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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF. Consultancy Title: Health Connectivity Country Support Consultant Section/Division/Duty Station: DH&IS, MNCAH, Health Section - Programme Division, HQ Duration:ย 1 year Home/ Office Based: REMOTE (New York/Nairobi time zones) ย About UNICEFย If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For over 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries. ย BACKGROUND Purpose of Activity/ Assignment: Connectivity and digital inclusion are now recognized as a super determinant of health outcomes, playing a crucial role in ensuring accessibility and equity in health services, particularly for children. This ensures that even the most marginalized populations, including children, have access to essential health services, upholding their rights to health and well-being. Furthermore, connectivity facilitates efficient data management and decision-making, which are vital for effective health service delivery. By improving access to healthcare, connectivity also contributes to poverty alleviation, as healthier populations are more productive and can better participate in economic activities. While many LMIC countries have made tremendous efforts in increasing accessibility and affordability of internet connectivity during the past decade, there are still gaps particularly at the last-mile and in the most marginalized and vulnerable communities. In Africa, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021, around 34% of health facilities in Africa have internet connectivity. As governments increasingly digitalize health services, there is a growing risk that the digital divide will be further extended in these communities with some citizens unable to access or benefit from these digitally enabled health services or receive suboptimal care. In 2019, UNICEF and ITU launched the Giga initiative, aiming at connecting every school in the world to the internet. Giga is now active in 19 countries, has mapped over 2M schools, and has connected more than 5,600 schools and 2.1 million learners to the internet. For the past year, UNICEF has been expanding on Giga through an initiative called \"HealthConnekt\" (HCkt) to include connectivity at Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres and Community Health Workers (CHWs). ย Scope of Work: UNICEF seeks a Health Connectivity Country Support Consultant to support approximately 6 countries to assist UNICEF Country Offices to formalize engagements with government and establish country Project Technical Working Groups, map national ecosystems and areas for institutional strengthening and reform, and create country-specific equity analysis briefs and infrastructure investment cases. The consultant will provide technical assistance to the integration between HCkt and Giga, as well as contribute to ongoing partnerships and grants with the Africa CDC, MasterCard Foundation, Global Fund and the World Bank. The consultant will work closely and complement the DHIS Geospatial consultant, under the oversight of the DHIS team Senior Health Specialist and Geospatial Health Specialist, as well as ICTD. ย The consultant will perform the following duties: A: Internal Readiness Assist UNICEF staff across the organization for the successful implementation of the HCkt initiative by revising the necessary approaches, methods, information and resource materials, based on Y24 learnings and adaptive to local context. This includes initiative design and execution support to ensure HCkt has overarching governance to guide the initiative through its lifecycle, ensure alignment with goals, manage risks, stakeholder involvement, and overall success. B: Internal Engagement Facilitate UNICEF staff to engage and align key internal stakeholders within the organization to ensure their understanding and involvement in the HCkt initiative. This includes developing the HCkt Governance Framework and creating stakeholder-specific presentations and communications to socialize the initiative's benefits, approach, and roles/responsibilities across HQ, Regional Offices, and Country Offices. C: Partner-Country Engagement Ensure that partner countries are properly engaged, informed, and committed to the initiative. This involves socializing HCkt with partner-country stakeholders to ensure they are sufficiently informed of the benefits, objectives, approach, and roles and responsibilities to make informed decisions about their participation, and securing formal approval from partner-country leadership to implement the initiative. D: Partner-Country Project Implementation Support project implementation across estimated 6 countries including establishing Project Technical Working Groups (PTWG) in each country, developing project management frameworks, conducting baseline capability assessments, developing adaptive implementation plans, supporting execution of workplans and conducting stage reviews, facilitating multi-stakeholder strategic forums, and providing specialist technical assistance. Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables: A. Internal Support โข ย Revised iteration of the HCkt initiative design document, communication materials, project management documentation and tools, and partner-country implementation templates โข ย Summary report of previous country missions, status and next steps for HCkt activities conducted in 2024-2025 B. Internal Engagement โข ย HCkt Governance Framework โข ย Stakeholder-specific presentations and communications to socialize the initiative's benefits, approach, and roles/responsibilities โข ย Country Selection Report with motivations โข ย Approval documentation from authorising officer at Country Office C. Partner-Country Engagement โข ย Summary of presentations and discussions with partner-country stakeholders โข ย Documented approval from the partner-country authorising officer in MoH D. Partner-Country Project Implementation โข ย Project Technical Working Group (PTWG) Terms of Reference, membership and roles, meeting schedule & reporting structure โข ย Project Management and Stakeholder Engagement Plans, and Project Governance Framework โข ย Baseline Capability Assessment Report โข ย Adaptive Implementation Plan and Workplan Final Implementation Outputs โข ย Implementation Progress Reports for at least 4 countries โข ย Stakeholder Engagement Plan for at least 4 countries โข ย Technical Report for at least 4 countries ย Qualifications Education: โข ย Advanced University degree (Masters) in business administration, international development, public health, or any relevant area of study in a related field OR education from a reputed college of advanced education with a diploma of equivalent standard to that of an advanced university degree in one of the fields above. A first university degree in one of the fields above in combination with ten years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Language Proficiency: โข ย Fluency in English is required. Working proficiency of another official UN language is highly desirable. ย Work experience: Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required: โข At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in managing projects/programmes in the context of international development, including several years of providing expertise and advice on a wide range of international telecommunications/ICTs and or global/public health or related issues and policies, with at least three at the international level โข Experience working with government stakeholders and implementing connectivity solutions in different countries โข Experience managing field connectivity solutions, including mobile and fixed broadband, in low bandwidth settings โข Experience with connectivity solutions including infrastructure, hardware and software solutions, and capacity building Desirable: โข Experience with developing investment cases, as well as blended/innovative financing โข Experience with Health or other Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and related data โ including MFLs and Health Workforce Registries โข Experience with national telecommunications regulatory ecosystem โข Certification in project management (e.g. PMP, Prince, PMD) โข Familiarity with GIGA's work โข Previous experience in managing and/or implementing UNICEF programmes โข Experience within or coordinating with government bodies on Health and or ICT ย Requirements: Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and -ย Upload copy of academic credentials -ย Financial proposal that will include/ reflect : oย the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference. oย travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. oย Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable. oย Indicate your availability -ย Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF. -ย At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage. -ย Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. U.S. Visa information: With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultantโs household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process For every Child, you demonstrateโฆ 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: 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 โstaff membersโ under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEFโs 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.