Consultant – Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) documentation. Req #

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Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Consultant – Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) documentation

Section/Division/Duty Station: Immunization – Health Section – PG – NYHQ

Duration: 1 February 2024 – 30 April 2024

Home/ office Based: 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. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, 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:

In 1974, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), governments and collaborating NGOs initiated the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). This visionary initiative was set out to protect children worldwide from deadly diseases like measles, polio, and diphtheria through widespread vaccination efforts. Since its inception, the EPI has played a pivotal role in reducing child mortality by over 80%, saving innumerable lives.

This accomplishment, spanning from the eradication of smallpox to the elimination of two-thirds of polio strains, ranks as one of humanity’s most profound success stories. It demanded immense coordination, unwavering political determination and the tireless work of thousands — often in harsh conditions. While many may be unfamiliar with the name or the existence of the EPI, it is the reason billions of us exist today.

The 50th anniversary of the EPI coincides with a time when, due largely to disruptions caused by COVID-19, conflicts, and climate change, new outbreaks of childhood diseases are reemerging. In the past three years alone, a staggering 67 million children missed their routine vaccinations, marking the most significant setback in three decades. Simultaneously, trust in vaccines and the institutions responsible for their delivery has waned, leaving more children vulnerable and tragically resulting in loss of life. Understanding the evolution, accomplishments, and challenges of the EPI is not only essential for appreciating the immense significance of childhood immunization, but also for addressing current crises like pandemics and climate change.

Historically, UNICEF played a pivotal role in the advocacy, design, implementation, and monitoring of immunization. And using the opportunity of EPI@50, UNICEF intends to celebrate, strategize and create a vision for a future EPI, advocate, establish new partnerships, optimize its operations and ensure that UNICEF is fit for future.

The initiative’s primary objective is to develop a detailed account of UNICEF’s role and participation in EPI and role in vaccination as a whole – tracing milestones, shifts, shortcomings, and triumphs that will also inform and serve as the backbone for multiple knowledge products. EPI@50 also aims to gather essential documents and chronicle the experiences of former and current staff, healthcare workers, scientists, and leaders who, over the past five decades, have tirelessly worked to ensure every child receives life-saving vaccines.

The Senior Health Advisor within the Immunization Strategy & Management unit will be the contract supervisor for the assignment.

Scope of Work:

Immunization Section’s goal is to generate a historical account of UNICEF’s immunization work and its contribution to global vaccination efforts. The envisaged scope of work includes:

1. Compiling key milestones in the history of immunization and EPI;
2. Developing a framework for capturing UNICEF’s qualitative contribution to global immunization efforts and EPI;
3. Identifying and establishing a repository of key documents (such as strategies, policies, agreements and others) that might be relevant for the history of the programme, including documents produced by UNICEF;
4. Capturing and documenting UNICEF’s contributions to global immunization efforts and EPI, including the development of a timeline with key dates and benchmarks. Among other things, this will include the identification and interviewing of UNICEF employees (current and former), health workers, and other key informants that could provide critical knowledge and information about the programme (and recording)
5. Development of a report with the full account of UNICEF’s qualitative contribution to EPI, as well as an editorial to be signed by UNICEF’s ED and published in multiple media.

The consultant is expected to work under the supervision of the Senior Immunization Advisor, and in collaboration with staff in the Division of Data and Analytics, the Division of Global Communication and Advocacy.

Reference documents:

• History of the future
• 1946–2006: Sixty Years for Children
• UNICEF’s Immunization Roadmap
• A Brief History of Vaccination

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Agreed structure of the final report and methodology for interviews, draft repository of documents developed.      – By12 February 2024
• Framework for capturing UNICEF’s contributions to EPI developed.

Framework and structure for interviews with staff presented. – By 20 February 2024

• Draft document repository, including interview records presented. – By 1 March 2024
• Draft report, Draft editorial for UNICEF ED developed. By 15 March 2024
• Final report, Editorial for UNICEF ED and Repository of Documents developed. By 30 April 2024

Qualifications

Education:

A Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Health, Knowledge Management, History or related fields

Work experience:

• At least ten years of experience in the area of communications with demonstrated ability to conduct research, documentation and interviews;
• Experience in investigating and documenting public health topics and/or immunization are considered an asset;
• Experience with editorials and publications in large medias is considered an asset

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong writing and communication skills in English.

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. 

Remarks:  

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.