National Consultant (Development of National Strategy for WASH in Healthcare Facilities), Accra, Ghana

UNICEF Ghana seeks the services of a committed professional to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health Ghana to develop a costed National Strategy for WASH in Healthcare Facilities. Water Sanitation and Hygiene services are essential requirements for quality healthcare delivery. This individual will be engaged as a national consultant. The work plan for this assignment requires 77 working days within the period from January 2018 to September 2018. ONLY Ghanaians are eligible to apply.

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 and context

Health-care associated infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 5% to 30% of patients develop one or more infections during their stay in hospitals^[i]. These infections have serious consequences for health-care users including prolonged hospital stay, loss of productivity, increased health expenditure and even death. Hospital acquired infections also increase workload for health service providers. Preventing these infections can save lives and reduce cost of health-care. However, these infections cannot be prevented without adequate and resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services to support health professionals to provide quality health services in accordance with standards and protocols for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). Resilient and culturally sensitive WASH services can also improve utilization of health services.

Despite the importance of WASH for quality health care, Many healthcare settings lack adequate WASH infrastructure to support service delivery. A study conducted by UNICEF and WHO in 2015 revealed that nearly 40% of health facilities in low- and middle-income countries lack improved water and nearly 20% are without sanitation^[ii]. In Ghana, information on WASH in healthcare facilities is not reported through the national Health Management Information  System (HMIS). However results from an assessment conducted in 2010 showed that 12% of the healthcare facilities surveyed did not have source of potable water. Recent studies in Kpandai and Tatale Sanguli districts revealed  that 8% of healthcare settings did not have hand washing facilities and only 17% had separate toilet facilities for men and women who use the health facilities.

Several stakeholder engagements have been held to find solutions to address these gaps. The Ghana Health Service has developed minimum standards for WASH in Healthcare faciliites and also working on national indicators to be monitored through the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS2). During the national health summit in April 2017, the Ministry of Health and development partners included the development of a national strategy for WASH in healthcare facilities in the Aide Memoire. This Terms of Reference seeks to engage a competent national consultant to develop the strategy.

Justification

UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Services efforts to improve WASH services in healthcare facilities and enhance the overall quality of clinical services. Addressing the gaps in WASH infrastructure and services will contribute to quality of care and enhance infection prevention. The Ministry of Health does not have capacity to develop a national costed strategy for WASH in healthcare facilities and has therefore requested for a technical support from UNICEF, hence the justification for this consultancy.

Objectives

The overall objective is to develop a Costed National Strategy for WASH in healthcare facilities Working with a Technical Working Group (TWG) under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and with support from international resource person, the consultant will.

Methodology

• Review literature and evidence available (international and national) including  strategies and policies on WASH in healthcare facilities. Review documents available on the status of WASH in healthcare facilities in Ghana
• Review data on WASH in healthcare facilities from DHIMS in the event that GHS has data available in DHIMS
• Review WASH in HF minimum standards
• Make estimates of coverage based on existing data and develop a costed strategy. The costing model should be easily updateable when DHIMS data provides a more accurate coverage estimate
• Make estimates on the cost of delivering minimum standards – ensuring all sources of data and assumptions are clearly stated
• Costings should include capital, rehabilitation and operation & maintenance costs
•   Provide a disaggregation of costing data by region
• Make overall cost estimates of required investments until 2030 in order to achieve universal coverage
• Identify how WASH in Health Care Facilities spending can be tracked via existing budget/expenditure tracking systems, and in the case it cannot be tracked make recommendations for alterations to budget/expenditure tracking systems

• Develop national strategy for WASH in healthcare facilities in Ghana

Assignment Tasks:

• Desk review of evidence and examples of national strategies on WASH in healthcare facilities
• Write a draft National strategy
• Convene a validation meeting
• Cost the validated strategy

Expected Deliverables:

• A costed National Strategy for WASH in Healthcare Facilities

Qualifications of Successful Candidate:

Education:

• Advanced university degree at least a Master’s level Relevant in the WASH sector

Years of relevant experience:

• Minimum of ten years relevant work experience in the area of Water, Hygiene and Sanitation in institutions

Competencies of Successful Candidate:

• Analytical, conceptual ability; skills in communication and documentation is required
• Demonstrated ability to work with various stakeholders;
• Strong high level networking skills
• Strong proven experience in developing national strategic documents for WASH is required
• Experience on working on combined WASH in Health Facilities will be an added advantage
• Fluency in English both written and speaking.
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To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and professional daily fees in Ghana Cedis to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered.  In addition, candidate is expected to submit maximum of two page write up on how to carry out the assignment successfully and better than other candidates.

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.