International Consultant Health - Adolescent Health for Feasibility Study

The consultant will produce feasibility study focusing on the operational and technical feasibility of the government initiatives in expanding the AFHS all over the country from the ADOHEARTS project. The study will also investigate the additional efforts required to reaching the most vulnerable adolescent girls and boys in the country.

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Background:

Bangladesh has a significant adolescent population as demographic dividend. More than one-fifth of the total population, i.e.36 million, are adolescents (BBS, 2015). To address the need for adolescent health, the UNICEF and UNFPA supported MOHFW to establish Adolescent Friendly Health Services (AFHS) under the global programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage (ECM) from 2015. The AFHS model was further refined with support from the Netherlands Embassy under the Adohearts project. During implementation the projects, UNICEF supported Directorate General of Family Planning and Directorate General of Health Services to establish approx. 200 AFHS within existing government District Hospital, Upazila Health Complex, UH&FWC and MCWC under 4 districts. Additional AFHS have been established using the operational plans of the health sector and currently, 603 facilities offer AFHS. With the technical support of UNICEF and the Netherlands Embassy, MOHFW developed the National IEC materials for Social Behaviour Changes Communication (SBCC) among adolescents, parents, service providers and teachers. More than 85% Health Managers, Service Providers and frontline workers trained on AFHS and adolescent health issues in the 603 existing Health facilities. Implementation research was conducted to identify the cost-effective interventions for AFHS, and benefits of integration of other platforms with AFHS such as schools & adolescents clubs and awareness raising among parents and teachers as well as community engagement for demand generation. 

In addition, there are many NGOs and INGOs are also supporting the government to take forward the agenda of adolescent health in the country.

The experience of AFHS initiated the policy level dialogue and advocacy to develop strategic documents for adolescent health in Bangladesh. Based on these experiences the MOHFW has developed the National Strategy for Adolescent Health 2017-30 and multisectoral national plan of action focusing four strategic directions with two cross cutting issues (health systems strengthening and Social and Behavior Change Communication) and special focused on vulnerable adolescent. A costed action plan is in final stages of development and dissemination, and advocacy is ongoing to integrate the required budget and plan in PIP under upcoming health sector program. UNICEF is directly involved with all policy level activities through Adolescent Health and Rights Enhancement through Innovation and System Strengthening (ADOHEARTS) projects which supported by the Netherlands Embassy.

To better advise the government of Bangladesh, the feasibility scale up the AFHS model country-wide is critical to review the ‘best-buy’ for AFHS. This analysis may include the adequacy of the service readiness, including HR and their training, delivery and outreach gender responsive models through MoHFW (AFHS), MoE (schools), MOWCA (adolescent clubs), as well as the demand generation strategies.  

The feasibility study will mainly focus the operational and technical feasibility of the government initiatives in expanding the AFHS all over the country from the ADOHEARTS project. The study will also investigate the additional efforts required to reaching the most vulnerable adolescent girls and boys in the country.

 Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

1. Assess operational feasibility of AFHS within the Bangladesh health system for efficiency of resources, service timing and utilization, gender responsiveness of the services and staff capacity for delivering as well as service provision and quality of services, taking in consideration comprehensive AH
   • Required staffing level by level of the health system and availability of health workers both male and female in Bangladesh, implications in staffing (HR) posting needs and cost implications. This includes the review of the technical capacity required for SRHR, psychosocial counselling to address mental health and violence including referral (esp. for mental health and GBV).
   • Required suitable rooms, furniture, equipment for AFHS by level of health system (MCH/DH, UHC, UHFWC) and physical availability in the facilities, and availability of budget in OP.
   • Demand side of the adolescent health and continuous availability supplies for services
   • Requirements for capacity building (pre-service and in-service) and availability of budget in OP
   • Required commodities for AFHS review cost, availability, procurement modalities and inclusion in operational plans
   • Requirements for IEC materials and awareness raising through innovative practices, and availability of budget in OP.
   • Review the good best practices to increase demand for AH among both girls and boys (outreaches in schools, outreaches in adolescent clubs and other community initiatives)
2. Compile and analyse the good practices of the national and international Adolescent/Youth Friendly Health Service models and related document along with budget/unit cost for services
3. Compare the costing and sustainability model of AFHS in NGOs/private and Government Health facilities
4. Technical analysis of potential risk and benefits of AFHS in government health facilities. Financial feasibility for cash requirements and value for money

5. To review existing strategic documents to develop essential component of the strategic planning process

Major tasks:

1. Inception report
2. Report with the analysis
3. Documentation of good practices on AFHS/Youth friendly health services
4. Risk assessment
5. Financial feasibility documentation
6. Draft of feasibility study
7. Dissemination of feasibility study

Deliverables:

1. Inception report for the feasibility study including the methodology (includes field visits and meetings with counterparts as required), timeline, table of content and outline of the report-15 days
2. Report with the analysis of the requirements for service readiness and demand degeneration and its inclusion in OP (HR, infrastructure, capacity building, commodities, IEC, demand generation) (above point 1)-40 days
3. Documentation of good practices on AFHS/Youth friendly health services and comparison of costing of AFHS models (point 2 and 3 of above)-10 days
4. Documentation on the risk assessment (4 of above)-3 days
5. Financial feasibility documentation of AFHS and recommendations for Bangladesh MoHFW (5 and 6 of above)-7 days   
6. Submitted final draft of feasibility study report to the ministry for approval
   1. Conduct and facilitate national workshop on Feasibly study
   2. Incorporating the feedback from the workshop and submission to the ministry for endorsement.-10 days
7. Dissemination of feasibility study at national level-5 days

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

Education/Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Master’s in public health with at least 15 years working experience with government and UN partners.
• Working experience in developing countries specially in research/study.
• Field experience in adolescent health program implementation is highly required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional 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.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

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.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.