General

Description of assignment title: Health Support Associate (e-EPI and Finance)

Assignment country: Bangladesh

Expected start date: 09/01/2023

Sustainable Development Goal: 3. Good health and well-being

Volunteer category: National UN Youth Volunteer

Host entity: UNICEF

Type: Onsite

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: Dhaka

Details

Mission and objectives

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, trans-lates 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.

Context

UNICEF has been working in Bangladesh since 1952. Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, hosts a population of 160 million: 40 percent of which are children. UNICEF focuses on children, provides support to facing challenges in this developing, but densely populated nation. We reach out to communities in all 64 districts, through our field offices covering eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. UNICEF plans align with the Government of Bangladesh, our biggest partner, as it advances the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Our success in attaining equitable results for children relies heavily on collaborations with partners, donors, civil society organizations and local people. UNICEF Health programme aims strengthening institutional capacity for sustainable UHC through resilient Primary Health Care for children and women to survive and thrive in underserved area and amongst the vulnerable population. The programmatic outcome will address the long term-goal of ensuring that “all children, adolescents and women have equitable access to and use quality, high-impact health services and adopt appropriate healthy life practices”. This is aligned with UNICEF’s comparative advantage and mandate. Health information system is the backbone of health service development and collection of reliable and credible information drive taking various informed decision. Collection of service utilization data from all health facilities is critical for allocation of resources, proper planning and gaining efficiency in program management and reflection of country data in the global community. UNICEF will support the MOHFW for an integrated, inter-operable and well-designed digital HMIS for quality evidence generation and data for decision making across all levels of health tires. To ensure effective management of programs to meet the UNICEF standards and quality, it is crucial to follow the HACT procedure, which includes timely disbursement of funds, programmatic visits, and other financial procedures. So, it is imperative to strengthen the capacity of GoB personnel and UNICEF will continue to provide technical assistance to the Government in different areas for efficient and effective implementation of program.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Health Specialist, Immunization (NO3) or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the Health Support Associate ( e-EPI and Finance) will:

•  Contribute to Health Management Information Systems of Immunization Programs of UNICEF in including – Regular reviews of the completeness, timeliness and quality of the data in divisional/district level, strengthening urban health information systems, individual tracking system, geo-spatial information system etc.
•  Support in HACT monitoring (DCTs/ SOEs), fund utilization by grant (Gavi/USAID/MACP/ Can Give etc) and procurement plan of immunization program
•  Provide support to follow up the implementation of e- tracker, Online micro plan, innovations ( biometry, True Cover) and support to address the trouble shooting related to systems
•  Support documentation and publication of the health programs including concept notes, newsletters, and SOPs.
•  Support in tracking of donor reports and provide inputs in proposals, concept or strategy notes in related to equity/immunization including Primary Health Care.
•  Contribute to Health Programs of UNICEF in Health System Strengthening including primary health care, disability inclusion and evidence-based health policy.
•  Develop different analytical presentations and dashboards for the donors, government and other stakeholders as required.
•  Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Results/expected outputs:
•  As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
•  Documentation, event completion, report preparation, synthesized lessons learned and best practices and action points follow up of the health programs and internal and external coordination meetings with donors, stakeholders or internal meetings with other sections.
•  Contribution to the development of financial and analytical reports, as well as narrative reports. and project finance such as grants analysis, funds disbursement and tracking donors report submission timely etc.
•  The planning, financing, implementation and monitoring-evaluation to ensure equitable access to quality health services for the target populations, including in health emergencies.
•  The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
•  Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
•  A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 – 26

Nationality

Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

1 years of experience in

•  (6 months to 1 year experience) Programme Management, Grants Management, Finance Management, or other relevant programmes; experience with IT system management
•  Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills.
•  Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.
•  Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.
•  Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
•  Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.
•  Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

Area(s) of expertise

Communication

Driving license

–

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required Bengali, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in One of the following fields is required: Business Administration, Sociology, Finance/Accounting, Health economics, statistics or another relevant technical field.

Competencies and values

•  Accountability
•  Adaptability and Flexibility
•  Building Trust
•  Client Orientation
•  Commitment and Motivation
•  Commitment to Continuous Learning
•  Empowering Others
•  Ethics and Values
•  Integrity
•  Judgement and Decision-making
•  Knowledge Sharing
•  Managing Performance
•  Planning and Organizing
•  Professionalism
•  Respect for Diversity
•  Working in Teams

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh along the Buriganga River. Not only is it the capital city, but it is also the largest in the country. It is the centre of political, cultural, and economic life in Bangladesh. The official language is Bengali, while English is the working language of UN Agencies. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen the modernization of services, communications, and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Good English-speaking medical, dental services, and educational centres are available for internationals. Dhaka is connected to other cities by rail, road, and by air and internationals can move easily from one city to another. Dhaka has venerable green spaces, including many gardens and parks, historical places, and nice restaurants. The weather is tropical – hot and very humid during the summer monsoon season (April-September) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March). Historically, Bangladesh has been a safe country for internationals so far. While Dhaka is not categorized as a hardship station, the volunteer should be prepared for limitations in freedom of movement on foot, by public transport, and to certain locations.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.