Consultant for the implementation of Every newborn Action Plan (ENAP)

Consultant for the implementation of Every newborn Action Plan.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

Over the past decade, child survival has improved in Guinea-Bissau, but even today almost one in 10 children is unlikely to reach his/her fifth birthday. Under-5 mortality rate stands at 89 per 1,000 live births, infant mortality 55 per 1,000 live births, and neonatal mortality 36 per 1,000 live births (MICS 2014). Mortality reduction has been particularly slow for neonatal mortality mainly due to persistently low rates of skilled birth attendance, low access to emergency neonatal care interventions, early pregnancies, high malnutrition rates among pregnant women and other sociocultural issues. Without sustained reduction in neonatal mortality, reduction in under five mortality will remain elusive. The first 28 days of life – the neonatal period – are critical for a child’s survival. Every year more than 40% of all under-five child deaths occur among new-borns in neonatal period. Three quarters of all new-born deaths occur in the first week of life. Similarly, the ‘day of birth’ and ‘first week of life’ can be considered as the ‘most dangerous’ day for the Guinean new-borns because most of them die during first day of their birth. Guinea Bissau is amongst the top ten countries with the highest rates of first-day deaths and still births during labour and delivery. In the frame of the CDP 2016-2019, UNICEF continues to support the Guinea-Bissau Government to scale up of high impact interventions through the dissemination of key family practices at community level and, improve routine immunization and nutrition programmes. A renewed focus on neonatal care began late 2016 with the support to the government to elaborate and adopt a country specific Every New-born Action plan (ENAP).

Guinea Bissau Every New-born Action Plan (ENAP) has been designed around the following strategic objectives:

1. To Strengthen and invest in care during labour, delivery and the first day and week of life.
2. To improve the quality of maternal and new-born care.
3. To harness the power of parents, families and communities.
4. To count every new-born through measurement, programme-tracking and accountability.
5. To reach every woman and new-born to reduce inequities.

To support the implementation of the ENAP, UNICEF Guinea Bissau has been awarded 7% set aside funding which will be used to achieve the following results:

• Output 1: Policy, regulatory framework and service delivery models established and operational. 
• Output 2: Improved quality and of maternal and newborn care through capacity building that ensures continuum of care.
• Output 3: Parents, families and communities mobilized to promote better newborn care.
• Output 4: Measurement, programme-tracking and accountability system to count every newborn developed and operational.
• Output 5: Increased understanding of underlying causes of inequities around newborn care and best practices analyzed and scaled up.

 Considering a short implementation period for this grant, UNICEF Guinea Bissau Country Office is propose to hire a qualified consultant  to conduct initial preparations and to rapidly launch ENAP implementation project by initiating and steering key planning and implementation processes.

How can you make a difference?

ACTIVITIES AND TASKS:

Under the direct supervision by Chief of Health and Nutrition, and in collaboration with technical team at CO and RO levels, the incumbent will:

• Help draft a detailed work plan with key activities and budget and help facilitate discussions with the national partners;
• Support the drafting of ToRs, for both individual and institutional contracts required as well as for the NGOs to be partnered with to support the project implementation;
• Support the rapid need assessment of neonatal care in maternity wards with at least 30 deliveries per month and help identify priority project implementation sites, based on agreed upon criteria;
• Undertake mapping of national and international technical assistance resources that can be mobilized for project implementation, based on identified technical resource gaps at national and regional levels;
• Scan the existing stock  and develop procurement plan that will ensure continuity of essential drugs, equipment and supplies along with infection prevention and control commodities for the whole duration of the project.
• Help identify technical capacity gaps and develop capacity building plan including: identifying key gaps in skills and knowledge, training plan with timelines  and draft training evaluation methods.
• Contribute to development of distribution plan for drugs and commodities to be aligned with capacity building plan in order to ensure prompt implementation of new skills and knowledge acquired during the training.
• Provide administrative support and help draft initial contracts with key partners using appropriate partnership modalities;
• Determine base line of key project indicators, put in place mechanism of monitoring and reporting;
• Compile the above information into the detailed project inception report.

DELIVERABLES, TIMEFRAME AND PAYMENT:

Please insert here the timeframe for the deliverables of the above described tasks/activities, linking them with payments. Remember, monthly payments are highly discouraged. Payments should be linked to tangible deliverables. It is advisable to make a table, aligning activities, deliverables, time-frame and payment.

Example/suggestion below:

To qualify as a/an champion for every child you will have…

EDUCATION

An Advanced University Degree in public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology or other health related science is required.

WORK EXPERIENCE

A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in public health/nutrition planning and management and/or in relevant areas of maternal and neonatal health care, health emergency/humanitarian preparedness, at the international level some of which preferably in a developing country is required. Relevant experience in health/nutrition program/project development and management in any UN system agency or organization is an asset.

 LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Proficiency in French and English is a requirement. Fluency in Portuguese is an asset

CONDITIONS OF WORK

• The consultancy will be on a SSA type contract at P3 level for one international consultant.
• As a general principle, the fees payable to a consultant shall follow the best value for money principle (achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee). Therefore, the consultants are required to indicate their fees for services to be provided. In case the offered fees are higher than the remuneration scale of UN system for national consultants in Guinea Bissau, the UN scale rates will be applied.
• The consultant will work in UNICEF Guinea-Bissau office and will travel to the field (based on the work plan agreed on with the supervisor and national counterparts) using UNICEF transport in respect of the regulations of the Organization.
• UNICEF will provide to the consultant a computer for work and will use UNICEF IT facilities to perform his work (printers, photocopiers, scanner and internet).
• The consultant will work under the Chief of Health and Nutrition Section.
• Duration of the contract is 11 months including with full-time engagement, five days per week basis. 

Services: Office space, photocopying & printing, supplies, secretarial support.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The technical competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.