Consultancy: Consultant for Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative – Req. #574324

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VA Template for Consultants and Individual Contractors

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Consultant for Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme Strategy and Coordination Hub, Programme Group– NYHQ

Duration: 31 August 2024 to 30 June 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ/ Remote

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment: 

Since 1991, the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has helped to motivate facilities providing maternity and newborn services worldwide to better support breastfeeding. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the BFHI focuses on providing optimal clinical care for new mothers and their infants. There is substantial evidence that implementing the Ten Steps significantly improves breastfeeding rates.

In 2018, UNICEF and WHO released a guide for global BFHI implementation: Implementation Guidance: Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding in maternity and newborn services facilities: the revised Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. This guidance emphasizes scaling up to universal coverage and ensuring sustainability over time by fully integrating BFHI into the health system. The guidance also recommends strengthening existing standards of care based on the updated ten steps.  Between 10 to 13 National Committees are currently, or have been in the past, engaged with and supporting BFHI as part of their advocacy and fundraising efforts in HICs. For most of the National Committees, this ‘platform initiative’ has been a long-standing programme that has given UNICEF’s National Committees significant visibility. 

In 2023, as part of a broader effort to strengthen alignment with existing UNICEF programme guidance and standards (including Guidance for Programming in HICs) and based on the parameters set out in the Cooperation Agreement, UNICEF’S Programme Group (PG) has been working with National Committees, in collaboration with the Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP), to assess the alignment, relevance and appropriateness of specific activities including BFHI.

The purpose of the consultant is to analyse and enhance the current arrangements in National Committees related to BFHI, and to define a change management strategy with actionable programme recommendations. Additionally, the consultant will support the identification of solutions to bottlenecks and facilitate learning between National Committees. Travel may be required for this consultancy and will be determined by the supervisor and Reference Group (see below).

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the PG (Programme Strategy and Coordination Hub and Maternal and Child Nutrition) and in collaboration with PFP (Child Rights Advocacy Unit), where appropriate, the consultant will undertake the following:

•     Build and elaborate on the existing analysis of the current diverse programmatic and other arrangements in National Committees concerning BFHI.  This analytical piece is expected to provide a more detailed analysis of the operational modalities, arrangements, and role(s) of each National Committee.

•     In consultation with the National Committees engaged in BFHI, PG and PFP, define and support a change management strategy for the given context to facilitate a positive and sustainable way forward. This should specifically include programme recommendations that: i) highlight the implications of the revised guidelines on National Committees activities and ii) facilitate realignment of the National Committees activities where needed, through the identification of evidence-based approaches and concrete entry points to pursue an advocacy-focused agenda aligned to their remit and value proposition, recognizing that UNICEF’s role in advocating with governments in these (high-income) contexts to integrate the ten steps into quality of care standards.

•     Provide support for identifying solutions to bottlenecks and facilitate learning between National Committees.

Activities and Tasks:

1.   Initial desk review and consultation with key staff members (list to be provided).

2.   Submit the findings of the desk review and a draft change management strategy.

3.   Based on feedback, agree on timelines and workplan with clear deliverables based on the scope outlined above. 

4.   Attend regular meetings with key stakeholders including as part of consultation and group learning.

This should include the specific elements noted under ‘scope of work’ most notably:

•     Build on the existing mapping and analysis of current BFHI activities in each National Committee engaged in the initiative.

•     Develop a set of programme recommendations (based on the implications of the revised WHO and UNICEF 2018 guidelines) and evidence-based approaches and entry points to elevate individual and collective advocacy-focused interventions.

•     Based on the first two points, define and support a change management strategy for the given context to facilitate a positive and sustainable way forward.

•     Provide bilateral support to the National Committees engaged in the initiative based on demand for the implementation of programme recommendations and agreed actions. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

• Build on the existing mapping and analysis of current BFHI activities in each National Committee engaged in the initiative.

Initial desk review conducted.

A set of programme recommendations developed (based on the implications of the revised WHO and UNICEF 2018 guidelines) and evidence-based approaches and entry points to elevate individual and collective advocacy-focused interventions.   

30 Oct 2024

• Based on the first two points, define and support a change management strategy for the given context to facilitate a positive and sustainable way forward

A change management strategy that outlines the roadmap for the development and advancement of the initiative and learning between National Committees on the BFHI.

The strategy should be consultative developed and communicated to the National Committees, through an email and a knowledge product such as 1-2 pager.   

30 Nov 2024

Based on the feedback of the internal reference group and key stakeholders (notably the National Committees engaged in the initiative) agree on a timeline and workplan with clear deliverables based on the scope outlined above.              Workplan which outlines:

•   Initiatives and activities to advance the BFHI in respective contexts.

•   Activities that institutionalize learning between National Committees on the BFHI.

•   Activities that capacitate, disseminate information, and other sensitization activities of National Committees.  

31 Jan 2025

• Support the implementation of the approved workplan with the National Committees engaged in the initiative based on demand. Specific timelines and activities may vary from one National Committee to another.

Provide bilateral support to the National Committees engaged in the initiative based on the demand for the implementation of programme recommendations, overall change management strategy and agreed actions. Activities include:

•     Socializing the workplan and building buy-in among National Committees by holding a webinar to present the strategy and workplan and facilitate a group discussion among them, gathering feedback to improve the presented documents.

•     Meeting each National Committee at least twice to provide individual support (and more where required).

•     Review and provide substantial inputs and feedback to strategy documents of each of the National Committees. And where required, facilitate the development of Theories of Change/change management processes and programme strategies as determined in the workplan above.       

30 June 2025

Travel for meetings, capacity building activities, as needed.       

Reports as needed.

Qualifications

(1) Education

• Master’s degree in nutrition (in particular maternal and child nutrition), public health, health systems, health policy advocacy. A background in legislation and law connected to breastfeeding, maternal and newborn services is also desirable.

(2) Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Skills:

English both oral and written is a must.

Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents is required.

Work experience:

Minimum eight (8) years progressively responsible professional level experience in nutrition, public health, health systems, health policy advocacy or public health related law. 

Experience facilitating change management and system strengthening is an asset.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.