Roster of consultants - Support the delivery of annual workplans to implement PMNCH’s strategies to 2030 – the current 2021 to 2025 Strategy and the expected 2026 to 2030 Strategy

Purpose of consultancy

PMNCH is seeking to establish a roster of Band A and Band B Consultants to support the implementation of deliverables underpinning the 2021 to 2025 Strategy, as well as the future strategy to 2030. More specifically these consultants would support PMNCH’s 2024-25 workplan over the next two years but also beyond that into the next 2026 to 2030 Strategic period.

The relevant areas of expertise that these consultants will need to bring is to be focused on the following thematic areas and functions, and the intersection between them:

Thematic areas

• Maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH). To drive down preventable morbidity and mortality, including stillbirths, by advocating vigorously for the inclusion of essential MNCH services in costed country benefits packages.
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). To uphold essential SRHR interventions and ensure continuous progress in financing and equitable access to comprehensive SRHR packages.
• Adolescent well-being (AWB). To advance the health and well-being of adolescents by engaging, aligning and capacitating partners around the Agenda for Action for Adolescents, launched at the conclusion of the October 2023 Global Forum for Adolescents, convened by PMNCH.

Functions

• Knowledge synthesis. Translating and packaging existing evidence to highlight gaps in progress, consensus building on advocacy asks and messaging, and disseminating knowledge and messaging to diverse audiences to equip partners for action.
• Partner engagement. Supporting the development of partner knowledge, skills and capacity for joint advocacy, meaningful inclusion of all actors, including adolescents and youth, and encouraging greater accountability of partners to each other and to external stakeholders, including through multistakeholder policy dialogue.
• Campaigns and outreach. Mobilizing all partners in a coordinated approach to attain common advocacy and accountability goals, amplifying messages through champions, parliaments, media and other influential channels.

Background

PMNCH, established in 2005, is the world's largest alliance of nearly 1,500 members (governments and organizations) working in women’s, children’s and adolescents’ (WCA) health and well-being, with a strong focus on newborns. It is a partnership hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

PMNCH’s vision is a world in which every woman, child and adolescent is able to realize their right to health and well-being, leaving no one behind. PMNCH has long been a leader in global policy advocacy, supporting the development of the updated United Nations Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016–2030) (the Global Strategy), Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP), among many other influential initiatives.

PMNCH’s membership, and its Board, is drawn from across its 10 constituencies. The Board is chaired by the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former UNDP Administrator.

PMNCH’s is currently delivering its 2021-2025 strategy, which is implemented through annual workplans, budgeted at US$ 10 million per year.

Deliverables

The consultants’ technical expertise is intended to facilitate effective and impactful delivery of specific aspects of PMNCH’s programme of work, and through the following deliverables:

• 1. Specialist technical inputs into Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (including stillbirths).
  • 1.1 Promote uptake of MNCH-related knowledge and evidence tools for action, focusing on enhanced equity within a UHC/PHC approach.
  • 1.2 Contribute to the implementation of existing MNCH commitments in a minimum of 10 countries, aligning with advocacy plans of ENAP-EPMM and the Child Survival Action initiative.
  • 1.3 Promote the adoption/uptake of the WHA MNCH resolution, including SRHR and AWB content.
• 2. Specialist technical inputs into Adolescent Health and Well-Being.
  • 2.1 Promote uptake of AWB-related knowledge and evidence for action, increasing visibility and commitment to the needs of adolescents and young people.
  • 2.2 Increase meaningful participation and visibility of adolescents and young people in shaping policy processes.
  • 2.3 Increase national, non-state and inter-governmental AWB commitments and follow-up on existing government commitments.
• 3. Specialist technical inputs into Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
  • 3.1 Disseminate knowledge and evidence to increase SRHR support within inter-governmental agreements, including WHA resolutions and G7/G20 communiques.
  • 3.2 Enhance partner capacity to counter SRHR misinformation, strengthen and support advocacy networks for enhanced SRHR investment and policy.
  • 3.3 Promote implementation of adolescent and SRHR (ASRHR) commitments.
• 4. Operational streamlining and delivery.
  • 4.1 Mobilize resources to enable delivery of PMNCH’s workplans.
  • 4.2 Support Contribute to PMNCH’s governance management.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• First level university degree in public health, global health, health sciences, health systems, or any related development field.

Desirable:

• Band level B: Advanced university degree in public health, global health, health sciences, health systems, or any related development field.

Experience

Essential:

• Band level A: Up to 5 years of relevant professional experience in: (i) delivering global health related programmes of work; (ii) focus on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and wellbeing; and (iii) experience of working with in-countries counterparts at different levels in Africa and Asia.
• Band level B: Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in: (i) delivering global health related programmes of work; (ii) focus on women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and wellbeing; and (iii) experience of working with in-countries counterparts at different levels in Africa and Asia.

Desirable:

• Previous work experience with WHO, other international organizations and/or major institutions, as well as in-country experience.

Skills:

Essential:

• Knowledge of and engagement with maternal, newborn and child health; sexual and reproductive health and rights; and adolescent well-being.
• Excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Strong interpersonal, diplomacy and communication expertise.

Languages required:

Essential:

• Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable

• Expert knowledge of other UN languages.

Location

Off site: Home-based.

Travel

The consultant is not expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level A - USD 3,955 - 6,980 per month Band level B - USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract:

1 to 11 months depending on programme needs.

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics. The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs. Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to [email protected].
• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
• WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected]. In case the recruitment website does not display properly, please retry by: (i) checking that you have the latest version of the browser installed (Chrome, Edge or Firefox); (ii) clearing your browser history and opening the site in a new browser (not a new tab within the same browser); or (iii) retry accessing the website using Mozilla Firefox browser or using another device. Click the link for detailed guidance on completing job applications: Instructions for candidates.

For roster VNs:

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) upon conclusion of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.