Job Identification : 12173
Locations : Abuja, Nigeria
Posting Date : 08/10/2023, 08:28 AM
Apply Before : 09/03/2023, 03:59 AM
Job Schedule : Full time
Grade : NB4
Vacancy Type : Individual Consultancy
Rotational/Non Rotational : Non-Rotational
Contract Duration : 2 months
Education and Work Experience : Master’s Degree – 5 year(s) experience
Required Languages : English
Vacancy Timeline : 2 Weeks
Job Category : Management
Job Description
Number of Lead Consultant – One (1)
Location: Abuja
Grade Level of Consultancy: NOB
Full/Part time: Full Time
Contract Type: Individual Consultant
Duration of Assignment: 6 weeks (30 Working Days)
Closing Date: Saturday, 02 September 2023
Please note that this consultancy assignment is only for Nigerian Nationals
Background
Women and girls in Nigeria face intersectional discrimination and disadvantages perpetuated by gender inequalities and harmful social norms reducing their ability to access sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services. This manifests as poor health and social indices affecting their chances of fulfil their potential and contributing to the sustainable development of the Country.
Indeed, maternal mortality has remained high in Nigeria despite national and sub-national efforts at addressing maternal deaths in the last two decades. The 2018 NDHS estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is far from the sustainable development goals (SDGs) target of 70 per 100,000 live births. Unfortunately, recent data show a much higher estimate of 1,047 per 100,000 representing over one quarter (28%) of global maternal deaths in 2020, with approximately 82,000 maternal deaths. [1]
Nigeria’s high total fertility rate (TFR) of 5.3 is driven by the low contraceptive prevalence rate of 12% (NDHS 2018). Only 22% of married women and 5.6% of married adolescent girls have access to contraception, while 36% of unmarried women and 30% of adolescents do not have access to any contraceptive method. More so, according to the 2018 NDHS, one in three women and girls are affected by gender based violence, one in five are survivors of female genital mutilation while one in seven are married by age 15. These gender biased harmful practices contribute to the inability of women and girls to access sexual and reproductive services including maternal and contraceptive care.
While improving overall quality of healthcare is crucial to addressing the high maternal deaths, unmet need for family planning and preventing and responding to GBV and harmful practices, critical shortage of midwives and/or skilled birth attendants has severely truncated the delivery of essential SRHR and GBV service including maternal and newborn care. Universal coverage of midwife-delivered interventions through an integrated approach could increase access to gender and adolescent responsive GBV and SRH information and services, and avert 65% of maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths. Most of these deaths can be averted using evidence-based interventions such as focused antenatal care (ANC), skilled birth delivery, timely access to emergency obstetric care, and access to contraceptives.
Factors preventing the midwifery workforce from providing optimal patient care include insufficient numbers, inefficient skill mix, inequitable distribution, limited qualified educators, and limited effective regulation.
UNFPA has been at the forefront of advocating for greater investments in the midwifery workforce. UNFPA focuses on four key areas: strengthening competency-based midwifery training; developing strong regulatory mechanisms to ensure quality services; raising the voices of midwives; and advocating for increased investments in midwifery services. UNFPA also works to create a supportive environment for midwives by advocating for adequate workforce policies for midwives. Furthermore, improving their understanding of GBV and harmful practices would contribute to increasing access to information and services in an integrated manner.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN) is the regulatory body of the nursing and midwifery profession in Nigeria. The Council regulates the standards of nursing and midwifery education and practice including the registration, licensure and re-licensure of professional nurses in Nigeria. UNFPA Nigeria during its 7th Country Programme (CP) implementation, had collaborated with the Council to launch the “Investing in Midwives Program” in 2013, as well as conducted gap analysis of the midwifery situation in Nigeria and developed a Strategic Plan (2015-2019) to strengthen the midwifery workforce. During the recently concluded 8th CP (2017-2022), UNFPA Nigeria partnered with N&MCN and State Governments to improve the quality of preservice midwifery education including strengthening of the learning environment and increasing admission quotas of some midwifery schools. UNFPA Nigeria had also collaborated with the Council to improve in-service midwifery training by strengthening the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP).
Rationale
The MCPDP, introduced in 2010 by the Council, was aimed at improving, renewing and updating the knowledge, skills and ability of all nurses and midwives, and to ensure that appropriate and high quality nursing and health services are rendered to individual patients, families and communities. The Programme will keep nurses and midwives abreast of current trends and developments in the nursing and midwifery landscape as well as global best practices. Undertaking the programme is mandatory for the triennial renewal of practicing license by all nurse and midwives in Nigeria.
In order to improve the competency of midwives in the provision of person-centred and effective care in maternity services, UNFPA in 2017, leveraged on the MCPDP by introducing Seven additional modules to the MCPDP package. The modules include: Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Youth Friendly Services (ASRH & YFS); Emergency Obstetric & Newborn Care Respectful Maternity Care and Obstetric Fistula Prevention (EmONC/RMC & OF) for midwifes and Nurses who have undergone MCPDP Midwifery Module I & II; Contraceptive Technology Update (CTU); Elimination of Maternal to Child Transmission of HIV (e-MTCT); Clinical Management of Rape, Female Genital Mutilation, Psychosocial Support (CMR & FGM); and Long Active Reversible Contraceptives (LARC). In 2019, UNFPA added a Maternal Nutrition module to the Council’s MCPDP package.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and other harmful practices.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction. UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire, and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Purpose of consultancy
To provide technical expertise for the review and update of SGBV-related training modules of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Specific Objective: to (1) update the Clinical Management of Rape(CMR)/Female Genital Mutilation module and separate into Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/Clinical Management of Rape, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) modules; (2) support the update of Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC), Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH), Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (e-MTCT), and Maternal nutrition modules; (3) support development of Safe Delivery/Birth Preparedness/Complication Readiness (SD/BP/CR) and Respectful Maternity Care (RMC)/ Quality of Care (QoC) modules; and to (4) develop pools of questions from where test questions could be generated at random for respective modules.
