L’UNICEF recherche un spécialiste de la poliomyélite pour le Groupe de travail sur le lac Tchad – Communication pour le développement

Closing Date Wed Jun 13 2018 00:55:00 GMT+0100 (Afr. centrale Ouest) 

Job Number: 513666
Locations: Africa: Chad, Africa: Senegal
Work Type : Consultancy

 

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Section:Communication for Development

Title: C4D Polio Specialist for the LCTT

Duty station: N’Djamena- Chad

Reporting to:  Regional advisor C4D

Contract type:SSA, P4

Duration: Six (6) months

Start date: 15 July 2018

 

Background

West and Central Africa has made great progress towards polio eradication.  However, the progress is still fragile, with some outbreaks occurring during the End-Game phase. Wild Polio Virus type 1 (WPV1) was reported in July 2016 in Borno, Nigeria, with a total of 4 cases registered in 2016.  These cases were genetically linked to polioviruses that were circulating in Borno in 2011, thus revealing prolonged undetected indigenous transmission.  Additionally, cases of circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) were detected in March, August and October 2016 in Borno and Sokoto. A recent VDPV2 case was confirmed in April 2018 in Hadejia/ Jigawa in Nigeria, again showing a prolonged undetected transmission. Furthermore, there have been 28 confirmed cases of cVDPV2 notified in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from May 2017 to April 2018.

In their efforts to comply with the polio outbreak response SOPs, the Lake Chad Basin countries’ Ministers of Health (Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Cameroun, Niger and Nigeria) had jointly declared a sub-regional Public Health Emergency during the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for the African Region on 21 August 2016.  Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners (including UNICEF, WHO, CDC, Rotary and BMGF) have established a multi-country Lake Chad Task Force (LCTT) in N’Djamena, with the participation of representatives of partner agencies and governments, to coordinate a large sub-regional response that includes synchronized supplementary immunization activities (SIAs), coupled with cross-border activities and intensified disease surveillance. Interagency outbreak response assessments (OBRAs) have been implemented in March/April and November 2017 to review the quality of the response and its capacity to interrupt the transmission of the virus. A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting was held in N’djamena in November 2017 and made key recommendations to countries and the LCTT. The ongoing outbreak response has provided an opportunity to reach more children through special interventions in the islands, markets, cross border areas, etc, and to strengthen routine immunization in polio priority districts across the Lake Chad region.

In this context, UNICEF Regional Office has a key role to play to ensure that the coordination task team received strong and adequate C4D support, highly contributing to closing the outbreak and eradicate polio in the region. C4D plays a vital role in engaging communities and their leaders around back-to-back oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaigns. Among specific communication objectives in the area are: to bring the necessary information and communicate effectively with mobile populations, including market vendors, traders and nomads; to encourage community based surveillance of the Acute Flask Paralysis; and to inform population about routine immunization that can greatly contribute to the reduction of further campaigns, thus saving money and unnecessary disability and death from vaccine-preventable diseases.

 

Objectives

The purpose of this C4D consultancy is to ensure effective coordination of the communication efforts, as part of the preparedness, implementation and monitoring of polio SIAs in the Lake Chad Basin countries (Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and CAR) and contribute to the improvement of C4D interventions before, during and after SIAs. In this respect, the consultant will provide technical support to the Lake Chad Task Team (LCTT), UNICEF country offices and national governments to plan, implement, monitor and document high quality social mobilization and community engagement activities in support of polio SIAs and in-between campaign activities.

The specific objectives of the consultancy are:

• To coordinate the communication and social mobilization component of the Polio response in LCB countries through regular consultations with the Regional Office, COs, GPEI partners; fostering collaboration and team working between partners, flagging issues of concern and exploring sub-regional solutions in a timely manner
• To provide technical assistance to LCB COs to improve quality of social mobilization and community engagement planning and implementation as part of the Lake Chad response and to strengthen synergies between communication for Polio SIAs and RI.
• To build the capacity of COs’ C4D teams in social mobilization and communication data collection, analysis, reporting, and documentation of best practices and lessons learned from the LCB response and their application thereof to improve C4D strategies, including those aiming to reduce the gaps among missed and ‘hard to reach’ children.

 

Scope of work

On behalf of the UNICEF Regional Office and the regional polio team, and in coordination with UNICEF teams in the LCB countries, the MoH/EPI teams and the LCTT, the incumbent will undertake a roving coordination and technical support role, to help country teams to improve quality and overall performance of the polio communication interventions. This includes the following:

 

Coordination:

• Provide oversight and coordinate the implementation of country-specific OBRA and TAG recommendations on communication and social mobilization, with a specific focus on Chad and CAR.
• Conduct regular consultations with the Regional Office, COs, GPEI partners on issues of concern for polio communication response in LCB.
• Explore sub-regional solutions and strategies to improve communication response.
• Provide periodic updated analysis and reporting on the progress, bottlenecks, results and challenges for communication to the Country Representatives for decision-making and strengthening the accountability framework of the Country Task Forces.
• Coordinate with the COs the update and implementation of the C4D components of Transition (Cameroon and Chad) and Preparedness plans (Niger, Cameroon, CAR and Chad).
• Represent LCB communication teams in meetings and coordination instances and strengthen GPEI partner coordination, joint planning, implementation and monitoring of work plans in the Task Team.
• Support government-led country teams in the five LCB countries to conduct performance reviews.
• Contribute in the weekly outbreak calls and country situation update conference calls.

