National Consultant for Documenting processes, lessons learnt and best practices in implementing the intelligent community health information systems in Rwanda, 3 months at UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund: (Deadline 14 December 2022)

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

To learn more about UNICEF work in Rwanda, please visit the country website https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/RWA/ or watch this video about UNICEF work in Rwanda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7B91m5Yzoc

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Under the overall supervision and guidance of UNICEF Rwanda Health Specialist and Chief of Health the consultant will document lessons learnt, challenges, best practices and recommendations regarding the forementioned iCoHS investments in the areas of strengthening of: a) Community Health Policy and Interventions; b) Community Health Information Systems; and c) Redesign and effective use of digital health technologies at community level.

Best practices will be aligned with and inform improvements to the Community Health Strategic Plan 2022-2027, including prioritized questions regarding efficacy of:

1. The new integrated Polyvalent community health package: CHWs with capacity to implement integrated polyvalent package, pertinence, quality and feasibility of competency-based assessment of CHWs skills, motivation, reduction of workload and the practical aspects of prolonged training program.
2. Strengthening institutionalization, capacity and coordination of Community program at cell level through second generation health posts (SGHPs): It’s important to know the obstacles and facilitating factors to implement this collaboration, whether or not it is impacting access to services, the division of labor between CHWs and SGHPs (complementary packages of services) as adopted by national guidelines, and gaps or unnecessary inclusions in the service package.
3. Supply chain management: The frequency of stock outs at different levels of service provision (HC, HP, and CHWs), and which management mechanisms can or do prevent these stock outs?
4. Legal framework: Is the MOH proposing the enactment of the law to govern the CHWs profession? What are Positive and negative effects of the application of ministerial instruction regarding CHWs? Missing aspects in the new/existing guidelines?
5. Involvement of the District Management team: Document best practices in districts to effectively manage community health program in terms of planning, implementation, resource mobilization (budgeting). Level of community participation in the delivery of community health services? How have/have not/can different community health platforms (DHIS-2 applications, RapidPro, eLearning, DGHPs/ community EMR) play in data use, individual case/programme monitoring, management, planning and decision making for health facilities and community interventions?
6. Community Health Program financing: Document contributions from different funding sources to the common basket for CHP, improvement of the financial performance of CHWs cooperatives and recurring challenges, feasibility of introducing saving and loan schemes within CHWs cooperatives, results of innovative strategies for resource mobilization (private sector involvement, private, social, community health insurance schemes).
7. Comité de pilotage: Documentation of the role of the comité de pilotage in community needs assessment and accountability of CHWs towards communities they serve.
8. Digitalization: Functionality of eLearning, RapidPro, reporting, communication tools, and the capacity of CHWs to use these sophisticated tools?

A steering committee will be formed and meet regularly to review and guide documentation, develop and finalize a list of prioritized topics of investigation.

Scope of Work:

1. Desk Review of existing background materials (reports, strategic documents and analysis data HMISs).
2. Inception Report outlining proposed approach for conducting assessment, key informants, methodology, specific tasks and implementation timelines.
3. Key Informant Interview Guides and Assessment Protocol developed and shared with Steering Committee for validation
4. Conducting assessment; draft analytical preliminary report to be shared with Steering Committee for validations/interpretation of findings/and review of recommendations.
5. Prepare final documentation (3 short case studies per area highlighting implementation, key lessons and recommendations; plus consolidated report, power point presentation and improvement plan).

Tasks/Milestone:

• Prepare an inception report with clear plan of action, including plan for desk review, methodology, tools, and timeline (including process of review, inputs, and validation by the steering committee). Get input from the steering committee and finalize.
• Develop content from desk review and results from desk reviews and field into zero draft report and submit it to a technical steering committee for review and inputs. Get input from community and digital health TWGs.
• Incorporate inputs from the community and digital health Technical Working Groups and submit a draft report to RBC.
• Compile feedback/inputs/comments; present to RBC/MOH; finalize.
• Submit final approved report and presentation with annexes to UNICEF.

Deliverables and Payments:

• Deliverable 1: 20%
  • Inception report with key Informant Interview questionnaires and Assessment Protocol
  • • Deliverable 1: 40%
      • Draft preliminary analytical report with data charts, methodology, results from the field, and improvement plan shared with Steering Committee and Community Health TWG for review and inputs.
    • Deliverable 3: 40%
      • Final documentation report with 3 short case studies per area highlighting implementation, key lessons and recommendations and a summary power point presentation.

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

    Education : An advanced university degree (Master’s ) in public health, social or other relevant fields. A PhD will be an asset.

    Work Experience:

    • Minimum of 8 years of relevant professional work experience at national and international level in analysis and/or research and/or communication/advocacy in public health, digital health, primary health care, community health programming
    • Extensive experience producing timely and high-quality analytical evaluations/research/studies on public health initiatives in Rwanda, region or similar settings elsewhere.
    • Extensive experience in writing project documentation
    • Fluent in English (writing, reading and speaking).
    • Knowledge of the Rwandan health system or experience working in Rwandan is an advantage.

    Key Competencies:

    • Excellent analytical, communication, advocacy and research skills.
    • Computer literacy, especially MS Office programmes, is required;
    • Fluency in English, French and Kinyarwanda

    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: 

    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.

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