Home-based Gender and Immunization Technical Support

UNICEF, along with WHO, GAVI and other partners, is committed to supporting governments to improve overall health service delivery in communities with large numbers of zero-dose children. UNICEF and partners seek to step up efforts to identify zero-dose children in these communities, understand gender related barriers to access vaccination, design sustainable interventions and strengthen health systems to overcome those barriers and work to establish platforms to ensure reliable, sustainable delivery of immunization among other primary health care services. Egypt, State of Palestine, North West Syria, Yemen and Sudan are undertaking intentional efforts to address gender barriers to immunization. MENARO will continue to support the Country Offices, with capacity sharing with efficiency and technical expertise

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, hope

UNICEF’s latest study explored gender-related barriers to immunization in Egypt, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and outlined recommended approaches and entry points for addressing these barriers at the individual, household, community and institutional levels in order to increase immunization reach and coverage in under-immunized communities. As per the recommendations, UNICEF is investing in gender-responsive health system strengthening, supported by building health worker and UNICEF country offices capacity to develop plans for accelerating implementation of the recommendations of the gender barrier analysis, improving the collection, analysis and use of data disaggregated by sex, age and additional factors, developing feedback mechanisms to improve the quality and acceptability of services and strengthening safeguarding and complaint mechanisms to support a predominantly female health workforce.

Based on findings from an initial regional report which identified gender barriers to immunization, Gender-related Barriers to Immunization: Zero-dose Children | UNICEF Middle East and North Africa, continue phase II of the Gender-related barriers to immunization study, by supporting country offices in implementing the key recommendations of the study.  System strengthening of PHC and capacity building of UNICEF staff and partner frontline service providers by mitigating gender barriers to immunization. Distilling lessons learned and strategic approaches for addressing gender norms associated with immunization and provide quality assurance on gender-responsive programming strategies.

How can you make a difference? 

This home-based consultancy is composed of the following aspects/task/deliverables: 

1. Specific bilateral support to Country offices in their implementation of gender responsive strategies to overcoming barriers to immunization.

2. Quality assurance and support to Country Offices by sharing progress updates, lessons learned and key insights from and with MENARO and Country Offices.

3.  Knowledge management in terms of organising a webinar presentations on best practices with Country Offices and develop a summary report. 

1. Task: 

Development of adapted gender  responsive immunization strategies and support to country office implementation

1.1 Deliverable/Outputs: 

1.1.1 Continue to support country offices with their identified gender related priorities as per the key recommendations of the regional report on Gender Barriers to Immunization produced in coordination with MENARO Gender, SBC and Health including review of Big Catchup training materials, support to Coverage and Equity Assessments  and Rootcase analysis for measles outbreak and quality assurance.

1.1.2  Targeted support to COs in the development of proposals for funding. 

1.1.3  Targeted support to COs in the development of proposals.

2. Task

Consultative webinars (2 per country)

2.1 Deliverables / Outputs: 

2.1.1 Quality assurance and support to Country Offices.

2.1.2 Share  progress updates monthly on lessons learned and key insights from and with Country Offices

2.1.3  Coordinate and liaise with Gender, Immunization and SBC sections across HQ, RO and COs, as relevant

3. Task

Knowledge management and reporting

3. Deliverables/Outputs: 

Coordinate with SBC and Health colleagues and lead gender analysis and dissemination activities, which may include webinar presentations, production of briefs, etc. to showcase lessons learns Prepare a final written summary report with best practices highlighted.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Health or Health and immunization specialization.
  Proven gender expertise in relation to health systems and health behaviours, attitudes and practices.
• Minimum five years of work experience in Health/Immunizaiton and development programmes.
• Solid technical knowledge of gender and immunizaiton curricula, tools and resources.
• Demonstrated experience with programme design, development and implementation, monitoring and evaluation using both quantitative and qualitative technique.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

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.