Job Title:Technical Specialist, Maternal Health/Reproductive Health Commodity Security (MH/RHCS), Mali
Closing Date: Tuesday, 26 June 2012
We are pleased to announce the following vacancy:
VACANCY NO.: Job ID 1998
CLOSING DATE: 26 June 2012 (5.00 p.m. New York time)
POST TITLE: Technical Specialist – Maternal Health / Reproductive Health Commodity Security (MH/RHCS)
CATEGORY: ICS-11 (equivalent to P-4)
POST NUMBER: 60628
DUTY STATION: Bamako
POST TYPE: Non-Rotational
DURATION: One year (renewable)
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: Mali Country Office, Africa Regional Office
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mali is one of the sub-Saharan African countries where maternal morbidity and mortality is a major health issue. According to the 2006 DHS and 2009 Census, the country is facing an important maternal mortality rate estimated at 464 deaths for 100,000 births, in a context where the demographic growth has increased to an estimated 3.6%. In line with this situation, the health system is registering a weak contraceptive prevalence rate (6.9%) and skilled attendance at birth (49%) with a fertility rate remaining high (6.6 children per woman). Family planning unmet needs is estimated at 31%. The country has been recently facing political unrest in the 3 northern regions of the country resulting in people fleeing their homes to other parts of the country and to neighboring countries. The number of IDPs in Mali was recently estimated at 146,900. Over 160,000 Malian refugees had been registered in Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger. According to a statement by the Algerian Government at least 30,000 are in Algeria. As a stream 1 country implementing the Reproductive Health Commodity Security (RHCS) Global Program, UNFPA Mali is strongly involved in interventions aiming to improve the national health system, through a strengthened nationwide RH commodity procurement and distribution system.
In partnership with the Government and the civil society, the CO is working through advocacy and policy dialogue, partnership development, technical support including knowledge sharing, monitoring and evaluation , capacity building , management and coordination to address the tremendous challenge of assuring that every pregnancy is wanted and every birth is safe.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
The Technical Specialist post is located in the UNFPA Mali Country office. S/he reports to the Representative, who provides overall direction and supervision. S/he will work in close collaboration with the Dakar sub-regional office and the Commodity Security Branch (CSB) at HQ, based on an approved annual work plan. As the technical specialist for MH/RHCS, s/he will work within an integrated, coordinated, and systems strengthening approach that is fundamental for UNFPA overall strategy.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Technical Specialist will have the responsibility, in response to country requests, and within the broadly sexual and reproductive health, health system strengthening for the promotion, design, monitoring and evaluation of all phases of equitable Maternal health, RH commodity and family planning availability throughout all sectors (public, private, non-profit, subsidized and commercial), as well as supply management system, guidelines and standards. S/he will provide technical backstopping and support relevant research, analysis and training activities aimed at providing information and knowledge-base and readily useable methodologies to RH/FP planners, policy makers, programme managers and service providers. The incumbent will contribute to enhancing national capacity to mobilize and obtain social and political support for national policies and programmes in MH/RHCS. Such support will also contribute to the overall Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) strengthening, HIV prevention efforts and health system management and coordination.
Technical support and advocacy
Provide technical assistance to develop the MDG5 component of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the UNFPA Country Programme and annual work plans.
Support national implementing partners in advocacy for inclusion of Reproductive Health including MNH/RHCS in SWAPs, PRSPs and health sector reforms, including in situations where basket funding is available.
Assist the country office in leveraging resources for reproductive health including MNH package implementation from government and development partners.
Collaborate with the country office staff members to promote integrated approaches to improving reproductive health, particularly in areas such as: (i) Condom programming under HIV/AIDS programme; (ii) Improving access to contraceptives by unmarried young people; (iii) strengthening family planning .
Collaborate with other UN Agencies to promote and provide integrated technical support for Reproductive Health including MNH/RHCS within countries (particularly with WHO and UNICEF) and to carry out and implement findings of joint assessment of critical maternal health drugs.
Develop a strategy for easy, immediate and continued access to supplies in a situation of humanitarian response.
Provide technical support and advice to strengthen the national health system for an increased accessibility, demand creation and use of RH commodities to all individuals who need them. This will entail a demonstrated ability to provide technical advice and information on reach out to women and young people with unmet needs for contraceptives, condom usages, and effectiveness of national logistics systems.
Lead the national advocacy efforts with partners and facilitate adoption of an integrated approach to SRH in general and specifically to MNH/RHCS. This integrated approach is complemented by a focus on issues of quality of care, improvements to the national environment as well as questions of access and demand.
