National Consultant on community RMNCAH for UN Joint Programme

UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Lao PDR, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government to realize children’s rights on survival, development, protection and participation.

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, support

UNICEF in Vientiane, Lao PDR is looking for an UN Joint Programme National Consultant on community RMNCAH. The duration of this assignment is 11 months, starting as soon as possible. The consultant will be based at the Government Office (MOH/DHHP).  

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

The Consultant will support various streams of work on community based RMNCAH. This

will include the following:

1. Provide technical support for Coordination of MoH Departments and Units responsible for community RMNCAH.

• Technical support to the PHC Division, Ministry of Health, in coordinated planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on community RMNCAH in collaboration with all relevant units in Provincial and District Health Offices and UNJP partners.
• Provide support for coordination with relevant Health Departments, Centres, Strategic Objective (SO) sub-committee for community RMNCAH and assist the PHC Division in convening quarterly technical meetings of SO6 sub-committee with relevant stakeholders on community RMNCAH.

2. Provide support to MOH PHC Division to build linkages and feedback of lessons learned between national and sub-national level on community RMNCAH.

• Facilitate linkages, strengthen coordination and communication between Central and sub-national level on community based RMNCAH interventions.
• Provide support to convene online quarterly review meetings with target provinces and districts to monitor the progress made towards the implementation of community RMNCAH activities and facilitate acceleration of implementation.

3. Provide support to provincial focal points in the implementation of community RMNCAH and ensure that supported interventions at national and community level reinforce each other.

• Provide support to provincial focal points in UNJP focus provinces (Bokeo, Bolikhamxay and Savannakhet) in rolling-out the VHV toolkit and community RMNCAH activities.
• Undertake field visits to provinces and districts to support the capacity building of sub-national health staff in organizing VHV training, conduct regular monitoring and supportive supervision visits to trained VHVs.
• Assist in development of demonstration Video on RMNCAH counselling for VHV home visit that will be used for improving quality of VHV training and counselling during home visit.

4. Facilitate collaboration between local authorities and the health sector to strengthen local health governance and community engagement, including building enabling environment for village health volunteers (VHVs) to function as expected by the MoH.

• Coordination and technical support for community-based activities with ongoing CONNECT (Community Network Engagement for Essential health services and COVID-19 responses through Trust) Initiative for coherent approach to local health governance and community engagement in UNJP focus provinces.
• Assist to review the existing guidelines on quarterly community meeting for building linkages with communities and strengthening community engagement.
• Support provinces and district teams in rolling out of quarterly community meetings in target provinces.

5. Other related tasks assigned by supervisor.

For the planning purpose, the timelines have been indicated in the table below. However, the actual timelines will be agreed with the successful applicant based on the technical and financial proposal. The deliverables will require extensive planning and travel to the field to achieve the deliverables throughout the consultancy period. Therefore, the lumpsum cost has been derived/estimated accordingly.

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

• Post-graduate degree in Medicine, Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development or another relevant area. 

Qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills:

• At least five years of relevant experience in planning, coordination, and implementation of community primary health care health with a specific focus on community RMNCAH.
• Experience of working with MoH on Village Health volunteers would be an advantage.
• Experience in facilitating community- based workers training would be an advantage.
• Have hands-on experience of managing community health including community based RMNCAH would be an advantage.
• Familiarity with the Lao PDR community health system context is required.
• The ability to work and collaborate with Government, UN agencies and NGOs.
• Experience in providing technical assistance to the government staff and capacity building activities.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and have the initiative to work independently to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical, report writing and communication skills.

Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents:

• Letter of Interest (cover letter)
• CV or Resume
• Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available)
• Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost, including travel, accommodation cost and insurance with Medevac for this assignment as per work assignment

Assessment Criteria:

1.  Technical Evaluation (75 points)

Degree Education in ………. (15 points)

• Post-graduate degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development or another relevant area.

Knowledge of ……….. (15 points)

• Primary health care including community based RMNCAH
• Facilitating skills for training of village health volunteers.
• Communication and counselling skills.
• Community engagement.
• Social behaviour change.

Experience in ……… (30 points)

• At least three years of relevant experience in planning, coordination, and implementation of community based primary health care at central and sub-national level with a specific focus on community RMNCAH.
• Have hands-on experience of managing community health including community based RMNCAH.

• Experience in providing technical assistance to the government staff and capacity building activities.

Quality of past work (15 points)

• Assessment of previous work including written and analytical skills
• Reference checks

2. Financial Proposal (25 points)

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened /evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 60 points score in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview, if required.

Please find the TOR here:  TOR UNJP national consultant central level for VA.pdf

Financial proposal template to be fill by candidate:  Financial Proposal Template-updated Oct 2024.doc 

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.

View our competency framework at here

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. 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: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.