Sent to:
HABITAT, FAO, UNEP, UNON, ICAO, ILO, RO, UNESCO, UNIC, UNIDO, UNDP, WHO,
UNICEF SOM, WORLD BANK, UNHCR, UNOPS, UNFPA, UNIC, WFP/GIGIRI/MSA
UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)
KENYA COUNTRY OFFICE, NAIROBI
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT MNCH Specialist, Homa Bay – NO-C
Temporary Appointment
Duration: 5 months
Date of Issue: 27 January, 2014
Closing Date: 09 February, 2014
Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the above
Temporary Appointment position in the Health Section, UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Purpose of the Post:
Under the supervision of the Resident Programme Officer, Kisumu, the incumbent will be
responsible for the day-to day operations of the MNH project and support the delivery of
program strategies.
Justification:
Homa Bay County, located in Nyanza region, has one of the highest under-five mortality
rates in Kenya (at 91/1000 live births) and one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the
country (34% in the general population). The most critical health conditions for children are
diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. The poverty rate is 44%, compared to the national
average of 47%; 66% of the population attended primary school and 83% of 15-18 year-old
young people are currently attending school, which is ahead of the national average of 70%.
Despite being ahead of the national average on these development indicators, Homa Bay is
far behind on other basic infrastructure, particularly electricity and improved water sources.
Only 3.3% of households have electricity, compared to the national average of 23% (CRA
Fact Sheets 2011). Forty-eight percent use improved water sources and 32% use improved
sanitation, according to 2011 MICS estimates.
Skilled delivery coverage currently stands at 41%. The met need for comprehensive
emergency obstetric care is reportedly similar, at 4% according to DHIS 2012. The three
most serious gaps in maternity services are 1) the lack of consistency and integration of
MNH services, particularly the coverage of postnatal care (many women do not receive
post natal checks, even when they deliver in a facility), 2) the lack of essential materials and
supplies, which forces patients to purchase their own delivery kits and bring them to the
hospital at the time of delivery and can serve as a major disincentive for institutional
delivery, and 3) the lack of basic emergency obstetric care facilities in the county.
The combined effect of these themes-- high fertility, high incidence of communicable
diseases and HIV, poor WASH infrastructure, adequate health infrastructure but variable
service continuity and quality—is an extremely high under-five mortality rate, despite lower
than average poverty and unemployment rates, and unacceptably high maternal and
newborn mortality as well. Homa Bay’s Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is presently
estimated at 583, compared to the national average of 488, and rates below 200 in Kenya’s
least-deprived counties.
UNICEF has worked for several years in Homa Bay County to address under-five mortality.
Presently, UNICEF is supporting the new County Health management Team in strategic
planning and budgeting, and advocating with the new county government for the resources
and attention to prioritize ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths.
Additionally, UNICEF is supporting operational research on the use of antibiotics at
community level to treat pneumonia and the use of mobile phones to support community
health service quality assurance and logistics management.
Beginning in 2014, UNICEF will be partnering with UK’s Department of International
Development to aggressively address maternal and newborn health in Homa Bay County (as
well as Turkana County), working together with the county government and local
development partners. DFID’s investment in health is primarily targeted towards
strengthening health systems including the health workforce, improving maternal and new
born health service delivery, establishing better support systems for mothers and newborns
at the community level, and reducing financial barriers to healthcare.
The UNICEF-DFID partnership will cover the period from December 2013-December 2018
and seek to achieve 1) Health workers in Homa Bay and Turkana will have the knowledge
and skills to provide quality delivery care and EmONC services; 2) Health systems
strengthened to manage and deliver integrated maternal and newborn health services in
Homa Bay; and 3) Increased demand for maternal and newborn health services in Homa
Bay.
Scope of Work for the TA
UNICEF would like to engage a Public Health Physician in Homa Bay County to provide
overall oversight and coordination to the UNICEF-DFID activities in the county, focusing on
the activities falling under area 2, health systems strengthening. The Public Health Physician
will oversee all county-level activities as part of a team of three to four field-based
personnel, but he/she will place particular emphasis on the activities related to health
facilities (health centers and hospitals) and facility-based personnel. A second individual,
working closely with the Public Health Physician, will provide primary oversight for
community-based activities, including community health services and demand generation
activities.
More specific responsibilities are as follows.
The Public Health Physician will be contracted for a period of five months, to establish the
foundation of the UNICEF MNH program in Homa Bay County. He/She will work under the
supervision of the Resident Programme Officer, Kisumu Field Office, and receive technical
guidance from the MNH Specialist based in Nairobi, who has overall responsibility for the
project. Specifically the TA will focus on the following activities:
Component 1: Provide oversight in Scale up of training for health workers in
emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) in five of Kenya’s eight provinces. The
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine will be training several hundred health workers in
Homa Bay County on EmONC and live-saving skills. UNICEF’s responsibility is to facilitate
monitoring and reporting of the training activities, support coordination with the County
Health Officials, and ensure the integration of new materials or protocols approved by
the MOH into the LSTM curriculum. UNICEF shall also ensure that the Maternal and
Perinatal Death Review and Surveillance system is incorporated into the training and
follow-up activities. The TA is expected to establish an excellent relationship with the
Homa Bay-based LSTM officials, attend as many training sessions as he/she deems
neceTAry for quality assurance, facilitate reporting, and ensure overall integration
between the trainings and national protocols.
