develop SBCC training package IYCF and resources on communication skills around SRH and conduct a ToT for relevant stakeholders.

Deliverables

Activity

Deliverable

Number of Days

Review national evidence, policies, strategies, best practices and approaches for communication, social and behaviour change, advocacy and social accountability for newborn, child and adolescents health

An inception report detailing the scope, objectives, broad national strategies and interventions for communication, advocacy and social accountability for newborn, child and adolescents health strategy and the alignment with national policies and evidence.

March

Conduct key informant interviews with stakeholders in Ghana Health Service at national, regional, district and subdistrict levels, community leaders, development partners, non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations implementing social accountability initiatives in MNCH in the country, to complement evidence gathered from the literature

Report on the progress of implementation of the National newborn and child health communication and advocacy strategy, National Reproductive health behaviour change communication strategy and relevant workplans submitted (include the extent to which the strategy considered equity and gender dynamics affecting MNCH).

March

Convene meetings with the Communication and Advocacy Subcommittee/Task team and relevant stakeholders

Report on key inputs and minutes from the meetings submitted

April

Facilitate a validation meeting to debrief stakeholders

-Meeting report drafted and submitted

-Inputs from the meeting incorporated into the draft strategy

April

Incorporate inputs from the stakeholders briefing and finalise the strategy

Final draft National newborn and child health communication, advocacy and social accountability strategy and National Adolescents Reproductive Behaviour Change Communication Strategy are submitted

May

Conduct baseline on skills, knowledge and needs in SBCC of relevant stakeholders

Evaluation form is developed, disseminated and analysed

May

Contribute and review to SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on IYCF to ensure localisation and relevant examples.

SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on communication around IYCF is submitted.

June

Conduct ToT on SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on IYCF.

Two days ToT on SBCC training package for lactation consultants, mothers, caretakers and communities on communication around IYCF is delivered online.

June

Adaptation of CP adolescent manual / models on communication skills and TOT for health workers and teachers to enhance their knowledge and dialoguing skills for appropriate enabling environment for adolescent SRH.

Manual is adopted and two days online ToT is conducted.

June

Conduct evaluation of SBCC skills and knowledge of training participants after the training programme.

Evaluation form is developed, disseminated and analysed

July

Collect regular field data to assess project results and impacts on SBCC strategies and activities for analysis and improvement of measurable behavioral and social change in interventions.

Data collection through field work, online meetings, interviews with key partners, meetings with stakeholders, focus group discussions, site visits, etc.

March-December

Documentation of lessons learnt and communication results for SBCC interventions and shared

At least two case studies are produced on SBCC approaches

November - December

Total

10 months

Supervision and reporting arrangement

The consultant will be directly supervised by C4D Specialist and with oversight from Health Specialist, UNICEF with technical supervision by the Deputy Director Family Health Division (RCH) and Director Family Health Division and Chief Health and Nutrition UNICEF.

The consultant will work with the National Advocacy and Communication Subcommittee and Task team, Ghana Health Service (Health Promotion Division and Family Health Division) and UNICEF Communication for Development and Health/Nutrition and Gender teams.

Payment and Payment Schedule

The cost of the consultancy will be negotiated with the recommended consultant. Fees will be paid based upon submission of agreed deliverables and upon certification and approval by the supervisor.

The consultant will receive monthly payments on submission of satisfactory deliverables as per an agreed workplan.

Recourse: UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Timeframe

March 2021 to December 2021

Official Travel Involved:

The consultancy will be performed in Accra. UNICEF will make travel arrangements and pay for DSA for locations of travels when necessary. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, all UN protocol procedure and clearances must be confirmed prior to commencing travel. In the event that UNICEF is not able to provide a vehicle, the consultant may be reimbursed the cost for such field visits based on pre-agreed lumpsum cost. A travel plan and all travel related costs must be pre-agreed with supervisor and in consultation with the Admin section to facilitate reimbursement,

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

• Advance university degree (at least a Master’s level) in Communication, Behavioural Science, Public Health or other related social or medical sciences discipline.
• A minimum of Five years relevant professional experience in the public health field, communication, behaviour and social change.
• Portfolio of developed communication and advocacy strategies and campaigns that includes social and behaviour change interventions.
• Experience in MNCH and Adolescents reproductive health communication will be an asset.
• Good understanding of the national/international developments in relation to social accountability, preferably in health.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural environment
• Fluency in English- communication, report writing with critical analysis

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

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.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org