Consultancy: Programme Manager, HPV+ Project: Provide integrated health and well-being interventions to adolescents alongside HPV vaccine in selected countries, Health Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition #523326

The purpose of this assignment is to support UNICEF Health Section/MNAH Unit in UNICEF headquarters (HQ) in managing the HPV+ project and conduct the assigned activities in the initial 11.5 months.

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Background & Rationale

There are more young people today than ever before. Approximately 1.2 billion of these are adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19—a critical period in human development that can either foster or hinder an individual’s possibility to live a healthy and productive life. While generally considered healthy, adolescents are exposed to social and health risks that can result in significant illness, injury and premature death. Adolescent girls are especially vulnerable due to a range of biological and social risk factors, with negative impacts that extend far beyond their health.

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), more investment is needed in adolescents’ health and well-being. Investment in adolescents yields a “triple dividend of benefits”: the physical, cognitive, and social capabilities developed in adolescence greatly determine the ability of adolescents to lead healthy and productive lives (1) now (2) and in the future, as well as (3) their ability to provide their children with a healthier start in life. Despite the multi-dimensional needs of adolescents around health, nutrition, education, WASH, and gender; adolescent programs to date have typically operated in vertical silos. To accelerate progress, future investments in adolescents need to be made through platforms that provide integrated services and information that holistically and cost-effectively address adolescents needs.

HPV vaccination programs are an ideal platform for integrating additional adolescent-responsive interventions:

• HPV vaccination is being scaled up massively in low- and middle-income countries through Gavi support—a unique window of opportunity to leverage this platform for the purpose of scaling up other high-impact interventions.
• HPV vaccination programs primarily target adolescent girls aged 9-14, which otherwise have few contacts with the health system and are thus difficult to reach.
• There are increasing examples of initiatives delivering adolescent health and well-being interventions alongside HPV vaccination.

To date, however, there have been limited critical evaluations of integrated HPV+ delivery. While studies have documented the impact, cost and efficiencies of integrating multiple health interventions through the school platform, the specific evidence base for integrated delivery need to be strengthened. Accordingly, UNICEF developed a HPV+ investment case which was approved by the organization’s Advisory Group for Innovations for Scale to receive catalytic funding. The objective of the project is to conduct field trials on providing selected adolescent health, development and well-being interventions alongside the HPV vaccination in two country settings over a period of 3 years, to determine the feasibility, acceptability, impact, and scalability of this approach.

 Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to support UNICEF Health Section/MNAH Unit in UNICEF headquarters (HQ) in managing the HPV+ project and conduct the assigned activities in the initial 11.5 months.

Resources

UNICEF HPV+ Adolescent interventions: Proof of concept investment case, April 2019

Activities

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Head of MNAH Unit and with close collaboration with the HPV and Adolescent Health focal points in the same unit. He/she will be expected to undertake the following activities:

1. Organize and participate in a deep dive workshop with key focal points from the UNICEF Program Division sections, e.g. education section and others and to validate the strategies in the HPV+ investment case based on the school platform.
2. Organize and participate in teleconferences with UNICEF Regional Offices (RO) in East and Southern Africa (ESARO) and Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to introduce the project to the regional teams and to validate the country selection.
3. Organize introductory and follow-up teleconferences with the selected UNICEF country offices (CO) to brief focal points about the project and to monitor progress based on the agreed activities for the first year.
4. Develop and finalize ToRs for the HPV+ national project coordinators to be based in UNICEF COs, in coordination with the focal points at all levels, and facilitate COs to hire or assign competent staff for these positions.
5. Develop the M&E framework and implementation research priorities of the HPV+ project in coordination with the MNAH and Implementation Research and Delivery Science (IRDS) unit.
6. Undertake 3 travels per country to ensure inception of the project, facilitate in-country coordination, monitor progress, and support the CO in conducting Year 1 project activities as stated below:

• mapping of stakeholders and local capacities
• identifying a local institution to support M&E and research
• inception meeting, other intersectoral coordination meetings
• selection of priority interventions for ‘plus’ activities
• selection of project districts
• development of country-specific operational plans and budgets
• conducting baseline evaluation
• trainings at national and district level
• communication and social mobilization
• procurement of supplies (as relevant)

7. Establish a UNICEF SharePoint site for the HPV+ project hosting all key project documents, reference articles and reports/presentations, for the access and use of project focal points in HQ sections, ROs and COs.
8. Prepare project progress updates and participate in the monthly check-in meetings with the Office of the Deputy Director of Programme Division/Office of Executive Director, HPV+ Steering Committee meetings, and the bi-annual Scaling Innovations Advisory Group meetings to support the HPV+ Project Coordinator to report on the project implementation.
9. Ensure that UNICEF focal points involved in HPV+ project at all levels and sections of the organization are routinely copied on key correspondence.
10. Perform other duties as requested by the supervisor.

KEY END-RESULTS

1. Effective intersectoral stakeholder coordination mechanisms for the implementation of HPV+ initiative are established at the HQ, regional and country level with UNICEF lead.
2. Adequate staffing capacity is established, and country-specific operational plans and budgets are developed at the country level.
3. Commitment of the local partners are effectively gained, institutional capacities are mapped and strengthened for optimal implementation of the initiative.
4. Year 1 activities are fully implemented in both project countries with UNICEF lead and active participation of government counterparts and other stakeholders.
5. Project funds are optimally utilized in line with the approved plans and budgets, fund utilization is regularly monitored, and management is timely informed about emerging gaps and needs.
6. Initial discussions are conducted with the government counterparts on the eventual scale-up of the HPV+ initiative in both countries and preliminary commitment is obtained.
7. Rights based, gender responsive and results-based programming approach fully incorporated into all phases of programme and projects processes.

PAYMENT DETAILS AND FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance.
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel.

Duty station: UNICEF headquarters, New York

Time frame: 11.5 months

Start date:  August 1 2019                                
End date: 15 July 2020    

Note: Activities and timelines below are indicative, may be rescheduled in agreement with the supervisor.

 Key competences, technical background, and experience required

• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields: Social Sciences, Social Development, Public Policy, Public Health, Community Development, or another relevant technical field.
• Experience working in public health, adolescent health, adolescent development, sexual and reproductive health.
• Experience working with UN and other international organizations and managing similar projects.
• Experience working in low- and/or middle-income countries is considered as an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships with colleagues from multiple backgrounds.
• Fluency in English and demonstrated report writing and presentation skills.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

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

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 : Here

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.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.