FOR CONSULTANT TO SERVE AS
Sexual & Reproductive Health/Reproductive Health Commodities Security - St Lucia
Hiring Office：UNFPA Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, Barbados & OECS
Purpose of Consultancy:
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund Sub-regional Office for the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, supports 22 countries and territories and has offices in six countries: Jamaica, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. The Barbados Office covers the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States [OECS] countries which include Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and St. Lucia.
UNFPA, the Partnering UN Organisation, [PUNO], in partnership with UN Women [lead Agency], is funded by Global Affairs Canada to jointly implement the multi-year Build Back Equal Project [BBE] in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and St. Lucia to further promote improved economic and social equality for women and girls, with an emphasis on economic empowerment of women and the most marginalized or vulnerable women, including survivors of all forms of violence and elderly women, to uphold the principle of “Leaving no one behind”.
The BBE project, through a comprehensive approach, will contribute to women’s economic resilience in the Eastern Caribbean, by addressing the barriers women face to economic empowerment. Thus ensuring that women have greater access to quality subsidised childcare, reliable sexual and reproductive health services, climate and shock-responsive social protection such as gender-based violence services, access to innovative financing, digitisation and climate-smart and environmentally-friendly practices to grow their businesses. UNFPA’s focus will be centered on enhanced quality and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health and rights [SRHR] frameworks and services for women and girls, especially for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
Under the BBE project, a Technical Specialist will be engaged as an International Consultant to support the implementation of the project activities in the four identified OECS countries. S/he will be required to provide technical and strategic programmatic leadership in Sexual & Reproductive Health/Reproductive Health Commodity Security [SRH/RHCS] to ensure that capacity building, advocacy and policy dialogue work reflects UNFPA’s mandate and programme policies as well as current thinking and academic advance in substantive areas affecting the ICPD Programme of Action. The Consultant will maintain primary responsibility for coordination of the provision of technical assistance and programmatic support to primarily Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines with a specific focus on family planning and RHCS, but also on adolescent health, comprehensive sexuality education, integrated SRH/GBV services and humanitarian preparedness and response.
Scope of Work:
The SRH/RHCS Consultant will be responsible for leading RH/RHCS interventions in the four Eastern Caribbean countries as well as for providing RHCS technical support to the other countries covered by the SROC.
The Consultant will:
Provide technical and related programme leadership, management advice and strategic support and guidance at sub-regional and national levels, in RH/RHCS, including for emergency preparedness and humanitarian assistance, in collaboration with technical and programme staff in SROC.
Provision of technical assistance to Ministries of Health to effectively forecast, procure, distribute and track the delivery of sexual and reproductive health commodities, including:
Rapid assessment of infrastructure, capabilities and human resources to inform the design of a robust SCM system.
Development of RHCS strategies, action plan and monitoring plan in all four countries (including consultations and validation processes) and development of advocacy materials.
Technical assistance to support the design of an automized Logistic Management Information System in Grenada to be implemented at all levels.
Supply Chain Costing capacity building to protect SCM financing and guide budgeting for SCM in Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Training on quantification and procurement practices- includes coaching.
Design robust SCM system, inventory control, and LMIS including capacity building.
Development & dissemination of advocacy materials on SCM in health crisis.
Design the health commodity supply logistic in line with the health priorities, and the national RHCS plans.
Provide, coordinate and manage trainings on rights-based voluntary family planning with a focus on adolescents and marginalized populations with focus on LARCS (Implants and IUDs) to health care providers, including:
Technical support to the introduction of implants and reposition of IUDs and capacity building on rights-based voluntary family planning.
Procurement of implants and anatomical models for the capacity building of health providers in implants and IUD insertions and removals.
Provide technical assistance to the Ministries of Health and CSOs on establishing rights-based, gender-focused and SRH services responsive to the needs of adolescents and youth
Development and implementation of the standards for quality health care services for adolescents.
Support ministries of health to develop mechanism for monitoring the provision of quality adolescent friendly services as per national standards.
Provision of integrated SRH information, services and the roll out of CSE toolkit for out-of-school youth, with particular focus on the most vulnerable persons (including adolescent girls, LGBTQ+, sex workers, hard to reach population etc.) through CSOs.
Provide technical assistance on legislative and policy reform where the law bars or hinders access to sexual and reproductive health and rights to relevant government entities.
Provide technical assistance to Ministries of Health on the operationalization of SRHR coordination mechanisms.
Contribute to the regional advocacy efforts with partners for the reliable and consistent improvement of RH commodities policy environment and systems strengthening.
Contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of the national and regional strategies on RHCS.
Maintain and foster substantive and intellectual regional partnerships in RHCS for advancing state-of-the-art knowledge.
Represent UNFPA on programme issues upon request and elaborate UNFPA’s substantive sub-regional and global perspectives in SRH.
