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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, health

Nepal has made substantial progress in reducing maternal, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality rates. However, a critical challenge persists: 35% of children aged 36-59 months are unable to reach their full developmental potential. This situation stems from multiple interconnected factors, including inadequate nutrition, limited access to safe water, equity and gender disparities, increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, humanitarian emergencies, and poverty. To address these challenges effectively, Nepal must reorient its healthcare priorities and investments toward creating more responsive and resilient health systems, with a particular focus on strengthening community-based Primary Health Care (PHC).

Community health represents the equity-focused component of PHC and plays a vital role in addressing the primary causes of maternal, newborn, and child mortality. Additionally, it is essential for managing the rising burden of chronic, non-communicable diseases and ensuring preparedness for future health emergencies.

 

Purpose of the Assignment:

This consultancy aims to strengthen Nepal's Community Health and Nutrition (CHN) systems through several interconnected activities:

The consultant will work closely with UNICEF to conduct comprehensive CHN mapping at federal, provincial, and local levels, providing critical data about current service delivery patterns and gaps. They will support the Senior Consultant in analysing existing literature, facilitating policy dialogues, and developing a strategic roadmap to enhance CHN programs nationwide.

Working with UNICEF Field Office teams, the consultant will help implement and evaluate an integrated CHN package in selected municipalities, ensuring that theoretical frameworks translate into practical improvements. This work involves close collaboration with UNICEF’s Health, Nutrition, and Social Behaviour Change (SBC) sections to ensure effective programme implementation and monitoring.

The consultant will work under the Nursing and Social Security Division (NSSD) to advance the national CHN agenda, while providing necessary support to the Senior CHN consultant. This coordinated approach ensures that improvements to community health and nutrition systems align with national health and nutrition priorities and local needs. Through these activities, this consultancy will contribute to building stronger, more equitable health systems that can better serve Nepal's communities and address current and future health challenges.

Scope of Work

1. Conduct CHN mapping at federal, provincial, and local levels

o Conduct literature review and secondary data analysis regarding the existing CHN platforms and interventions in Nepal at national and subnational levels. The mapping will include a focus on the varying initiatives for the renumeration, motivation and retention of CHN cadres as well as digitization of CHN.

o Develop an inception report including CHN mapping tools, guideline and data collection methodologies.

o Coordinate with FO teams for data collection and conduct necessary field visits to collect data for CHN mapping.

o Analyse data from the field and prepare draft mapping report

2. Support in conducting CHN policy dialogues and other stakeholders’ meetings

o Assist Senior consultant in conducting policy dialogues on CHN with diverse stakeholders and support in developing a synthesis note with clear recommendations

o Facilitate TWG meetings and other stakeholder meetings as relevant

3. Review and revise integrated CHN intervention package

o Review the existing CHN interventions package that are being delivered at community levels by different cadres (FCHVs, Community Health Nurse, Health workers etc)

o Revise and update the existing CHN intervention package to incorporate high impact evidence-based interventions including emerging areas like non communicable diseases, mental health, lead poisoning among others while ensuring that the updated package is practical and adaptable for community cadres, considering diverse settings and workload constraints.

o Develop and support training programs to include new and emerging areas such as Mental Health, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), Environmental Health (EH), and Respectful Maternity Care (RMC).

4. Support in scaling up Community Health Nurse piloting in selected municipalities

o In close consultation with Nursing and Social Security Division (NSSD) and UNICEF field Offices, collaborate with selected municipalities for developing agreement for scaling up Community Health Nursing initiative

o Provide support to the selected municipalities in recruiting the community health nurses

o Provide support in providing training and other necessary tools to the community health nurses

5. Through Human-Centred Design Approach, identify behaviour barriers and local solutions to strengthen CHN interventions

o Implement a Human-Centred Design approach to understand behaviour barriers in the CHN program.

o Conduct co-creation workshops to identify local solutions for the program.

o Support the implementation of identified solutions for the CHN program in selected Palikas and monitor the effectiveness of the program.

o Work closely with the SBC section to implement CHN Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) interventions.

6. On-site monitoring and digital performance mapping

o Conduct on-site monitoring in program sites to ensure the quality of the program implementation.

o Conduct baseline and endline performance mapping through digital platforms.

7. Develop synthesis reports and human-interest stories

o Develop evidence notes/synthesis papers on CHN based on secondary data analysis and policy dialogues.

o Develop human interest stories reflecting the reach and effectiveness of integrated CHN initiatives at communities including the HCD approaches.

Duration of the Contract: The total duration of the assignment is for 9 months.

Deliverables for the Assignment:

1^st Deliverable by end May 2025

Submission of inception report including finalized tools for CHN mapping

2nd Deliverable by end July 2025

Submission of final report of CHN mapping

3^rd  Deliverable by end August 2025

Policy dialogue on CHN conducted

4^th Deliverable by September 2025

• Revised CHN intervention package developed
• Updated training package

5^th Deliverable by end October 2025

Community Health Nurses recruited, trained and engaged in selected municipalities

6^th  Deliverable by end November 2025

Co-creation workshop reports with identified solutions

7^th Deliverable by end December 2025

Submission of monitoring data/baseline digital data

8^th Deliverable by end January 2026

• Final report submitted
•  2-3 HIS submitted

For details on the assignment including tasks and deliverables, please refer to the link: Terms of Reference.

Note:

Please submit financial proposal based on the above deliverables.

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

Education:

Master’s degree in public health (MPH), community medicine, social science/Anthropology, behavioural science and other relevant science

Work experience: 

At least ten years (10) years of professional work experience in public health, with high level government and multistakeholder engagement

• Government and Partner Collaboration: Experience working with different levels of government and various partners, demonstrating the ability to navigate and coordinate among multiple stakeholders

• Behavioural Science Expertise: Strong understanding of behavioural theories, research methods, and intervention strategies.

• Human-Centred Design: Familiarity with human-centred design approaches and co-creation solutions to develop and implement effective interventions.

• Mapping Exercises: Proven experience in conducting mapping exercises, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.

• Community Engagement: Excellent skills in engaging with communities, understanding their needs, and fostering participation.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Strong ability to engage and collaborate with stakeholders, facilitating meetings, and synthesizing inputs into actionable plans.

Additional Requirements

• Technical Skills: Proficiency in data analysis software and tools used for mapping and research e.g Excel, Open data kit, Stata, SPSS among others.

• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for preparing reports, policy briefs, and conducting dialogues.

• Project Management: Strong project management skills to handle multiple tasks, timelines, and deliverables effectively.

• Field Experience: Willingness to conduct field visits and on-site monitoring to ensure the quality of program implementation.

• Training and Capacity Building: Experience in developing and delivering training programs, particularly in new and emerging areas such as Mental Health, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Non-Communicable Diseases.

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:  

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.