National Health Consultants 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.

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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Health Consultant

Job Number: 498734
Location: Nigeria
Work Type: Consultancy

Background and Rationale

• Insurgency and terrorism in the north eastern parts of the country had disrupted social services and infrastructure, and made significant parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States difficult to access with services, including routine and polio campaign, health, nutrition, child protection, water and sanitation services. It also led to large population displacement with many millions of Internally displaced persons.
• Recent government efforts have successfully rescued many children hitherto trapped, and/or abducted and made the inaccessible areas now accessible.
• In April 2016, an environmental cVDPV was reported from Borno and evidence showed that the virus had been in circulation since 2013. Outbreak response activities are presently being implemented but a number of emerging issues and lessons learnt from the outbreak response are of concern as a key risk to polio eradication in Nigeria.
• These include challenges on both the supply side, and especially demand side with non-compliance to OPV vaccination. Barely four months after the report, have two new polio cases been found in Borno state.
• It is clear that there is a need to address immunity gaps in the north east, especially in Borno, including reaching the previously unreached children due to physical access issues, as well as those in settlements that are not complying.
• It will require strong coordination, stronger EOC, and improved engagement with communities and leaders and thus the need for additional technical support for Borno State. UNICEF has an urgent need to have intensified and sustained technical support in the area of Health.

Major Tasks to be Accomplished
Knowledge Management for Programmes:

• Contribute to country programmes by supporting knowledge management through providing professional assistance in data collection and analysis, complete and accurate reporting as well as participation in the Programme Knowledge Network system of "lessons learned" and other corporate-level databases.
• Participate in information exchange with partners as well as in the development of training and orientation material by providing professional technical assistance. Participate in the preparation of, and making professional contribution to, the preparation of programme reports required for the management.

Programme Development and Management:

• Provide professional technical assistance in the preparation of the Situation Analysis for programme development and management by collecting and analyzing data and monitoring implementation progress including in emergency context ensuring alignment with the CCC.
• Contribute to the identification of critical intervention points and measures by administering a consistent and transparent monitoring system; analyse country level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing programmes and projects. Draft or prepare programme work plans as required. Propose adjustments/changes in work plans.
• Propose program recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation, and new approaches, methods and practices for supervisor.

Optimum Use Of Program Funds:

• Monitors programme implementation progress and compliance.
• Monitors the allocation and disbursement of programme funds, making sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated.
• Takes appropriate recommendations or actions to optimize use of programme funds.

Programme Monitoring and Evaluations:

• Undertakes field visits to monitor and assess programme implementation and decides on required corrective action.
• Collaborate with partners to carry out a rigorous and transparent approach to evaluation and participate in the major programme evaluation exercises in consultation with the Representative, the Operations Officer, the Evaluation Officer and others to improve efficiency and quality of programme delivery.
• Participate in annual sector review meetings with government counterparts. Collaborate and prepare annual program status reports in a timely manner, as required.

Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Approach:

• Support rights-based programmes approach in the formulation of programme goals and objectives and development of strategies and implementation frameworks.
• Collaborate with partners and assist in the strengthening of quality of child rights-based programmes consistent and effective planning, design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of programmes and projects.
• Contribute to coherence, synergy and added value to the programming planning and design processes using a results-based management approach to programme planning and design.
• Provide professional technical assistance in preparing viable recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on programme, new initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.

National and Local Capacity Building/Sustainability:

• Provide government authorities with technical assistance and supports in planning and organizing training programmes for the purpose of capacity building and programme sustainability.
• Promote and maintain the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners by identifying these partners and partnerships and providing continuous supports, coordination and collaboration for sustainability.

Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the National, Community and Family Levels:

• Analyze programme related issues and policies from a children's and women's rights perspective and advocacy at the community and family levels for elevating credibility in national policy debates. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through active advocacy and communication.

Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration:

• Facilitate partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts including within the emergency context, including those of the UN and national partners, in order to improve the ability to collect and disseminate development data and information, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies. Establish and maintain linkage to the Regional Programme Knowledge Network to ensure the availability of current and accurate programme data.
• Collaborate with the Operations Section to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of programming endeavours and to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and accountability.
• Approve allocation and disbursement of funds ensuring they are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated in accordance with the programme budget allotments (PBA).

Maintain close collaboration with Regional Advisers and HQ Officers for overall coordination:

• Provide professional support in provision of technical advice, negotiation, advocacy and promotion of area/country level goals, leading to agreement on practicable and priority actions to be supported by UNICEF programme.

End Product
Key End-Results Expected:

• Effective knowledge management and system, information exchange and the development of training and orientation materials developed and deployed for strengthening of country programme management and activities.
• Situation Analysis prepared/updated, critical programme intervention point/measures identified, and programme work plans/recommendations prepared and incorporated. Programme reports prepared as required.
• Programme funds optimally used.
• Programme monitoring and evaluations effectively conducted to improve programme performance, and programme status report timely prepared.
• Rights-based and results-based programming approach fully incorporated into all phases of programme and projects processes.
• Commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners gained and established.
• Rights perspective and advocacy at the community and family levels incorporated in policy analysis for establishing and elevating UNICEF's credibility in national and international policy debates.
• Effective partnership and collaboration achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme development/management/coordination, information sharing and networking.

Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required

• Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences or related technical field preferably in communications
• At least three (3) years progressively responsible professional work experience in programme planning, management, monitoring and evaluation in Immunization Programmes.
• Fluency in English Knowledge of local working language of the duty station an asset.
• Experience in polio eradication campaign, IEC material development, training and negotiation skills and team building.

Basic competencies include:

• Current knowledge of development issues, strategies as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation
• Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas, as well as to impart knowledge and teach skills
• Managerial and supervisory skills
• Good analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills
• Computer skills, including internet navigation and various office application
• Demonstration of ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.

Application Closing Date
8th September, 2016.

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