International consultancy to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan Republic and UNICEF Azerbaijan on joint review of health system performance related to maternal and child health and child health outcomes in Azerbaijan

To conduct joint review of child health outcomes, underlying causes and determinants, health systems performance in regard to maternal and child health in Azerbaijan and strengthen country capacity through training/workshop for local staff.

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, health

Analysis of child health outcomes and assessment of health system performance in regard with maternal and child health provides wide information about existing trends, achievements, gaps and bottlenecks. It is particularly important as the Government of Azerbaijan prioritizes maternal and child health and allocates a lot of resources in improvement of quality and access to health services for mothers and children. There have been several vertical state programs targeting maternal and child health, developed and implemented but still not evaluated in terms of their impact and links with child health outcomes. It is also important from the prospective of Sustainable Development Goals to track the progress in child health outcomes and analyze trends to address areas that haven’t been paid attention or still need to be strengthened.

There is a system of routine collection of health statistical data in the country, led by the Statistical Department of Ministry of Health as well as by medical services of other Ministries (parallel services) which are all aggregated at the State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan Republic.

The Ministry of Health has three entities engaged in the process of data collection, processing and analysis: Department of Information and Statistics, Center for Informatization of Health care and Public Health and Reforms Center (PHRC) (Department of Monitoring and Analysis). They have different mandate and scope of work: while Center for Informatization of Health care is responsible for development of software of health information systems, creation of databases and establishment of linkages between different bases, Department of Information and Statistics is the main entity responsible for types of data collected, quality of data, reporting on health systems performance and health outcomes. Monitoring and Analysis department of PHRC is engaged with analysis of data and reporting on trends.

However, there is still need for improvement of analytical skills of existing staff of these entities on overall understanding of how different indicators of child health and health systems performance interrelate with each other and can be analyzed in comparison, and how these indicators should be analyzed and interpreted to better understand existing situation and reveal gaps. Also, there is need to increase demand for this type of analysis for decision-making process to inform further steps and policies. This in turn will also influence the quality of data and systems as utilization of data will reveal not only gaps in health outcomes but also in existing health information systems.

In this regards, there was a request from Ministry of Health to provide technical assistance to the Ministry on review of current data collection system and capacity building of statistical and analytical staff of Ministry on child health outcomes, indicators (including SDG 3 indicators) and analysis and support them to conduct situation analysis of child health indicators, underlying causes and related health services.

How can you make a difference?

To conduct joint review of child health outcomes, underlying causes and determinants, health systems performance in regard to maternal and child health in Azerbaijan and strengthen country capacity through training/workshop for local staff.

Guided by the UNICEF Health and Nutrition Officer, to:

1. Conduct desk review of existing Health Management Information System and understand data availability and quality. Prepare an Inception Report including detailed plan of a workshop that includes analytical framework and necessary tools for the maternal and child health situation analysis.
2. Facilitate 3-days capacity building workshop for statistical and analytical staff of Ministry of Health (up to 20 persons) on how to collect, process and analyse child health indicators, underlying causes and health system performance indicators related to child health.
3. Prepare ready excel tables (or syntax files, algorithms, etc.) with indication of what type of data is requested for analysis and send them before in country visit, so that Ministry of Health can prepare all information and figures needed. Together with local team defined by Ministry of Health conduct joint review of child health indicators in Azerbaijan and develop a statistical analysis report (“Child health in Azerbaijan”), including analysis of underlying causes and determinants
4. Provide recommendations on reporting child health outcomes, including SDG 3 child indicators, and on improvement of data collection, processing and utilization processes.

Deliverables:

• A comprehensive and applied statistical analysis report with below main chapters:

  • Background
  • Review methodology
  • Descriptive review of sources, collection mechanisms of data, available and accessible data related to child health
  • Analysis of child health indicators and trends for the last 5 years, underlying reasons, assessment of health system performance indicators related to child health, interrelation between different indicators, their underlying causes and determinants
  • Recommendations on reporting child health outcomes including SDG 3 child indicators and improvement of data collection, processing and utilization processes.
  •  (related to children)
  • Recommendations for further routine analysis
  • Annex that includes necessary tools for the staff of MoH to improve their data collection, processing and analysis capacity.

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

An international consultant firm or individual consultant is required with following qualifications:

• At least post-graduate degrees in Biostatistics, Public Health, Child health, Data Analysis or a related field
• At least ten years’ experience in analysis of health data, statistics, health system performance assessment, with experience in work with data from CIS countries
• Strong knowledge in child health outcomes, their underlying causes and interrelations with health system performance
• Experience in research, policy development, management and programming-related work.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision;
• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments;
• Demonstrated experience in working with government partners and other stakeholders.

The consultancy firm/consultant is also expected to bring/possess the following skills and competencies:

• Must be result-oriented, a team player, exhibiting high levels of enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy and integrity;
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and professional skills in interacting with government and development partners;
• Skills in facilitation of stakeholder engagements/workshops;
• High level written and oral communications skills in English; Knowledge of Russian language is a plus

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.

View our competency framework at

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

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

- application

- technical and financial proposal

- samples of similar work

- references from previous working experience

Deadline 08 July 2018

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.