Job Description
Hiring Office: SRH/HIV Section
Purpose of consultancy:
The purpose of this consultancy is to review the implementation of the UNFPA HIV prevention framework and guide in strengthening prevention leadership.
ESA is a home to less than 8 per cent of the world’s population but accounts for slightly over half of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the world and about 38 percent of new HIV infections.[1] UNAIDS estimated 39 million PLHIV globally in 2022, 20.8 million of these in the ESA region; and 500,000 new HIV infections out of a global total of 1.3 million occurred in ESA. Trends in HIV prevalence and new infections in ESA differ variously and continually across countries, geographical locales, and population groups with some countries more severely affected. The epidemic in ESA remains numerically huge with 17 out of the 28 countries contributing most new infections by the end of 2021 in ESA, and seven countries[2] with adult HIV prevalence of over 10 per cent two of them above 20 per cent. This underscores the importance of scaled and effective HIV prevention programming as a prerequisite to ESA’s achievement of global 2025 and 2030 HIV prevention elimination targets.
UNFPA the UN lead agency on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) has a special role to play in ending new HIV infections and reducing sexually transmitted infection (STIs. According to the UNAIDS 2018 division of labour (DoL)[3], UNFPA is assigned a co-leading role on three pillars namely, HIV prevention among young people, HIV prevention among key populations, and decentralization and integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV services. UNFPA and UNAIDS co-chair the global HIV Prevention Coalition (GPC) that defines the global framework for delivery and oversight of HIV prevention programmes particularly in 34 highly affected countries, 17 of these in the ESA region. The GPC 2025 HIV Prevention Roadmap prioritizes five pillars, UNFPA leads on three on: addressing HIV among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), protecting sexual health for key populations (KPs), and strengthening condom programming. UNFPA also plays key role on the pillar on HIV prevention among adolescent boys and young men (ABYM). In addition, the UNAIDS DoL assigns UNFPA a participation role in a range[4] of areas that avail synergies with the broader UNFPA SRHR mandate including elimination of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV and addressing gender-based violence (GBV)
UNFPA HIV mandate is embedded in the intention of the Global UNFPA Strategy 2022–2025 to accelerate the achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and to achieve universal access to SRHR focused on the three transformative results (TRs) by 2030. Cognizant that ESA is the global epicentre of the HIV epidemic, UNFPA ESA adds ending sexual transmission of HIV as a regional priority acknowledging its pervasive impacts that particularly constrain achievement of the 3TRs if not given due attention. To this end, UNFPA ESA detailed a framework (A decade for business unusual: UNFPA Framework to prevent sexual transmission of HIV in East and Southern Africa 2021-2030) elaborating the path to ending new infections and UNFPA contribution.
ESA countries are likely to miss the 2025 Global HIV Prevention targets unless evidence-based combination prevention is scaled up. UNFPA has a critical role to play in influencing the trajectory new infections in the region. The starting point will include assessing progress in implementing the prevention framework in the region and further guiding on the strategic priorities for 2024.
Scope of work
The SRH/HIV Consultant will be responsible for four interrelated deliverables:
i) Undertake a rapid assessment on progress of implementation of the UNFPA ESARO HIV regional framework at country and regional level. This will include assessing leadership action in the context of division UNAIDS division of labor and the GPC roadmap, level of effort in integrating SRH/HIV, CO leadership/engagement in critical HIV/SRH platforms, implementation of the 10 priorities of regional framework, as well as levels of human and financial investments in HIV prevention
ii) Compile Regional and Country HIV brief profiles including defining UNFPA specific/key indicators on SRH/HIV, generating country infographic snapshots, and making recommendations for expanded action
iii) Conduct rapid assessments in the countries of Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia on comprehensive condom programming indicators (stewardship including focus on TMA and programming tracking and analytics, Last Mile Distribution, demand creation) and generate country CCP profiles against the Global Fund Condom Stewardship Strategic Initiative results framework as well as highlighting promising practices in each country.
iv) Provide technical backstopping on regional HIV prevention and SRH/HIV integration at Regional Office.
Duration and working schedule:
The Consultancy will be expected to take 65 days spread over a period of 3 months from October 1 to December 29, 2023.
Place where services are to be delivered:
The drafts will be submitted electronically to ESARO office through the SRH/HIV specialist.
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):
All deliverables will be presented in an electronic copy
Deliverable Person Days Deadline
Inception Report including literature review and methodology for carrying out the two assessments 10 days October 13, 2023
Draft report on the implementation of Framework 15 days November 3, 2023
Draft reports on Country condom programming and draft HIV profiles 25 days December 8, 2023
Final draft reports of all deliverables 15 days December 29, 2023
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
The consultant will be required to provide regular update through emails, participate in teleconferences as required to monitor adherence to the tight schedule.
Supervisory arrangements: The Consultant will be supervised by the HIV advisor through the SRH/HIV Specialist.
Expected travel: The consultant will be expected to travel to at least 5 countries, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
The consultant must meet the following minimum criteria:
A postgraduate degree in public health, demography, sociology or related fields. Additional qualification will be an added advantage.
At least 10 years’ experience in undertaking development work;
Track record in HIV and SRH work, especially in Africa;
Experience in conducting assessments and good practices, with demonstrated ability to write clear and comprehensive reports for UN or other development partners,
Experience in condom programming will be an added advantage.
Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:
The UNFPA will provide documents that will provide the necessary background including UNFPA HIV prevention Framework, National Prevention Roadmaps, Condom Assessments in four countries and other documents that maybe required by the consultant.
UNFPA will also support convening sessions for key informant discussions as necessary.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:
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.
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[1] UNAIDS Data 2022
[2] Countries with HIV prevalence above 10% 2021: Botswana, Eswatini(27.9%), Lesotho (20.9%), Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe
[3] UNAIDS Joint Programme Division of Labour: guidance note 2018
[4] UNAIDS DoL assigns UNFPA participation roles in areas of: HIV testing and treatment, eMTCT, universal health coverage, social protection, investment and efficiency, Human rights stigma and discrimination, gender inequality and GBV, and HIV in humanitarian settings