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, hope.

 

Consultancy Title: Writer/Editor, Public Health Emergency Team

Section/Division/Duty Station: Health PD, PHE Team, NYHQ

Duration: 6 months

 

About UNICEF

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 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.

BACKGROUND

Epidemics affect livelihoods, disrupt public service delivery and undermined economic growth and human rights. At the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is realizing, once again, the need to take urgent measures to be collectively and institutionally more resilient and better prepared for future health emergencies. For UNICEF, these crises highlight the need for the organization to strengthen its capacity as a reliable partner in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

UNICEF has worked to respond to many types of health emergencies over the past decades and understands the complexities of this type of response. The organization’s unique attributes enable it to serve as an effective partner for national governments in developing and implementing multi-sectoral emergency responses. Arguably, UNICEF is the best placed agency to bring forth essential changes to epidemic preparedness and response through its proven expertise in key sectors (i.e. community health, primary health, immunization, WASH, Risk Communication and Community Engagement, Education, Supply systems, etc.) and steer global health out of exclusive bio-medical models.

Since September 2015, the Public Health Emergencies Program (previously known as Health Emergency Preparedness Initiative – HEPI), has led this work for the agency, while supporting the response to high-profile epidemics globally.

UNICEF has become a leading organization in PHE preparedness and response and partner with communities, governments (specially at the regional/district level), non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and other UN agencies. UNICEF provides leadership in the response through its cross-sectoral approach and programming expertise, including in:

• Integrated Multidisciplinary Outbreak Analytics
• Health & nutrition
• Infection Prevention & Control and WASH
• Risk Communication & Community engagement
• Psycho-Social Support
• Gender responsive programming
• Supply & Logistics support

In addition to the PHE control response, UNICEF works equally hard to address the impacts of   the pandemic on continuity of essential social services that support children’s health and wellbeing such as education.

Purpose & Rationale

The recently completed internal UNICEF’s Humanitarian Review states the need for better internal understanding of UNICEF’s work on public health emergencies, and how the multiple sectors that contribute to the Public Health Emergency Program articulate themselves.

The 2020 UNICEF Core Commitments for Children include, for the first time, a section specific to Public Health Emergency crises, setting a unique opportunity to build a wider understanding of UNICEF’s key preparedness and response actions both internally and with our partners. 

Backed up by these initiatives and fueled by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Public Health Emergencies team aims to take stock of UNICEF’s experience in preparedness and response and apply the lessons learned to prevent, prepare for and respond to future public health emergencies. To achieve that, the team will draft and disseminate several briefings and thought pieces, in collaboration with all PHE stakeholders at HQ and regional offices.

This consultancy will focus in supporting the PHE team in the writing of key technical documents and briefings, and facilitate internal discussion, to elaborate a body of knowledge on UNICEF’s role and experience in public health emergencies. The audience of such documentation is both internal (i.e. leadership briefings, coordination, technical assistance) and external (i.e. coordination with partners, fund-raising, technical advocacy).

 Terms of Reference / Deliverables

More specifically, the consultant will support the development of the following products:

• Finalize draft PHE team guidance, briefs or scientific reviews
• Compile a weekly/bi-weekly activity report for the PHE team
• Compile, edit and prepare for publications a series of briefings on the Public Health Emergencies program and PHE team, including:
  • What are public health emergencies, what is UNICEF role on them
  • Way of working in preparedness and response to public health emergencies
  • Main achievements of the PHE team/program in previous years, activity reports
  • Investment case for donors, and other briefing materials for external partners and donors
  • Advocacy materials for a multi-sectorial approach to prevention, preparedness for and response to public health emergencies
• Support the preparatory work for the elaboration of the team’s strategy to be provided as part of the UNCEF Strategic Plan 2022-2026
• Compile and edit a 2020 report for the PHE team
• Additional briefings upon request

Some of the expected items are regular (reports, ad hoc briefing notes), and others are one-off deliverables (set of briefings on PHE for diverse audiences).

The consultant will regularly interact with the technical experts of the PHE team to receive the necessary technical references, documents and explanations upon which the items will be produced. Enough time should and will be allocated to the consultant to perform the items in accordance with agreed deadlines. It is possible that some products will be asked upon a very short notice (e.g.: last minute briefing notes asked by the senior management), in this case and in agreement with the head of the team, priority will be given to the completion of the concerned task. He/she will also collaborate with technical experts across sections and divisions to compile technical briefings and provide feedback for review. Deliverables by the consultant will only be disseminated after review and approval by the supervisor or the Principal Advisor, PHE, both for internal and external documents.

Deliverables and reporting requirements

Type of expected item    Purpose               Frequency

Set of programme strategy reference documents. Among others:

– PHE Definition and UNICEF Role in PHE,

– Presentation/summary of PHE toolkit (brochure/flyer type),

– Support to capacity building materials originating from the PHE toolkit initiative,

– SOP for the operationalization of the PHE toolkit

– Strategic guidance for preparedness and response to PHEs                         

 – Communication material for fundraising purposes.        Internal and external      One-time, but with regular review and update

PHE team Activity report              Internal weekly

Ad hoc briefing notes     Internal Upon request

2020 Annual report         Public    One-time

The consultant will work from home, following the regular UNICEF working hours’ schedule and will report to the Principal Advisor, Public Health Emergencies.

Deadlines for deliverables will be agreed and indicated. However, the consultant is expected to work on more than 1 deliverable in a simultaneous fashion. Payment will be made on a monthly basis, based on a monthly report outlining actual number and type of items delivered.

Products will be uploaded to the relevant page on an online SharePoint Team site, which has been developed to support the PHE area of work.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in relevant field (Public Health, Social Sciences, Humanitarian Affairs, Journalism…)
• 5 to 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in programming, writing, development planning.
• Basic knowledge of public health emergencies as well as institutional knowledge of UNICEF programmes in emergencies
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex international development concepts for multiple audiences (UNICEF, UN, donors) 
• Demonstrated experience in writing for a variety of audiences including the UN and donors (both private and public sector). Experience working with UNICEF in the capacity of a writer is an asset and will be strongly considered.
• The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and Lotus Notes.
• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
• Fluency in English is required.

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• 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 consultant’s 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 demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.