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Consultancy Title: HIV Analytical Review Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: HEALTH - HIV/AIDS Section, Programme Group - NYHQ

Duration: 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ - REMOTE

About UNICEF 

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

To conduct an analysis of UNICEF’s global HIV programming focus given the context of the current financial and programmatic challenges in the global HIV response, an upcoming review and revision of UNICEF’s Health Strategy and the development of UNICEF’s 2026 -2030 Strategic Plan; and UNICEF’s engagement in the UNAIDS joint Team and accountabilities across the Global AIDS Strategy, the new UBRAF 2026-2030 and the UNAIDS Division of Labour.The consultant will focus on:

1.      UNICEF’s global AIDS strategy to ensure our mandated response is strategic, sustainable, and fit-for-purpose.

2.      UNICEF’s positioning of HIV internally as a section within Health and as an anchor team linking to other sections to consider how best to deliver HIV results through partnership, integration and other approaches with relevant sectors.

3.      UNICEF’s role, functions and engagement as a co-sponsor of the UN Joint Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) with particular consideration of the Global AIDS Strategy and Joint Programme’s UBRAF results framework and Division of Labour.

As the HIV landscape continues to evolve, with both progress for children and adolescents affected by HIV and continued gaps in the HIV response, UNICEF is reflecting on our HIV programme, and valuable add so that we can remain relevant and responsive. Recommendations stemming from this analysis will support UNICEF’s HIV programme focus internally, UNICEF engagement as a co-sponsor within the Joint Programme as well as UNICEF external positioning including with the funders.

Scope of Work:

I.    HIV Global Programme Review

The consultant will conduct an analytical review of UNICEF’s HIV Global Programme and provide recommendations to position UNICEF’s HIV programme internally as a section within Health and as an anchor team linking to other sections, as well as externally within the Joint Programme.

The review of UNICEF’s HIV global programme and strategic vision is part of a sequential process leading to inputs into UNICEF’s new Strategic Plan (SP) 2026 – 2030 including identifying cross-sectoral engagement on HIV across the organization. The review process will align with the following:

Global Process                                               Aligned HIV Review Process

MTR of the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan            This process to be completed in July 2024

Health Strategy refresh                                   Active review in June – September 2024

Strategic Plan drafting                                    The SP drafting begins February 2025

In collaboration with the HIV team, the consultant will:

1.         Develop an analytical framework to structure the review

2.         Conduct desk review including the following documents:

i)    Global Health context documents (TBD);

ii)   UNICEF Strategic Plan and Integrated Results and Resources Framework (IRRF) (review HIV inputs and achievement against targets);

iii) UNICEF Global Health Strategy (review HIV components in the Health Strategy and determine appropriate inputs into the refresh as well as looking forward to a new Health Strategy to accompany the new SP);

iv)  Global AIDS Strategy;

v)   Division of Labour; UBRAF Results Framework (and achievement of targets under UNICEF’s leadership);

vi)  Joint Programme Value Proposition; vii) Capacity Assessment; viii) other relevant UNAIDS evaluations.

3.         Conduct interviews with key informants with 8 – 15 people

4.         Draft analysis outline including the following elements:

-     Analysis of UNICEF HIV programming response internally within Health including recommendations on the HIV anchored position, linking cross-sectorally.

-     Specific recommendations for inputs into Health Strategy refresh and development of new Health Strategy; new UNICEF Strategic Plan. While the drafted analytical framework will indicate these recommendations, we need specific language for the revision of these documents.

-     Analysis of UNICEF’s engagement with the Joint Programme including contributions to global targets, role in Division of Labour and recommendations for engagement through 2030

5.         Finalize analysis (report) including recommendations, with guidance of Associate Director HIV/Health

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

1. Conduct Desk Review and analysis

• Summary doc from which to pull inputs for final analysis

July 15, 2024

2. Conduct interviews and Survey Monkey and analysis          

• Summary doc from which to pull inputs for final analysis         

July 22nd 2024

3. Draft Report   

• Draft Analytical Framework        

July 31st 2024

4. Final Report   

• Final Analytical Framework        

August 15th 2024

5. Specific recommendations for HP and SP revised inputs     

• Revised inputs for HO, SOP and IRRF   

August 15th 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• An advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Social Science, or Public Health; or equivalent professional work experience combined with an advanced university degree in a related discipline. 

Work Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in HIV programme management, including evaluation, strategic planning, and development of monitoring and analytical frameworks.
• Outstanding writing skills in the English language with demonstrated ability for logical and analytical writing.
• Exceptional writer with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently within deadlines and under pressure.
• Well organized and structured, with good attention to detail
• Strong drive for results, taking pride in delivering as per expectation in terms of quality and timeliness.
• Knowledge of the Joint UN Programme on HIV and potential partners to drive recommendations and action.
• Experience in drafting strategy documents from researchers, desk reviews or studies is desirable.
• Experience working with UNICEF or other development organizations is a plus.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.