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HIV treatment adherence is very important among adolescents for them to grow healthy and achieve their own life goals. however, in-school challenges remain a huge barrier. Adolescents and youths living with HIV are subject to stigma related with chronic illness, challenges of parental authority and therefore, they may wish to have their own friendly services3. In Tanzania, there has been different adolescents centered multisectoral high impact HIV programs which also focusing on provision of confidential and high-quality HIV services, and engaging adolescents through participatory communication interventions as well as improving HIV friendly services at different health facilities. These programs have been implemented in the community and in schools’ settings targeting adolescents living with HIV with the aim of reducing the vulnerability among school going adolescents yet the challenges among them still exists. This calls for in-depth assessment of the key bottlenecks within ministries of (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC) to improve its capacity to facilitate access to HIV services among school going adolescents living with HIV
How can you make a difference?
In school adolescents living with HIV and AIDS are subjected to many challenges including lack of support from teachers and fellow students and stigma and discrimination that affect their treatment adherence despite having HIV related interventions that use schools as a platform for integrated HIV and health services delivery. The recent cross-sectional study on factors impacting HIV testing and treatment of adolescents in Tanzania specifies significant findings for consideration. The challenges ranges from friendly services at the health facilities, stigma and discrimination, lack of support from parents/ caregivers and teachers, human resources, quality of HIV care services, disclosure, distance, poverty among other challenges. These school related factors, positively and negatively impact the utilization of HIV services among adolescents living with HIV4. In Tanzania there are about twelve guidelines on HIV including for adolescents living with HIV yet adolescents especially in school settings encounter many challenges as a result of being HIV positive hence, these guidelines still not adequately operational to influence practices in favor of wellbeing of ALHVI hence calls for an in-depth capacity assessment of responsible ministries (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC) involved in health and wellbeing of adolescents while in school.
MAIN OBJECTIVES, DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME
Main activities
The overall objective of this consultancy is to assess key bottlenecks to improve capacity and commitment of key ministries (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC) to facilitate access to HIV services among school going adolescents living with HIV.
- To assess the capacities of MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC to facilitate access to HIV services among school going adolescents living with HIV.
- To identify capacity bottlenecks among key ministries affecting the provision of quality HIV services among adolescent living with HIV in school setting.
- To underscore policy gaps related to HIV services among adolescents living with HIV in school settings
- To determine the role of key ministries at sub national level to execute national policies, plans and guidelines at that level in improving access to HIV services among ALHIV
- To develop policy recommendations that will be used to address the identified challenges related to integrated HIV services among adolescents and young people in school settings
SPECIFIC TASKS, METHODS AND DELIVERABLES.
| Objectives/Main Task | Methods | Deliverable |
| 1.To assess the MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC capacity to facilitate access to HIV services among school going adolescents | Familiarize with national HIV response guidelines and or policies targeting adolescents and young people living with HIV, review policy recommendations and implications from the study “Living with HIV and in school: Factors impacting HIV testing and treatment of adolescents in Tanzania to understand, 1. Key findings of the study from adolescents to inform decision. 2. Develop the assessment tools to undertake the capacity assessment of the three ministries (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC) | 1.Inception report detailing the overall consultancy framework including capacity assessment tools and approach |
| 2.To identify key ministerial capacity bottlenecks affecting the provision of HIV services in school settings among Adolescents living with HIV. | Desk review of national HIV response guidelines and or policies targeting adolescents and young people living with HIV. 2. Qualitative in-depth interview with key officials within the three ministries (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC), NACP and TACAIDS to identify the key capacity bottlenecks of their departments in responding to HIV issues among adolescents living with HIV. 3. Interviews with other stakeholders like regional education and health managers, district medical, education officers and school health program coordinators, headteachers, matrons/patrons and ALHIV themselves/other students 4. Develop comprehensive analysis report of the overall bottlenecks and capacity of the ministries as well as missing gaps in the current HIV guidelines targeting adolescents | Reports with key findings of the ministries (from national to school level) bottlenecks capacity to deliver high quality HIV services among adolescents living with HIV in school settings and missing gaps in current national guidelines |