Component 2: Support Health systems strengthening and demand-side financing
targeting the poorest women in Homa Bay County .This is the largest portion of the
UNICEF-DFID work plan in Homa Bay County, and the TA should dedicate approximately
75% of his/her time to these activities. The primary goal for the six month period shall
be to complete all preparations for activities including supporting the County MOH to
improve leadership and governance for MNH and improve Health Facility functionality
with emphasis on BeMONIC services. This includes, in particular, overseeing a
comprehensive needs assessment of maternity facilities in Homa Bay, which shall be
integrated into ongoing evidence-based planning exercises. Once this assessment is
complete, the TA will work with the county officials and members of UNICEF’s supply
team to generate a fully budgeted list of essential supplies and equipment required to
upgrade up to 16 maternity facilities to provide BEmONC services and at least 4 facilities
to provide CEmONC services. The TA will also work with the county health team and
partners to establish a costed HSS micro plan (for 1 year), and support the preparation
of initial supply requisitions and supply placements.
The TA shall also work closely with the UNICEF HIV team based in Nairobi and the field to
work on integrating EMTCT and MNCH services more seamlessly, particularly at the target
BEmONC and CEmONC Centers. This should include particular attention to how to make the
integrated MNCH/HIV services more acceptable for the most vulnerable women and
adolescent girls.
Finally, the TA will work closely with the Community Health/ C4D TA to revitalize community
and facility health committees to enhance accountability for the quality of health services.
He/She should be in constant communication with the Community Health/ C4D TA to
ensure increasingly smooth and regular communications between community health units
and health facilities in Homa Bay.
RWPPCR/IRs areas covered
UNICEF will contribute to increasing number of women and children have equitable Access
to and Use of Quality Essential Social and Protection Services and practices with focus on
vulnerable groups and the most marginalised regions of Kenya by 2014
 IR 1: Increased proportion of women and children receiving quality evidence-based
essential integrated maternal and child care services by June 2014
 IR 2: Increasing number of households practicing improved health care practices with
focus on reaching the un-reached by 2014 and sustained after that
 IR3: Health policies, strategies and systems supportive of MNCH scale-up and
mitigation of emergencies;
Expected Deliverables and Results
On behalf of UNICEF the Public health Physician TAs will be expected to deliver the following
outputs in Homa Bay County
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Support orientation and inception of the DFID- MNCH Project in Homa Bay County.
Planning of DFID and other MNCH Program implementation with MOH and other
stakeholders
Complete the facility needs assessment
Identify approximately 16 facilities to upgrade for BEmONC services, 4 facilities to
upgrade for CEmONC services, and generate a costed supply list and renovation
micro-plan to accomplish this work, through close consultation with the CHMTs,
facility in-charges, and local partners.
Work closely with the UNICEF HIV team (and partners) to further integrate EMTCT
and MNH services, particularly at the targeted BEmONC facilities.
As supplies arrive, closely monitor placement and perform end-user spot-checks as
required by UNICEF regulations
Working closely with the Community Health/ C4D specialist in Kisumu/ Homa Bay,
begin work to establish or revitalize community and facility health committees
Support UNICEF Nairobi to secure partnerships and Program Cooperation
Agreements with local NGOs and contractors as needed
Support M&E activities as required
Deliverables
The TA shall submit a brief monthly progress report detailing activities completed,
underway, and challenges encountered requiring management attention. In addition to the
monthly reports, he/she shall submit the following detailed reports:
1. Final health facility needs assessment, with supply list and approximate budget as
annexes
2. Inception report for EMTCT-MNH service integration, detailing current status, key
actions agreed upon by relevant stakeholders for the following one year, pertinent
data, and associated supply and equipment needs.
3. A detailed final report, which shall also serve as hand-over notes for the person
taking over the responsibilities after the initial six-month consultancy.
*Please note that the TA shall be invited to apply for a longer-term position to continue
this work, provided he/she has demonstrated excellent performance during the fivemonth consultancy.
Desired background and experience
The TA is required to be a Medical Doctor (MBChB), with at least five years’ experience,
Master of Public Health or a health related field. Demonstrated competency in Maternal,
New-born and Child Health Programming, including HIV prevention and EMTCT. Experience
in a clinical setting, either as a practicing TA, health worker or facility administrator, is highly
desirable, as is previous experience in Northern Kenya. Competency in Disaster risk
reduction/emergency coordination and response are an added advantage,
In addition, the incumbent should:
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Have the ability to communicate effectively in English and Kiswahili to effectively
convey information.
Drive for results, attention to detail, and ability to identify and resolve challenges to
respect tight deadlines
Willingness to operate mostly independently, good initiative and ability to apply
technical knowledge creatively to ensure conflicts and disputes are resolved
between TAs, contractors and beneficiaries.
Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish
harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the
organization.
Computer skills, including internet navigation and the use of Microsoft Office
applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
Conditions (Important)
TA will be based in Homa Bay, with frequent field visits to the six districts of the county.
Competencies
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Communication
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Drive for Results
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Formulating Strategies and Concepts
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Relating and Networking
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Persuading and Influencing
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Applying Technical Expertise
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Learning & Research
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Working with People
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Planning and Organizing
Languages: Fluency in English. Knowledge of Kiswahili would be an asset.
Conditions (Important)
The contract will be a Temporary Appointment. Salaries and benefits will follow UNICEF
regulations for NOC level positions
The incumbent will be based in Homa Bay, with frequent field visits to the six districts of the
county.
Interested and suitable candidates should ensure that they forward their applications
along with their curricula vitae, to;
The Human Resources Manager
UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Email address: kenyahrvacancies@unicef.org
Please indicate Reference No. “KCO/HEALTH/2014/003” in the email subject.
Interested candidates should also complete the Personal History (P11) form, which can be
downloaded from the UNICEF Kenya website (http://www.unicef.org/kenya).
“QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY”
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE
UNICEF IS A SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT