LGA HIV/AIDS Consultant (Benue) at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - 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.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: LGA HIV/AIDS Consultant

Job Number: 513144
Location: Benue
Work Type: Consultancy

Background and Rationale
Nigeria has the second highest global burden of HIV. 10% of the global population of adolescents living with HIV live in Nigeria. The planned outcome for the UNICEF Nigeria Children and AIDS section for the 2018-2021 program cycle is Children, adolescents and women, particularly in high HIV-burden states have increased access to and use quality services to prevent and treat HIV. The operationalization of this outcome has been aligned to the four work streams of the ALL IN initiative namely:

• Changing social context by working with adolescents as agents of change,
• Sharpening adolescent components of national programs,
• Promoting innovation and approaches for scale-up,
• Advocacy, communication and resource mobilization

To achieve its planned results for adolescent and in alignment with the ALL IN initiative, UNICEF has prioritized actions in 6+1 high burden states where a lot of systems strengthening work and advocacy to leverage resources is going on. Benue States was further prioritized as a flagship demonstration state. Thus, intensive programming took place in the State between 2014 and 2016 through an 18-month intervention to pilot an approach for comprehensive HIV service delivery for adolescents and young people. This intervention was built on capacity strengthening of the adolescent HIV service delivery systems, partnerships, community mobilization and advocacy at state and LGA levels to achieve results. The intervention created demand for services, provided HIV Testing services and referral for prevention, treatment and care.

Two LGAs of the state were selected for saturation of demand creation, testing and referral for treatment and prevention services. At the end of the 18 month period about 75% of adolescents and young people in the LGAs had been reached with demand creation and testing services, communities have been mobilized, service providers have strengthened capacity. To assess the outputs and further scale up the intervention described above, a review of the intervention was done using the All In assessment tools. The process included a rapid assessment, an in-depth analysis of selected interventions to identify bottlenecks and an analysis of the bottle necks to proffer solutions and a development of plans to remove the bottle necks. 11 LGA work plans were developed through this process.

The work in Nigeria has gained global attention within UNICEF and attracted additional funding. 1.7 million dollars allocated to intensify Adolescent HIV programming in Nigeria with the aim of helping to identify and place 90% of the 200,000 ALHIV in Nigeria, ensure 90% of those identified are placed on treatment and 90% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression (UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets).

The funds shall be utilized for four key intervention areas. One of the four areas is Intensifying Adolescent programming in Benue State.

Specific required activities
Specific required activities required to successfully rollout this intervention area include:

• Implementation of the All In plans in the 11 LGAs identified by the All In
• Intensive programming, engaging government, communities, young people
• Creating evidence (profiling positive ALHIV, contact tracing, pregnant adolescents, integration for youth friendly services, determinants of uptake of services, adherence, transition etc)
• Documentation, innovation (mHealth for increasing HCT, adherence of ART).
• Evidence generation and dissemination of lessons learnt to inform a learning collaborative to influence UNICEFs advocacy and convening for taking to scale, removing law barriers (eg age of consent).

A LGA level consultant is required to ensure a timely implementation, monitoring and coordination and reporting of all planned activities in the 3-4 LGAs in each in Benue).

The Purpose of the Assignment

• The LGA consultant shall be responsible for providing day to day technical support for direct implementation, coordination of partners in 3-4 LGAs.
• (S) He will ensure high quality and timely implementation of monthly work plans; collation and validation of data, identify and address challenges with the support of the State consultant.
• The LGA consultant shall report to the state consultant and contribute to the LGA, documentation and research consultants monthly and quarterly reporting to UNICEF as required.
• S/He shall be the direct focal person with facilities, LACA, youth groups and communities; and shall be responsible for the planning and preparation of community entry and training activities.

