UN Health Specialist (IDEC) Job Careers – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Job Title: Health Specialist (IDEC)
Organization: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Head of Office
Grade: NOC
About US:
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is mandated by the UN general assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
Job Summary: The Health Specialist (IDEC) supports the development and preparation of the health programme and is responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the programme progress of a sector of the health programme (e.g. gender, maternal, neonatal, child survival/development) within the country programme. The Health Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), organizational Strategic Plans and goals, standards of performance, and accountability framework.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Support to programme development and planning
- The Officer will provide overall technical support, quality assurance, monitoring of progress and ensure adequate planning & coordination for the successful implementation of the Intervention for Disability in Early Childhood (IDEC) project in Mubende & Kasanda districts. This will form the basis for the development of national guidelines for scale up across the country.
- To provide technical support for the implementation of the IMNCI/ ICATT programme including the evaluation of the quality of programme in the 10 West-Nile districts and 17 districts of northern Uganda.
- Participate in district planning and quarterly health program performance review meetings to ensure that the IDEC and IMNCI programmes are integrated and regularly reviewed in the one district health plan in the districts of focus.
Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
- Collaborate with the C4D team to conduct the orientation of district leaders, cultural leaders, faith-based leader, other resource persons including VHTs & staff from Mubende & Kasanda districts on the C4D package developed for social mobilization against negative Attitudes & Practices towards children with disabilities.
- Work in close collaboration with the PCA partner as well as the district health and education departments, coordinate the training of trainers and cascade training on Early Identification, Screening & Referral of children with Disabilities in Mubende and Kasanda districts
- In collaboration with the PCA partner, the health and education department, oversee the screening and assessment of children with disability and support their referral to appropriate institutions for care
- In collaboration with the DHOs/DHTs the health officer shall coordinate the strengthening of supervision and IMNCI /ICATT training follow up in the ten (10) West-Nile districts of: (1) Adjumani, (2) Arua, (3) Koboko, (4) Maracha, (5) Moyo, (6) Nebbi, (7) Obonge, (8) Pakwach, (9) Yumbe and (10) Zombo.
- Work with the quality assurance teams at district, health facility and community level to monitor supervise the IDEC and IMNCI programmes to ensure quality of the services being delivered as well as integration of the program into the general health system in the districts of focus12 districts.
Technical and operational support to programme implementation
- Provide Technical Support & coordination of project activities with other partners working on; Care & Development for Young Children with Disabilities in Mubende & Kasanda districts
- In collaboration with the CAO(s) of Mubende & Kasanda, provide Technical Support & coordination of activities for the District IDEC Committees on; Care & Development for Young Children with Disabilities working on Early Intervention
- Support supervision and mentoring of health facility workers to ensure quality screening and interventions to children with disabilities in the 75 health facilities by the district trainers on a quarterly basis.
- Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
- In collaboration with the CAOs of Mubende & Kasanda, coordinate the support supervision and mentoring of schools and ECD centers to ensure quality identification, assessment and referral of children with disabilities in 200 institutions by the district trainers on a quarterly basis.
- In collaboration with the DHOs/DHTs the health officer shall coordinate the strengthening of supervision and IMNCI /ICATT training follow up in the Seventeen (17) districts of Acholi & Lango sub-regions of Northern Uganda, that include: (1) Agago, (2) Amuru, (3) Pader, (4) Omoro, (5) Lamwo, (6) Gulu, (7) Nwoya (8) Kitgum (9) Apac, (10) Lira, (11) Kole, (12) Oyam, (13) Amolatar, (14) Dokolo, (15) Otuke, (16) Alebtong and (17) Kaberamaido.
- Participate and provide technical guidance during the district planning and monitoring processes according to the district planning guidelines as part of district health systems strengthening
Networking and partnership building
- The Health officer shall coordinate with organizations / institutions providing specialized services to link the referral of children with disabilities and their caregivers for specialized management. On average 15 children are projected to be referred monthly to places like; CoRSU, Sense international, Mengo Hosp. UNAB & others. (25% of the targeted 720 children are projected to be managed at centers for specialized services).
- Collaborate with specialized training institutions such as; Kyambogo University & Uganda National Association of the Blind, Deaf & Dumb (UNAB), to organize on-site skills building for Health and Education workers, to easily handle children with disabilities.
- Coordinate and ensure the involvement of institutions of excellence (Makerere, Kyambogo, Mbarara & Busitema Universities) in this pilot project, to document best practices
- Prepare communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and support fund raising for health programmes (maternal, neonatal and child survival and development).
- Represent UNICEF in appropriate technical working groups on health-related issues in preparation of health programmes including the CPD and health projects, ensuring organizational position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in development planning and agenda setting.
Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Coordinate the establishment of champion groups (Persons with disabilities who have overcome the demerits of disability), to give inspiring testimonies / talks to families of the affected children as a way of providing moral support for the to easily cope with the conditions of their children and reduce stigma.
- The health officer will closely work with the global child disability expert group team to initiate innovative approaches that are tailored to the local context that will augment the global approach.
- Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and consideration.
- Evaluation of the IMNCI training model (ICATT or distance learning) that is most impactful among health workers
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNICEF Health Specialist (IDEC) job opportunity should hold an advanced university degree in one of the following field is required: public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.
- At least five years’ experience working in the area of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health required –particularly in the Ugandan context. Additional experience in HIV, particularly PMTCT / EMTCT desirable.
- Training and practice in Care for Child Development
- Demonstrated ability of technical support to ICATT/IMNCI and child health interventions in similar settings.
- Ability to network and establish professional liaison at national and district level- working with people
- Motivated, highly organized, critical thinker with strong analytical skills who can work as part of a team and independently.
- UNICEF’s Core Values: Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
- Competencies: Leading and Supervising, Formulating Strategies and Concepts, Analyzing, Relating and Networking, Persuading and Influencing, Creating and Innovating
NB: The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (Application, interview meeting, processing, or training). The United Nations does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates desiring to serve the United Nations in the aforementioned capacity should express their interest by visiting the UN recruitment website and clicking Apply Now.
Deadline: 5th July 2019
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda