State Lead Consultant HIV & AIDS, Benue

This vacancy is open to Nigerians only.

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1. Purpose of Assignment:

Background and Rationale

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 2018-2021 program cycle is â Children, adolescents and women, particularly in high HIV-burden states have increased access to and use quality services to prevent and treat HIV. The operationalization of this outcome has been aligned to the four work streams of the â 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. Benue States was further prioritized as a flagship demonstration state. Thus, intensive programming took place in the State 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 was built on 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 LGAs of the state 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. 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. 11 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 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 State”.

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

• Implementation of the “All In” plans in the 11 LGAs identified by the “All In”
• 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 lead consultant is required to ensure a timely implementation of all planned activities and reporting of activities in the State.

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

Applicants should indicate an all-inclusive fee

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.

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