HIV Specialist - Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision Programme, NOC, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (For nationals only)

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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 Position

Tanzania, through national AIDS Control Programme has worked on provision of high-quality client-centered voluntary male medical circumcision (VMMC) as a core component of comprehensive HIV prevention services in Tanzania. The roll out of VMMC started in 2010 based on the 2010 National VMMC strategy with a goal of scaling up VMMC in 12 priority regions. Between 2010 and September 2015, more than 1.7 million VMMCs were performed under the MOH VMMC program. The first five years was considered ‘scale up’ and ‘catch up’ focusing on 10-to 34-year-old males. The New National VMMC Country Operational Plan has been developed to guide continued scale up and sustainability 2014-2017.

Regions that reach or come close to reaching 80% of the target will slowly switch to the sustainability phase. Sustainability is characterized by the implementation of VMMC services at the majority of hospitals and health centers in the region and the expansion of service delivery to dispensaries that meet the minimum service delivery criteria. These facilities serve any remaining older clients and boys turning 10 years old.  Early Infant Medical Circumcision (EIMC) services which are integrated within reproductive and child health services are considered as a sustainability strategy for male circumcision.  As more infants are circumcised, fewer adolescent and adults will need circumcision in the future.

These plans also articulated in NMSFIII with the goal to increase prevalence of VMMC with the coverage of circumcision among adult men in all regions of Tanzania Mainland increased to at-least 80% by 2018.PEPFAR will continue to support VMMC services in the selected Sub-National Units (SNUs) from the priority regions, but the national programme should mobilize for funds to support VMMC in other regions that are not supported by PEPFAR. UNICEF is expecting to work closely with PEPFAR during implementation of the sustainability phase.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Post is office-based in Dar es Salaam, with frequent travel within the country.

Justification

Voluntary medical male circumcision remains a critical component of Tanzania’s HIV prevention package, and an essential requirement in the country’s efforts to end AIDS by 2030. The contribution of VMMC to effective HIV prevention in Tanzania Mainland remains critical even as the country works towards achieving the 2020 HIV treatment targets of 90-90-90; which means 90% people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.  Even if the 90-90-90 targets were to be met, potentially 27% of HIV-infected individuals would have unsuppressed virus in circulation and continuing the cycle of HIV transmission, therefore HIV Prevention that includes VMMC remains a cornerstone in the response. To support this effort UNICEF is seeking to recruit a technical expert who will work and support the Tanzania National AIDS Control Program through the unit of Sexual transmitted diseases to implement sustainability plan for VMMC programs. UNICEF is recruiting this staff to provide technical support on this area which currently the office/section doesn’t seem to have.

The goal is to ensure the Coverage of VMMC in all regions of Tanzania Mainland increased to at least 80% by 2018 as indicated in the Tanzania Mainlands NMSF III: The further roll out of VMMC service during the next two years will focus on the priority regions and districts with low VMMC coverage and high HIV prevention aiming to attain 80% coverage in all regions. Even regions that have attained the 80% coverage, efforts to maintain this coverage level, or even raising it to 90% will be supported.

Duties/tasks

• Support NACP to organize bi- annual consultative meetings to review status of implementation of VMMC services in the country, review program coverage, program performance, recommend country scale up approaches
• Provide technical assistance to NACP section in the compilation and analysis of VMMC data and prepare annual publication for utilization by different stakeholders.
• As specified within the country work plan, lead/coordinate/support technical assistance for scaling up systems
• Provide technical support to the NACP in the development and strengthening of monitoring and evaluation tools, strategies through implementation of Data Quality Assurance, implementation research, the collection and use of M&E data, and the documentation and sharing of lessons learned
• Working with NACP, contribute to and coordinate UNICEF inputs in the development of national policies and scale up plans for VMMC
• Facilitate bi- annual CSO National Dialogue for VMMC as a HIV prevention (review program progress and success, gaps, challenges) strategy and promote advocacy for increasing the capacity for VMMC.
• Provide TA and support to the NACP to conduct quality assurance, supportive supervision, and develop national curricula, guidelines, and polices.
• Conduct mapping of all Private sector actors providing VMMC services including mapping of financial resources for VMMC services to establish private sector engagement in the delivery of VMMC services
• Represent UNICEF in national task-forces, workshops and conferences, and advocate for the scale up of VMMC services.
• As requested by the supervisor depending on programme needs

Methodology

The HIV Specialist, VMMC Programme will work under the supervision of the UNICEF TCO Chief, HIV Section and will work in collaboration closely with NACP and other MC stakeholders in achieving the deliverables set out in this Terms of Reference.  In carrying out the work, the HIV Specialist is expected to refer to relevant Government of Tanzania guidelines and operational frameworks as well as relevant UNICEF, UN and PEPFAR guidance and policy briefs. The HIV Specialist is expected to work with Government of Tanzania Health Sector relevant line ministries and PEPFAR country team. Additionally there will be need to work collaboratively with other agencies and Implementing Partners supporting the implementation of VMMC services in the country.  The staff member will provide inputs on decisions in relevant meetings, and also solicit inputs from other UNICEF staff at country level, regional and at HQ, and feed these back to the country project team, as appropriate. In addition, the staff member will conduct field visits to sites and document some best practices. Through Male circumcision TWGs and relevant HIV stakeholders meeting staff member will provide technical guidance on strategic programmatic decisions.

Expected Deliverables

• Report on the program review, indicating coverage, performance and related challenges
• Publication on the VMMC program data in consultation with NACP
• Bi annual report on CSO National Dialogue for VMMC as a HIV prevention indicating review program progress and success, gaps and challenges
• Data quality assurance plan in place
• Detailed report on the mapping of all Private sector actors providing VMMC services

Reporting

• Staff member will prepare and submit monthly reports on achievement status of the project. Staff member  will meet with supervisor every two weeks

 Expected background and Experience

• Clinical background; medical/nursing degree
• Master’s degree in public health with strong background in social science/behavior change communication experience as an added advantage.
• Five (5) years progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in VMMC programmes
• Fluent both in Swahili and English
• Good analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills, report writing skills, prior work experience in the duty station area.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

i) Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

ii) Core competencies

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

iii) Functional Competencies:

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)
• Applying technical expertise ((III)

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.