STATE LEAD CONSULTANTS FOR INTENSIFYING ADOLESCENT HIV PROGRAMMING,NOC, BENUE & KADUNA

This vacancy is open to Nigerians only

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Assignment

Nigeria has the second highest global burden of HIV. 10% of the global population of adolescents living with HIV live in Nigeria. The planned outcome for the UNICEF Nigeria Children and AIDS section for the 2014-2017 program cycle is "By 2017, MTCT is eliminated; HIV transmission is reduced among especially vulnerable women, children and adolescents; and women, children and adolescents living HIV receive treatment, care and support". Within this result, the specific output for adolescents is that "By 2017 partners in Nigeria have increased commitment and strengthened systems for scaled-up delivery of HIV combination prevention, treatment and care services for adolescents". The operationalization of this output has been aligned to the four work streams of the "ALL IN" initiative namely – a. Changing social context by working with adolescents as agents of change, b. Sharpening adolescent components of national programs, c. Promoting innovation and approaches for scale-up, d. Advocacy, communication and resource mobilization

To achieve its planned results for adolescent and in alignment with the ALL IN initiative, UNICEF has prioritized actions in 6+1 high burden states where a lot of systems strengthening work and advocacy to leverage resources is going on. Two states (Benue and Kaduna states) were further prioritized as flagship demonstration states. Thus, intensive programming took place in Kaduna and Benue states between 2014 and 2016 through an 18 month intervention to pilot an approach for comprehensive HIV service delivery for adolescents and young people. This intervention built in capacity strengthening of the adolescent HIV service delivery systems, partnerships, community mobilization and advocacy at state and LGA levels to achieve results. The intervention created demand for services, provided HIV Testing services and referral for prevention, treatment and care. Two LGA areas of each of the states were selected for saturation of demand creation, testing and referral for treatment and prevention services. At the end of the 18 month period about 75% of adolescents and young people in the LGAs had been reached with demand creation and testing services, communities have been mobilized, service providers have strengthened capacity. To assess the outputs and further scale up the intervention described above, a review of the intervention was done using the "All In" assessment tools in the 2 states. The process included a rapid assessment, an in-depth analysis of selected interventions to identify bottlenecks and an analysis of the bottle necks to proffer solutions and a development of plans to remove the bottle necks. 17 LGA work plans were developed through this process.

The work in Nigeria has gained global attention within UNICEF and attracted additional funding. 1.7 million dollars has been allocated to intensify Adolescent HIV programming in Nigeria with the aim of helping to identify and place 90% of the 200,000 ALHIV in Nigeria, ensure 90% of those identified are placed on treatment and 90% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression (UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets).

The funds shall be utilized for four key intervention areas. One of the four areas is "Intensifying Adolescent programming in Benue and Kaduna states".

Specific required activities required to successfully rollout this intervention area include:

• Implementation of the "All In" plans in the 18 LGAs identified by the "All In" assessment in Benue and Kaduna states
• Intensive programming, engaging government, communities, young people
• Creating evidence (profiling positive ALHIV, contact tracing, pregnant adolescents, integration for youth friendly services, determinants of uptake of services, adherence, transition etc)
• Documentation, innovation (mHealth for increasing HCT, adherence of ART).
• Evidence generation and dissemination of lessons learnt to inform a learning collaborative to influence UNICEFs advocacy and convening for taking to scale, removing law barriers (eg age of consent).

A State lead consultant is required to ensure a timely implementation of all planned activities and reporting of activities in the 2 states.

The Purpose of the Assignment

The Lead consultant shall be responsible for providing overall technical support and coordination of the project in the state, and provide direct support for implementation in 3-5 LGAs. (S) He will support and supervise the LGA consultant for implementation of the AYP interventions in the remaining LGAs in their state of assignment. The lead consultant shall ensure data collection and reporting to UNICEF on monthly and quarterly basis, organize feedback to relevant stake holders and also liaise with the research and documentation consultants for high quality documentation and research activities.

The consultant will work closely with, and support government partners to ensure transparency and program accountability, and facilitate knowledge transfer to government partners and community members in all the LGAs

Assignment Tasks

• Support SACA in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the LGA AYP plans;

1) provide technical assistance to SACA to develop a AYP plan implementation monitoring plan

2) support the strengthening of the State and LGA coordination mechanism

3) participate as an ad hoc member of the Prevention TWG and AYP Subcommittee

• Work with the LGA consultant to support the LGA coordination and implementation of the LGA AYP plans;

1. Shall be directly responsible for the LGA implementation in 3-5 LGAs
2. Work with the LGA consultant to provide technical assistance to the LGAs for the development of and implementation of monthly activities from the respective LGA plans
3. Support facilitation of monthly LGA team review meetings
4. Provide technical support/supervision of the LGA Team regarding all aspects of adolescent HIV interventions in the assigned LGA
5. Undertake supervisory field visits to LGA and communities to assess progress, identify problems and propose remedial or alternative strategies or courses of actions to accelerate/improve quality of adolescent HIV intervention s in the assigned LGAs in collaboration with the LGA consultant.

• Provide supervision and support to the LGA consultant for AYP disaggregated data generation and use at state and LGA levels –

1. Work with the LGA consultant to support LGA M&E Officers to ensure timely data collection (monthly and quarterly) from Service Delivery Points (SDPs), and collation at ward and LGAs, and ensure transmission to state
2. Facilitate standardized 2-way feedback mechanism with SDPs and LGA & LGA and State

• Provide technical support to the review of the LGA plan –

1. Support biannual LGA Plan review meeting;
2. Support quarterly LGA feedback and advocacy meeting;

• Provide Technical support to the LGA consultant for the facilitation of community engagement and empowerment for sustainability;

1. Engage and work with new and existing community structures at all levels for increased community participation and ownership of AYP interventions and strengthen partnerships with key allies including Implementing partners, NGOs, CBOs, faith-based organizations, women and youth groups for effective use of networks to promote programme ownership and sustainability
2. Identify and advice the LGA and state on opportunities for further integration of AYP HIV services in to PHCUOR, SOML Initiative and other MCH platforms
3. Support LGA demand creation activities

• Facilitate, in coordination with UNICEF Field Office, the effective use of UNICEF funds for the intervention at the State and LGA levels.

• Submit monthly and quarterly progress reports aligned to time frames for documentation and Research consultants to UNICEF

• Any other duties required for the successful completion of the project as assigned by Supervisors or authority of UNICEF Field Office

Expected Deliverables

• Documentation plan/framework and templates
• Detailed Work plan
• Report of inception meeting with state stakeholders
• Monthly and quarterly reports (including data, dash board updates, inputs for documentation and research consults as on research and documentation plans)
• One final report (with various components as on documentation plan)

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education

Advanced university degree in public health, medical sciences, development areas or related field

Years of relevant experience

Five years or more experience in HIV and AIDS, gender, social protection or health programming, with proven record of working with adolescents and young people

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Communication- Speaks English fluently; presents information with skill and confidence; projects credibility; structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience; presents information in a well-structured and logical way. Fluency in local language is an added advantage
• Relating and networking - Easily establishes good relationships with external partners and staff; builds wide and effective networks; relates well to people at all levels.
• Drive for results – Sets high standards for quality of work; independently monitors and maintains quality of work; works in a systematic, methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves project goals; focuses on the needs and satisfaction of internal and external partners; accepts and tackles demanding goals with enthusiasm.
• Deciding and initiating action – Takes responsibility for actions, projects and people: takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activities and introduces changes into work processes; makes quick, clear decisions.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.