Consultancy: Gender and HIV Consultant - Gender Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 508156

The Gender and HIV Sections are seeking a consultant to conduct an evidence review, analysis and translation of sector-specific gender responsive and gender transformative programme into strategies to prevent HIV among adolescent girls and women in a sub-set of countries. The aim is to support UNICEF country offices and partners in designing and implementing evidence-based, gender-responsive programming for HIV prevention for adolescent girls and young women. The consultant will work with both the Gender Section and HIV Section, Programme Division NYHQ to achieve the results listed below.

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.

Background

UNICEF is completing the implementation of its Gender Action Plan 2014-2017 (GAP 1.0) and planning the implementation of its Gender Action Plan 2018-2021 (GAP 2.0), which is an ambitious effort at catalysing field level programming and results that advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF's work. The GAP programmatic framework defines a twin-track approach: 1) integration of gender equality outcomes across all programme areas, and 2) specification of “targeted gender priorities” focused on empowering adolescent girls. Together, these approaches strengthen UNICEF’s gender results which are prominent in all five Goals of the Strategic Plan. A key effort in the 2018-2021 period is to advance concrete programming efforts to empower adolescent girls along the five targeted priorities by maximizing the coherence, overlap, and efficiency in related interventions and resources.

UNICEF has a particular focus on preventing HIV /AIDS among marginalized populations in the Strategic Plan 2018-21 and concurrent GAP targeted priority of Promoting adolescent girls’ Nutrition & Pregnancy Care; Preventing HIV/AIDS & HPV.  Of particular focus is to prevent infections among adolescent girls and young women, a particularly vulnerable population due to gender inequalities that persist. Recognizing the ‘prevention gap’, there is a growing momentum among stakeholders to support the achievement of fast track prevention targets in adults, adolescents and young women and draw down infections by 75% by 2020. For adolescents and young women, the ongoing partnerships and the new initiatives and investments within UNICEF’s adolescent focus include the: ‘ALL IN’ Collaborative to End Adolescent AIDS, operating in 25 countries since 2015 and the Stay Free initiative on prevention of new HIV infection in adolescents and young women initiative, focusing on 18 of the 25 All In countries, with a particular focus on adolescent girls and young women and their male partners. By advancing a gender responsive and transformative approach to preventing HIV among adolescent girls and young women, and strengthening relevant community and health systems to do so, the Gender Action Plan 2018-21 promotes gender equality in achieving UNICEF’s mandate. 

In order to contribute to the Strategic Plan (2018-21) and Gender Action Plan results on HIV Prevention among adolescent girls and young women, the Gender and HIV Sections are working together to develop and pilot evidence-based, scalable intervention packages that are gender responsive/transformative; identify a core set of poised programme countries for targeted assistance, and conducting implementation research or documentation of good practices that achieve key results.

Purpose

The Gender and HIV Sections are seeking a consultant to conduct an evidence review, analysis and translation of sector-specific gender responsive and gender transformative programme into strategies to prevent HIV among adolescent girls and women in a sub-set of countries. The aim is to support UNICEF country offices and partners in designing and implementing evidence-based, gender-responsive programming for HIV prevention for adolescent girls and young women.  The consultant will work with both the Gender Section and HIV Section, Programme Division NYHQ to achieve the results listed below.

Expected Results:

The expected results of this consultancy are as follows:

1. Consolidated data and evidence of gender responsive interventions in education, health, social policy and child protection that are effective, address gender barriers and leverage gender-responsive/transformative opportunities to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS among adolescent girls.
2. Co-developed and/or modified programming packages that prevent HIV among adolescent girls for testing and piloting in select countries (in collaboration with sectoral teams).
3. Strengthened the capacity of country and regional offices for the effective design and delivery of health and HIV outcomes that are gender responsive and transformative. 
4. Duty Station: Home based with 3 trips to UNICEF HQ , $2,400 total budgeted
5. Travel: The consultant will be reimbursed based on actual expenditures occurred during travel to New York, which includes airfare/train fare, local transportation, meals and accommodation. Total expenditures cannot exceed a total of $2,400 for all trips. Reimbursement to the consultant will occur after the mission on submission of an invoice with receipts.
6. Timeframe: 50 days
7. Start date:   13 November 2017         
   End date:  30 April 2018
8. Cost and Timeframe for Deliverables:      

Key competences, technical background, and experience required 

• Masters or higher in Social Sciences (sociology, gender, anthropology, economics, etc.), Public Health or closely related field.
• Minimum 8 years relevant experience and expertise in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes on gender and health issues, including but not limited to HIV, reproductive health, etc.
• Strong research, conceptual and analytical skills relevant to gender, health and HIV/AIDS, along with demonstrated credibility with both health and gender experts; publication record in peer reviewed journals a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to link research and programming, understand and apply indicators and measures in gender and health.
• Experience in working with country level experts in shaping, implementing and evaluating gender and health programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and concisely in written and oral form; excellent diplomatic and negotiation skills in working with colleagues across sectors.
• Highly organized with ability to work across functional areas and with multiple priorities; Self-starter with the ability to deliver results.
• Understanding of UN systems and country programmes a plus. 

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.   

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.