Major Tasks to be accomplished: (estimated time required to complete tasks. Attach additional sheets, if necessary, to describe assignments)
Support LACA and other LGA partners in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the LGA AYP plans:

• Contribute to the development of the LGA AYP implementation monitoring plan under the supervision of the State consultant
• Support the strengthening of the LGA coordination mechanism
• Participate as an ad hoc member of the Prevention TWG and AYP Subcommittee

Under the supervision of the Lead Consultant support the LGA coordination and implementation of the LGA AYP plans:

• Shall be directly responsible for the LGA implementation in 3-4 LGAs
• Under the supervision of the state consultant provide technical assistance to the LGAs for the development of and implementation of monthly activities from the respective LGA plans
• Support facilitation of monthly LGA team review meetings
• Provide technical support/supervision of the LGA Team regarding all aspects of adolescent HIV interventions in the assigned LGAs
• Undertake supervisory field visits to LGA and communities to assess progress, identify problems and propose remedial or alternative strategies or courses of actions to accelerate/improve quality of adolescent HIV interventions in the assigned LGAs under the supervision of the state consultant.

Under the guidance/supervision of the Lead Consultant facilitate AYP disaggregated data generation and use at LGA levels:

• Support LGA M&E Officers to ensure timely data collection (monthly and quarterly) from Service Delivery Points (SDPs), and collation at ward and LGAs, and ensure transmission to state
• Facilitate standardized 2-way feedback mechanism with SDPs and LGA.
• Under the guidance of the Lead Consultant facilitate the review of the LGA plan:
  • Facilitate biannual LGA Plan review meeting;
  • Facilitate quarterly LGA feedback and advocacy meeting;

• Under the guidance of the Lead Consultant facilitate community engagements and empowerment for sustainability:
  • Mapping of existing adolescent platforms/forums/networks/u Reporters forum for all sectors (WASH, Nutrition, Education, Health etc) including private sector at the LGA level.
  • Engage and work with new and existing community structures at all levels for increased community participation and ownership of AYP interventions and strengthen partnerships with key allies including Implementing partners, NGOs, CBOs, faith-based organizations, women and youth groups for effective use of networks to promote programme ownership and sustainability
  • Identify and advice the LGA on opportunities for further integration of AYP HIV services in to PHCUOR, SOML Initiative and other MCH platforms
  • Facilitate LGA demand creation activities
• Submit routine reports to the Lead Consultant on the effective utilization of UNICEF funds as in planned LGA budgets.
• Submit monthly and quarterly progress reports to Lead Consultant using agreed templates
• Contribute to documentation and research consultants reporting as required
• Any other duties required for the successful completion of the project as assigned by Supervisors or authority of UNICEF Field Office.

End Product/Ouputs:

• Detailed LGA Work plans
• LGA implementation plan/framework and templates for various deliverables
• Report of LGA/community entry meetings
• Inputs for monthly and quarterly reports (including data, dash board updates, inputs for documentation and research consults as on research and documentation plans)
• Inputs for final report (with various components as on documentation plan)

Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required
The proposed consultancy and assignment is at NOA level. The required qualification and experience for the consultancy are:

Experience and Skills:

• Basic University degree in Public Health, Medical Sciences, Development Areas or related field/or any Health related professional training with at least 10 years of demonstrated relevant skills and experience.
• Two years or more experience in HIV and AIDS, gender, social protection or health programming, with proven record of working with adolescents and young people.
• Hands on experience in field monitoring, data collection and collation
• Knowledge of the HIV response M/E framework and reporting tools
• Basic report writing skills, and power point presentations
• Team leadership and use of participatory approaches with communities and young people
• Self-driven and able to under tight schedules meeting tight deadlines
• Experience in planning and managing community level engagements.

Competencies:

• Communication- Speaks English fluently; presents information with skill and confidence; projects credibility; structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience; presents information in a well-structured and logical way. Fluency in local language is an added advantage
• Relating and networking - Easily establishes good relationships with external partners and staff; builds wide and effective networks; relates well to people at all levels.
• Drive for results - Sets high standards for quality of work; independently monitors and maintains quality of work; works in a systematic, methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves project goals; focuses on the needs and satisfaction of internal and external partners; accepts and tackles demanding goals with enthusiasm.
• Deciding and initiating action - Takes responsibility for actions, projects and people: takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activities and introduces changes into work processes; makes quick, clear Decisions.

Timeline for the work:

• The time frame for the consultancy is eleven and half months
• Applicants should indicate an all-inclusive fee

Application Closing Date
25th May, 2018.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

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