Consultancy for Implementation Monitoring of Big Catch-up in ESAR

Under the guidance of the Regional EPI Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the Health Specialists and immunization focal points at COs in ESAR, the incumbent of this position supports ESARO in facilitating and providing technical support to priority country offices and in-country partners in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of zero-dose BCU campaign.

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, Health!

The UNICEF Eastern and Southern African Region (UNICEF ESAR) [1]covers 21 countries with varying levels of immunization programmes performance and outcomes. According to the WHO UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage 2020-2022 a decline in coverage for all routine vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was experienced by all regions due to disruption to essential immunization services and broader socio-economic impacts.

 

It has resulted in an increase in the number of Zero Dose (ZD) children globally from 7.7 million in 2020 to nearly 12 million in 2022 (the number of ZD children in ESAR has increased from 2.6 in 2019 to 3.6 million in 2022), and multiple outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) including but not limited to measles, diphtheria, pertussis, and rotavirus have been reported. The decline in coverage followed a decade-long stagnation in immunization coverage in the African region, due to multiple challenges at various levels of the health system.

As part of the immunization big catch-up initiative, UNICEF has committed to provide support for planning, implementation and monitoring of the big catch-up.

Scope of Work

Under the guidance of the Regional EPI Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the Health Specialists and immunization focal points at COs in ESAR, the incumbent of this position supports ESARO in facilitating and providing technical support to priority country offices and in-country partners in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of zero-dose BCU campaign.

 

1. Activities and Tasks

#	Outputs/deliverable	Activities
1	Consultancy inception report	Develop inception report and workplan Inception meeting with immunization coordinator and EPI team at ESARO
2	Need assessment report including a framework for Big catch-up monitoring	Conduct a needs assessment to identify currents gaps and challenges to comprehensively monitor and evaluate BCU activities in six countries. Review existing sources of information (including but not limited to recovery plans and electronic reporting forms) to map out policies, SOPs, data collection tools and targets in relation to the BCU. Liaise with country teams to appraise gaps, challenges and needs including data sources to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the BCU. Develop a general framework for Big Catch-Up monitoring to guide and inform monitoring mechanisms and systems in countries.
3	7 interim progress reports to cover technical support provided on:  adjustment/development of data tools, development of monitoring dashboard for Big catch-up, field mission to 6 countries, monthly data analysis and interpretation, facilitation of coordination between ESARO and Cos on Big catch-up monitoring, and capacity building activities	Support country teams in adjusting information collection tools including but not limited to Health Birth Registers (HBR), tally sheets and other reporting forms to correctly collect doses procured, doses administered by age group, and vaccination status. Support country offices review DHIS2 interoperability to capture Big catchup data for immunization beyond the Routine immunization age range. Create dashboards, visualizations, and reports to communicate findings and results’ progress. Conduct six field missions to countries for providing technical assistance based on needs (e.g. rapid convenience assessments, capacity building, reviews). Monitor the implementation progress of the Big Catch-Up campaign and conduct monthly data analysis to inform decision-making and facilitate corrective actions. Coordinate with regional and in-country partners to synchronize and harmonize technical support for Big Catch-Up monitoring. Support countries to monitor vaccine stocks in country, and note any challenges or risks (e.g., stockouts) that may be raised. Facilitate and support capacity-building activities related to Big Catch-Up monitoring, as needed. Provide report with illustrative graphs on progress on coverage of Big catch-up immunization
4	Protocol for integrating catch-up immunization data into existing routine monitoring systems	For medium- and long-term sustainability, develop a protocol for integrating catch-up immunization data into existing routine monitoring systems. Document and share at least three case studies and facilitate experience sharing between countries through webinars and other platforms.
5	Two country cases studies on Big catch-up monitoring.	Based on the findings, interventions, and countries implementation experience, develop 2 cases studies from 2 selected countries (in consultation with the supervisor) to document achievements and best practices on implementation of BCU monitoring. This will be part of the knowledge management and experience sharing between countries
6	Final consultancy report	Conduct an exit consultancy meeting with regional immunization coordinator and immunization team at ESARO and relevant country offices. Develop final consultancy report reflecting inputs, progress, challenges, and recommendations.

The detailed TOR can be accessed here: TOR-Consultant_BCU monitoring and Evaluation_ESARO.docx

Desired competencies, technical background, and experience

Education: An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Public Health, Epidemiology, Statistics, Social Sciences, Monitoring and evaluation, or any related field.

Experience: At minimum of 8 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation of public health programs, preferably in immunization.

Proven experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks and tools; Strong analytical skills and experience with data collection, analysis, and interpretation; Familiarity with immunization program indicators and global reporting systems; Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is an asset; Ability to work effectively with government officials, development partners, and NGOs.

Language: Fluency in written and spoken English.

Must exhibit the UNICEF Core Values of: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability

Competencies for the assignment.

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2) 

Conditions

• As the consultancy will be remote based, it is important that the candidate is available between 10 am to 4 pm Nairobi time.  Progress meetings will be conducted monthly, following the inception report, based on a pre-agreed schedule. Neither office space nor equipment will be provided. The consultant is expected to use their own equipment.
• Travel is anticipated on this consultancy:  it will be by most economical fare and reimbursement will be as per UNICEF policy. In that case, the selected candidate should confirm fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine prior to travel. The selected candidate will be solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance are valid for the entire period of the contract.
• Official travel is by most economical fare and reimbursement as per UNICEF policy.
• As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment 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 advances purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered ‘staff members’ under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.

Risks

All reasonable and risks associated with the consultancy assignment should be identified, and a relevant risk response and possible mitigation action defined. 

How to apply

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV or P11 form and their technical proposals to the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System) or email provided.

Interested candidates to indicate their ability, availability, and rate (daily/monthly) expressed in US$ to undertake the terms of reference. The fees should be inclusive of other costs incurred such as travel or subsistence allowances for international consultants who will be based in Nairobi. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered. 

 

Remarks:  

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.