Home-based in Dushanbe, Tajikistan: National Evaluation Consultant (38 working days; with travel as needed) – Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment

Serve as national evaluation consultant for Evaluation Immunization programming at the system-level in Europe and Central Asia region: Tajikistan Evaluation Report.

Background

As part of organizational learning and accountability towards UNICEF’s result areas, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) planned an evaluation of immunization programming as part of its Regional Office Management Plan, 2022-2025. As a flagship priority, the object of the evaluation was identified as part of the UNICEF ECARO Management Plan, 2022-2025. This is a particularly relevant evaluation given the limited number of health-focused evaluations in the region with only eight since 2017 per UNICEF’s Evaluation and Research Database. With the decreasing rates of immunization coverage, noted disparities within and across countries, and the growing increase in vaccine hesitancy, the evidence emerging from this evaluation will be instrumental to inform the region’s strategic approach to addressing immunization needs at the national and sub-national levels. The evaluation should further interrogate the progress in selected countries with the focus on outcomes and impacts, but also for looking specifically at key common bottlenecks, and exploring where and what types of effective solutions to those bottlenecks have been implemented by national governments including those conducted with support of UNICEF and why they were or were not successful. Therefore, the evaluation will be important for identifying good practices, and sharing experiences on what worked across the region to inform next stages of strengthening immunization programmes.

The purpose of the evaluation is to provide a rigorous assessment of national governments’ in selected countries and UNICEF’s results to date (outcome and impact level) in contributing to the immunization coverage – taking into consideration considerable variability across countries and sectors. This will provide objective assessment of strengths and weaknesses in approaches taken by different countries as well as insights on how to address possible system level bottlenecks. This evaluation will look at both supply and demand issues and will engage UNICEF health and social behavioural change stakeholders.

The evaluative focus is on contribution of multi-layered strategies and policies to the observed outcomes and impacts. The evaluation will also be a formative and forward looking, being an important learning opportunity, both for UNICEF and its partners, especially governments in deriving lessons from the experience and existing evidence that can bring attention to the policies and good practices to successfully tackle more than one determinant to improve vaccination coverage.

The objectives of the evaluation include:

1. To assess the impact of immunization programming in the health care system, looking at both supply and demand, and understand what worked and what did not in improving immunization coverage, especially for the hard-to-reach individuals/communities, how and why;
2. To determine the effectiveness, impact, coherence, relevance and efficiency of immunization programming with a system’s lens;
3. To assess the actual and potential contribution of UNICEF work to the national and sub-national progress (outcome and impact) in immunization coverage, especially the hard-to-reach individuals/communities;
4. To draw lessons and provide recommendations for the refinement and potential scaling up of good practices to further support national governments in their efforts of strengthening immunization programming within the health care system.

The multi-country evaluation includes the following country case studies: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo (UNSCR 1244), Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Tajikistan. For each country evaluation report, recommendations will target the UNICEF Country Office and potentially the government. A CO level management response will be required.

>> Click here for the full/detailed Evaluation Terms of Reference:  ToR – Evaluation_Immunization programming at the system level.pdf

Scope of Work

Given that Tajikistan will be a case study in this multi-country evaluation on immunization, UNICEF ECARO, in close coordination with UNICEF Tajikistan to recruit a national consultant to work with the Evaluation Team Leader and Lead Researcher on conducting the evaluation.

The chosen national consultant will work closely with the team responsible for the overall evaluation (the Evaluation Team Leader and Lead Researcher) and will collaborate closely with the immunization and evaluation focal points in the UNICEF Tajikistan Country Office. They will also interact as needed with the UNICEF ECARO Evaluation Manager responsible for the overall management of the evaluation.

Key Tasks include:

• Take part in regular meetings with the Evaluation Team Leader and Lead Researcher to be scheduled at intervals during the data collection and analysis phase
• Conduct a preliminary review of documents and quantitative profiling on immunization and UNICEF support to immunization at the national level
• Adapt instruments to the local context, including: – Questionnaires, Interview Protocols, Site Observation Protocols, in consultation with UNICEF CO
• Consult with the UNICEF CO on the Stakeholder Map – identifying key national stakeholders for key informant interviews
• Carry out Key Informant Interviews with key stakeholders at central level
• Conduct site visits within and outside the capital to observe specific immunization and/or demand generation activities and interview selected participants
• Compile the results of document reviews, key informant interviews and site visits for review and discussion with the Evaluation Team Leader and Lead Researcher
• Conduct follow-up interviews and/or document reviews as required – to be determined in consultation with the Evaluation Team Leader.
• Take part in an in-person data consolidation and validation workshop at the end of the data collection phase with the full evaluation team in Istanbul (TBD).
• Participate in co-development of findings, conclusions, and recommendations (clear, realistic, and prioritized)
• Contribute to drafting of the country evaluation report.
• Support and participate in Tajikistan Evaluation Result Group (ERG) meetings and follow-up.
• Support and participate in meetings for national partners and follow up.
• Assist the Evaluation Team Leader and Lead Researcher in any required revisions and adjustments to finalize the country evaluation report.

All major deliverables will be in English, unless noted otherwise.

The National Evaluation Consultant will be an integral part of the evaluation team and outputs. The consultant will work under the stewardship of the Evaluation Team Leader and will be responsible for supporting the overall country evaluation and corresponding tasks required to meet the Evaluation Deliverables.

The evaluation team will report to the UNICEF Evaluation Manager. All work assignments and outputs under this TOR will be under the leadership and guidance of the Evaluation Team Leader.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone	Deliverables / Outputs	Timeline / Deadline
Introductory Meetings and Briefing by TL / CO	• Reviewed and translated Data Collection Tools	8 working days; By February 2024
Review Immunization Related Documents
Translation / Review / Adaptation of Data Collection Tools
Organize workplan / meetings / agenda	• National Workplan in detail	2 working days; By February 2024
Conduct KIIS in the Capital	• Interview Transcripts/Notes • Completed Evaluation Matrix (including details on related data against evaluation questions)	19 working days; By March 2024
Site Visits Using Protocol for Interviews and Observations
Follow UP Interviews with Key Stakeholders in Capital
Compile Results of Site Visits
Complete Evidence Entry into Evaluation Matrix
Data Consolidation Workshop	• Inputs to Country Evaluation Report and presentation	9 working days; By July 2024
Inputs to Zero Draft of Country Case Study Report
Presentation of Draft Report to the ERG
Revisions as Required

Estimated Duration of the Contract

38 working days between February and August 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be remote/home-based.

As part of this assignment, some international & local travels are foreseen. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 38 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• Advanced degree in health services or health sector research (can include medical qualification or health systems or more specialized health research or a social science background focused on health systems and primary health services), or relevant field for the assignment
• Minimum five (5) years experience in research in public health and primary health care with, preferably, a focus on immunization research.
• A First university degree combined with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of the Advanced University degree.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, preferably experience in evaluation.
• In-depth understanding of the design, management, monitoring or delivery of immunization services level. This could either be focused on the delivery of immunization services or demand generation and/or social behavioural change for immunization.
• Knowledge of UNICEF programming or other major health agencies a plus.
• Fluency in Russian, and English.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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:

Please include a full CV and Cover Letter in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.