National Consultant for Maternal Health – United Nations Children’s Fund – New Delhi

BACKGROUND

Quality of maternal and newborn health care service provision is key to optimal health outcomes and reduction of maternal and newborn mortality. Quality maternal and newborn health is a human right, as well as a pre-condition and a determinant of newborn, child and adolescent health, assuring sustainable development.

Among the key factors/inputs that impact the quality of maternal and newborn care service provision is the availability of functional water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities and practices including and especially handwashing at key service outlets for maternal and newborn service delivery including antenatal, intrapartum, post-partum and newborn care units. Maternal and new born infections/sepsis are among the most important causes of maternal and newborn mortality. Sepsis is directly responsible for 11% of maternal deaths in India (SRS 2001-2003) and 15% of newborn mortality. Poor WASH infrastructure as well as lack of adherence to WASH principles by providers as well as clients leads to high infections rates. GoI MOHFW and MDWS have instituted guidelines and initiatives to improve WASH in health facilities including the Kayakalp, Swachh Bharat Guidelines for WASH in health facilities and the recently launched Swachh Swast Sarvatra (SSS) initiative. Quality of care and standardization of labour rooms is also a key intervention towards improving maternal and new born services at referral units and improving maternal and new born survival.

The model labour room initiative supported by UNICEF at 107 high priority districts aims to provide support to strengthening standardization of labour rooms at first referral units.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched ‘LaQshya’ initiative, which is intended to improve the Quality of Care in Labour Rooms & Maternity Wards, Operation Theatres in Government Medical Colleges, District Hospitals, Sub- District Hospitals and other high case – load health facilities. The initiative also aims to certify and incentivise the facilities which comply to the targets. This will help in motivating the service providers too, for achieving the quality standards in labour rooms, assess and submit their requirements in the Annual Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) and many of these would be budgeted under the health system strengthening section of the NHM.

LaQshya programme provides the opportunity and platform for integration and in long term transition of model labour room initiative supported by UNICEF as part of the mainstream government reporting mechanism. Assuring improvement in WASH functionality of labour room and post-natal wards is among the major goals of the LaQshya integrated quality improvement initiative. LaQshya presents a major programmatic opportunity to improve WASH in health care facilities functioning at high delivery points across the country in a short time frame. LaQshya implementation framework is within 2018-19 coinciding with UNICEF two year RWP of support to MoHFW. UNICEF WASH in health care facilities support should be further aligned and integrated with MoHFW initiatives including LaQshya for enhanced results and eventual integration into the health system ensuring sustainability of results achieved.

In view of the expanded scope of activities the RCH section intends to support on WASH and strengthening of model labour rooms, a consultant is required to support the implementation of ongoing and new WASH initiatives including identifying and linking UNICEF WASH in health facilities support to relevant Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maternal Health Division national and state initiatives with focus on strengthening WASH component of the program in the UNICEF supported high priority districts.

PURPOSE

Provide technical and program support to the implementation of the UNICEF India CO RCH Section strengthening WASH in health facilities activities as well as support to strengthening model labour rooms at district hospitals and community health centres and ensure linkage, streamlining and integration of UNICEF support with similar national and state initiatives including LaQshya.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the consultancy are to assist implementation and strengthening WASH compliance at health facilities with focus on high priority districts of the country including

Support improvement of WASH functionality at 1105 delivery points at 107 high priority districts through timely implementation of quarterly WASH supportive supervision and strengthening
Support strengthening of model labour rooms at district hospitals and community health centres in high priority districts of the country
Support coordination of UNICEF WASH in health facility support with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maternal Health Division maternal health initiatives in order to coordinate and align the support with relevant national and State initiatives and ensure eventual integration into the health system and sustainability

4. MAJOR TASKS/DELIVERABLES:

Support the improvement of WASH functionality at 1105 delivery points in 107 high priority districts in the country through the timely implementation of quarterly supportive supervision on WASH
Working closely with UNICEF state officers to assure timely implementation of quarterly supportive supervision on WASH at 1105 health facilities based on the WASH checklist
Collate, analyse and share the results of the quarterly supportive supervision to State health teams
Support state health teams to work closely with district health management in developing WASH improvement action plans based on the quarterly supportive supervision results
Provide quarterly summary reports to RCH Section on the results of the quarterly supportive supervision and progressive trends on improvement
Support strengthening of model labour rooms at district hospitals and community health centres across 107 high priority districts.
Working closely with UNICEF state officers to assure timely implementation of quarterly supportive supervision on MLR at all high priority districts
Collate, analyse and share the results of the quarterly supportive supervision to State health teams
Support state health teams to work closely with district health management in developing MLR improvement action plans based on the quarterly supportive supervision results
Provide quarterly summary reports to RCH Section on the results of the quarterly supportive supervision and progressive trends on improvement
Support coordination of UNICEF WASH in health facility support with similar Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Maternal Health Division initiatives in order to coordinate and align the support with relevant national and State initiatives and ensure eventual integration into the health system. Consultant will work in close collaboration with Maternal Health Division, MoHFW in order to assure this objective of the assignment.
END-PRODUCTS

