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Consultancy to support VPD outbreaks including Root Cause Analysis (Two in number; one each for anglophone and francophone countries), Health Section, NYHQ (Home-Based) - Req #551247

Remote | New York City

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Remote | New York City
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Translations and Languages
    • Malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases
  • Closing Date: Closed

The consultants will support country teams (MoH, UNICEF, WHO and other partners) in planning a robust outbreak response immunization campaign including conduction of RCA and development of a costed action plan to strengthen EPI for averting/reducing future outbreaks.

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, hope.

 

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Consultancy to support VPD outbreaks including Root Cause Analysis (Two in number; one each for anglophone and francophone countries)

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health Section, NYHQ (Home-Based)

Duration: 16 June 2022 - 31 May 2023 (250 working days)

Home/ office Based: Remote

 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

 

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The immunization unit’s workstream on Accelerated Immunization Initiatives (AII) has increased its support to the global disease control and elimination initiatives, including response to an upsurge in the number of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) outbreaks in countries. The AII team provides a range of functions, including leading and participating in multi-partners global technical working groups, guiding country offices on Measles and rubella, Yellow fever, Meningitis, Tetanus and Cholera control activities, and supporting countries in disease outbreak preparedness and response.

A key component of AII team’s responsibilities, is to provide support to the countries in managing VPD outbreaks. The support is provided in terms of facilitating planning of outbreak response immunization activities including provision of vaccines and logistics. In the last two years, COVID-19 has adversely affected the routine immunization programmes including the planned vaccination campaigns. Campaigns to vaccinate against measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, have been the most affected. Measles campaigns account for 23 of the postponed SIAs, affecting an estimated 140 million people. Many have now been delayed for more than a year1. The postponement is coupled with inadequate reporting of measles cases due to increased burden on the surveillance activities. This may lead to an increase in number of VPD outbreaks in the coming months.

One of the key components of outbreak response immunization is to conduct a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to understand the underlying factors that are responsible for the genesis of VPD outbreaks. The findings of RCA can be used to identify the programme elements of routine immunization that need to be addressed to reduce the risk of future VPD cases and outbreaks. The current experience shows that conduction of RCA is one of the weakest and/or the missing link in the outbreak response activities. The consultants will support country teams (MoH, UNICEF, WHO and other partners) in planning a robust outbreak response immunization campaign including conduction of RCA and development of a costed action plan to strengthen EPI for averting/reducing future outbreaks.

 

Scope of Work:

Under the direct supervision of the Health Specialist in the AII workstream, the consultants will work with the immunization colleagues in regional offices and country offices to:

  • Review the tools/guidelines/SOPs available for conduction of Root Cause Analysis to identify the missing/inadequate programme variables
  • Revise the tools/guidelines/SOPs, in consultation with other stakeholders to ensure that all the programme variables are included
  • Facilitate identification of activities/processes to digitalize the tools for conduction of RCA and development of the costed action plan
  • Develop a training package for training the country teams to conduct a quality RCA including development of costed action plan
  • Build a pool of experts at the country level, in collaboration with HQ, RO and country teams and lead the capacity building of expert pool
  • Facilitate the conduction of RCA, development of costed action plan, and development of a M&E framework for follow up of the implementation of the action plan
  • Document best practices including human interest stories, related to outbreak immunization activities in the countries
  • Provide inputs for donor reports related to the outbreak response immunization including RCA
  • Prepare monthly and quarterly reports highlighting achievements, bottlenecks, gaps and upcoming plans for outbreak response activities including RCA
  • To develop a digital database for the critical information related to VPD outbreaks

 

Deliverables/Outputs:

  • Review and revision of RCA tools/guidelines and SOPs completed. Hiring of agency for digitalization of tools initiated. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Draft digitalized tools prepared, pilot planned in one country. Creation of expert tools initiated. Development of training material initiated. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Training material developed; pilot rolled out in one country. Creation of expert tool completed. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Pilot completed in one country; documentation of lessons learned/bottlenecks/gaps etc. completed. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Tools/SOPs/Guidelines for RCA and costed action plan finalized (Word and digital formats). Training material revised and finalized. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Training of two cohorts of expert pools (one each for anglophone and francophone countries) completed. RCA initiated in two countries (one by each consultant). Monthly progress report submitted.
  • RCA completed in two countries; costed action plan developed and endorsed by country team. M&E framework developed and endorsed. Monthly progress report submitted
  • RCA initiated in two countries (one by each consultant). Two success story documented from two countries (one each from anglophone and francophone countries). Monthly progress report submitted.
  • RCA completed in two countries; costed action plan developed and endorsed by country team. M&E framework developed and endorsed. Monthly progress report submitted
  • RCA initiated in two countries (one by each consultant). Monthly progress report submitted.
  • RCA completed in two countries; costed action plan developed and endorsed by country team. M&E framework developed and endorsed. Planning of holding a stakeholders consultation initiated. Monthly progress report submitted
  • Stakeholder consultation done and documentation completed. Revision of SOPs/tools and guidelines completed

 

Qualifications

Education:

Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Health Economics, Medicine, or related areas.

Additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree.

 

Language Proficiency:

Excellent verbal communication in English and French (for anglophone and francophone countries respectively); working knowledge of English and French for both experts would be an asset.

 

Work experience:

  • Five years of progressive experience in health programme management, monitoring, and evaluation.
  • Solid experience in immunizations with added value for specific experience with measles and rubella work.
  • Experience in working with multi-stakeholders at global level is highly preferable.
  • Experience with conducting operational public health research and documentation an advantage.
  • Demonstrated skills in technical report writing in public health areas preferably related to immunization.
  • Strong planning and organizational skills.
  • Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion.
  • Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.

 

U.S. Visa information:

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.  

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.

 

 

This vacancy is now closed.
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