MNCH and Adolescent Health Services consultant at University of Cape Town

Job description

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.

Background and Justification

• South Africa is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. The country's National Development Plan 2030 and key policy and program documents reaffirm the commitment to the SDGs. The National Department of Health is spearheading several policy and program strategies towards achieving the health targets for the national and global overarching goals. Strengthening the service delivery platform and ensuring equity in coverage and equity in quality are critical components integral to achieving the targets for maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition.
• The 2014 national mid-term review of the maternal, newborn, child and women's health and nutrition strategy outlined key highlights and recommendations for improving the service delivery platform for MNCH and nutrition programs. Further, the review recommended leveraging this platform towards achieving results along the continuum of care using a cascade approach from hospital, clinic and community levels. The importance of intersectoral coordination and monitoring results along the continuum were also reinforced. Steps towards implementing these recommendations are being incorporated in the ongoing decentralized health systems strengthening work in select districts known as the 3 feet approach.
• There are several innovative interventions currently being piloted and at scale in the country. Some of these interventions are using mobile technology and digital platforms, while some are supporting electronic tools towards fast tracking monitoring and tracking for results. It is important to continuously support documentation of lessons learned from the field, facilitate consultations amongst key stakeholders and track results and challenges to inform scale up and sustainability of these interventions.
• There is potential in designing and leveraging e learning platforms and knowledge sharing mechanisms as well as study and learning exchange workshops both within the country, region and globally. Work is ongoing towards exploring these platforms and forums and it is important to continue supporting and leveraging and documenting results and lessons learned towards informing potential scale up and sustainability of these initiatives.
• UNICEF is a lead technical partner working closely with the National Department of Health and the respective provincial departments and district management teams towards supporting improved health outcomes for women, children and adolescents across the maternal and child health and nutrition programmes, and the HIV/AIDS and TB programmes. Strengthening decentralized health systems and focusing on results along the continuum of care and improving service delivery platforms is a key area of work in the coming months.
• It is proposed to hire a consultant to support the above working closely at all levels with the Government at national and with the respective provinces and district teams and partners, towards documenting, facilitating and strengthening the intiatives focused on the service delivery platforms and the innovative responses including knowledge sharing platforms and forums.

Purpose of the Assignment

Scope of Work

Goal and Objective: Under the supervision of the Chief of Health and Nutrition, the consultant will support the work towards strengthening the service delivery platforms across the continnuum of care and supporting innovative interventions towards achieving the results.

There is specific focus on intersectoral coordination, innovative interventions and e learning platforms and knowledge sharing and learning forums.

Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered:

• The assignment aligns with outputs 3, 4 and 5 of the AWP.

Activities and Tasks: The specific tasks are:

• Facilitate and complete outlines for select districts and provinces towards understanding and completing an overview of the service delivery platforms for women and children linked with the outcomes of survive and thrive as outlined in the national targets. (template to be mutually agreed on, with updating at regular intervals)
• Support the review and facilitate the updating of the road to health booklet including the digital component ensuring feedback from the technical teams and field stakeholders is shared with the NdoH and incorporated.
• Finalize a report outlining the current knowledge sharing platforms available and functional in the country and explore with the NdoH learning teams towards designing e learning tools and courses for skills building across MNCH and nutrition programs.
• Support the ongoing 3 feet work as needed with a focus on the service delivery platforms and maintaining a score card to track and monitor progress. Individual district data is available – to explore mechanisms to create an overarching tracking framework for key indicators linked with internal UNICEF reporting committments and aligned with the national targets and working with the existing ready reckoner tool for data tracking
• Provide inputs and support partners in mHealth working on service delivery platforms ensuring alignment with ongoing programmes.
• Facilitate and participate in relevant technical working groups, think tank forums focusing on MNCH and nutrition and adolescents to inform programming
• Support knowledge sharing, learning workshops and meetings as per need across the MNCH portfolio
• Prepare regular briefs and contribute towards working papers, policy briefs as needed.
• Support the documentation of best practices and lessons learned relevant to the assignment and as per need, working closely with the agency and persons involved in documentation including the identification of these practices.
• Any other tasks linked with improving service delivery platforms and innovative interventions and knowledge sharing forums as needed (as per discussions with supervisor).

Work relationships:

• The consultancy involves working closely with the national department of health, provincial and district managers and partners working in MNCH, HIV and health systems strengthening and innovative interventions

Qualifications Of Successful Candidate

Desired competencies, technical background and experience

• Education: An individual with any of the following - masters degree in public health, social sciences, nursing and allied sciencesCompetencies: The individual must have demonstrated ability and experience in working at policy level providing inputs for MNCH and nutrition programs with a health system strengthening approach. Prior experience in coordinating and facilitating forums/meetings with different constituencies (partners; government), in reviewing data in health and creating reports using data is required. An understanding of the South African health system, the different levels of health care service delivery, current policies and strategies, its challenges, as well as prior experience with developing, implementing and monitoring results driven frameworks for public health programs is required. Field experience with maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition programmes in South Africa with an understanding of field level challenges is an added advantage. Prior experience with working with the national department of health, provinces, districts and development partners will be an added advantage. An understanding or exposure to the 3 feet work in the 4 districts will be an added advantage.
• Indicate the length of relevant work experience that is required in the technical area for this consultancy: a minimum of seven years experience in the public health sector.

Languages needed: English. Working knowledge of the languages spoken in South Africa is an added advantage.

Conditions

Stating the conditions for the contract is very important. This may include information on

• office space/equipment, if required
• clarification that all travel is by most economical fare and reimbursement as per UNICEF policy,

Please consult with SACO HR as entitlements and conditions of service are governed by UNICEF policies.

• The TOR must state that "As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary".
• The TOR must mention that "the candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF's General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts."