National Consultancy: Support the Institutionalization of Birth Registration in the Health Sector

National Consultancy Support the Institutionalization of Birth Registration in the Health Sector latest vacancies in Malawi United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Careers in Malawi National Consultancy Support the Institutionalization of Birth Registration in the Health Sector Jobs in at United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Malawi

Closes*> April 30, 2021

![United Nations Children's Fund \(UNICEF\)](https//jobsearchmalawi.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/08/unicef-150x150.png6bfec1&6bfec1)

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Job no*> 539698
Contract type*> Consultancy
Level*> Consultancy
Location*> Malawi
Categories*> Health

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most
disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help
them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere,
every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, good health!

BACKGROUND

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child,
everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy,
and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and
excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s
rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an
opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without
discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an
unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and
cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing
evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a
society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will
give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will
lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on
equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights
of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the
Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable
development of nations.

The overall goal of the UNICEF Malawi Country Programme of Cooperation,
2019-2023, is to contribute to the Government of Malawi’s efforts to implement
and decentralize policies related to children, focusing on the most
disadvantaged and deprived, to have their rights progressively respected and
fulfilled so they can survive, grow and develop to their full potential in an
inclusive and protective society. The country program is aligned with country
and UNICEF regional and global priorities and expected to contribute to the
Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III, 2018-2022, and the United
Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), 2019-2023, while
concurrently working toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).

Birth registration is key in securing the right to life, freedom, and
protection as well as exercising basic rights, claiming entitlements, and
accessing a range of governmental services. Strengthened identification and
authentication can establish a basis for a more effective, inclusive, and
accountable social protection system. There are an estimated over 8.4 million
children under the age of 16 in Malawi that are not registered and much more
that do not have a birth certificate. Birth registration is a key national
priority for UNICEF’s country program and a key component under Goal Area 3 of
UNICEF’s Global Strategic Plan. UNICEF and UNDP have embarked on a joint
project to “reduce the gap” in birth registration. Closing this gap through
the registration of children with a unique identifier presents an opportunity
for Malawi not only to increase the birth registration coverage but also to
improve service delivery and evidence-based policymaking and programming to
realize children’s rights to survival, development, and protection. In
addition, it offers great opportunities to strengthen services in health,
nutrition, child protection, social protection, and education.

JUSTIFICATION

Universal birth registration provides every child with a birth certificate, an
essential legal document required to secure basic human rights to the name,
identity, and nationality. A birth registration certificate is the first step
in securing recognition of individuals before the law and safeguarding their
human rights and access to basic social services. Having a birth certificate
has a number of benefits

1. As a legal document and proof of age, helps to prevent violations of rights of a child, including child marriage, trafficking, child labor, and the use of child soldiers, particularly among vulnerable and marginalized populations.
2. The birth certificate also facilitates access to school, health services, and social protection benefits, which reduces the vulnerability of children to poverty and the risk of exploitation.

Ninety percent (90%) of births take place in over 570 health facilities in 28
districts but only about 25% of the live births were notified with the NRB
system in 2019. Currently, it is only about 30 percent of under-five children
are registered and much less have a birth registration certificate. Lack of a
birth certificate which is a legal document and proof of age renders the
children unseen, uncounted, and excluded. This affects children’s ability to
enjoy universal human rights and their right to birth registration and to a
name, legal identity, and nationality as enshrined in several international
human rights laws/instruments and conventions and treaties as well as our
National Registration Act of 2010.

UNICEF Malawi is therefore seeking to engage a CRVS (birth registration)
consultant to provide technical support for the Ministry of Health (MoH) to
institutionalize birth registration so that it is a permanent practice in the
routine business processes of health facilities and the sector in general. The
goal is that every live birth is notified with the civil registration
authority which is NRB (National Registration Bureau) as required by the
National Registration Act of 2010. The CRVS consultant is an advocate for
every child and provides technical and operational support to the Ministry of
Health to develop an institutionalization action plan. In addition to this,
the CRVS consultant will support the National Registration Bureau (NRB) in the
implementation of the UNICEF-supported activities to ensure timely execution,
achievement of targets, and reporting.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The CRVS consultant will conduct a readiness assessment for the MoH to
institutionalize birth registration and develop a birth registration
institutionalization action plan for the MoH based on proven, scalable, and
sustainable interventions.

How can you make a difference

SCOPE OF WORK/OBJECTIVES

The CRVS consultant shall perform the services under the overall guidance and
direction of the Child Protection Specialist (Civil Registration and Vital
Statistics) in the UNICEF Malawi Health Section.

The CRVS consultant is expected to provide technical guidance, operational and
coordination support by conducting a readiness assessment for the MoH to fully
institutionalize birth registration processes in the system. The CRVS
consultant will also support monitoring and supportive supervision of birth
registration in the health facilities and provide technical support to the
director of health and social services (DHSS) on monitoring and utilization of
vital statistics for program planning and budgeting. The CRVS consultant will
also explore links between the health sector and CRVS/ID systems such use of
unique ID in health and interoperability between the CRVS system and
HMISHMISM.

