National Consultant - Cost of Inaction

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established to work in some of the world’s toughest places, aims to reach the most disadvantaged children globally. With operations in 190 countries and territories, UNICEF focuses on saving lives, defending rights, and helping children fulfill their potential. The organization is committed to building a better world for everyone and emphasizes the importance of immunization as a critical public health intervention.

Job Overview:
The National Consultant will work under the supervision of the Health Officer from UNICEF Moldova Country Office. The primary purpose of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Health in addressing low immunization rates in Moldova by collecting and analyzing relevant immunization-related data. This data will inform economic analyses regarding the costs of inaction in immunization, including vaccine costs, vaccination coverage, government expenditures, and the societal impacts of potential outbreaks. The consultant will be responsible for identifying reliable local sources for data collection, ensuring data accuracy, and organizing it for further analysis. Regular updates on the data collection process will be required, along with documentation of data sources for transparency.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a desk review of existing policies, programs, and data related to vaccination, analyzing healthcare treatment costs and immunization expenditures.
• Develop a structured dataset in coordination with involved parties, ensuring it contains relevant data on vaccination coverage and related indicators.
• Engage with government institutions and civil society organizations to facilitate structured consultations.
• Draft a comprehensive report summarizing the data collection process, including detailed explanations of data sources and analyses conducted.
• Prepare a visual presentation of the assessment results and submit a final report with recommendations to UNICEF Moldova, incorporating feedback from consultation meetings.
• Provide progress reports every two weeks, detailing data collection status, challenges, and planned next steps.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced educational background in public health, medicine, health economics, or a related field. A minimum of 7 years of proven relevant working experience in immunization, public health, and program management is required. Strong analytical and report writing skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently under pressure and prioritize tasks effectively. Familiarity with UNICEF’s work and mandate, as well as prior experience working with UN agencies, is considered an asset. Fluency in Romanian and working knowledge of English are mandatory.

Educational Background:
An advanced degree in public health, medicine, health economics, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of immunization programs and health economics, which are central to the consultancy's objectives.

Experience:
The position requires at least 7 years of relevant experience in the fields of immunization, public health, and program management. This experience should include a strong focus on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices, as well as the ability to analyze and interpret health data effectively.

Languages:
Fluency in Romanian is mandatory, along with a working knowledge of English. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not explicitly required for this position.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy will be performed remotely, with the requirement for travel within Chisinau for data collection. The payment for the consultancy will be made in one lump sum upon the submission and acceptance of all deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if performance is unsatisfactory or if deadlines are not met. The selected consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Health Officer and will be expected to adhere to UNICEF's values and standards, including a commitment to diversity and inclusion.