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For every child, the right to life.
The delivery of respectful care is not only a fundamental human right but also a critical determinant of health-seeking behavior and service utilization. Globally, and within the Tanzanian context, the importance of respectful care and effective communication has been increasingly recognized as central to improving overall health outcomes and strengthening quality of health services across the continuum of care.
In Tanzania, there is a body of evidence showing notable gaps in the provision of care that is respectful and communication that is effective. The Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2022 highlights that women of reproductive age who had had a live birth 2 years precede the survey reported various forms of disrespect and abuse. A total 6% of women reported experiencing one form physical abuse with significant variation across regions from less than 1% in Mtwara, Lindi to 13% in Dar es Salaam. Moreover, 8% reported not receiving any information before an examination or procedure, 11% reported to be sharing a bed, 4% were denied medical care or denied discharge due to failure to pay, 3% reported sleeping on the floor without a mattress. For women with still births, reports of disrespect and abuse are even higher with the 2022 TDHS finding that up to 70% of women with still birth 2 years before the survey reporting being treated with no respect at all.
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Health (MoH), with technical and financial support from UNICEF, has developed the Respectful Care and Effective Communication Toolkit (RCEC Toolkit). This toolkit was designed through a consultative, evidence-based process including stakeholder input, validation, and pre-testing to ensure contextual alignment with Tanzania’s health system priorities and realities. The toolkit offers a structured approach for strengthening respectful care provision by equipping health providers with the knowledge, tools, and practical strategies necessary to improve client-provider interactions, promote equity and non-discrimination, and ensure that every client is treated with compassion, dignity, and respect.
To date, the RCEC Toolkit has been introduced in over 300 health facilities across Dar es Salaam, Songwe, and Zanzibar, reaching more than 800 healthcare providers, including nurses, midwives, clinical officers, facility managers. Building on this foundation, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF and Regional Health Management Teams (RHMTs), seeks to implement a structured modeling phase in the three selected regions. This phase will deepen the integration of the toolkit into routine systems, strengthen local capacities, and document operational learning that will inform a national scale-up strategy.
How can you make a difference?
SCOPE OF WORK
The technical assistance (TA) will involve a full-time consultant working across three regions: Songwe, Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar. During the initial phase, the consultant will focus on establishing TA operations within each region. This will be followed by a three-month period dedicated to follow-up visits to assess progress and provide corrective or remedial support where necessary. The consultant will be supervised by the UNICEF Quality of Care specialist and work in close collaboration with the Regional Health Management Teams (RHMTs) at the regional level, the Council Health Management Teams (CHMTs) at the council level, and Quality Improvement (QI) teams within primary health care facilities. The consultant will provide technical assistance embedded within an agreed sample of public health facilities at all three levels of Primary Health Care (PHC) (district hospitals, health centres, and dispensaries) with a stronger emphasis on the lowest level; across Songwe and Dar es Salaam regions, as well as Zanzibar. The incumbent will leverage available staff and structures in PHC facilities to offer the TA. The consultancy will be fully aligned with existing health system structures, and all interventions will be implemented collaboratively with facility staff, district and regional health teams, and relevant stakeholders.
The approach will emphasize capacity building, institutional integration, and ownership, ensuring that the Respectful Care and Effective Communication (RCEC) Toolkit is not implemented as a standalone initiative, but rather as a core component of routine service delivery, quality improvement, and client engagement strategies.
RATIONALE
The integration and institutionalization of respectful care principles require sustained technical support, on-site capacity building, and strategic alignment with ongoing health facility routine activities including the introduction of Afya Yetu, a client feedback system rolled out in over 2,400 health facilities across the country, a critical entry point for strengthening the responsiveness of health services. The TA will ensure that the RCEC toolkit is implemented in a manner that is:
• Systematic – embedded within existing structures and processes.
• Responsive – adaptable to local context and client feedback; and
• Sustainable – driven by local ownership, routine monitoring, and continuous learning.
Overall Objective:
To provide technical assistance for modeling the integration and institutionalization of the Respectful Care and Effective Communication Toolkit in Songwe, Zanzibar, and Dar es Salaam, with the aim of generating actionable evidence and implementation lessons for national scale-up.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A total of 12 products will be defined and delivered based on the scope of work outlined below. The consultant will develop a workplan including deliverables and timelines for completion that will be agreed with the contract manager. The workplan will be reviewed once every two months and adjusted as priorities dictate.
i. Inception and Stakeholder Engagement
ii. Orientation and Regional Sensitization
iii. On-site Technical Support and Coaching
iv. Integration into Health System Mechanisms
v. Quality Improvement and Adaptive Learning
vi. Community Engagement and Client Voice
vii. Monitoring, Reflection, and Data Use
viii. Documentation and Knowledge Sharing
ix. Representation in strategic meetings at regional, council and facility
x. Transition and Sustainability Planning
For more information about the work assignments, deliverables, timeline and payment percentage for each deliverable of this consultancy, please click the following link to access the TOR of the consultancy TOR Respective care and effective communication.docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
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Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation.
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