The CRVS consultants an advocate for every child and provides technical and
operational support to the Ministry of Health which is the civil authority in
administering, executing, and implementing a variety of tasks to notify births
in health facilities and support innovations to accelerate birth registration.
The consultant will also work with the National Registration Bureau (NRB) in
order to strengthen the collaboration and working arrangements with MoH
including ensuring MoH active participation in the CRVS TWG and Steering
Committees. The consultant will also support the National Registration Bureau
(NRB) in the implementation of the UNICEF-supported activities to ensure
timely execution, achievement of targets, and reporting.

The CRVS consultant will provide strategic information to support MCO’s
engagement in strategic advocacy with MoH, NRB, and partners and donors to
identify challenges, solutions, and incentives for birth registration and
birth certificates.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

To whom will the consultant report (supervisory and any other
reporting/communication lines)

The CRVS consultant shall report to the UNICEF Malawi Child Protection
Specialist (CRVS) and a copy of each completed deliverable with the Ministry
of Health and a copy to the National Registration Bureau.

What type of reporting will be expected from the consultant and in what
format/style will the submissions of reports/outputs be done

The consultant shall report as per the agreed work plan and deliverables for
the assignment which are in the form of reports and other indicated products.
Any changes or modifications to the reporting requirements deemed necessary
shall be communicated by the Child Protection Specialist (CRVS).

How will the consultant consult and deliver work and when will reporting be
done

The consultant will work with the Ministry of Health in the Department of
Nursing Services and the Central Monitoring and Evaluation Division (CMED) and
its partners who will support the review of deliverables while reports on
other products shall be submitted to the Child Protection Specialist (CRVS) as
per the assignment deliverables and submission timelines indicated in the
expected deliverables section.

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

A Master’s Degree in Demography, Economics, Social Statistics, Public Health,
Development Studies or related discipline with an emphasis on evidence-based
systems strengthening health information management, and research, is
required.

Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience and
proven track record in the theory and practice of strategic CRVS interventions
at the national and district level;

Proven experience of support to governments to develop CRVS strategy
interventions;

Excellent analytical and writing skills are necessary;

Excellent communication, advocacy, and people skills;

Demonstrated experience in supporting Government and its stakeholders and
capacity building is essential;

Familiarity with UN systems and UNICEF is considered an asset;

Demonstrated experience working national Government structures and ability to
foster and maintain strong professional relationships at national and district
levels;

Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders (e.g. Government,
UN, NGOs, etc) and building capacity is essential;

Hands-on experience in the theory and practice of strategic CRVS interventions
at the national and district level with a focus on birth registration;

Ability to communicate with various stakeholders and to express concisely and
clearly ideas and concepts in written and oral form;

Good understanding of health system at national and district level and its
governance structures;

Knowledge of global developments in child protection, particularly in the area
of birth registration, including the application of the equity lens and human
rights perspectives to programming;

Ability to harmonize CRVS-generated data with Malawi’s existing Health
Information System and working with HMIS/DHIS to strengthen the information
system;

Technical support to the monitoring and assessment activities qualitative and
quantitative data collection, analysis and interpretation, program quality
assurance and control, financial management;

Knowledge of and experience in the application of innovation for health
information systems;

Excellent knowledge and experience in the methods of communication to clearly
and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form and to
listen to and acknowledge others’ perspectives and views;

Computer knowledge, skills, and practical experience, including internet
navigation, network, telecommunications, and various office applications;

Fluency in English and the local language in Malawi is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA)
and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for
Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit [ here
](https//www.unicef.org/careers/media/1041/file/UNICEF%27sCompetencyFramework.pdf)
.

Click [ here ](https//www.unicef.org/careers/get-prepared) to learn more
about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

For further details about the assignment, attached are the ToRs

![Download
File](https//az29734.vo.msecnd.net/static/people/icons/iconfilesmall.gif) [
TORs for CRVS Consultant.pdf
](https//secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com/apply/TransferRichTextFile.ashxsData=UFUtVjMtgxjf9bzaQIS8CvHJswu0WYvGdowExGocSIOaJqG9JNI6HOkdSlR5X4xbq-
jfTmx86aqRT9qv4Fs3upOzK7kWbl-x1G-C6nE45CIdE4GyhNbJWWFmNJThHYvpdrXqoyowDo3UURm97dbXZrzMXEf7A%7e%7e)

Use this template to submit your financial proposal

![Download
File](https//az29734.vo.msecnd.net/static/people/icons/iconfilesmall.gif) [
Template for Financial Proposal.xlsx
](https//secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com/apply/TransferRichTextFile.ashxsData=UFUtVjMtZpeYJyPWWb6rBmw7TDxL6y6IZQTrdMlwxQyGaR8QaPXaKriL13NidFeeL4-o8Ucad05j-
qGFKLZOgDao68iD3FA7-RssVU0NjqY4KYF-
jCWomx57moZBuGr2CzgZoce8xBFqsg984HT25U8OWw%7e%7e)

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and
encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and
ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to
become a part of the organization.

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
credentials (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.

Advertised*> 18 Apr 2021 South Africa Standard Time
Deadline*> 30 Apr 2021 South Africa Standard Tim

Read and Apply Now Through

style="displayblock"

URL Link to Apply