National Consultant: To Develop Integrated home-based maternal newborn, child and adolescent health handbook, Kathmandu, Nepal (Only for Nepalese Nationals)

Job no: 575914
Position type: Consultant
Location: Nepal
Division/Equivalent: Kathmandu(ROSA)
School/Unit: Nepal
Department/Office: Kathmandu, Nepal
Categories: Health

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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, result

 
Nepal has been utilizing various Home-Based Records (HBRs) since 1979, beginning with the introduction of the WHO's yellow card. Over the years, a range of materials such as child health cards, immunization certificates, maternal cards, and feeding practice information cards have been developed and used across the country. However, despite widespread distribution, only 61% of children aged two retain these records, with retention rates particularly low among children of uneducated mothers in the Madhesh Province. The loss of these records significantly increases the risk of missed vaccinations, with non-vaccination rates rising to 17% among children without HBRs, compared to just 0.2% among those who retain them. Challenges associated with the current HBRs include their fragility, lack of understanding among caregivers about their importance, inadequate counselling from health workers on their use, occasional failure by health workers to record data, and logistical issues such as procurement delays.
Some provinces mainly Koshi, Gandaki, Lumbini and Karnali have initiated the development and implementation of integrated Maternal and child Health Home Based Record handbook (MNCH/iHBR)/Aamaa tatha Baal Swasthya pustika (Maternal and Child Health Handbook) in some selected districts and Municipalities. The handbook records the health condition of mother throughout pregnancy, delivery and postnatal period as well as the status of under five children such as immunization and growth monitoring and provision of key information in regard to maternal and under five children’s health. However, these initiatives have faced difficulties in terms of sustainability, primarily due to lack of reliable regular resource at national and sub-national level for printing and other logistical challenges.
 
Purpose of the Assignment:
 
The Government of Nepal, through the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), is now advancing the development
of a standardized iHBR, with support from UNICEF Nepal Health Section and other Technical Working Group (TWG)
members. To facilitate this process, an individual consultant is required to support the Family Welfare Division (FWD)
to develop national integrated home-based maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition handbook. The
consultant will support the FWD in the review, drafting, pre-testing, and finalization of the iHBR, ensuring it meets the
needs of both health workers and caregivers.
 
Scope of Work:
 
The consultant will support in the below activities:
- Review existing literature and data to understand the opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned from the development and use of iHBRs both within Nepal and internationally.
- Analyze the iHBRs currently in use in various parts of Nepal, identify strengths and areas for improvement
- Adapt and/or draft the contents for health information up to 10 years of age or possibly for adolescents in coordination with relevant sections and divisions
- In consultation with IHMIS Section, identify the information/records/reports that need to be included in handbook.
- Develop the first draft, present the draft to the TWG members for feedback and incorporate feedback from TWG members into the revised iHBR draft
- Assist FWD, UNICEF, and TWG members in organizing and facilitating workshops, meetings, and group discussions, both virtual and face-to-face, as needed, to finalize the iHBR design and contents.
- Work closely with graphic artists and designers to ensure that the visual elements and text of the iHBR are clear, culturally appropriate, and aligned with the needs of users.
- Work with FWD to organize the pre-testing of the iHBR in selected locations.
- Collect and analyze feedback from pre-testing and incorporate necessary revisions into the final iHBR design.
- Collaborate with FWD, IHIMS, UNICEF and TWG members to finalize the iHBR and submit for endorsement.
 

Duration of Contract: The consultant will be engaged for 60 working days within the period of 6 months. The assignment will be home-based.

Deliverables: 

 Tasks Deliverables Timeline  Proposed Fee
Conduct desk review of existing iHBRs in Nepal and compile previous feedback received from TWG members and wider group consultation meetings in coordination with Maternal and Newborn (MNH) section, FWD. Submit desk review report incorporating inputs from experts, outlining opportunities and challenges related to iHBRs  30 November 2024  
Formulate/develop health and nutrition information related to children upto 10 years (or possibly upto adolescents) including health recording information in coordination with relevant section/divisions and prepare first draft iHBR Submit first draft integrated MNCH handbook prepared  31 December 2024  
Support FWD and UNICEF to facilitate meetings and workshops with TWG members and wider stakeholders to collect inputs Submission of report upon facilitating at least 2 TWG meetings and upon conducting 1 workshop  31 January 2025  

Incorporate feedback received from the meetings/workshops and prepare 2nd draft of iHBR

Work with graphic artists and designers to ensure that the visual elements and text of the iHBR are clear, culturally appropriate, and aligned with the needs of users.

 Submit second draft of integrated home-based maternal newborn, child and adolescent health handbook  15 March 2025  
Pre-test the draft iHBR in selected locations Pre-testing conducted in selected locations  31st March 2025  
Incorporate feedback from the pretesting and prepare final draft iHBR Submit final draft of integrated home-based maternal newborn, child and adolescent health handbook  30 April 2025  

Note: Please submit the financial quotation (in Nepalese Currency) based on the deliverables for this assignment.

To qualify as an advocate for every child the consultant will have… 

Academic Qualification:

  • Master’s Degree in public health, communication, psychology, journalism, social sciences, including anthropology, sociology and/or related field.
  • Minimum master’s degree in related field (public health, medicine, nursing). A doctoral degree will be an added advantage.
  • Extensive knowledge on national reproductive maternal newborn child and adolescent health program policy, strategy, guidelines, and activities.

Work Experience:

  • Minimum 8 years professional experiences in heath sector esp in maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health
  • Prior experience in developing/updating national Maternal Newborn Health guiding documents.
  • Strong professional record of building strong interpersonal skill, managing teams and creating an enabling work environment.
  • Demonstrate experience on evidence synthesis, presentation and report writing skills in English and Nepali. (strong writing skill in Nepali)
  • Ability to facilitate and guide high level technical group at national level.
  • Good leadership, communication/coordination, and negotiation/advocacy skills.
  • Computer skills (word, power point, excel etc.)

Language Proficiency:

Fluency in English and Nepali is required.

  •  

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:  

Request to submit financial proposal (Nepalese currency) based on the deliverables for this assignment. 

Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

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: Nepal Standard Time
Application close: Nepal Standard Time

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