Emergency Health Local Consultant

UNICEF is seeking to engage a Local Consultant, PNG nationality to provide Technical support to provincial health authority (PHA) and other implementing partners (churches and NGOs) in earthquake affected provinces to deliver life-saving health interventions.

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, 

The focus of the proposed consultancy assignment is to provide technical support to Provincial Health Authority (PHA) in the earthquake affected provinces (Hela and SHP) to plan, implement, monitor and report on the emergency health responses with life-saving Maternal Neonatal & Child Health (MNCH) and Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) services.

Considering the volume of work due to increasing needs of emergency services, a full-time local consultant is required to work closely with Provincial Health Authority (PHA) of both Hela and SHP. The specific objectives are to: a) Assist to implement provincial integrated MNCH/EPI plan of action; b) conduct advocacy and orientation and support PHAs and the affected Districts to build capacities and partnerships with churches, NGOs, and CBOs to implement emergency health responses; c) conduct joint monitoring and mentoring visits to ensure the quality of services and coverage of responses; and d) support PHAs on the documentation and reporting on the coverage and quality of emergency health responses.

Justification

UNICEF is working very closely with the health cluster co-leading with WHO to support the emergency health responses with life-saving maternal, neonatal, child health and immunisation services. UNICEF has been identified by the government and partners to co-lead with WHO to support the provincial government's health department and other implementing partners (churches and NGOs) to provide technical support in planning, coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the emergency MNCH/EPI responses. The emergency responses are constrained given the already poor health system, and inadequate managerial and technical capacity of the provincial health department. Therefore, deploying an Emergency Health Local Consultant has been identified as a priority considering the rapidly evolving needs and urgency of having highly qualified staff to ensure good quality of the health responses. This is critical for the UNICEF Health program to adequately respond to the overwhelmingly increasing needs of emergency immunization services, maternal new-born and child health services, and to work with WHO on epidemic preparedness and responses.

How can you make a difference?

The Emergency Local Consultant Health (NOA) will work closely with the provincial health authority /office (PHA/PHO), church health services, and the health cluster partners (INGOs, LNGOs/CBOs/FBOs) to channel UNICEF support to deliver critical life-saving health services to reduce excess mortality and morbidity. Following are the specific tasks:

• • Review and update the integrated health/immunisation response micro-plans and consult with PHA/PHO on detailed operational plans and guidelines including timeline of activities, monitoring and supervision, recording and reporting on vaccination
  • Assist provinces in reviewing the need estimates, plan, organise and monitor the logistical requirements including the distribution of vaccines, accessories, cold chain equipment/supplies, training and IEC materials, reporting formats and other supplies
  • Provide technical support to implementing partners for delivering critical life-saving health services to reduce excess mortality and morbidity
  • Provide technical assistance to the Provincial Health Authorities / Offices (PHAs / PHOs) and DDA to roll-out of Early Essential New-born Care (EENC) interventions with a focus on Prevention and Management of Neonatal Hypothermia including Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) in selected communities.
  • Support the provinces/districts in matters related to EENC and Bebi Kol Kilok training and help them in planning, implementing, monitoring and documenting the EENC programs.
  • Conduct advocacy and partnership meeting and support the provincial health office to establish partnerships with the local level government, government departments, NGOs, Faith-based organisations, community-based organisations, women groups, adolescent forum, and other relevant forum/groups on communication and social mobilisation activities for MNCH/EPI activities
  • Conduct supportive supervision, monitoring and mentoring visit
  • Assist the provinces in the analysis of coverage data and support them in planning and conducting mop-up activities as necessary
  • Collect and compile data from provinces and prepare implementation and coverage report by each province and conduct de-briefing on the lessons learnt and recommendations;

Prepare and submit final report of the activity, analysis of the responses, including the lessons learnt and recommendations at the end of the consultancy

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The emergency health local consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• University degree in Medicine, Public Health, Community Health or related fields (preferably with specialized training in neonatal & child health, immunization, health education, and/or healthcare system management)
• Preferably two years of professional work experience in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of emergency or health programmes relevant to maternal, new-born and child survival.
• Working experience with NGOs, and/or UN and other relevant agencies is an asset
• Experience on humanitarian interventions in health is an asset
• Ability to work under tight schedule and respond to multiple demands
• Good analytical and computer skills
• Demonstrable experience in emergencies, and service delivery related to immunizations, maternal and child health, as well as epidemic preparedness and response
• Willingness to join missions in hard to reach areas.
• Fluency in English and local language
• Computer literacy

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.