Regional Roster of Consultants: Technical Experts on HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) Programming for Adolescent Girls and Young Women

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.

                                                                         TERMS OF REFERENCE

Background and Justification

In Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), 62% of the population is less than 24 years and an estimated 26% of new HIV infections occur among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), aged 15-24 years. This requires scale up of interventions for AGYW that work across sectors to address the structural drivers and social determinants that put AGYW at risk of acquiring HIV. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) place a core emphasis on promoting gender equality by addressing the needs of women and girls through multiple commitments across interrelated SDGs that are to be achieved by 2030 .
To enhance quality and efficiency of AGYW programming, the Global Fund has operationalized an Adolescent Girls and Young Women Strategic Initiative (AGYW-SI). Component 3 of this initiative aims to ensure the provision of technical assistance (TA) to Principal Recipients and Subrecipients of Global Fund investments for AGYW in a cohort of thirteen priority countries (Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe).
As a trusted leader on adolescent and HIV policy, data and programming, UNICEF will be working with the Global Fund to provide TA. UNICEF aims to strengthen the Global Fund AGYW grant implementation in the thirteen AGYW priority countries through timely, targeted and long- and short-term TA. This will be done through country level reviews of TA needs and requests to deliver systematic, differentiated TA that is based on data and the latest normative guidance.
To meet the TA requirements in the thirteen priority countries, UNICEF ESARO requires a pool of technically rich and diverse consultants that are capable of responding to and delivering on these TA requests. To this end, UNICEF ESARO is developing a Roster of Consultants and invites qualified technical experts to express their interest as detailed below.

Scope of Work and Duties
UNICEF ESARO invites qualified experts to express their interest in being included in the Roster of Consultants to deliver AGYW programming technical expertise and assistance to UNICEF in the following areas:
• HIV prevention – approaches and commodities
• HIV testing and linkage
• HIV treatment and retention in care
• Social behaviour change communication including digital platforms and comprehensive sexuality education
• Keeping girls in school
• Pregnant and breastfeeding adolescent girls and young mothers
• Livelihoods, economic empowerment and social protection
• Service delivery – targeting, demand creation, quality and differentiated packages
• Community and non-facility-based interventions / services
• Gender transformative programming including for male partners
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Data system strengthening
• Adolescent engagement and youth led initiatives
• Advocacy
• South-to-south learning

Consultants may provide a range of advisory services to UNICEF’s Regional Offices and Country Offices as well as Global Fund Principal and Sub Recipients across the thematic areas above. The range of tasks for the consultants may include research and assessments, provision of strategic and operational guidance, package/intervention development, support for scaling up interventions, capacity building, development of policy documents and frameworks, knowledge management, enhancing availability and quality of programming data, collaborative partner processes and strengthening of program coordination and operational efficiency. Precise tasks, outputs, reporting and working relationships will be specified at the time of contracting for the given assignments.

The roster will serve as human resources repository from which the Regional Office or Country Offices can draw pre-vetted, well-qualified experts quickly and efficiently for assignments. Note that experts may specialize in more than one of the desired fields. It is therefore requested that candidates self-identify both their field and tier of expertise as well as their language proficiencies.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience
1. Education: Advanced university degree in public health, pediatric/adolescent health, social sciences, epidemiology or related field.
2. Work experience: At least 5 years of professional experience at national and international levels, including field experience and expertise in adolescent programming or related field.
3. A set of strong analytical skills and a good understanding of translating research into policy and programmatic implementation will be an added advantage.
4. Demonstrated ability to working in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective relationships.
5. Language: Excellent English oral and written communication skills.

Evaluation of applicants
Applicants will be screened against the qualifications and competencies specified above for each thematic area. The inclusion into the Roster of Consultants will be offered to those individual consultants whose applications have been evaluated and determined as: (i) meeting the required skills and experience and (ii) having received high scores against the evaluation criteria. Note that references will be checked prior to contracting.
Successful candidates will be included in the Roster of Consultants for a period of 3 years with option for renewal. Entry into the consultant roster system does not mean that a contract with UNICEF is guaranteed. This will depend on forthcoming needs. Where a request for services arises, UNICEF offices will approach the selected consultants from the roster with a specific Terms of Reference outlining the assignment and check with consultants for their interest and availability.
Candidates are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for the roster, a pool of consultants available for assignments during 2021-2023. Applications should be submitted online by 31 July 2021.

Administrative issues
The consultant will use their own equipment including computer to produce deliverables. All communications shall be done through available, and UNICEF recommended virtual platforms.

Risks
As some assignments may be remote, there is the potential risk that the deliverables will not be met in a timely manner. To mitigate this, regular calls and email touchpoints between the consultant and the supervisors will be conducted to check in on progress and address any potential bottlenecks.

Conditions
• As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, “subject to a maximum of 30% of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary”
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for the individual contract.

Core Values
• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Accountability

Competencies
• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply online using the button below. As part of their application, candidates should provide:
1. Cover letter describing your qualifications and past experiences (maximum 2 pages), which very clearly indicates your daily rate in USD
2. Curriculum vitae (maximum 4 pages)
3. Names and contacts of three referees (current and former supervisors).