Health Specialist – Community Health Roadmap (P-4), # 00117786, Health Section, PG – New York HQ (Temporary Appointment 364days)

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.

 

UNICEF Program Group is currently undergoing organizational changes; therefore, the exact location of the post has yet to be determined. Selected candidates may be required to commence duties remotely until the location is confirmed. If reassigned or relocated to New York, candidates may be expected to relocate to a new location again during the initial contract or assignment period. When working remotely, candidate will be expecting to fulfill their functions during NYHQ core working hours (10AM-4PM) unless agreed otherwise by Hiring Office

UNICEF in collaboration with other partners (notably USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, World Health Organization and the Community Health Acceleration Partnership at the Office of the WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy) established the Community Health Roadmap as a country-driven, partner-supported platform for coordinated investment that defines, elevates and advances priorities and initiatives aimed at strengthening community-health systems with an initial focus on 15 countries. The Community Health Roadmap will now be hosted within UNICEF with an opportunity to leverage UNICEF’s leadership, convening and technical capacities at global, regional and country levels to enhance advocacy for increased investments in PHC including through strengthening of community health systems.

For every child, good health….

You will be responsible for the overall management of the Community Health Roadmap platform within UNICEF as a global/regional partnership fostering coherent and increased investments for community health aligned to country priorities. Specifically, you will manage the day-to-day operations of the Community Health Roadmap, including coordinating country and partner engagement, strengthen linkages with other initiatives and support improved access to country specific data for strategic decision making. This will also include technical support to governments in the implementation of their community health country priorities and in tracking progress in the institutionalization of community health.

 How can you make a difference?

Community Health Roadmap is strengthened as a global partnership platform for community health with robust linkages to other technical and advocacy networks

• Lead in strengthening the functionality of the Community Health Roadmap as a global platform that champions increased investments for community health. Expands the Roadmap’s engagement of partner institutions and country stakeholders and strengthening its linkages with other global / regional networks.
• Work with respective partners (USAID, BMGF, WHO, RF and others) to establish a long-term vision, diversification of the partners and governance mechanism for the Roadmap.
• Lead in regularly convening key Roadmap stakeholders around an agenda informed by country priorities for institutionalizing community health whilst informing global and regional stakeholder convenings to ensure sustained advocacy and bridging of knowledge gaps   

Global advocacy and partnerships for increased investments in community health are strengthened

• Work closely with USAID, BMGF, WHO and other key partners to advocate for increased investments in accelerating access to primary health care through robust community health systems. Engage actively with global/regional partnerships and coordination platforms to strengthen linkages with the Community Health Roadmap.
• Coordinate and convenes periodic investor dialogues to facilitate collaboration, alignment, and optimization of resources for primary health care at community level.
• Review and evaluates existing health program funding mechanisms (e.g. GF, GFF) for opportunities to increase and better align resource allocation towards expanded service delivery at community level.
• Galvanize efforts towards the establishment of a catalytic fund mechanism that enables Community Health Roadmap countries access flexible, catalytic resources to address community health system bottlenecks

Country engagement is enhanced and sustained to give visibility to country priorities and progress in institutionalizing community health

• Sustain a strong country engagement process with the 15 Community Health Roadmap countries that links focal points from respective ministries of health, in-country coordination mechanisms, UNICEF country offices and USAID Missions with various global/regional initiatives to give visibility and ensure alignment to country priorities for community health

Technical assistance to countries to strengthen primary health care at community level is provided, including the development and adaptation of global guidance and tools

• Coordinate and contributes to the provision of technical assistance to the Roadmap countries with a focus on community health costing and financing, strengthening of the community health workforce, strategy / policy and system design and improving measurement and data analytics
• Support the development and delivery of technical and programme global guidance and tools with an emphasis on facilitate robust country engagement in the development and dissemination of global goods

Country-specific community health data is made accessible and is used for strategic decision making at global, regional and country levels

• Lead in the maintenance and expansion of the Community Health Roadmap Knowledge Hub as a real time central repository and intelligent data dashboard of critical country specific community health data 
• Promote the uptake and use of the Knowledge Hub at global, regional and country levels to inform strategic decision making and guide investments for community health. Guides the development and dissemination of key data analytics and insights drawn from the available data.   
• Lead on the routine updating of the country level data available on the Knowledge Hub and facilitates linkages with other PHC / Community Health databases and/or data sources

All required programme proposals and reports are prepared in a timely manner and in compliance with established protocols and procedures

• Ensure timely preparation of donor proposals and reports in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.  Makes technical contributions to the preparation of all programme reports, including ensuring that expenditures are in accordance with the approved proposals, budgets and agreements with donors and implementing partners. Provide the necessary information and data for programme analysis, annual reports, and provides guidance and assistance in programme related reporting.

Functionality of the Community Health Roadmap is effectively monitored and evaluated to inform its long-term vision and sustainability

• Lead in monitoring and reporting on the progress of the Community Health Roadmap in achieving its overall objectives and utilizes data to inform strategic decision making in the positioning of the Roadmap.
• Work with partners and country stakeholders to identify metrics for tracking the Roadmap country progress in institutionalizing community health.

Other assigned duties and responsibilities are effectively accomplished

• Assume any other duties and responsibilities assigned as appropriate to the purpose of this post, and delivers the results as required.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Health (preferably with specialized training in health systems strengthening, public health planning, budgeting & costing, health promotion and  education, or epidemiology), Child Development, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines and/or in relevant field is required.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of solid professional work experience at the national and international levels in community / primary health care, health planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health programmes relevant to child survival, thrive and transform agenda is required.
• Professional work experience in a managerial position, or a technical expert position in community health programming and other relevant technical areas of primary health care is required.
• Strong advocacy and communication skills are required.
• Developing country work experience or field work experience is desired.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency is an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here and Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator
• “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.