The following periodic and end consultancy deliverables are expected on each of the three objectives of the consultancy: Deliverable : a. Support improvement of WASH functionality at 1105 delivery points at 107 high priority districts through timely implementation of quarterly WASH supportive supervision and strengthening

Deliverable:

Monthly detailed progress report on support provided to health section WASH support
Quarterly report on results/trends of WASH supportive supervision indicating the progressive improvement in WASH functionality at 1105 delivery points
b. Support strengthening of model labour rooms at district hospitals and community health centres across 107 high priority districts.

Deliverable:

Monthly detailed progress report on support provided to health section MLR support
Quarterly report on results/trends of MLR supportive supervision indicating the progressive improvement in MLR at 107 high priority districts
c. Monthly report on support provided to coordinate WASH initiative with MoHFW Maternal health division overall WASH support

a. Monthly progress report on support provided to linking and streamlining of UNICEF WASH in health facilities support to MoHFW initiative

SUPERVISOR

The consultant will report to the Health Specialist, UNICEF ICO RCH Section and work in close coordination with Maternal Health Division, MOHFW

DURATION

Three months from start date of the consultancy

PAYMENT TERMS

Payment is linked to receipt and satisfactory acceptance of deliverables.
Travel expenses will be reimbursed at actuals based on receipt of invoices/reports.
Per Diem will be reimbursed at UNICEF consultant rates.
QUALIFICATION, SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Essential: Medical Doctor (MBBS/ BDS) with PG degree in OBGYN/ Public Health or Community Medicine with minimum 4-5 years’ experience of working in the Health Sector, preferably in Maternal Health.

Desirable: Training and expertise on Sanitary Engineering.

Experience: Experience at national and the state level in supporting quality assurance of maternal health program implementation and activities such as skills upgradation of MNH staff, development of guidelines and technical documents, supportive supervision of MNH services at state level and operationalization of facilities is desirable.

Required Competencies:

Strong interpersonal relations, communication and team-work skills
Programme management, capacity building and supervisory support experience
Analytical skills for Data interpretation, program reviews, etc.
Knowledge and proficiency in report writing in English is mandatory
Competency in MS Office including MS Word, Excel , PowerPoint, Internet mandatory
Willingness to provide a substantial amount of his/her time to travel to states for program support
Please submit your online application before COB 21 February 2018.

HOW TO APPLY: Your online application should contain four separate attachments:

A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and also explaining how the qualifications and skill-set of the candidate are suitable for this position (to be uploaded online)
Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online)
A financial proposal indicating deliverable-based professional fee as per template attached below. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (to be uploaded under other supporting documents). Template for Financial Bids WASH Consultant MH.docx
Without the financial proposal template your application will be considered incomplete.

iv) Links to Work Samples – work samples can include relevant reports; publications; chapters in books and related evidence of work (You can either share a file with the links to your work samples or you can upload the documents) (to be uploaded under other supporting documents).

It is critical to submit work samples as you will observe from the advertisement that marks have been assigned to this criteria for arriving at the most suitable candidate

The selection will be on the basis of technical evaluation & financial offer in the ratio of 80:20. The criteria for technical evaluation will be as follows:

1. Cover Letter – explaining the motivation for applying and also explaining how the qualifications and skill-set of the candidate are suitable for this position (8 Min Marks/ 10 Max Marks)

2. Relevant educational qualifications of the candidate (8 Min/ 10 Max)

3. Relevant work experience (16 Min/20Max)

4. Work Samples (8 Min/ 10 Max) – Including Reports of Previous Projects Accomplished; Published Articles; Chapters in Publications; Training manuals produced; other relevant publications

Candidates will be shortlisted for the interview on the basis of the review of sub-criteria 1, 2, 3 and 4 as listed above. The candidates who score overall 40 marks and above against criteria (1 through 4) as well as meet the minimum cut-off in each of the above 4 sub-criteria will be shortlisted for an interview.

5. Interview (24 Min/30 Max)

Total technical score – 80. Minimum overall qualifying score is 64. Only those candidates who meet the overall qualifying marks of 64 as well as score the minimum cut-off in each of the above sub-criteria including the interview will be considered technically responsive and their financials will be opened.

Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
For any clarifications, please contact:

UNICEF

Supply & Procurement Section

73, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003

Telephone # +91-11-24606516 (Direct)

Fax # +91-11-24391410; Email: barora@unicef.org

Please click here to Apply Online

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