MNCH Specialist, Nairobi – NO-C

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

KENYA COUNTRY OFFICE, NAIROBI

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT -  MNCH Specialist, Nairobi – NO-C

Temporary Appointment

Duration:  5 months

Date of Issue: 27 January, 2014    
Closing Date: 09 February, 2014

Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the above Temporary Appointment position in the Health Section, UNICEF Kenya Country Office

Purpose of the Post: 

Under the supervision of the Chief of Health, the incumbent will be responsible for the day-to day operations of the MNH project and support the delivery of program strategies.

Justification

Maternal mortality is said to represent the biggest disparity in health status between rich and poor countries (or rich and poor communities within the same country). Health is a form of human capital; high numbers of maternal and child deaths are holding back a significant portion of the population of Kenya from achieving their full potential. High newborn and child mortality rates are sustaining high fertility, perpetuating a vicious cycle of vulnerability among women and young children. Moreover, maternal and newborn mortality do not only affect women and babies: poor health and health disparities are preventing Kenya from achieving economic progress and stability, particularly in the poorest parts of the country.

Hemorrhage is by far the leading cause of maternal deaths. Hemorrhage and hypertension collectively account for more than half of all maternal deaths. HIV-related illnesses also play a major role in maternal deaths, especially in regions such as Western Kenya, where HIV is more than four times the national average, and Turkana County where HIV prevalence is twice the national average and increasing.

In most of sub-Saharan Africa including Kenya, neonatal mortality has seen no significant change in over a decade. Nearly 4 in 10 under-five deaths are among newborns, making neonatal mortality reduction increasingly the ‘unfinished business’ of under-five mortality reduction. Both neonatal and maternal mortality are heavily concentrated in the delivery period and initial week after delivery. Most of these deaths occur at home; two-thirds of such deaths could be averted if mothers and babies were attended by trained health professionals.

More specifically, Kenya’s maternal mortality rate remains unacceptably high (at 488/100,000 live births nationally), even as under-five mortality rates are decreasing. Disparities in access to health services and in maternal and newborn health outcomes have become slightly worse over the last decade, with the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands region (ASAL) in the North and Nyanza province in the West of Kenya maintaining mortality rates that are substantially higher than the national average. The maternal mortality rate in Turkana County, for example, is estimated to be above 1500 per 100,000 live births—three the national average, according to the 2013 Kenya Population Situation Analysis Report.

Kenyan mothers’ access to skilled delivery and emergency obstetric care have stagnated in the past decade: in both 2008 and 2003, the KDHS surveys found that approximately 40% of women make the recommended 4 antenatal visits and the same number deliver in a health facility. Moreover, the significant regional disparities in skilled delivery coverage noted in 2003 have not improved in recent years. The difference in coverage between the poorest and wealthiest quintiles also increased during this period. Access to basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care appears to have decreased over the past decade (5,6). Disparities in C-section rates have been reduced within the upper 60% of the population, but the poorest 40% still lag far behind in coverage. With these stagnating coverage trends and widening disparities, it is unlikely that the country will achieve the MDG maternal mortality target of 147/100,000 by 2015.

This situation, which is increasingly acknowledged in Kenya’s national health and development policies, led DFID to develop a Business Case for aggressively reducing maternal and newborn mortality in the most vulnerable counties in Kenya over the next five years (2014-2018). UNICEF with financial support form DFID has been engaged to oversee the project, which will involve a number of different service providers, and to manage direct implementation of activities in two of the three focus counties (Homa Bay and Turkana). The primary outputs of this project shall be 1) increased coverage of skilled birth attendance, 2) increased availability of BEmONC and CEmONC services, and 3) a reduction in the obstetric case fatality rate. Accordingly, the overall project has three major components: 1) improving the availability and skills of human resources for health, 2) strengthening the health system, and 3) generating demand for skilled delivery and emergency obstetric care services.

UNICEF’s five-year work plan contains twelve areas of work, which shall be directed by a MNH Specialist/ Team Lead. The Team Lead will be responsible for overall technical leadership, quality assurance, partner and donor relations, and high-level budget management. An MNCH Officer, whose responsibilities are described in this TOR, will work directly under the MNH specialist to oversee day-to-day activities, support coordination of the various players, and ensure that the three major components of the project are well-integrated.

Scope of Work for the TA

Working under the supervision of the MNH Specialist and with regular guidance and support from the M&E Specialist, the MNH Officer will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the project, both in Nairobi in the field. At the national level, the TA will maintain the overall project work plan, attend meetings with the MOH and the national MNH Technical Working Groups , and document decisions made about project management. He or she will then be responsible for relating management decisions to the field-based project personnel, verifying that they understand the project-wide work plan and effectively translate it into county-specific micro-plans. The MNCH Officer will be expected to maintain close relationships with the various partners involved in the project, carefully review their regular reports and coordinate responses to challenges or shifts in strategy. Finally, the MNCH officer will be responsible (together with the Program Assistant) for maintaining the project budget and ensuring the fund transfers to partners, and financial reporting linked to these transfers, happen on a timely basis.

