By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Consultancy: Climate-Resilient, Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities Consultant - Req.# 559189

New York City

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: New York City
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Environment
    • Meteorology, Geology and Geography
    • Architecture, Building and Property Management
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Climate Change
  • Closing Date: Closed

The purpose of the position is to support the integration of WASH in healthcare facilities (HCFs) into the Health Section programming through the Climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable health care facilities programme.

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: Consultant, Climate-Resilient, Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health Programme Team, Programme Group, New York HQ

Duration: 20 February 2023 to May 31, 2024 – Home Based

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. 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.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

The purpose of the position is to support the integration of WASH in healthcare facilities (HCFs) into the Health Section programming through the Climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable health care facilities programme.

Scope of Work:

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is foundational to the provision of quality healthcare. Yet healthcare facilities across low- and middle-income countries are without these basic services. A 2022 progress report from the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene on WASH in healthcare facilities found that worldwide, 1 in 5 healthcare facilities (HCF) lack basic water services, 1 in 2 lack basic hand hygiene services, and 1 in 10 lack toilets. These poor conditions put more than 1.7 billion people at risk of contracting an infection while receiving care and put healthcare workers in dangerous environments to provide healthcare.

In the least developed countries, the problem is even greater: half of HCF lack basic water services. Furthermore, the extent of the problem remains hidden because major gaps in data persist, especially on environmental cleaning. COVID- 19 has exposed key vulnerabilities in health systems, such as inadequate infection prevention and control. WASH services in HCF, so often taken for granted, are needed more than ever to protect vulnerable health workers and patients. Inadequate WASH conditions undermine not only quality care, but also impact initiatives aimed at improving maternal and child health and reducing antimicrobial resistance.

The 2018 Global Call to Action on WASH in HCF issued by the UN Secretary-General has elevated this issue among all UN agencies, partners, and Member States. Building upon this Global Call, all 194 WHO Member States unanimously approved a resolution on WASH in HCF at the 2019 World Health Assembly. The resolution calls on countries to establish baselines and set targets, embed WASH in key health programmes and budgets, and regularly report on progress. In 2019, WHO and UNICEF published the Eight Practical Steps for universal WASH access. In 2021, UNICEF and WHO established a Global Taskforce on WASH in Healthcare Facilities to harmonize global efforts and advocacy, increase accountability, and encourage further integration of WASH within health planning, budgeting and programming. Most recently, the global progress report from UNICEF and WHO offered four recommendations to scale WASH in HCF:

  • Implement costed national roadmaps with appropriate financing;
  • Monitor and regularly review progress in improving WASH services, practices and the enabling environment;
  • Develop capacities of health workforce to sustain WASH services and promote and practice good hygiene; and
  • Integrate WASH into regular health sector planning, budgeting, and programming, including COVID-19 response and recovery efforts to deliver quality services.

Efforts to integrate WASH in HCFs more extensively into health programming are underway. UNICEF’s Strategy for Health 2016-30 prioritizes the delivery of WASH interventions and services through primary health care platforms. WASH in HCF is also integral part of UNICEF’s approach to Health System Strengthening and critical to the quality of maternal, newborn and child health care. In 2021, UNICEF launched its global programme on Healthy Environments for Healthy Children which prioritizes WASH in HCFs as the second intervention area in its #1 action on Strengthen climate- resilience and environmental sustainability in HCFs. UNICEF’s WASH and Health programmes also collaborate on global progress reporting and WASH in HCFs is an integral part of UNICEF’s global health programme reporting.

The consultant will support the roll out of the Climate-resilient, Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare Facilities programme (CRESH), which integrates WASH in HCFs into a broader approach to improving primary health care facility infrastructure. The consultant will be responsible for developing and disseminating programme guidance, developing a resource mobilization plan, providing technical support in implementation, capacity building of UNICEF country and regional staff, and documenting CRESH country activities. The consultant will complete the assigned tasks in coordination with the workplan of the WASH Section, aligning with their capacity building efforts via tools like WASH FIT and helping to align with similar tools and resources within the Health Section relate to WASH in HCFs. The consultant will also contribute to UNICEF’s global advocacy efforts on WASH in HCFs.

The following tasks should be completed:

  • Development and dissemination of the Climate Resilient, Environmentally Sustainable Health Care Facilities initiative, including communicating this package of activities within UNICEF including through the Health and WASH Programmes and Supply Division and gaining buy-in from country and regional offices to integrate this initiative into existing programming.
  • Articulate the critical role of climate resilient WASH and energy services for delivering primary health care to external partners, including governments and donors.
  • Work with the fundraising team to circulate the investment case and identify opportunities for additional resource mobilization for the initiative.
  • Strengthen UNICEF regional and country office capacities for climate resilient, environmentally sustainable WASH and energy in HCF as it relates to strengthening primary health care.
  • Conduct visits to country or regional offices to provide capacity building on CRESH and to document WASH and energy interventions in HCF.
  • Technical support to the implementation of CRESH programmes
  • Develop and cultivate resources on CRESH as part of the Healthy Environments for Healthy Children knowledge management strategy.
  • Provide technical contributions to UN-wide programming on WASH in HCF, as well as global advocacy for this issue and support existing UN-wide programming, including the Global Taskforce on WASH in HCF.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

  1. Development of CRESH guidance package, operationalization of the CRESH capacity development strategy and provision of online/offline technical support in implementation to at least 15 countries
  • Guidance package, capacity development strategy, workshops/webinars and in-country capacity development and technical support   

Until Dec 2024

  1. Resource mobilization plan for CRESH, development of investment cases/ proposals, preparation of reports and presentations       
  • Resource Mobilization plan
  • Investment cases (2)
  • Proposals (5)
  • Reports (2) and
  • Presentations (5)        

Until May 2024

  1. Documentation of CRESH programme, including lessons learned on financing, operations and maintenance and sustainability          
  • Case-studies (3)
  • Technical briefs (2)
  • Reports (1)     

Until May 2024

 Qualifications

(1) Education

  • Advanced university degree in public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering or another relevant technical field
  • Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is required. Knowledge of any other UN languages is an asset.

(2) Work experience

  • At least 7 years of experience working on WASH in healthcare facilities, including implementation, research, advocacy, and training
  • Extensive experience working in resource-limited settings, including healthcare facilities
  • Familiarity with the WHO/UNICEF WASH FIT tool
  • Familiarity with the Health-WASH-Climate nexus
  • Previous UNICEF, UN and/or INGO experience

(3) Competencies

  • Thinks and acts strategically
  • Works collaboratively with others
  • Builds and maintains partnerships
  • Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
  • Drive to achieve results for impact
  • Innovates and embraces change
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity

Requirements: do not edit

  • Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11)
  • Upload copy of academic credentials
  • Financial proposal that will include:
    • All-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the three deliverables noted above.
    • Four three-day visits to New York during the contract period
    • Administrative costs relating to visa, health insurance and living costs as applicable – other than travel to programme countries

Travel to UNICEF COs/ROs will be covered based on actuals by UNICEF and not included in the lump sum fee.  Consultant will need to make their own travel arrangements and will be reimbursed for travel costs and subsistence allowance in line with and limited to those payable by UNICEF. UNICEF will pay for travel in economy class via the most direct and economical route.

  • At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
  • Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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.

Consultants 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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment.

This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: