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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, an advocate! 

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference? 

Context and Rationale: Ethiopia has been making significant progress in promoting school-based health and nutrition interventions through various initiatives such as health promotion campaigns, HPV vaccination, expanded school feeding programs, iron-folic acid supplements, hygiene education, community-based health and WASH interventions. However, these efforts have mostly focused on children under five and school-age children, while adolescents1 have been largely overlooked. Despite these government efforts, Ethiopia still faces poor health and nutrition outcomes. The total adolescent’s population in Ethiopia comprise over 22 % of which 60% falls between the ages of 10-14. Yet, this population group in the country continues to experience compromised nutrition, a high burden of morbidity and mortality attributed to teenage unplanned pregnancy, HIV and STIs, unsafe abortion, early and child marriage, substance use, and unmet needs for family planning.

Limited access to nutritiousfood and healthcare is one of the increasing factorsfor the prevailingmalnutrition. Besides, unsafe sexual practices among young people, limited awareness of available services at surrounding facilities, and unavailability of sufficient toilets and sanitary materials for girls have significant effects on adolescents’ health. To overcome these health and nutrition related challenges, UNICEF Ethiopia is actively working across sectors, including WASH, education, social protection, food and nutrition, and the health system. UNICEF collaborates closely with adolescent and youth development partners, donors, and other stakeholders to create and maximize synergistic efforts to addressthe needs at all levels. At the health system level, the adolescent health and nutrition interventions focus on delivering quality adolescent and youthfriendly services (AYFS) through capacity-building training for frontline health force on how to respond to the unique needs of adolescent girls with respect and dignity, regular monitoring to ensure the delivery of AYFS service. While at the school level, UNICEF is addressing the unique needs of adolescents through implementing school health program with a range of targeted interventions.

One exemplary initiative, supported by the Canadian government, is a five-year multisectoral integrated program in selected areas of Ethiopia, launched from 2018 to 2023. Through this project, UNICEF tested an integrated approach to address various challenges adolescents particularly face, focusing on girls in school settings. The integrated programme package included a range of interventions spanning from nutrition services such as weekly iron-folic acid supplementation, through health services such as the provision of sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene education, to life skills development for early adolescents, and integration of social behavior change initiatives including health and nutrition topics. Learnings are drawn from the mid-term and final evaluation of the adolescent development programme supported by the Government of Canada on how to implement this intervention sustainably. The evaluation report highlights that the project was well-designed, and each component proving effective as a standalone intervention, yet underscoring the strength and impact of the integrated nature of the package.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: In Ethiopia, various partners are implementing different interventions and models in schools. The Ministry of Health and Education is having difficulty monitoring these efforts due to the varying standards and approaches used by the partners. There is also an issue of sustainability, as the implemented programs are often discontinued once the project is completed. In response to these challenges, the Minister of Health approached UNICEF to develop a costed Minimum Package of Integrated Health and Nutrition Services for Adolescent that can be sustainably scaled up nationally. The school health and nutrition package were developed through a collaborative process involving government officials, health experts, educators, and young people. A thorough review of existing evidence and lessons learned from previous interventions, such as UNICEF's integrated adolescent package implemented in 100 woredas with the support of Global Affairs Canada, informed the package design. The Ministry of Health and Education subsequently endorsed the package at the federal level for pilot implementation. This new package draws from the successful Canadasupported integrated model and incorporates key lessons learned from past implementations.

The Minimum Package of Integrated Health and Nutrition Services for Adolescents consists of six key interventions, primarily delivered via school platforms, and are considered basic and crucial to improving adolescent health and nutrition. The interventions in this package are:

1. Weekly iron-folic acid supplementation (WIFAS) for girls, deworming, nutrition education, and promotion of physical activity.
2. Sexual and reproductive health education/services and human papillomavirus vaccination.
3. Delivering life skills training through gender clubs
4. Menstrual hygiene and management and WASH facilities.
5. Life skills for out-of-school girls through school link
6. Behavioral intervention for each intervention in the minimum package will be included under this intervention.
7. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (HPSS) - Access to school-based counseling, community engagement activities, awareness-raising on MHPSS, and referral linkages. With the first minimum package now developed, the next crucial step is to assess the costs and potential.