This position is based in the UNICEF Office in Gigiri, Nairobi, but will involve regular travel (approximately 30% time) to the field. Specifically, the MNCH will be expected to spend at least one week per month in the field directly observing project activities. These trips can alternate between Turkana and Homa Bay and will be supported by UNICEF field-based personnel in the UNICEF Lodwar and Kisumu field offices.

More specifically, the MNCH Officer will be responsible for the following work:

1)      (40%) Support project coordination at the national level: Under the guidance of the MNH Specialist/ Team Lead, participate in relevant national coordination meetings, document decisions made, and update the overall project work-plan accordingly. Relay any resulting management decisions to colleagues in the two field offices (the MNH Field Officers). Keep abreast of public health developments in Kenya that could have an impact on the project (positive or negative) and proactively propose how to respond to these developments. Working closely with the M&E team, ensure that relevant and accurate information is available for partners as needed.

2)      (25%) Oversee financial disbursements and supply requisitions: Working closely with the Programme Assistant, supply and finance divisions, and field office staff, review and process MOH and partner requests for cash transfers and reports on fund utilization. Update the MNH Specialist/ Team Lead regularly on fund utilization and budget status. Based on needs assessments, and with assistance from the supply division, prepare supply requisitions and monitor delivery. While the Quality Assurance Officer and supply division colleagues will conduct end-user monitoring of supplies, the MNCH Officer should also monitor the placement and use of UNICEF-purchased supplies.

3)      (25%) Maintain the project work-plan: Based on regular reports received from the Quality Assurance Officer and M&E Team, and on feedback obtained directly from the field and partners, maintain the overall project work-plan and proactively propose solutions to delays or other implementation challenges. Work closely with field staff and MOH colleagues to prepare county-specific work-plans and suitable budgets, and regularly track progress through both reports received from colleagues and direct field visits.

4)      (10%) Generate progress reports and support donor visits: The M&E Team will be responsible for generating draft progress reports every six months. The MNCH Officer will be responsible for reviewing and finalizing these reports, based on his or her direct knowledge of the overall situation at national and county levels, and his or her relationship with the donor agency (DFID). The MNCH officer shall also oversee all donor visits to the field, through close collaboration with the MNCH field officers and M&E field officers.

RWPPCR/IRs areas covered

UNICEF will contribute to increasing the number of women and children have equitable Access to and Use of Quality Essential Social and Protection Services and practices with focus on vulnerable groups and the most marginalised regions of Kenya by 2014

ü  IR 1:  Increased proportion of women and children receiving quality evidence-based essential integrated maternal and child care services by June 2014

ü  IR 2: Increasing number of households practicing improved health care practices with focus on reaching the un-reached by 2014 and sustained after that

ü  IR3: Health policies, strategies and systems supportive of MNCH scale-up and mitigation of emergencies

Expected Deliverables and Results

The TA will be expected to deliver the following each month:

1)      Brief report (5 pages) detailing a) the TA’s activities for the month, b) overall status of the project including challenges, solutions, budget status and priorities for the next month.

2)      Updated workplan

3)      Detailed project progress report, including financial report and annexed data analysis furnished by the M&E team

*Please note that the TA shall be invited to apply for a longer-term (5 year) position to continue this work, provided he/she has demonstrated superb performance during the five-month consultancy.

Desired background and experience

The TA should have a Medical Degree with Masters Degree in Public Health or a related field, with at least five years of experience working for a development organization in the area of project management. Clinical experience is a plus. The TA should have demonstrated ability to network and communicate well with partners, oversee complex logistical operations, manage budgets responsibly, and understand and process public health data. Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel) is required. Knowledge of the UN and its regulations is a plus. The TA must have excellent (English) writing and presentation skills.

In addition, the TA should have the following personal attributes:

• Enjoys travel and work in the field/ harsh conditions
• Excellent interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and conflict resolution skills (essential for working with partners and donors and diverse UNICEF staff)
• A proactive attitude: notes problems and seeks to address them immediately in a positive manner
• Independence: provided with a clear Terms of Reference and regular supervisor feedback, the TA should be able to work independently, whether in the office or in the field

Competencies

• Communication
• Drive for Results
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts
• Relating and Networking
• Persuading and Influencing
• Applying Technical Expertise
• Learning & Research
• Working with People
• Planning and Organizing

Languages:  Fluency in English.  Knowledge of Kiswahili would be an asset.

Conditions (Important)

The contract will be a Temporary Appointment. Salaries and benefits will follow UNICEF regulations for NOC level positions

Position will be based in Nairobi with frequent travel to Homa Bay and Turkana counties.

Interested and suitable candidates should ensure that they forward their applications along with their curricula vitae,  to;

The Human Resources Manager

UNICEF Kenya Country Office

Email address: kenyahrvacancies@unicef.org

Please indicate Reference No. “KCO/HEALTH/2014/001” in the email subject.

Interested candidates should also complete the Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded from the UNICEF Kenya website (http://www.unicef.org/kenya).

“QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY”

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