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UNICEF Brazil works to defend the rights of children and adolescents by supporting social programs and public policies in more than 2,000 municipalities in the Amazon and Semi-Arid region and 9 Brazilian capitals, through the UNICEF Seal and #AgendaCidadeUNICEF. For UNICEF Brazil, the well-being of adolescents is crucial, as it directly influences their current and future health, as well as their educational success, positive social interactions, and economic productivity. Adolescence is a window of opportunity for health promotion and prevention actions, to ensure that adolescents develop and prosper fully. UNICEF has been developing the Comprehensive and Integrated Health Programme for Adolescents, which is based on 3 dimensions: adolescent citizen participation; access to information and health services; and responsible parenting and community empowerment. This Programme aims to strengthen the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for Adolescents and Young People from the Ministry of Health, which is under the approval phase; and will serve as a reference to the pilot project Adolescent-Friendly Health Services, to be implemented in Brazil.

Moreover, a lack of comprehensive indicators for adolescent health impacts directly the development of effective age-specific policies and interventions, as well as the tracking of progress toward health targets. In 2018, the Global Action for Measurement of Adolescent Health (GAMA)¹ was established with 47 indicators applicable to all adolescents, from different contexts. These indicators derive and feed programmes, policies, and laws; systems performance and interventions; social, cultural, economic, educational, and environmental health determinants; health behaviours and risks; subjective well-being; and health outcomes and conditions.

The purpose of this consultancy is to design the pilot project Adolescent-Friendly Health Services, with a qualified package of adolescent health indicators, built based on the GAMA indicators analysis and Brazilian information systems.

SCOPE OF WORK:

UNICEF will hire 2 consultants to update the debate, trends, and reference practices within the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde -SUS) and build a consistent theoretical repertoire on health in adolescence, and the experiences of actions carried out within the scope of the SUS on adolescents and young health of in recent years. One consultant will be responsible for the program design and the other one will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive analysis of existing adolescent health indicators in Brazil, using GAMA indicators as reference.  This analysis will aim to evaluate the current landscape of adolescent health data within the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde -SUS), identify gaps in coverage, and provide recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of these indicators for foster the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for Adolescents and Young People (PNAISAJ) and UNICEF strategies. The products of the consultancy will be presented in a high-level event (Workshop in person), in Brasilia.  Both consultants will work collaboratively with each other, with UNICEF support. The scope of this consultancy is to design the pilot project Adolescent-Friendly Health Services, to be implemented in Brazil.

DELIVERABLES

1. Work Assignment Overview 1

1.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Work plan. Prepare a work plan that includes: (i) a literature review; (ii) a search for experiences in adolescent health; (iii) the creation of a repository of adolescent health experiences; (iv) the elaboration and (v) validation of a methodological proposal for the implementation of actions that expand adolescents' access to primary health care within the scope of the SUS and that dialogue with the guidelines of the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care for Adolescents and Young People (PNAISAJ), the School Health Program (PSE), and other local programs on adolescent participation on health promotion activities. The work plan must contain the execution schedule, sources of information and information collection strategies.

1.2. Deadline: 15 days after signing the contract.

1.3. Estimate Budget: (5% and budget estimated)

2. Work Assignment Overview 2

2.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Mapping of experiences. Create a standardized repository of adolescent health experiences within the SUS, organized according to PNAISAJ, PSE, and adolescent participation programs guidelines, with information on the scope of the action, impact, number of direct and indirect beneficiaries, management contact where the experience was carried out. The experiences with the most impact may have information complemented through virtual interviews about the perception of implementation from the perspective of those involved (professionals, municipal managers, beneficiaries, UNICEF team, and partners, among others).  This delivery provides for the availability of a virtual folder containing the files standardized in the information sheet model, each sheet containing an experience, as well as a preliminary report with the literature review, the work methodology, and the main results found. The report should contain a chapter dedicated to the topic of mental health in adolescence, with a view that includes mental health in indigenous youth.

2.2. Deadline: 45 days after product 1

2.3. Estimate Budget: (25% and budget estimated)

3. Work Assignment overview 3

3.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Methodology of Adolescent Friendly Health Services. Develop and validate a proposal for a methodology for implementing actions that expand and qualify access to primary health care for adolescents (Adolescent-Friendly Health Services), using adolescent participation as conceptual guidelines; access to health services; health literacy; intersectionality, especially with schools; mental health approach in dialogue with adolescent participation; responsible parenting and community   empowerment. The elaboration of the methodology may count on contributions from professionals, health managers, partners from UNICEF Seal initiative responsible for adolescent participation, among others, through virtual interviews and previous opinion of adolescents through the u-report platform. This methodology is expected to be presented at a high-level event (Workshop in person, to be organized by UNICEF), in Brasília. 

3.2. Deadline: 45 days after product 2

3.3. Estimate Budget: (25% and budget estimated)

4. Work Assignment Overview 4

4.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Final report. Produce a final report containing the methodology of the pilot project Adolescent-Friendly Health Services, including recommendations and conclusions from the workshop.  The report will also include a literature review, work methodology, lessons learned, and  recommendation for sustainability and scalability.

4.2. Deadline: 15 days after product 3

4.3. Estimate Budget: (45% and budget estimated)

DURATION OF CONTRACT

120 days

TRAVEL PLAN

Not applicable

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT

• University degree in Health, Social Sciences, Public Policy or related areas required. Advanced degree in Adolescent Health, school health, health education, public health, among related areas.

     • At least 3 years of professional experience working with public health policies aimed at adolescents.   Experience in pedagogical processes with adolescents and knowledge of management processes in elementary school (final years and high school) 

• Previous practices working with systematization of experiences, and development of methodologies in health policies and programs.

• Experience in UN System Agencies or similar organizations will be an advantage. 

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Fluency in Portuguese is required, fluency in English will be an advantage.

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.