National Immunization consultant, Sukhumi

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

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The 1992–1993 hostilities and the resulting destruction and isolation have negatively impacted economic and social welfare in Abkhazia. For the last 30 years, the unresolved conflict has set back progress and continues to jeopardize human rights and living conditions of conflict-affected communities, impacting access to social services, human security, and peace.

Since the mid-1990s, UNICEF has been working in Abkhazia with the aim of improving the lives of children and supporting the realization of the rights of children, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. UNICEF programming in Abkhazia focuses on health, education and child protection services. More specifically, since 2011, UNICEF has been actively supporting the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) including the introduction of an immunization calendar based on WHO standards and recommendations, introduction of key vaccines to the calendar, procurement of vaccines and facilitation of delivery, strengthening of the vaccine cold chain, and training of health professionals.

Notwithstanding concerted efforts of UNICEF and international development partners, substantial gaps in immunization services remain. UNICEF’s immunization programme review in Abkhazia (2024) highlighted the distressingly low immunization coverage, notably with DTP3 at 12 months plummeting below 15%. Furthermore, Abkhazia is currently in the grip of an alarming pertussis outbreak, reporting over 691 confirmed cases in 2023 alone, equivalent to 284 cases per 100,000 population - with the unsettling potential for further transmission. Moreover, the risk extends beyond pertussis, encompassing looming threats of measles, rubella, polio, and diphtheria outbreaks, given the low immunization coverage such as MMR1 perilously below 30%.

The review has also reviled significant multifaceted gaps including in awareness among stakeholders. Addressing these issues is crucial for the successful implementation of immunization activities and achieving optimal vaccine coverage in Abkhazia.

Scope of Work:

To address the urgent need to strengthen immunization activities in Abkhazia, UNICEF is recruiting an Immunization Specialist (international) and an Immunization Consultant (local). The local Immunization Consultant is expected to support the Immunization Specialist on a daily basis to strengthen the immunization programme in Abkhazia, including development, planning, implementation, delivery, monitoring and oversight of the outbreak preparedness and response.

Interested experts should apply for the whole scope of the assignment indicating the fee in the Cover Letter.

The local consultant is expected to be in health facilities and/or accompanying on immunization outreach services, targeting pregnant women and children, along with the international Immunization Specialist. Initially, there may be fewer days as there will be a focus on planning the activities and then activities within the health facilities and/or communities may increase to approximately 10 days/month.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline:

The local Immunization Consultant is expected to support the Immunization Specialist (international) on a daily basis to strengthen the immunization programme in Abkhazia, including development, planning, implementation, delivery, monitoring and oversight of the outbreak preparedness and response.

The consultant is expected to engage with local medical professionals and communities in the immunization programme and related activities, including office-related (drafting notes, reports, etc) and logistical support such as organization of meetings, workshops, and translation.

Importantly, together with the Immunisation Specialist, the consultant will be involved in regular monitoring of the interventions and reporting to the UNICEF technical lead(s) to ensure harmonization of work under the integrated maternal and child health portfolio.

Beyond the above-mentioned the Consultant is required to provide monthly deliverables, as articulated below:

Provide a mapping of key medical institutions and professionals in Abkhazia in charge of immunization, to facilitate the identification of the key stakeholders and decision-making professionals.

Mapping of key medical institutions and professionals in Abkhazia in charge of immunization

June

Identify medical professionals to participate to the medical professional coordination body for outbreak response and oversight (to be established).

T****O****R of the medical professional coordination body for outbreak response, fully endorsed by the local medical professionals involved in this body.

June - July

Facilitate full participation and ownership of key local medical professionals to the catch-up immunization campaign (concept to be developed).

TOR of the catch-up immunization campaign fully endorsed by the local medical professional in charge.

July - November

Support the implementation of the immunization catch-up campaign through intensive field monitoring and ad-hoc technical meetings, suggesting adjustments to strengthen service delivery ownership and sustainability.

All healthcare workers participating to training on immunization facilitated by UNICEF benefit from at least one supportive supervision visit in the field.

August - December

Support the Immunization Specialist in facilitating trainings of healthcare workers and managers on immunization best practices, interpersonal communication, and other related topics, as well as carrying out on-the-spot supportive supervision.

All healthcare workers in charge of surveillance benefit from at least one supportive supervision visit in the field.

July-November

Facilitate full ownership of healthcare workers on data collection and surveillance system through continuous training and supportive supervision

All healthcare workers in charge of data collection benefit from at least one supportive supervision visit in the field.

July-December

Location: Home-based

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A Bachelor degree is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to health or public health. Masters is an asset.
• A minimum of three years of work experience in health or a related field is required.
• Prior experience in immunization is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required

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.