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UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights. 

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the 2022 to 2026  UNICEF Zimbabwe country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

For more information about UNICEF Zimbabwe please click here

You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies and create job alerts via the UNICEF Zimbabwe website link below:

https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

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UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an enthusiastic Unit Coordinator to lead the Program Management Unit (PMU) for Health Resilience Fund (HRF). -Consultant position-- The HRF Coordinator is responsible for the overall HRF programme coordination

BACKGROUND (on Health Resilience Fund (HRF):

The Health Resilience Fund (HRF) 2022-2025 is a pooled health fund that is continuing to build on the gains obtained through the Health Development Fund (HDF) 2016-2021, with thanks to the support of the European Union (EU), UK Department for International Development (DFID) now Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), Government of Ireland and The Global Alliance for Vaccines (Gavi). The programme aims to support the MOHCC in the context of the National Health Strategy 2021-2025 to achieve its goal of improving the quality of life of its citizens, through guaranteeing every Zimbabwean access to comprehensive and effective health systems and structures for appropriate services at all levels. The purpose of the HRF is to safeguard gains achieved through the Health Transition Fund/ Integrated Support Programme for Sexual Reproductive Health (HTF/ISP) and HDF. The HRF will invest strategically to End Preventable Deaths; consolidate the country’s Global Health Security, health systems strengthening while embracing the humanitarian/development nexus in line with hazards faced by the country. The programme will take targeted health system strengthening actions while advocating for enhanced allocative and operational efficiency, and mainstreaming climate change, gender, women and girls’ empowerment, human rights, disability, and safeguarding approaches. UNICEF is recruiting for the PMU for the role of coordinator. This position is therefore not a UNICEF country office position.

The Health Resilience Fund is a pooled fund programme funded by European Union, FCDO, Irish delegation and GAVI the Vaccine Alliance. To ensure full efficiency and to strengthen linkages between key programme stakeholders (Government, UN IPs, funding partners, relevant line ministries and other funding streams), a Program Management Unit (PMU) is established and will be responsible for management, coordination, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the HRF activities.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The HRF Coordinator is responsible for the overall HRF programme coordination. This includes managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting the progress of the programme. The position holder is accountable for effective technical, and programme support to facilitate the application and adaptation of HRF partners’ policies and strategies to achieve strategic priorities and objectives and expansion of HRF assisted health interventions, including the attainment of the sustainable Development (SDG) Goals agenda and beyond.

The HRF coordinator 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.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Support to programme development and planning

• Develop programme planning calendar and guide the planning engagement processes
• Supports capacity building of MOHCC to support planning at national and subnational levels
• Coordinate the planning process amongst Implementing Partners (IPs) and consolidation of workplans
• Provision of technical guidance to IPs in collaboration with UN technical experts on prioritization in consultation with key stakeholders (GOZ, SC, Other funding streams)
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine HRF programme priorities and competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.
• Coordinate strategic programme discussions on the HRF iterative planning processes
• Ensure HRF design and planning and implementation is in alignment with MOHCC National Health Strategy and funding partners guidelines
• Coordinate establishment of specific programme goals, objectives, strategies, and implementation plans based on results-based planning methodology (RBM) by IPs.
• Review and submit IPs programme design and implementations plan for approval by funding partners and government.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of programmes/projects with other funding streams programmes.
• Participate in emergency preparedness initiatives and provide oversight to programme development, contingency planning and/or to respond to emergencies.

2. Programme implementation, monitoring and delivery of results

• Coordination of the overall programme implementation processes
• Review, consolidate and finalise the progress reports (narrative and financial) from IPs
• Coordinate the development of reporting and monitoring tools
• Plan and/or collaborate with MOHCC, IPs, Funding partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, and measurements to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence, and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the HRF programme.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant IPs, Funding partners, MOHCC other relevant stakeholders
• Organise and coordinate joint programme monitoring, supportive visits and review missions for the programme
• Ensure preparation, review and sharing of monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management,
• Identify lessons learned and use knowledge from the monitoring processes to inform reprogramming/iterative planning to improve implementation.
• Follow up on implementation of recommendations from monitoring and reviews
• Coordinate the independent evaluation of the programme at Mid-term and End-term Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders to promote sustainable results on health-related programmes/projects
• Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of HRF programme resources (financial, administrative, and other assets) confirming compliance with MOHCC rules, regulations/procedures and HRF funding partners commitments, standards of accountability and integrity, ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.

3 Programme Governance and Partnerships

• Oversee the functionality of the Programme Technical working groups
• Play an advisory role to the Steering Committee providing information, recommendations, presentations, recommendations, presentations, proposals to the steering committee for decision making.
• Organize and facilitate Steering Committee meetings
• Organize and facilitate specific reviews by funding partners
• Keep the Steering committee updated on key programme issues which requires its oversight
• Coordinate with other funding streams in the sectors and keep the programme stakeholders updated (SC, TWGs, IPs, GOZ)
• Represent the Programme in an ex officio capacity in technical working groups, other coordination platforms
• Provide secretariat services to the steering committee
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, IPs, and other partners on the interpretation, application and understanding of HRF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices and approaches to support programme development planning, management, implementation, and delivery of results.
• Participate in discussions with national partners, clients, and stakeholders to promote health and development issues under the HRF, especially in the areas of ending preventable deaths, global health security and health systems strengthening.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships within MOHCC, health sector government counterparts, national stakeholders, funding partners, implementing partners, other pooled/donor funded programmes.
• Through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication, build capacity and exchange knowledge and expertise to facilitate the achievement of programme goals on child rights, social justice, and equity

4. Finance and Administration

• Support the timely allocation of resources to IPs by the fund administrator
• Review financial reports submitted by IPs in line with workplan and allocation conditions
• Coordinate consolidation of financial reports for Ips and sharing with funding partners
• Conduct programme grants monitoring activities
• Keep the SC updated on programme finance and administrative issues

5. Innovation, knowledge/Information management and Documentation

• Produce regular and mandated HRF programme reports (narrative and financial) for MOHCC leadership, funding partners, Steering committee, and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
• Provide updates to the Leadership Group as required
• Develop programme document repository
• Develop dashboards for key programme indicators and engage IPs on issues emanating from dashboards
• Consolidate best practices and lessons learned from the IPs report
• Develop and coordinate implementation of a communication and visibility strategy for the programme in line with visibility standards for all programme stakeholders
• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders, and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast and conduct research to provide evidence for implementation of best and cutting-edge practices in health.
• Assess, institutionalize, and share best practices and knowledge learned.

Major tasks and deliverables: 

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

Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy, health service management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology, or another relevant technical field.

Experience: A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health/nutrition planning and management, health policy, planning and financing, epidemiology, maternal and neonatal health care, or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness at senior management level.

Desirable: Prior work experience with UN organization and Government is an asset.

Languages

English. Knowledge of a local language will be an added advantage

The detailed consultancy terms of reference is downloadable via this link  Terms of Reference.pdf

 If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel. 

Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.

Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

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:  

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.