Scope of work: (Description of services, activities, or outputs
Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Deputy Representative and direct supervision of the Gender/RH Specialist working closely with the Gender/GBV Specialist and the Registrar of the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
The SGBV Consultant will collaborate with the SRHR/FP Consultant, and is expected to carry out the following tasks:
- Overall responsibility for the review, update and development of the gender and gender-based violence related modules in line with recent evidences and standards.
- Undertake desk research and analyse necessary documents/training modules, training materials including relevant national/international guidelines and policies to fully understand the situation and existing training materials available for the continuing professional development of nurses/midwives on IPV/CMR, FGM, LARC, ASRH/YFS, RMC/QoC, e-MTCT, maternal nutrition, and SD/BP/CR.
- Carry out stakeholder analysis to bring out the roles and responsibilities of key players and institutions in nursing and midwifery education in Nigeria.
- Carry out a “Gap” analysis to identify gaps in the existing modules and trainings. Map out the issues and identify the priorities in line with the objectives of this TOR.
- Produce a well-written and comprehensive training/targeted needs assessment report including learning opportunities and work environments and recommendations for evaluation and impact assessment.
- Based on this assessment, develop draft updated comprehensive training modules for (a)IPB/CMR (b) FGM (c) LARC, (d) ASRH/YFS, (e) RMC/QoC, (f) e-MTCT, (g) SD/BP/CR, and (f) maternal nutrition.
- Share the draft modules with key experts including N&MCN’s Committee of Educators and government for their review, incorporate comments and finalize the modules.
- Assist UNFPA and N&MCN in organizing and facilitating national workshops for the review and validation of draft modules.
- Liaises with UNFPA engaged Information Technology (IT) firm in planning and designing course contents ensuring high levels of engagement with learning on the MCPDP electronic platform.
- Undertake any other related task to ensure the successful completion of this consultancy.
The expected outputs are:
- An Inception/Design report, which should include: (a) the approach and methodology; (b) the final stakeholder map; (c) the training/targeted needs assessment report; (d) a detailed work plan and agenda for draft modules development; and (f) an outline of limitations.
- Draft updated training modules, on (a) IPB/CMR (b) FGM (c) LARC, (d) ASRH/YFS, (e) RMC/QoC, (f) e-MTCT, (g) SD/BP/CR, and (f) maternal nutrition; and each with pool of questions for test assessments.
- Final validated modules, for (a) IPB/CMR (b) FGM (c) LARC, (d) ASRH/YFS, (e) RMC/QoC, (f) e-MTCT, (g) SD/BP/CR, and (f) maternal nutrition.
A PowerPoint presentation of the various modules, to be submitted to UNFPA and N&MCN
Duration and working schedule:
WEEKS
1
2
3
4
5
6
Need analysis phase
Design & development phase
Evaluation & validation phase
Reflection and facilitation of use
Place where services are to be delivered:
The consultancy would be conducted in the FCT and virtually. There may be field visits to some states.
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g., electronic, hard copy etc.):
Soft copies of each of the above mentioned validated modules and PowerPoint presentations would be delivered to the Gender/RH Specialist and Registrar of the N&MCN within six weeks of commencement of the consultancy
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
The Consultant shall report directly to the SRHR/FP Consultant who reports to the Gender/RH Specialist with functional reporting to the Registrar of the Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
Supervisory arrangements:
The SGBV consultant will be supervised by the SRHR/FP Consultant with oversight of the Gender/RH Specialist and the Maternal & RH Specialist.
Expected travel:
Minimum Travel expected.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
- Post-graduate or equivalent qualification/degree in public health, SGBV, and gender or any other relevant discipline.
- At least 5 years of prior work experience in SGBV/FGM including development of training modules/curriculum especially at national, regional or international context.
- Strong technical knowledge and experience in Gender, SGBV including social norms and mainstreaming into EmONC, Obstetric Fistula, HIV, and Family planning.
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience in conducting need assessments and development of training modules, training curricula and training materials, etc.
- Demonstrated experiences and skills in facilitating stakeholder and working group consultations and workshops.
- Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
- Excellent communication (written and spoken), facilitation and knowledge-sharing skills.
- Familiarity with UNFPA and N&MCN’s mandates and operations will be an advantage.
Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable::
UNFPA shall provide the following:
- Support organisation of two review meetings by Committee of Educators to be facilitated by Consultant
- Support organisation of national workshop for validation of modules.
N&MCN shall provide the following:
- Constitute the Committee of Educators and invitation to the review & validation meetings.
Support organization of national workshop for validation of modules.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:
The Consultant’s fees shall be paid in line with the following schedule and upon acceptance of key deliverables:
- Upon approval of the design/inception report: 20%
- Upon submission of the draft modules of satisfactory quality: 40%
- Upon submission of the validated modules and the PowerPoint presentations: 40%