Support preparation of technical briefs, reports, or situation analysis in the area of SRHR and RHCS.
Provide technical oversight for the development of relevant advocacy, resource mobilization and policy documents to address programmatic issues for SRHR.
Carry out any other duties as may be requested by the office of the SROC Director.
Duration and Working Schedule:
The contract of this consultancy will be for the period July 1, 2023, to May 30, 2024.
The Consultant will be expected to work Monday – Friday.
Place where services are to be delivered:
The Consultant will be based in St. Lucia with the proper office space and equipment provided to support the execution of duties and responsibilities of the position.
The Consultant will be expected to interact both virtually and physically with UNFPA staff, relevant UN Agencies and key stakeholders, and therefore must have good access to virtual communication services.
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):
The Consultant will submit all monthly reports electronically and in English to UNFPA for review and approval. All documents produced as a result of the consultancy will be the property of UNFPA and the BBE Project.
The following deliverables are expected of this consultancy:
|
|
Deliverable |
Due Date |
|
1 |
Workplan |
10 July, 2023 |
|
2 |
Progress reports with updates on agreed work plan in line with the outline from UNFPA |
Monthly (last day of the month) |
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirement, periodicity format and deadline:
The Consultant will work closely with the SROC Technical SRH Adviser, the Liaison Officer for Barbados & the OECS. The SRH/RHCS Consultant will work in an integrated manner with other UN Agencies, particularly UN Women technical staff in host country and Civil Society Organisations to ensure the successful implementation of the programme.
During a humanitarian crisis, SRH/RHCS Specialist works in partnerships with cluster coordinators.
These engagements will support the consultant in addressing monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements.
Supervisory arrangement:
Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Deputy Director of the Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean (SROC), currently based in Barbados the SRH/RHCS Specialist is responsible for leading Reproductive Health /Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RH/RHCS interventions in the four Eastern Caribbean countries as well as for providing RHCS technical support to the other countries covered by the SROC.
The Consultant will receive technical support and guidance from the SROC Technical SRH Adviser and Liaison Officer for Barbados & the OECS.
Expected travel:
If needed, travel costs will be absorbed by UNFPA
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
The ideal consultant will possess the following:
Education:
Advanced university degree in medicine, pharmacy, logistics, supply chain management, health systems/economics, or other fields directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post or a first level; or
A relevant Bachelor’s Degree [or equivalent] with two additional years qualifying experience [bachelor +7 years]
Knowledge and Experience:
At least 5 years of work experience in increasing responsibilities at the national level in SRH ideally, in logistics systems, public sector pharmaceutical supplies management of which at least 3 years of direct international experience relating to health and logistics systems and management of family planning programmes;
Extensive knowledge of supply management: forecasting, warehousing, distribution, transportation, logistics information systems and eLMIS;
Significant public procurement and supply management experience related to the Health Sector (pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceutical medical supplies), and other funding mechanisms emphasizing donor coordination/harmonization and in challenging situation;
Health sector-specific experience, including: experience with Public Health systems in developing countries, health commodity supply market, logistics and inventory management related to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, based on sound supply chain management principles;
Good understanding of health system strengthening based on the six health system building blocks.
Demonstrable knowledge of RHCS issues in humanitarian settings, and of humanitarian emergency operations and roles/responsibilities of humanitarian actors;
Experience in program management;
Basic understanding of health economics/health financing highly desirable;
Knowledge and understanding on quality of care, specifically client rights issues;
Understanding of Human Rights dimensions of SRHR and gender;
Field experience is essential
Experience in the region is an asset
Language:
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English. Dutch language skills would be considered an asset
Required Competencies
Values：
Exemplifying integrity
Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
Embracing cultural diversity
Embracing change
Core Competencies:
Achieving results
Being accountable
Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
Thinking analytically and strategically
Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships
Communicating for impact
Managerial Competencies:
Providing strategic focus
Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders
Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
Making decisions and exercising judgment
UN Leadership Characteristics:
Norm-based - grounded in UN norms and standards
Principled - defends norms and standards without discrimination, fear or favour.
Inclusive of all personnel and stakeholders
Accountable
Multi-dimensional
Transformational
Collaborative
Self-applied - modelled in our own behavior
Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g. support services, office space, equipment), if applicable：
Technical guidance and support will be made available through coordination with the SROC Technical SRH Adviser and the Liaison Officer for Barbados & the OECS.
Proper office space and equipment to support the execution of duties and responsibilities of the position, will be provided.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any：
The Consultant will be paid monthly based on the submission of satisfactory monthly reports reflective of the project deliverables (inclusive of UNFPA inputs). All payments will be in keeping with those reflected in the signed contract.
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send all applications (Application and Curriculum Vitae) to vacancy.sroc@unfpa.org on or before 25 June, 2023
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