 

Technical assistance:

• Provide support to 5 LCB COs to develop evidence-based and tailored communication and social mobilization strategies to reach and engage high risk populations and to address main social reasons for missed children.
• Provide technical support to review and evaluate Outbreak Response Plans, based on evidence, analysis of data and in accordance with the performance monitoring and accountability framework, based on the Abuja and the Brazzaville Meetings as well as OBRAs and TAG recommendations.
• Conduct support and monitoring missions to the outbreak response countries to strengthen cross-border, joint SIAs, monitor the quality and timeliness of communication activities, with a special focus on responding to bottlenecks identified by social and communication data analysis, including the progress on reaching mobile, vulnerable and hard to reach and deprived groups.
• Ensure that the country plans for the phase III Lake Chad basin outbreak response have integrated evidence based strategies for community engagement/social mobilization interventions, based on performance and accountability indicators in the M&E framework.
• Review and strengthen country communication strategies to reinforce social accountability for eradication among civil society partners and community-based networks, including by using community radios and platforms etc.

 

Capacity Building

• Strengthen the capacity of selected district health teams (DHT) and heads of Health Centres in the LCB countries in Interpersonal communication.
• Identify the capacity gaps and strengthen the capacity of communication focal points, consultants, DHT, CSO partners in communication for community surveillance, risk communication, monitoring, analysis of social and communication data, and integration of communication into the district microplans.

 

Data collection, analysis, and reporting

• Strengthen reporting mechanisms to ensure timely provision of disaggregated communication and social data, improve reporting templates and ensure integration of CE/SM narrative and data into the periodic reports, bulletins and sitreps of the LCTT.
• Support COs to produce quality analysis of social and communication data of the campaigns and use the results to formulate recommendations for readjustment of strategies.
• Conduct regular analysis of country performance through C4D indicators and provision of feedback to priority districts and country teams for corrective actions.
• Prepare a bi-weekly report to be presented during monitoring calls with WCARO polio team,
• Identify best case studies and lessons learned to be documented, document polio communication experiences in the LCB countries.
• Before, during and after polio campaigns, ensure collection and compilation of C4D data to be shared with the WCARO C4D M&E Specialist for adequate analysis and orientation for countries use on performance reviews and adjustment of plans to be implemented.
• In collaboration with UNICEF Regional Office and the LCTT, develop a template for monthly narrative report and a dashboard on performance for C4D and share monthly updates Ensure timely availability of data/information on C4D indicators from the five LCB outbreak countries that need to be reported in the LCTT sitreps, bulletin and reports and shared with the UNICEF regional office and partners.

 

Deliverables and Schedules (100%)

• Deliverable 1: 25 July (20%)Work plan for C4D coordination in the LCB, is developed in coordination with regional office and Lake Chad Task Team (LCTT).Travel plan.
• Deliverable 2: 26 August (15%) Consolidated analysis of communication and social data from the LCB countries to serve for the development of country strategies.
• Deliverable 3: 26 September (20%) First specific consolidated report on the status of implementation/challenges of recommendations on C4D from OBRAs, TAGs and other high-level meetingsSpecific communication plans/strategies to reach most difficult to reach and convince populations, including those on the islands, in access compromised areas, cross borders, markets and other relevant areas.Countries National Emergency Plans (NEAP) are finalized with adequate communication component reviewed as per GPEI and RO guidance.
• Deliverable 4: 14 December (20%)Plan for documentation of the C4D response in the LCBConsolidated analysis of communication and social data from the LCB countries to serve for the development of country strategies.Second specific consolidated report on the status of implementation/challenges of recommendations on C4D from OBRAs, TAGs and other high-level meetings.
• Deliverable 5: 14 January (25%)Full documentation of case studies, lessons learned and success stories from the LCB polio communication, including a PPT and at case studies, based on previously agreed plan.Final consultancy report. 

Payments

The consultant will be paid based on completion of all deliverables planned. In addition, the consultant will also have to provide monthly report.

Timing

The consultancy will start on July 15, 2018 and will end 15 January 2019

Reporting Requirements

The consultant will report to the Regional Adviser C4D and will work in close collaboration with the Regional Health/Polio Specialist (polio focal point), Regional C4D Polio Specialist P3, and under the overall guidance of the CSD Principal Advisor (Polio Team Lead) of WCARO.

The consultant will provide a monthly activity report, final consultancy report and travel reports both to supervisor and to the Polio team leader.

The consultant will be an integral member of the LCTT based in N’djamena and will work closely with the TT Coordinator.

He will coordinate closely with the management of the 5 COs, as well as with the polio and C4D teams in the 5 LCB countries.

 

Profile Requirements

Education

Advanced university degree in communication, social/behavioural sciences (Sociology, Medical Anthropology, Health and Education), social epidemiology or other relevant areas.   First university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work experience

Eight years of professional experience in communication, public health, social epidemiology, programme management, monitoring and evaluation of social development programmes or another relevant social area.

Experience in developing countries, with practical experience in the adaptation and application of data driven communication planning.

Experience working with emergency programming, disease outbreak response, including preparedness planning, polio eradication and/or with broader immunization is highly desirable.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Excellent communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.
• Good working with people skills, including building team spirit and adapting to new teams and fitting in well.
• Excellent technical expertise in communication for immunization and health.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Drive for results, with capacity to set high standards for quality, monitoring and consistently achieve the proposed goals.
• Formulating strategies and concept, by taking into account of a wide range of issues, and translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
• Good relating and networking skills, easily establishing good relationships within the team and with external partners.
• Fluency in French and English.

 

Administrative Issues

The incumbent will start the consultancy with five working days briefing period with the Regional advisor C4D and the polio team in WCARO (Dakar) and thereafter will be posted in Ndjamena.

The consultant will use his own computer. The consultant will conduct field missions to the LCB countries (at least 50% of time) as well as will organize conference calls and other exchanges with the Country Offices and partners, to coordinate and support remotely.

The consultancy will also include regular conference calls with the Regional Office and HQ.