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, health.

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work in the link provided here www.unicef.org/pacificislands.

Background of Assignment:

Tuvalu is a small island country in the Pacific with a total population of 12,000 comprised of one main island and 8 outer islands. Like other countries, health systems in Tuvalu suffered due to COVID-19 pandemic and prioritization of COVID-19 response and vaccination rollout activities over routine service delivery, shortage of technical and managerial staff at the Ministry of Health (MoH), shortage of nurses to deliver services, communication and logistics bottlenecks. Tuvalu is also one of the countries globally being affected by climate change, drought, water shortage and subsequent outbreak of diarrhoea, typhoid and other preventable communicable diseases.

In spite of the challenges, Tuvalu successfully introduced three new vaccines (PCV, Rota and HPV) in 2021 in their routine schedule with financial support of the ADB and technical support of UNICEF and other partners.   Similarly, COVID-19 vaccine delivery and uptake have been impressive reaching almost all population with the first dose, above 90 percent with two doses among 5 years and above age groups. Coverage rate of booster doses among 12 years and above is also reaching almost 90 percent. UNICEF provided support on COVID-19 response and vaccination through funding support of COVAX facility and other bilateral donors (DFAT, MFAT, USAID, Government of Japan).

Along with the above,  UNICEF in collaboration with other partners has been supporting the Tuvalu MoH in the national immunization program policy review and revision, revision of routine immunization schedule based on the global guidance recommended by SAGE, updating cold chain policy, microplanning, capacity building of health care workers, demand generation, linking with community for acceptance of vaccines, cold chain strengthening through effective vaccine management assessments and improvement plan development for reliable immunization supply chain management systems. More work needs to be done in improving reporting systems, data management, integration of COVID-19 in Primary Health Care (PHC) and routine immunization, addressing vaccine hesitancy, availability of clean energy cold chain system and health facilities in the outer islands for sustaining good routine immunization coverage and preventing and addressing vaccine preventable diseases outbreaks such as typhoid, dengue and other infectious disease. Above all, lessons learned from the experiences in COVID-19 pandemic point to the need for strengthening resilience of the health system as a whole and communities to ensure continuity of essential services especially community-based PHC services during normal times and in emergency.

In this context, UNICEF seeks for an international consultant to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health, Social Welfare and Gender in PHC system resilience building and immunization system strengthening.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support to the Tuvalu MoH and other stakeholders to improve routine vaccination coverage and equity, integration of COVID-19 vaccination with other services in routine program, and immunization and PHC systems strengthening in Tuvalu.

The specific objectives are to support MoH in:

• Improvement of planning, organization, recording and reporting of routine immunization
• Vaccine forecast, immunization supply chain system strengthening based on EVM assessment findings and improvement plan recommendations
• Capacity building in immunization service delivery / programme management
• Integration of COVID-19 vaccination into PHC service delivery
• Prevention of vaccine preventable disease cases and outbreaks
• Building trust to address vaccine hesitancy
• Supplemental Immunization Activities (SIAs) for the prevention and control of vaccine preventable disease with high coverage for population immunity

Please refer to the ToR  TOR_Immunization and PHC Systems Strengthening Consultant.pdf for further information on the deliverables and the timelines.

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:

All applications for this consultancy must include a separate financial offer along with the technical proposal.

The financial proposal should be a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should show a break down for the following:

• Daily consultancy fees – based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above
• Travel (economy air ticket where applicable to take up assignment and field mission travel)
• Living allowance where travel is required
• Miscellaneous- to cover visa, health insurance (including medical evacuation for international consultants), communications, and other costs.

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

Experience: 

• • At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in the expanded programme on immunization, disease control epidemiology and surveillance, immunology and preferably experience in maternal and child health and nutrition
  • Experience with organizing SIAs
  • Experience in immunization supply chain management, and analysis including experience with data management will be an asset
  • Experience with the Pacific Islands context, particularly in Tuvalu, is desired

Skills: 

• Basic computer skills, and ability to balance and reconcile figures and transcribe accurately
• Able to work effectively with people internal and external parties
• Communicates clearly and concisely

Knowledge: 

• • Global immunization strategies, WHO position papers and SAGE recommendation on childhood vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination, COVAX, COVID-19 vaccine delivery, COVID-19 vaccine delivery partnership support, immunization supply chain strategies and basic knowledge on the Effective Vaccine Management and understanding of the principles of vaccine management, cold chain etc
  • Primary Health Care, Child health and Nutrition

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

Remarks:  

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.

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process for this consultancy.