Contract Duration - 6 Months
Working arrangement - Office based, Health & Nutrition Section, Tbilisi with travel to Sukhumi
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
The healthcare system in Abkhazia region, Georgia, remains rooted in an inpatient‑oriented model. Services are delivered across central, district/urban, and rural levels; however, primary healthcare (PHC) facilities - including antenatal care clinics - are often underequipped and face shortages of qualified personnel. These gaps lead to frequent referrals to higher levels of care. Significant disparities in the distribution of healthcare workers further constrain service availability, with urban areas comparatively better staffed than rural and remote regions.
Despite the sustained efforts of UNICEF and other international development partners, notable gaps persist across the health sector. Limited availability of essential medicines, shortages of trained personnel, inadequate health data, and constrained capacities for planning and managing health interventions continue to affect access to essential services. These challenges are especially evident in maternal and child health - an essential pillar of public health. In Abkhazia region perinatal services are delivered through one main maternity hospital in Sukhumi and maternity wards within seven district hospitals. However, several facilities operate at reduced capacity due to low delivery numbers and resource constraints. Seven women’s consultation (antenatal) clinics operate in the same seven districts , but coordination between primary and secondary levels of care (antenatal clinic – maternity – PHC) remains limited, with many services following vertical structures and not sufficiently integrated.
UNICEF, as a leading advocate for children’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, implements strategic interventions across health, education, and child protection in Abkhazia Region.
Since 2011, UNICEF has supported the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) and has worked with health workers to adopt internationally recognized maternal and child health (MCH) and Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) standards. UNICEF has further contributed to the development of clinical guidelines and the provision of specialized equipment for safe neonatal transport. A network of health professionals has also been established to support guideline development, trainings, and supportive supervision, particularly within PHC and MCH services.
Addressing maternal and child health challenges in low‑resource settings requires a comprehensive, lifecycle‑based approach. The shortage of trained personnel, limited use or absence of evidence‑based clinical standards, and lack of targeted public health interventions pose significant risks to maternal, newborn, and child health. Health workers require strengthened knowledge and skills, supportive supervision - which to date has been implemented only on a pilot basis - and availability of/access to reliable health data.
To address these challenges, UNICEF will support the strengthening of risk‑appropriate maternal and neonatal care in the region. The planned interventions will be informed by a comprehensive assessment of the quality of neonatal and obstetric care in Abkhazia region, using a methodology that includes analysis of medical documentation, facility inspections, and interviews with medical staff. The assessment will be conducted with ‘Integrated quality of hospital care assessment and improvement tool for maternal and neonatal health’ World Health Organization (2024): https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/379487 with potential adaptations to the specific context.
If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0002416 External ToR 2.pdf
Minimum Qualification required:
Education
Masters degree in in Neonatology
Work experience
- A medical degree in Neonatology is required. An advanced academic degree is an asset.
- A minimum of ten years of clinical experience in the respective field (Neonatology) is required.
- Experience in implementing assessments of neonatal and obstetric care quality using the WHO
tool is required, supported by documented evidence of participation and contributions/analytics/report writing (e.g., reports or records/links).
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills
- Proven experience in developing or adapting clinical care protocols in peri- and neonatal care is
required, with supporting documentation (e.g. endorsed clinical protocols from other countries).
- Proven experience in providing training in the relevant fields is required.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English and Russian is required.
Desirables
- Relevant experience working with UNICEF and WHO is required.
- Experience working in sensitive or protracted settings is considered an advantage.
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
This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):
Remarks:
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
