International Consultant – Data collection on violence against children survey in WHO South-East Asia Region

Area of expertise:

International Consultant – Data collection on violence against children survey in WHO South-East Asia Region

Purpose of consultancy

WHO is seeking a consultant to lead a situational assessment on preventing violence against children across eleven countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region. The successful candidate will liaise with multisectoral stakeholders across the region to support data collection at national levels. They key purpose of this project is to identify available epidemiological data on the burden of violence against children and existing strategies, legislation and programming to prevent violence against children at the national level. Data collected will be published in the second WHO Global status report on preventing violence against children.

Background

Globally, it is estimated that 1 billion children have experienced emotional, physical or sexual violence in the past year. Violence can lead to death, physical injury and disability, and a wide range of immediate and life-long behavioural, physical and mental health problems.

The elimination of violence against children is called for in several targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development but most explicitly in Target 16.2: “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children”. Violence against children is predictable and preventable, and governments have committed to ending it through their adoption of these targets within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To chart countries’ progress towards the SDGs aimed at ending violence against children and monitor their violence prevention status against the evidence-based approaches set out in the INSPIRE: Seven strategies for ending violence against children technical package, the first ever Global status report on preventing violence against children was published in 2020. It is the only global monitoring tool that provides a snapshot of this situation globally.

Since the Report’s publication, an ongoing high-level focus on preventing violence against children led to the adoption of the World Health Assembly Resolution WHA74.17 on Ending violence against children through health systems strengthening and multisectoral approaches in May 2021. Among other things, Resolution WHA74.17 calls on Member States to prioritize data collection and monitoring and to strengthen their prevention efforts to accelerate progress in achieving WHO’s own target of reducing violence against children by 20% by the year 2025. It also calls on WHO to develop second and third global status reports to monitor national violence prevention status in 2025 and 2030, respectively.

In response to the WHA Resolution, WHO is coordinating the development and delivery of the second global assessment of efforts to prevent and respond to violence against children. By assessing country-level capacity to collect data, exchange information, adopt and enforce legislation, and develop and implement national action plans to prevent and respond to violence against children, the Report will support countries to re-assess their position on violence prevention; catalyse further prevention action, and identify gaps in national responses to violence that need to be addressed.

Consultant in this position will lead data collection in the WHO-SEAR Region for the second WHO Global status report on preventing violence against children.

Specifically:

• Attend bi-monthly project management online meetings with WHO Headquarters (HQ).
• Attend training to operate the project web-based platform.
• Support identification of National Data Focal Points (NDFPs) for each country in the Region, confirming their participation and availability for regional training.
• Set up online trainings and follow up after the trainings.
• Support the Regional Advisor (RA) in preparing Agreements to Perform Work (APWs) with NDFPs, if need be, and developing templates for workplans for NDFPs.
• Support the NDFPs in identifying stakeholders to complete a standardized questionnaire and in setting up consensus meetings among respondents within the stipulated period.
• Supervise and support NDFPs to collect good quality country level data.
• Assist NDFPs in validating their country data.
• Clear transmission of agreed-on answers to questionnaire to HQ.
• Follow up with NDFPs to ensure that government approval is obtained for each country level dataset. Be responsible for maintaining an accurate project management spreadsheet indicating the status of contracts with NDFPs and of the data collection and approval process for each country.
• Assist with the collection and collation of national level legislation.
• Assist in the review of the draft report.
• Assist in dissemination of report upon release.
• Review and revise project implementation timeline to ensure timely implementation of activities.
• Arrange and manage routine communications with all project partners.

Deliverables

• Deliverable 1 NFR of the Bi-monthly project management online meetings with WHO/HQ. Expected by: 31 May 2024
• Deliverable 2 Templates of workplans for national data focal points (NDFP) across countries. Expected by: 31 June 2024
• Deliverable 3 by: Report on trainings to operate the project web-based platform. Expected by: 31 July 2024
• Deliverable 4 Report on trainings/activities according to the workplans with national data focal points. Expected by 31 August 2024
• Deliverable 5. Consensus meetings with NDFP to agree on standardize questionnaire. Expected by: 30 September 2024
• Deliverable 6: Progress report on country level data collection and validation process. Expected by: 31 October 2024
• Deliverable 7: Transmission of agreed answers to questionnaire to HQ and government approvals obtained. Expected by 30 November 2024
• Deliverable 8: Draft Report with the collection and collation of national legislation and VAC status reports. Expected by 31 December 2024

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications

Essential: Band level A: At least a University degree in public health, epidemiology, population studies, demography or a related field. Additional education is an asset.

Experience:

Essential: Band level A

• Up to five years of experience in public health, which include experience in data collection/analysis (such as surveys, datasets).
• A thorough knowledge of child and adolescent health, violence against children, mental health, social determinants of health,health equities, and prevention and promotion of health and well-being issues within the Region.
• Excellent inter-personal skills with the demonstrated ability to work effectively with government officials as well as with national and international organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships and work in multicultural and multidisciplinary settings.
• Good management and leadership abilities and experience.
• Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations (UN system, donors, non-governmental organizations).
• Experience working in South-East Asia Regional countries is an asset.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Ability to coordinate, plan and implement projects, conduct training activities, effectively monitor, and coordinate with different stakeholders
• Ability to collect, collate, analyze data, produce quality report and present results.
• Ability to work independently and deliver high quality work on time.
• Computer proficiency in Outlook, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, epi-info, STATA, Atlas-ti, etc.

Languages and level required (Basic/Intermediate/Expert):

Essential: Expert knowledge of English with excellent written and verbal communication skills is essential.

Desirable: Expert knowledge of regional languages would be an asset.

Location

Consultant is expected to work: On-site for insurance purposes (Home-based)

Travel

MultipledutystationsinSEARcountries ( if WCOs request for support) – based on approval from Director of the Department of UHC/Family health.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration: Remuneration:USD4,000permonth as per Band level A

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited): Not applicable

Expected duration of contract (Maximum contract duration is 11 months per calendar year):May to December (8 months)

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
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