Senior Consultant – Policy and Practice of Environment & Sustainable Energy for Immunization

Background & Rationale

Climate change and environmental degradation are equity issues, with children often being the most vulnerable. Particularly, children’s health is at risk from climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, heat waves and spreading of vector- and water-borne diseases because of changes in rainfall and increasing temperatures. Also, environmental pollution continues to pose a major threat to children’s health as does the absence of reliable energy supply especially to remote and low-income populations. For example, annually the death of over 660,000 children under 5 is attributed to air pollution, and some 94% of the 1.8 million annual deaths from diarrheal disease is attributable to environmental causes, particularly unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation,^[1]with infants being the most vulnerable.

The strong emphasis on environment throughout the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provides significant opportunities and momentum to address these issues. The overarching health goal (SDG3): “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages,” is associated with three mortality targets for 2030 related to reducing infectious, maternal, and child deaths:

· by 2030 reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

· by 2030 end preventable deaths of newborns and under-five children

· by 2030 end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases.

The 5 building blocks of the GAVI supply chain strategy (supply chain leadership, data for management, better cold chain equipment, continuous improvement plans, and system design), with objectives of potency, availability and efficient use of resources, contributes directly to the SDG3 goals. UNICEF is at the forefront of initiatives to implement the GAVI strategy and is increasingly recognizing the need to incorporate environmental sustainability in its programs in order to secure improved results for children’s health and well-being and “walk the talk” on environmental sustainability for children. This is of particular relevance to the health sector. Increasingly health practitioners and policy makers recognize that the health sector itself needs to become more environmentally sound.

The global attention to environmental sustainability provides significant opportunities to the health sector. For example, incorporating sustainable energy solutions into health programming is a good example of a mutually-beneficial opportunity in terms of children’s health and well-being, efficiencies, value for money, and climate goals. Many health clinics have little to no access to sustainable energy to provide basic services. Sustainable energy is essential for the immunization cold chain; basic medical, communication and IT equipment; for cooking, and for cooling and heating of medical facilities. Unsustainable energy sources such as firewood for cooking, kerosene for refrigeration or lighting, and electricity from diesel generators are oftentimes highly polluting, expensive and even unavailable. While solar direct drive refrigerators were designed to provide clean sustainable energy to keep vaccines cool in off-grid health posts, countries are consistently facing the challenges with implementing these devices, despite the available technical guidance, and are often looking for alternative, more cost-effective systems solutions to power health facilities and entire communities along with vaccine fridges. There is also increasing need – and demand from countries - to improve waste management practices to respond to the ever-increasing volumes of packaging, electronic and medical waste, and particularly infectious waste from immunization: GAVI targets the immunization of 300 million infants by 2020, where 1,300cc of waste of which almost 30% is infectious is produced for each fully immunized child. The upcoming switch of national immunization programs to IPV, implementation of gel packs and insulated pallet shipping containers are set to result in large scale waste management burden to countries and yet they represent just a fraction of programmatic waste management challenges throughout the entire immunization supply chain, from suppliers to the child.

Purpose

UNICEF seeks to support countries in leveraging appropriate environmental and sustainable energy policies, strategies and technology systems to achieve measurable results for children. Health programs, and especially immunization, with the vast environmental and energy footprint of its vaccine supply chain, have a sustained demand for informed policies, strategies and technical assistance packages to guide their investments in innovative waste management and sustainable energy solutions. Increasingly, these solutions are inter-sectorial in nature.

Over 70 low- and middle-income countries are taking advantage of GAVI funding opportunities to mobilize resources for immunization and health systems strengthening. Inclusion of sustainable energy for health facilities and broader environmental sustainability management (ESM) policies will be a significant opportunity for the Ministries of Health, Environment and Energy and their partners to make their work more sustainable, deliver better results for children, and should also quantify and secure the additional domestic and/or international resources required for further scaling up and consolidation of sustainable energy and waste management for health facilities and health workers.

Expected results: (measurable results)

The expected result of this consultancy is (a) the development of UNICEF’s global guidance and best practices in environmental sustainability management including sustainable energy for health in the context of national health/immunization programs, and (b) the provision of initial support to the health sector in countries to start articulating its environmental and sustainable energy needs and their inclusion in national policy, program and technical assistance plans, with a particular focus on national immunisation programs.

