Individual National Consultant: Community Based Integrated Disease Surveillance

UNICEF Nepal Country Office is looking for an expert to take up the twelve months assignment under Health Section.

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, health.

Ministry of Health and Population, in coordination with Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and Ministry of Water Supply, along with implementing partners World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is implementing project Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness for Early Detection in Nepal (SPEED) for a period of 2024-2026, with funding from The Pandemic Fund.

Project SPEED is designed to fit within the broader public health landscape of Nepal, as it aligns with national and regional strategies for improving health security and emergency response. The project objectives, goals, and activities are in line with the JEE (Joint External Evaluation) conducted in 2022 and PVS (performance of veterinary services) conducted in 2008, which identified areas of improvement in surveillance and early warning systems, laboratory systems, and human resources/workforce strengthening.

Proposed intervention on community-based integrated disease surveillance (CBIDS) focuses to contribute to the overall national integrated disease surveillance system. CBIDS is the systematic detection and reporting of events of public health significance within the community, by community members.

The national surveillance system is led by Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) and include early warning and reporting system (EWARS), drinking water quality surveillance, climate sensitive disease surveillance (CSDS), surveillance outbreak response management and analysis system (SORMAS), toll-free call center (1115), and media monitoring. There are 118 sentinel sites of EWARS focusing on six priority diseases but also documenting other diseases overseeing a total of 26 infectious diseases and public health events. SORMAS was initially piloted in Nepal as part of CORESMA, EU Horizon 2020 project in two select provinces in Sudurpaschim and Gandaki provinces and later implemented in all municipalities in the two provinces by EDCD. SORMAS is being rapidly scaled up nationwide up till municipality level, with the plan to reach up to health facility level.

In FY 2081/82, EDCD has planned community-based integrated disease surveillance (CBIDS) program in four municipalities viz. Beni municipality, Banepa municipality and Ramaroshan rural municipality and Aurahi municipality. A clear guideline for CBIDS is yet to be developed and will be led by EDCD and supported by the Pandemic Fund.

In this regard, UNICEF Nepal Health Section is seeking a national consultant who will support the team in implementing this strategic intervention to “Initiate community based integrated disease surveillance (CBIDS) at 40 local government (with a focus on ground POEs) including the focus on risk communication to the assigned focal point of community based integrated disease surveillance”.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

• Support EDCD in development of a full implementation plan of rolling out community based integrated disease surveillance under the Pandemic Fund activities 2024-2026
• Coordination and collaboration with federal government, provincial government, local government and implementing entities (WHO, FAO and UNICEF) in selection of municipalities for PF activities roll out
• Support in development of CBIDS guideline and related orientation materials under leadership of EDCD and in coordination with FWD, CSD, NCASC, NTC, DFTQC and relevant sections in Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ministry of Water Supply, provincial government and local government and stakeholders coordination with EDCD, CSD, UNICEF, WHO, FAO and implementing partner (implementing partner is an NGO who will undergo selection process to be on board to support CBIDS)
• Conduct national/provincial/local level workshops in CBIDS implementation.
• Support UNICEF and EDCD in selection, onboarding and guiding implementing partner to implement PF activities.
• Guidance to implementing partner in roll out of detailed activities of CBIDS.
• Technical assistance to support in cascade training of CBIDS.
• Technical assistance to support CBIDS implementation at local level including engagement of health facilities and community.
• Development of information management system for CBIDS
• Monitoring of CBIDS activities
• Support EDCD in public health emergency preparedness and response, as and when necessary
• Any other support to the supervisor, as necessary

TASK

• Development of personal work plan
• Development of full implementation plan for PF activities 2024-2026
• Support UNICEF and EDCD through process of selection, onboarding and guiding implementing partner to implement PF activities.
• Coordination and collaboration with federal government, provincial government, local government and implementing entities (WHO, FAO and UNICEF) in selection of municipalities for PF activities roll out.
• Support in development of CBIDS guideline and related orientation materials under leadership of EDCD
• Technical assistance and support to implementing partner in cascade training of CBIDS in municipalities
• Development of information management system for CBIDS
• Monitoring of CBIDS activities
• Support EDCD in public health emergency preparedness and response, as and when necessary

Deliverables

• Inception report with a workplan developed for the whole consultancy period to finalize methodology, activities, timeline, and deliverables.
• Implementation plan
• Onboard and orientation to implementation
• Name of 40 municipalities with MoU
• CBIDS guideline and related orientation materials
• Progress report with number of TOT, trainers and community reached.
• Progress report on model of data systems for CBIDS
• Progress report
• Progress report on support to EDCD on emergency preparedness and response

Duration: The duration of the consultancy is for twelve months tentatively starting from End September 2024

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

Minimum Qualifications required:

Education:

Master’s degree in public health, Community Medicine, Epidemiology, Infectious disease epidemiology international health, Global health, or relevant science

Knowledge/Expertise/Skill required:

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible professional work experience in public health emergencies or pandemic or emergency preparedness and response or disease surveillance mechanisms.
• Prior work experience in government emergency system (HEOC/PHEOC) or UN agency will be an asset.
• Prior experience working in strengthening health systems as well as community-based health programs.
• Experience in development of national or sub national (provincial) level policies/guidelines/manual for public health emergency.
• Experience in working in close collaboration with Government at national or sub national (provincial) level and with UN agencies.
• Experience in project management, providing technical support to government and implementing agencies, monitoring, and reporting.
• Knowledge on one health approach, IHR, government national disaster risk reduction policy, infectious disease act, cluster approach and IASC transformative agenda
• Demonstrate strong technical and analytical skills, ability to assess, analyze, synthesize, and provide recommendation on key managerial and technical issues.
• Good interpersonal skills, team-oriented, work adaptation in multi-cultural environments, proven ability to facilitate cooperation in a multidisciplinary team.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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:  

Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

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.