| 3.To develop policy recommendations that will inform national policy guidelines and operational plans to address the identified challenges related to integrated HIV services among adolescents and young people in school setting | Consultation with UNESCO a UN leading agency on the review of national education sector development plan and other key stakeholders to solicit inputs to design the approaches to address the identified challenges. 2. Develop key policy and program recommendations to inform review of key policies and guidelines on HIV among school going adolescents living HIV 3. Present the key findings to ministries and other key stakeholders. 4. Based on the analysis of the bottlenecks above, propose feasible recommendations with implication and options in their implementation including critical enablers where needed, state clearly who is supposed to execute the proposed suggestions and timeframe. | final report with: 1. The technical report with key policy and program recommendations to inform review of key policies and guidelines on HIV among school going adolescents living HIV 2. Set of recommendations embedded in consultancy technical report |
| 4.To disseminate key findings with recommendations to policy makers from key ministries | 5.Present the key findings to ministries and other key stakeholders. | 6.A presentation of key findings to ministries and other key stakeholders. |
PAYMENTS SCHEDULE.
| Payment installments | Detailed breakdown of deliverable and time | % of total cost |
| Preparatory | A presentation of the inception report detailing the overall consultancy framework including capacity assessment tools, approach, and other key stakeholders to be involved. | 20% |
| Phase 1 | A presentation of the concise and comprehensive first and second draft report with key findings of the ministries capacity to deliver high quality HIV services among adolescents living with HIV in school settings. | 20% |
| Phase 2 | A presentation of a second draft addressing comments received from the first meeting with ministries, TACAIDS, NACP, UNICEF, and other UN agencies as well as reviewed national operational plan of the proposed approaches. | 20% |
| Phase 3 | final capacity assessment report with standardized national guideline, and operational plan for integrated HIV services among school going adolescents living with HIV. This involve the dissemination presentation to ministries and key stakeholders. | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Payment for each phase will only be made after submission of the required final reports for each objective satisfactorily to the supervisor: HIV&AIDS Specialist.
SUPERVISION.
The consultant will directly report to the HIV/AIDS Specialist with technical oversight from Chief HIV/AIDS.
METHODOLOGY
The consultant will work under the technical leadership and guidance of UNICEF and school health program division in MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC and in consultation with different technical working groups relating to adolescents and young people’s health for programmatic approach and guidance. Furthermore, the consultant will work with other UN agencies (UNESCO) who is leading the work related to development of the New Education Sector Development Plan involving primary and secondary schools. The overall process of this consultancy will employ an in-depth consultative approach and involve stakeholders at national and at regional levels.
EVALUATION PROCESS
Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will carry 25% showing proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for each deliverable and eventual total consultancy cost. This will make a total of 100%.
LOGISTIC AND LOCATION.
the consultant will be based in Dar es salaam with possible travel to Dodoma and Southern highlands regions.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will need to have the following
The consultant must have advanced degree in public health with demonstrated five years’ experience in HIV and AIDS sector.
2. The consultant must have at least five years and track record in capacity assessment work related to health programing targeting adolescents and young people and with proven ability of developing national plans/ guidelines related to HIV.
3. The consultant should have knowledge of Tanzania education system especially primary and secondary level, communities, and governance structures.
4. The experience of working with ministries (MoEST, PORALG and MoHCDGEC) and UN agencies will be an added advantage.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies.
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
Builds and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, innovates, and embraces change, drive to achieve results for impact, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks, and acts strategically, work Collaboratively with others.
To view our competency framework, please click the link below.
https://www.unicef.org/careers/media/1041/file/UNICEF%27s_Competency_Framework.pdf
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 credential(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.
The deadline for submitting the application is 05 August 2021.
