Hiring office: UNFPA ESARO (East and Southern Africa Regional Office), EKI and MIC Hub teams
Purpose of consultancy: UNFPA ESARO seeks an international consultant/consulting institution to conduct a Rapid Assessment of Healthy Aging and Old Age Care Systems including Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Africa with a specific focus in East and Southern Africa.
Background and Rationale:
Africa is a youthful continent. The mean age of 19 years masks the demographic diversity and heterogeneity on the continent. For example, while the mean age in Mauritius is 35 years, 25% of Mauritius' population are older persons. While the number of older persons on the continent is small relative to the 1.3 Billion total population, the rate of increase is significant. Between 2000 and 2015 the number of older people on the continent increased by 22 Million, and is projected to move from 64 million in 2015 to 107 million in 2030, that is close to a 5-fold increase in just one generation.
Despite this significant trend, rights and issues of older people continue to be left behind - invisible, unrecognized, and neglected in sustainable development efforts making them more vulnerable to poverty, abuse and violation of human rights. Older people are often excluded in legal, policy and programmatic frameworks and experience difficulties in accessing quality and age-appropriate services including health care and social protection services, property rights, decent work, and livelihood opportunities in both development and humanitarian situations. In fragile settings, older persons are at high-risk of being left behind in situations of displacement, and at risk of violence, abuse, and neglect, as the traditional social order and community cohesion are uprooted in the wake of conflict or disaster.
Despite these, older people continue to make huge contributions to social and economic sectors as workers, volunteers, consumers, taxpayers and as providers of a range of unpaid and unseen services to families and communities. In addition, they play an important role in shaping the capabilities of younger generations. In the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development, as population ageing increases, it will impact the economy, labour markets, provision of health and social care, social cohesion to mention a few.
In addition, it is important to consider the gender dynamics of ageing in Africa. Due to increasing Healthy Life Expectancy, Females are living longer, though with disproportionate impact from inequalities, discrimination and violence. Women experience greater exclusion, lack of protection, abuse, lack of recognition, unpaid informal work, lack of property rights. Older women are also often the custodians of traditional roles and practices and can be key change drivers.
In the 2020-2030 Decade of Action for Sustainable Development, accelerated actions to ensure Healthy Ageing need to take into account healthy habits through adolescence and adulthood to older age groups, to avoid negative outcomes in old age. Recognizing the increasing population ageing in the East and Southern Africa region, UNFPA ESARO is seeking an international consultant to undertake a rapid Assessment of Old age care systems in the region with a view to guiding policy actions required to ensure healthy ageing within an integrated system of care and support services.
Objectives:
Specifically, the assessment is expected to include the under listed scope of inquiry:
- Population ageing in Africa and ESAR, what are the implications for sustainable development (this should include Healthy Life Expectancy (male and female)?
- How is the old age care system supporting older people in ESARO organized, delivered and financed?
- In the context of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and inclusive social protection systems are health care systems and complementary protection services able to provide the elderly with accessible, quality age-appropriate integrated care and support needed to ensure quality of life and wellbeing?
- How are older women cared for in ESARO? Are the reproductive and sexual health needs of older people met in ESAR? (i.e. HIV population needs older age care, menopause, older persons living with disability, etc.) within integrated approaches?
- What is the multi-sectorial coordination mechanism at regional and national level that ensures appropriate interventions are in place to ensure the dignity, wellbeing and quality of life for older persons in ESAR?
- What are the measures in place to ensure continuity of Care and Protection services in emergencies (technology, innovation)?
- What are the (preliminary) suggested policy options - institutional, community and family (towards 2030 and beyond)?
Duration and working schedule: The consultancy shall not exceed 40 paid working days, between August 15 and 30th November 2021 in the first instance.
Place where services are to be delivered: The consultancy is primarily virtual in 2021.
Schedule of Activities:
- Inception phase detailing the methodology and refining the scope of enquiry through an assessment framework
- Draft reports
- Final reports
Deliverables: From Consultant/Consulting Institution
- Inception Report with methodology, assessment framework, clear deliverables, and timeframe. 15th September 2021
- Draft Reports –31st October 2021
- Final Reports – 30th of November 2021
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: Bi-Weekly email and/or calls with the Population Policy Dynamics Advisor and Head of MIC Technical Hub to discuss progress and findings, share working drafts and reports and take decisions on the way forward.
Supervisory arrangements: The work will be under the overall direction of Population Policy Dynamics Advisor with collaborations from relevant Technical Advisors.
Expected travel: The Consultant is not expected to travel in 2021.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
- The consultant with a higher degree (Master’s or PhD) from a recognized University in Public Health or related social science.
- Expertise in Aging in Africa and in old age care systems
- Should have 10 years of progressive experience in public health or related discipline with a focus on Aging and Reproductive Health, with at least three years at international/regional level.
- Experience of having worked on strategic analytical assessment before.
- Good written and spoken English/French.
Examples of previous reports should accompany applications.
Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner:
The RO will:
- Brief consultant on the scope of work, and suggested deliverables
- Review inception report, draft and final deliverables, including synthesis reports and respond with timely comments.
Payment schedule:
- Inception Report submitted: 25% of contract amount paid.
- Draft report: 55% of contract amount paid.
- Final report: 20% of contract amount paid.
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To apply:
The deadline for applications is 3 August 2021, 5pm New York time.
- Please submit your application with a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) and motivational letter to jobs.esaro@unfpa.org. Please specify in the email subject “International Consultant- Old Age Care”.
- UNFPA does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training) or other fee, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts.
- UNFPA will only respond to those applicants in whom the Regional Office has further interest. In the event that UNFPA does not contact you by 27 August 2021, please consider your application unsuccessful.
