Background

Ethiopia is one of the eight African countries supported by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) to improve maternal and newborn health services. UNICEF Ethiopia Country Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) has successfully mobilized resources from CIDCA to improve the quality of care for newborn health. The project aims to improve quality of care for newborn health in Ethiopia through competency-based training in maternal and newborn care and management of complications for health practitioners. UNICEF will provide support to MoH, regional health bureaus (RHBs), woreda and primary health care units to increase the availability of and access to quality basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC), newborn corners, newborn intensive care units (NICUs), Integrated Management of Newborn and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI), community based newborn care (CBNC) and clinical mentorship/catchment-based mentorship to improve the quality of care at primary health care (PHC) level in South East Zone of Tigray region and former Segen zone in SNNP Region.

 Justification

Since the CIDCA grant has a one-year implementation period with a limited budget and tight deliverables, it won’t be feasible to implement through a programme cooperation agreement with implementing partners. Consequently, UNICEF prefers to support the implementation of the project directly through the respective RHBs by embedding the project supported activities in the existing approved annual work plan (AWPs). This will be done with strong oversight of UNICEF Field Offices with the technical leadership of UNICEF Health Section. This is also believed to improve the sustainability and ownership of the project outcomes and improving the competency of the hospitals training centres, instigating more clinical and hands-on training and catchment-based mentorship within the health system. This Zonal Maternal and Newborn Health Consultant will be assigned to support UNICEF Field Office Health Specialists/Officers and RHB on the project implementation as per the agreed AWP. She/he will liaise between UNICEF Field Offices and RHBs, conducting quality assurance on trainings, supporting mentorship and coaching, ensuring the responsible provision of supplies and equipment, performing data abstraction, and contributing to program monitoring, documentation, and donor reporting.

Job summary

The Maternal and Newborn Health Consultant (MNH Consultant) will provide technical support to respective RHB, Zonal Health Department, Woreda Health Offices and Primary Health Care Units for the CIDCA supported project to improve the quality of care for newborn health in the life course approaches. S/he will provide technical support for the region, zone and woredas in planning, implementation, and monitoring, reporting progress and use of data for decision making on maternal and newborn health activities at zonal/woreda level.

Specific Tasks

Under the guidance of UNICEF Country and Field Offices, the MNH Zonal Consultant will:

-         Support/assist the regional and zonal maternal and newborn health core process owner (and case teams) and program officer, in planning, executing and monitoring of project activities in the revised annual plan of the RHB.

-         Conduct and participate in project-specific training, post-training follow-up, mentoring, supportive supervision and review meetings to improve the quality of care for newborns and review the project implementation and seek solutions for challenges with UNICEF and government counterparts.

-         Follow up data strengthening activities at woreda and facility levels, including the RMNCAH dashboard, to improve program performance and monitoring.

-         Prepare regular progress reports with DHIS2 and facility data on MNH project implementation as per the agreed timeline of the donor reporting period

-         Develop capacity in the health system for further scale-up of activities to improve the quality of MNH services and monitoring.

-         Support transfer of skills to the zonal health department, woreda health offices and primary health care facilities with a focus on improving quality of care for newborns

-         Participate in regular child survival and newborn health technical working groups, health sector review meetings and supervision in respective woredas and zone

-         Conduct documentation including a collection of human-interest stories (HIS) and case studies to support communication activities and ensure appropriate branding for UNICEF and China Aid as per donor requirements.

Prepare and submit monthly activity and trip plans to the UNICEF Field Office, Health Specialist.Expected Deliverables

•  Ensure that the RHB, Zone and Woredas and PHCs are capable to implement, and monitor the CIDCA supported project as per the revised AWP and the project requirements with strong coordination, networking and ownership.
• Demonstrated technical leadership to transfer skills to the existing health system staff on the implementation and monitoring of MNH programs at Zone, Woreda and PHCU level.
• Monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual project progress report as per the donor reporting template
• Compiled and aggregated monthly DHIS2/facility report, and field assessment reports on MNH indicators
• Monthly activity plan and performance report
• Ongoing reports of facility visits, training, mentoring, supportive supervision, review meeting etc.

Methodology

The MNH Zonal Consultants will be hired through ABH. S/he will be posted at UNICEF Field Office both at Mekele or Hawassa, with significant time spent with RHBs and frequent travel to the project supported woredas and health facilities for training, mentoring, reviewing meetings, field program monitoring visit and coordination.

Contract Duration

The MNH Zonal Consultants will be recruited for 10 months (1 March- 31 December 2020).

Education Requirements and qualifications:  A minimum of master’s degree in public health with clinical background (e.g., MD, health officer, nurse, midwife) with:

-         Experience in planning and implementation of Maternal and Newborn health programs both community & facility level (special experience on IMNCI, CBNC, ENC, NICU, BEmONC, QI/mentoring/coaching) required

-         Advanced understanding of maternal and newborn health required

-         Knowledge and experience of the Ethiopian health system required

-         Understanding of and experience in quality improvement in health preferred

-         Similar consultancy experience at zone or region level

-         Strong result orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets

-         Good skill in communicating, organizing group discussions, writing, and presentation

-         Good computer skills, including solid skills in data use and data analysis

-         Ability to travels and work approximately 60% of the time in the field

Work Experience: A minimum of 6 years’ experience in planning and implementation of Maternal, Newborn and Child health programs both community & facility level

Language requirement: Excellent communication skills in English and Amharic both in writing and spoken. Knowledge of Tigrigna is compulsory for applicants in Tigray Region.

Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

Nationality: Candidates should be a NATIONAL of Ethiopia.