The Key Objectives: The objective of this assignment is to cost the minimum school health and nutrition package and support the cost of the strategy to implement the minimum package at scale for the strategic period. Accordingly, the consultant is expected to address the following specific objectives:

i. Conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of the defined minimum package to inform resource allocation, budget planning, and decision-making regarding its implementation and scale-up.

ii. Support costing of the strategy developed to implement the minimum package on a scale. Note: The comprehensive understanding of the cost required to deliver a minimum package of interventions to school age children and adolescents across diverse settings shall be at a national scale and expected to be profiled or characterized based on rural, urban setting, agrarian, and pastoral and other profiling variables as well. Besides, an estimated cost of national strategy to implement the minimum package is very critical.

Scope of Work:

The Individual consultant is expected to conduct a costing and value-for-money analysis of the package in different contexts of Ethiopia such as pastoral, urban, rural, and agrarian. During the process of document drafting and finalization, the consultant is expected to engage key government stakeholders, UN agencies, and other partners who have a stake in the adolescent development space. The consultant will support the costing of the strategy parallel with cost analysis of the defined minimum package. Specifically, the consultant will support the following areas. Key responsibilities of the consultant:

1. Developing Inception Report with Study Protocol:

• Develop study protocol with detailed methodology informed by a literature review. Information on methods should specifically include relevant study design, indicators, data type and collection techniques.
• With the support of UNICEF CO, organize a country specific inception meeting (in person preferred) with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and other key stakeholder partners. Present report, seek feedback, and engage meeting participants in validating the scope of work and planned activities.
• The UNICEF CO will be responsible for the following tasks: invite and ensure the attendance of key stakeholders; handle all logistical arrangements for the meeting, including securing the venue, arranging necessary technology, coordinating catering. Costs associated with the planning and execution of the meeting will be covered by the CO.
• Finalize the inception report by incorporating feedback.

2. Data collection and costing of the minimum package.

• Conduct stakeholder consultations to gather insights on i) the implementation cost of the minimum package, ii) the various delivery platforms necessary to reach out of school adolescents or those in school in various settings.
• Conduct analysis and present a preliminary report.
• Validation of the findings on the cost of the Minimum package
• Final report submission and draft manuscript

3. Support Costing of the Strategy 

• Benchmarking on costing of the minimum package and to cost the 10 year strategy to implement the minimum package at scale including data collection , analysis, validation and final report development.

Deliverables:

1. Inception report and study protocol 
2. Detailed cost analysis report: The consultant will be responsible for producing a comprehensive report outlining the cost structure of the Minimum Package, including a breakdown of key components, resource requirements, and projected budget needs. The analysis will support informed decision-making on resource allocation and potential areas for financial optimization.
3. Costed strategy - ( this is a shared deliverable with the consultant who will be developing the strategy).
4. Incorporate the costing chapter into the strategy
5. Draft manuscript on the minimum cost of the package and the costed strategy

Notice for consultancy advert:-

Please note that applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• An advanced university degree in health economics, public policy, Economics, or any related developmental studies.
• A minimum of 12 years of experience for master’s and 10 years for PhD working experience related to the job profile for this post. 
• Ability to analyze quantitative data to inform decision-making.
• Expertise in various costing methods (e.g., full cost accounting, activity-based costing) to assess program costs.
• Programming key cross-cutting issues such as Gender, disability Social Behavior Change, and disaster
• Substantive experience in national Reproductive health, nutrition, life skills, and -related Adolescent programs,
• Proficiency in cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, and cost-utility analysis.
• Knowledge of health and education systems, particularly in the context of adolescent health and nutrition 
• Understanding of policy development and implementation processes.
• Substantive experience in working with governments, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, or other relevant ministries.
• Experience in conducting costing exercises related to health, health sector expenditure value for money analysis, data monitoring and evaluation as well as data management. 
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

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

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 not 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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.