National Consultant: Review and Development of Unified MPDSR guidelines, 4 months, Accra-Ghana

Maternal and Perinatal mortality remain major challenges for Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries. The Consultant will work with the Ghana Health Service and a technical working group to review relevant perinatal and maternal audit documents in the country including Ghana’s MDSR guidelines. The assignment will include a review of the perinatal death audit guidelines for the purpose of merging with the draft MDSR guidelines into a unified MPDSR for implementation at the national and sub national levels of the health system.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, quality health care

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

Maternal and Perinatal mortality remain major challenges for Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries. Interventions such as improvement in quality of care are critical to reducing the burden of morbidity and mortality. Improvement in data systems and accountability for maternal and newborn deaths are critical to measure progress and institute appropriate interventions. Maternal and Perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR) systems are a key accountability tool that helps health practitioners, health managers and policy makers in developing targeted interventions to prevent maternal and perinatal deaths.
The importance of MPDSR has been demonstrated through its inclusion in in the United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health in 2015 (Every Woman Every Child, 2015), and as part of the accountability milestone of the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM). In Africa, institutionalizing MPDSR is one of the priorities of the African Union Commission’s action plan towards ending preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality in Africa since 2013. Ghana’s Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) strategy 2020 -2025 also seeks to improve accountability for the lives of women and children by increasing the quality and coverage of maternal and perinatal death audits and effective response actions.

In line with global guidance, Ghana has developed guidelines for perinatal and maternal mortality audits. However, implementation at the facility level is often not integrated and fails to achieve the intended objectives related to specific responses to prevent mortality. The country seeks to address implementation challenges as part of a maternal and newborn health (MNH) acceleration plan. As part of this plan, the country will seek to strengthen governance around the implementation of MPDSR, streamline and standardize implementation, and strengthen response systems. One of the key actions in this plan is a review and development of a unified MPDSR guideline for the country.

The consultant is expected to facilitate this process by working with a technical working group and relevant stakeholders in line with the priorities of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The consultant will be expected to conduct a review of MPDSR structure and implementation in Ghana and present same to the GHS and a technical working group (TWG) to be constituted by the GHS. Subsequently the consultant is expected to facilitate a minimum of three (3) consultative sessions with the TWG to develop the draft document on a unified MPDSR guideline, and lead the processes for validation of same. Prior to submission of the final report the consultant will also review and make recommendations for the integration, utilization and scale up of technology/electronic systems for MPDSR into Ghana’s Health Information Systems implementation.

The inception report and subsequent reports are expected to cover relevant aspects of MPDSR implementation in Ghana including but not limited to:

1. National policies on notification and review of perinatal/ maternal deaths and their integration with IDSR
2. Governance structures for MPDSR including but not limited to national technical guidelines on MPDSR, national maternal/perinatal death review committees and other relevant subnational and facility level structures.
3. Funding landscape for MPDSR implementation including funding gaps, efficiency of resource mobilization, allocation and utilization, and prospects for sustainable financing for MPDSR implementation
4. The role of Civil Societies and Communities in MPDSR planning and implementation
5. Policy and practice related to publication of maternal mortality report by maternal death review committees or its equivalent.
6. Policy and practice related to the use of Medical Certificate of cause of Death (MCCD) in MPDSR and linkages to the International classification of Diseases (ICD)
7. Implementation of MPDSR at the lowest administrative units (district, sub-district and facility levels)
8. Community systems for identification and notification of maternal/perinatal deaths, and the utilization of verbal/social autopsy in MPDSR
9. Efficient utilization of innovation, technology and data systems to facilitate and strengthen MPDSR

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• A Medical degree or a minimum of Masters degree in Public Health or health related program. Specialization in Paediatrics /Obstetrics and Gynaecology is highly desirable
• At least 5 years of professional work experience in maternal health especially in maternal and perinatal death audits and health quality improvements programmes including Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC). Experience in development, adaptation and drafting of guidance documents is an advantage.
• Experience working within the Ghana Health System and familiarity with local and international paediatric and maternal health policy environment and packages.
• Expertise in project management coordination, planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health programmes relevant to child and maternal survival at national and international levels is highly desirable
• Expert technical leadership and knowledge of theories, principles and methods in Public Health, International Health, Public Health Policy and Management, Child-Neonatal and Maternal Health
• Proven knowledge in strategic negotiations, stakeholder engagement and planning in muti-sectoral settings
• Analytical, conceptual ability; skills in communication and documenting
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural environments
• Fluency in spoken and written English

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.