National Consultant to support the coordination and implementation of the UNICEF supported HIV prevention programme for Adolescents and Young People, Harare, Zimbabwe,60 days (Open to Zimbabwean Nationals Only)
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Job no: 583615
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Harare
Level: Consultancy
Location: Zimbabwe
Categories: HIV/AIDS
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.
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For every child, Education
UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.
Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.
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How can you make a difference?
UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a national individual consultant to support the coordination and implementation of the UNICEF supported HIV prevention programme
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The purpose of the assignment is to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care in strengthening the coordination of UNICEF supported HIV prevention intervention for adolescents and young people being implemented in the two provinces of Harare (Epworth and Hopley) and Mashonaland Central (Mazowe, Mt Darwin and Shamva)
BACKGROUND
In Zimbabwe, Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, with an incidence rate of 0.39 percent compared to 0.12 percent among their male counterparts (National HIV Estimates, 2024). This heightened vulnerability is driven by a range of structural, social, and behavioral factors. Comprehensive HIV knowledge among youth remains low, with only 46.3 percent of individuals aged 15 to 24 demonstrating adequate understanding of HIV prevention and transmission (ZDHS 2023/24). The country also faces high rates of teenage pregnancy, with 23 percent of girls aged 15 to 19 having begun childbearing (ZDHS 2023/24). Child marriage remains a significant issue, affecting 13 percent of adolescent girls nationally and rising to 27.4 percent in rural areas. Additionally, 32.5 percent of young women aged 18 to 24 report having experienced sexual or gender-based violence before the age of 18, and school attendance remains low, with 21.4 percent of adolescents out of school (ZDHS 2023/24).
UNICEF is seeking consultancy services from a mid – senior level consultant with vast experience in HIV prevention work especially in AGYW programming to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care in strengthening the coordination of the project The consultant will work closely with (i) MoHCC structures at national level and the two implementing provinces of Harare and Mashonaland Central and (ii) implementing partners to ensure effective alignment, implementation, and monitoring of HIV prevention programs targeting adolescents and young people across Zimbabwe
Below are the key tasks;
- Coordinate, review, and consolidate the UNICEF-supported HIV prevention programme partners’ plans at both sub-national and national levels, ensuring alignment with MoHCC priorities and national strategies.
- Organize and facilitate monthly and quarterly work plan review meetings with implementing partners and MoHCC teams at national and sub-national levels to assess progress and address implementation challenges.
- Provide leadership and technical support to the project implementing partners to ensure effective and efficient delivery of HIV prevention services.
- Support the monitoring, documentation, and reporting of UNICEF projects and other HIV prevention initiatives through joint program support visits and regular field engagements.
- Lead the consolidation and submission of progress reports from UNICEF-supported partners for use by MoHCC, UNICEF, donors, and other key stakeholders.
- Represent the MoHCC in relevant UNICEF technical and coordination fora, serving as the main focal and resource person for UNICEF within the Ministry
Major tasks and deliverables:
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Task |
Deliverable |
Timeline |
Payment |
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Detailed inception report with Consolidated HIV prevention work plans from implementing partners at national and sub-national levels, aligned with MoHCC strategic priorities |
Inception Report |
15 Oct 2025 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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Monthly coordination reports detailing partner activities, progress, gaps, and recommendations for improved coverage and impact |
October report |
monthly |
30 Oct 2025 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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|
November report |
monthly |
30 Nov 2025 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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January report |
monthly |
30 Jan 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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February report |
monthly |
28 Feb 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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April monthly report |
30 Apr 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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May monthly report |
20 May 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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Consolidated quarterly progress reports from all UNICEF-supported partners are submitted to MoHCC, UNICEF, and relevant stakeholders, ensuring data quality and timeliness |
1st Quarter Report |
5 Jan 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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2nd Quarter Report |
5 Apr 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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3rd Quarter Report |
25 June 2026 |
5 days (8.3%) |
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End-of-assignment report summarizing key achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for strengthening HIV prevention coordination within MoHCC |
End of Assignment Report |
25 June 2026 |
10 days (17%) |
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60 days |
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
Advanced university degree in public health, paediatric/adolescent health, social sciences, epidemiology or related field
Experience:
- At least 5 years of professional experience at national and/ international levels coordinating multi-sectoral responses to HIV programmes, including field experience and expertise in adolescent programming.
- Technical field experience with data collection, report writing, synthesis and consolidation
- Experience and familiarity with the structures and operations of the Ministry of Health and Child Care will be an asset
Language requirements:
- Written and spoken fluency in English required and knowledge of main local languages (Shona and Ndebele) is an added advantage
Skills:
- A set of strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills
- Demonstrated ability to work across a range of partners, including national, sub-national and community-level stakeholders to secure buy-in and ownership
- Ability to work well with variety of stakeholders (Government senior officials, donors, partners, UN agencies)
- Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships, including with national-level stakeholders
- Excellent English oral and written communication skills
- Demonstrated experience working with Bio Medical and other HIV combination prevention packages and products, PrEP, VMMC, HIVST
Desirables:
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
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Experience working in related field in Eastern and Southern Africa, is desirable
The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link
ToR Individual Consultant coordination of HIV prevention prog. Adolescents-Young People-signed JA as OIC Dep Rep ps.pdf
Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.
Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.
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 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.
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.
Advertised: South Africa Standard Time
Deadline: South Africa Standard Time