The results will include a global and a series of national evaluations of the direct and indirect economic, social and environmental costs and benefits accruing from integrating environmental sustainability management (ESM) for health facilities into existing maternal and child health programs especially immunization supply chains.

Duty Station

Remote-based with occasional travel to the field (countries to be decided) and New York HQ

Timeframe 220 working days, as requested by UNICEF.

Start date: 14 December 2015 End date: 05 December 2016

Under the supervision and overall guidance of the Senior Adviser, Climate and Environment, (Division of Data, Research and Policy) and in coordination with the Health Section, the consultant is responsible for the following tasks and deliverables:

Tasks and deliverables

a. Tasks

· Conduct a desk review on environment and sustainable energy, focusing on the needs, gaps, policy, planning, budget allocation, partnerships and implementation in the maternal and child health sector (with emphasis on immunization supply chains) of low- and middle-income countries.

· Prepare and co-facilitate regional workshops to raise awareness and capacity development of government officials.

· In consultation with UNICEF Regional and Country Offices, undertake scoping missions to selected GAVI-eligible countries to engage with Ministries of Health, Environment and Energy to analyze programmatic and financial gaps vs. opportunities to align the Immunization/iSCM and child health programs with the SDG Indicators on sustainable energy and environment. Specific travel arrangements (dates, countries, etc.) are yet to be determined.

· Advise on existing challenges in alignment between the health programs and sustainable energy and environment programs in the country during the gap analysis and concept note development.

· Draft a report outlining the key priorities and opportunities to apply ESM practices to improve efficiency in immunization supply chains, for review by the WHO / UNICEF iSCM Hub.

· Work with the MOH, MOE, and partners to assist in identifying co-funding opportunities, as per areas arising from the gap analysis.

· Work with the MOH, MOE, and partners to assist in drafting a concept note that can be submitted to potential donors.

· Coordinate the review of initial report integrating also country feedback.

b. Deliverables

· Report on how ESM practices can be applied to improve efficiency and effectiveness of immunization supply chains with a list of priority interventions.

· Case studies on environmental sustainability management (including e.g. energy needs, uses and waste management practices) in the health sector (with emphasis on immunization supply chains) of four selected GAVI eligible countries to identify scoping opportunities for integrating ESM practices.

· ESM context and gap analysis reports completed for selected countries.

· Global guidance and best practices for health sector and energy/environment sector (e.g. briefing note, screening tool, FAQs, powerpoint) and training delivered at regional workshops.

· Draft country action plans and concept notes for submission to potential donors.

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

Competencies

· Strong analytical, negotiation, oral & written communication skills

· Highly-effective presenter including ability to adapt the message and visual aids for multiple audiences to deliver concise, impactful presentations

· Highly-effective facilitator with proven ability to engage and train a group of individuals

· Self-starter with ability to plan and execute projects in a timely manner

· Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment

Technical skills and knowledge

· Educational background or extensive experience in public health, immunization, energy or similar

· Expertise in new and emerging health technologies and sustainable energy

· Expertise and experience in gap analysis, energy needs assessments, gender, good understanding of the health sector in diverse country settings

· Experience with preparing and providing capacity development of government officials

· Familiarity with WHO immunization and environmental policies

· Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word and PowerPoint

Work experience

· At least 15 years of Mid-Senior Level experience in public health including 8 years in immunization, with experience in resource-constrained environments.

· Experience working in Africa and Asia preferable

· Prior working experience with the UN/UNICEF or development organizations required

· Experience in leading the discussions with national ministries of health on complex technical matters required.

Languages

· Written and spoken fluency in English and French.

[1]See WHO/UNEP Publication Health Environment: managing the linkages for sustainable development

How to Apply

Applicants are requested to send their submissions to < pdconsultants@unicef.org>with subject line:

“Senior Consultant – Policy and Practice of Environment & Sustainable Energy for Immunization”by 12^th November 2015, 5:00pm EST.

Applications must include:

· Cover letter,

· CV, and

· P-11 form[1]

· Indicate where you heard about this advertisement

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

NOTE: Files should not exceed 5.0MB limit

UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

[1]*P 11 form can be downloaded from our website at*http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc