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Senior National Health Consultant

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!

Background and Purpose:

Libya is an upper-middle-income country that has experienced a series of political and economic shocks since the revolution in 2011. The combined impact of political instability, armed conflict, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the recurrent oil trade blockade have resulted in socio-economic deterioration, with low public investments in essential services. The steady decline in access and quality of essential services compounds household vulnerability, resulting in increased reliance on negative coping strategies.

Libya has made limited progress on achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and well-being) and SDG 2 (Zero hunger). Over the last decade, there has been a deterioration in the availability, accessibility and quality of primary health care and nutrition services, impacting the provision of health services to new-borns, children, adolescents, and pregnant and lactating women.

Policy gaps, limited data availability and disease surveillance systems impact effective service delivery. Poor infrastructure, limited medicines and supplies, and critical gaps in human resources are apparent across the system, particularly in conflict-affected and southern areas. In 2020, the under-5 mortality rate was estimated at 11.1 per 1,000 live births. There was a sharp increase in the maternal mortality ratio from an estimated 52 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008 to 72 per 100,000 live births in 2022, representing a 38.5 per cent increase.

Through German Government funding, in collaboration with the Primary Health Care Institute (PHCI) of Ministry of Health (MOH) and in context of UNICEF’s PHC support programme, which aims to ensure that by 2025, girls, boys (including new-borns), adolescents and women have increased access and utilisation of quality primary health and nutrition services and adopt healthy practices, UNICEF will improve PHC provision at 26 PHCCs in Libya through this grant. The focus is on interventions for the areas of maternal care, newborn care, management of childhood illnesses, immunization, maternal and child nutrition.

Under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Health Specialist and oversight of the Chief of Health & Nutrition Section, the consultant will plan, facilitate, monitor, and report the implementation of UNICEF Primary Health Care Projects in 26 PHCs within the targeted 12 municipalities (Garabulli, Nalut, Janzour, Al Zintan, Msallata, Ghadamis, Tarhuna, Al Jufra, Al Bawanis, Ajdabiya, Brega and Jakkaraha).

Specific Tasks:

1. Develop an implementation work plan and ensure planned results are achieved through supportive supervision, technical assistance, and coordination with relevant partners.
2. Timely provision of accurate information, data analysis, and documentation which is crucial to support situational analysis, sectoral input, and reporting.
3. Keep up-to-date program information available and prepare and share reports with relevant stakeholders as required.
4. Enhance project efficiency and effectiveness by effectively implementing the developed plan and closely monitoring project-related disbursements.
5. Monitor the progress of project implementation, make necessary adjustments, and improve program delivery and sustainability. Provide gender-segregated data and relevant inputs for the Health program.
6. Maintain emergency preparedness in project catchment areas. In case of an emergency, trigger a response through effective coordination with local stakeholders guided by Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action.
7. Collaborate with internal and external partners to provide technical assistance in the development and implementation of integrated Health & Nutrition interventions.
8. Ensure transparency in the disbursement of program funds for Health, both in supply and non-supply assistance.
9. Maintain effective partnerships and working relationships for advocacy, technical coordination, information sharing, and knowledge management.
10. Contribute to donor reports in a timely manner, following the established guidelines and procedures set by donor-specific recommendations.
11. Contribute to the drafting of funding appeals and project proposals as needed.
12. Undertake other assigned duties and responsibilities as and when needed.

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

• Eight years of professional work experience in planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation health programmes  (including proposal & report writing skills) required.
• Professional work experience in programme management along with field work experience are required.
• Technical expert capacity in child survival & health care is required.
• Fluency in English and Arabic required.
• Excellent team and coordination skills and strategic thinking in formulating strategies and organising/facilitation of training sessions are required.
• Prior experience of working with the ministry of health and bilateral agencies are highly desirable.

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.

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.

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 “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.

Candidates meeting the minimum requirements should apply with a detailed CV, Cover Letter and an all-inclusive financial proposal as well as a technical proposal. Applications WITHOUT these requirements will NOT BE CONSIDERED.