Post Type : International Consultant
Duration : 50 days and will commence in March 2021
Location : Home-based. Consultant can work remotely
Closing Date : Applications must be submitted by 17 February 2021
(5:00 pm South African time)
Purpose of Consultancy:
To support the efforts by United Nations Population Fund, East and Southern Africa regional office (UNFPA ESARO), working in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), to assess the in-service training programmes of selected countries on post-abortion care and comprehensive abortion care (PAC/CAC), either within or outside of the Emergency Obstetric and newborn care (EMONC). These countries are tentatively identified as: Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda and South Africa. This assessment will build on other on-going activities occurring in the countries for the improvement SRH service including PAC/CAC as permitted by law in each country context and is expected to serve and guide countries for the improvement and upgrade of PAC/CAC in-service training programs, where needed.
This assessment will review the national in-service system for post-abortion care and comprehensive abortion care, including the curricula used, cadres trained, training techniques, post-training mentorship and supportive supervision and links to other SRHR in-service training and services. National in-service curricula will be evaluated for their alignment to international guidelines for the clinical management of post-abortion and comprehensive abortion care and the extent to which they address health care worker norms, values and attitudes through values clarification and attitude transformation (VCAT) activities. The review should include civil society supported and private system curriculums where these are used and the coordination in relation to the national system. The assessment will identify gaps and strengths in current programming. A key component of the assessment will be final recommendations and actionable next steps that governments and health systems may use to strengthen in-service system improvements.
Scope of Work:
The consultant will contractually work under the supervision of the Programme Manager for the 2gether 4 SRHR programme and in close consultation with the Coordinator for unintended pregnancies, contraception and safe abortion in relation to the implementation of the assignment. The consultant will also (when appropriate) liaise with point persons from country teams throughout the project.
- Establish contact with point persons in country offices for future consultation through introductory email or teleconference. (1 day)
- Create an inception report that includes an outline of the approach to the assessment. This document will guide the scope of the assessment and include a description of research methods and any assessment tools or models to be employed. It will also include a timeline of activities. (4 days)
- Identify/ collate available information including national curricula, training program schedules/agendas, post-training documents, and lists of relevant contacts in each country. (8 days)
- Complete relevant desk review and analysis of the aforementioned written information. This analysis should also serve to identify any information gaps that should be filled through qualitative interviews with relevant country contacts. (15 days)
- Qualitative interviews and integration of qualitative data, as identified to be needed in step 4. (4 days)
- Create reports including recommendations for each country and send to countries for feedback/validation on rolling basis. (15 days)
- Prepare dissemination materials for each country (power points, proposed meeting agendas). (3 days)
The steps of the assessment will be overlapping, to accommodate the pace of data acquisition in each country. There is a possibility of one trip to the region if deemed to be necessary for the completion of steps 3,4 and 5.
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):
- Inception report
- List of national in-service training systems and curricula and other relevant documentation
- Desk top review of national in-service training systems and gaps.
- Report and analysis of stakeholder interviews
- Final country reports that combine the desktop review and stakeholder interviews.
- All other materials will be delivered electronically and in accordance to the timeline established in the initial outline for the approach (to be created by consultant).
Expected travel:
- Owing to limitations relating to COVID-19 the consultant will be expected to work remotely as much as possible. One trip into the region may be included depending on COVID-19 restrictions
Qualifications:
Education:
- Graduate level education (Masters or higher) in Public Health, Midwifery, Medicine or Nursing with relevant public health experience.
Experience:
- At least ten years previous experience working in SRHR, with relevant experience in PAC/CAC and clinical in-service training.
- Experience working in SHRH in the ESARO region.
- Experience in educational program analysis.
- Knowledge of and contacts in the clinical education systems within the region.
Languages:
- Fluent in written and spoken English
- Ability to speak French and Portuguese is a plus.
How to Apply:
- Submit your application with a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) and motivational letter to jobs.esaro@unfpa.org.
- Please specify in the email subject International Consultant - PAC/CAC.
- UNFPA does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training) or other fee, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts.
- UNFPA will only respond to those applicants in whom the Regional Office has further interest. In the event that UNFPA does not contact you by 5 March 2021, please consider your application unsuccessful.