Contribute to the provision of technical assistance to the implementation of the country action plans in ensuring that contraceptives and other MH/RH commodities are available to women and men, when needed. Cooperate with and support implementing partners in analysing RH commodity systems.
Provide technical support in improving forecasting, warehousing, distribution, transportation and logistics information systems .
Provide advice in accordance with WHO guidelines on specific contraceptive methods as well as cost-effective contraceptive method mixes, with special attention to assuring condom supplies appropriate to the stage of HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Provide technical support at key stages of the UNFPA country programme cycle, as well as United Nations system wide processes such as UNDAF.
Provide technical assistance for strengthening reproductive health information systems.
Capacity development and partnerships
Provide technical assistance in scaling-up quality health services to ensure universal access to reproductive health, especially for family planning , skilled attendance at delivery and emergency obstetric and newborn care, ensuring linkages with HIV prevention and treatment
Contribute to enhancing national capacity to develop and maintain MNH services and commodity systems. These tasks will involve design and facilitation of formal training and conducting informal, on-the-job training;
Provide technical advice on monitoring and evaluation of reproductive health including MNH/RHCS and health systems strengthening; including on-going capacity development efforts to ensure quality;
Develop and manage substantive knowledge sharing partnerships and collaborations with other UN agencies, including in the context of the UNDAF;
Identify, develop and/or adapt training materials and manuals in the substantive area and ensure their availability for capacity development, and support their implementation;
Coach and monitor expert consultants, and facilitate working groups and task teams;
Strengthen national capacities on reproductive health including MNH/RHCS to: Conduct needs assessment s Cost national plans and rapidly mobilize required resources Address the urgent need for skilled health workers, particularly midwives Address financial barriers to access, especially for the poorest Tackle the root causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, including gender inequality Strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems
Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination
Contribute to the identification, analysis and synthesis of technical knowledge and evidence in reproductive health including MNH/RHCS;
Make significant contributions to analytic works aiming to collect and review lessons learned from implementation and to refine methodologies for effective reproductive health including MNH/RHCS within a decentralized planning and budgeting context;
Contribute to the successful execution of impact evaluations and provide support in developing a prioritized operational research agenda for UNFPA;
Remain knowledgeable and up-to-date on all technical and implementation issues that relate to reproductive health including MH/RHCS as well as other components of health systems development;
Promote UNFPA's comparative substantive role and specific contribution in the changing development agenda.
Technical Representation
Represent UNFPA on substantive issues and support advocacy for reproductive health including MNH and RHCS in international, governmental, U.N., and other policy and technical meetings;
Collaborate with in-country UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, professional societies, and act when necessary as focal point for inter-agency working groups in the substantive area;
Act as the CO's focal point on MH/RHCS, and carry out other duties as may be required by UNFPA Representative.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
 Values/Guiding principles;  Developing people;  Personal leadership and effectiveness;  Team Working spirit  Building and managing relationships
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
 Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise  Managing for results  Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/Building strategic alliances and partnerships  Job knowledge/Technical expertise
QUALIFICATIONS:
 Advanced university degree in any of the following - public health, medicine, social sciences , pharmacy, business or other related fields. The degree must be directly related to the substantive area identified in the job description of the post. A course in maternal health, logistics, essential drugs , health system strengthening and financing and MIS is a plus.  7 years of increasing responsibilities in managing RH or health programmes with direct experience relating to Maternal Health and supply management systems, of which at least 5 years national and/or international. Knowledge of supply management should include forecasting, warehousing, distribution, transportation and logistics information systems .  General knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated RH care.  Familiarity with UN development programmes and working procedures, especially UNFPA policies and programming procedures, an asset.  Fluency in French. Good command of oral and written English is required
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender quality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.
We offer an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the position. The package includes a competitive salary plus housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.
1/ No expectancy of renewal in accordance with UN Staff Regulation 4.5
How to Apply:
UNFPA has established an electronic application management system. This allows applicants to create a candidate profile, which can be updated regularly and submitted for more than one vacancy.
Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment/application_guide.doc. Please print out the Guide for your reference during the registration and application process. Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
Notice to applicants: In accordance with the rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, are required to renounce such status upon their appointment. Exceptions to this rule are very limited and can be made only for: (a) stateless persons; (b) newly appointed staff members who have applied for citizenship by naturalization, when such citizenship will be granted imminently; (c) acting staff members in the General Service and related categories with permanent residency status, on promotion to the Professional category; (d) staff members appointed under a temporary appointment. Please understand that UNFPA is not in a position to provide advice on or assistance in applying for any citizenship.
*This is a project-funded post.
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