Role Specification
The Position:
The Midwifery Programme Specialist provides technical assistance to Government efforts to establish Midwifery as a professional cadre in India, a critical strategy to accelerate improvements in maternal and newborn health, and family planning programmes and universal access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, achievement of the ICPD plan of action and of SDGs 3 and 5.
Rotation
This post is non-rotational.
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Background Information
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Duty Station: New Delhi, India
Duration: One year, renewable
Post Type: Full time, Service Contract
Closing Date: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Organizational Setting
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UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical personnel, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need personnel who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Main Tasks & Responsibilities
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Job Purpose:
UNFPA has been a partner of the Government of India and People since 1974 and is now on its 9th five-year Country Programme. The Country Programme leverages large-scale government programmes to strengthen the maternal and reproductive health in districts. UNFPA is providing support to improving the access and quality of maternal and newborn care services, expansion of contraceptive choices, and strengthening the quality and reproductive rights within SRH services. Additionally, UNFPA is providing technical support for RMNCAH services in Health and Wellness Centers in selected districts in its focus states.
The Government of India has decided to introduce a cadre of International Confederation of Midwifery (lCM) standard professional midwives in 2018. UNFPA is supporting this initiative to strengthen midwifery education focusing in the States of Rajasthan and Punjab, while working closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the national Nursing Council at the policy levels.
You will report to the UNFPA SRHR specialist, and work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Department of Medical, Health & Family Welfare - Government of Rajasthan, Punjab and other states, Indian Nursing Council, other UN Agencies, implementing and operations partners and other relevant professional societies in establishing midwifery profession in India with special focus on developing the capacity of midwifery educators through coaching, mentoring and formal on—the-job training.
You would be responsible for:
Under the direct technical guidance of the Sexual and Reproductive health and Rights Technical Specialist in the Country Office,
A. Programme Management and Coordination:
- Contribute to the design of the country programme, focusing on its reproductive health component, and establishing linkages with the gender and adolescent and youth programmes, in support of Government priorities and in line with UNFPA programme policies and procedures.
- Lead and actively participate in the formulation of midwifery component work plans using relevant state-of-art knowledge, research and statistical data.
- Contribute to the effective coordination of midwifery, including identifying gaps and proposing practical solutions in human resource planning and management of midwifery workforce; midwifery education and training; midwifery professional association development and midwifery standards and regulation).
B. Policy Dialogue and Technical Support:
- Keeps abreast of new policy developments and strategies, analyses and/or develops policy papers, strategy documents, national plans and development frameworks as they relate to Midwifery and SRH interventions; prepares briefs and contributes inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination and development frameworks.
- Generate strategic information and evidence to inform national policies and strategies for midwifery improvement.
- Support and work directly with national and state officials in setting up of a National Midwifery Training Institute (NMTI) and State Midwifery Training Institutes.
- Support efforts to strengthen roll out of midwifery in states, including planning for operationalization of the new cadre of Nurse Practitioner in Midwifery (NPMs) in district and sub-district levels.
- Develop, propose and implement a quality assurance and Monitoring and Evaluation framework to track and assess progress and performance of midwifery institution and midwifery cadre in Rajasthan, in close collaboration with Government authorities.
- Facilitate/support the midwives to expand services to attain a comprehensive reproductive health care package. Assess potential bottlenecks in the environment, logistics and commodities, and capacity, and strategize with involved stakeholders to address the issues.
- Support other initiatives for maternal health such as SUMAN (Safe Motherhood Assurance), and provide inputs for strengthening the process of State maternal death reviews.
- Develop capacity of State midwifery educators through coaching, mentoring and formal on—the-job training
- Provide technical guidance in the development/adaptation, dissemination, use and evaluation of technical tools, policies, guidelines, and standards, quality assurance of midwifery interventions.
C. Advocacy and Resource Mobilization:
- Analyzes and interprets the political, social and economic environment relevant to reproductive health and identifies opportunities and challenges to UNFPA assistance in midwifery.
- Develop and manage strategic alliances and partnerships with other UN agencies, local and international NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders working in the field of midwifery.
- Contribute to advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the Country Office by preparing relevant materials such as but not limited to project summaries, briefs, white papers, statements, donor and high-level officials briefs, and participating in donor meetings and public information events.
- Establish and nurture professional and technical networks, build coalitions to advance quality midwifery programmes in the context of improved reproductive health services, particularly maternal and new-born health.
- Establish and nurture close collaboration and working relationships with Ministry and department of Health and family welfare, Training Institutions, Civil society organizations, including NGOs other allied health professional associations.
- Working with relevant Government and private technical institutions, and professional associations and networks, identify midwifery knowledge gaps and plan/propose appropriate local, regional and international training programmes.
- Promote information and knowledge-sharing of good practices.
Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.
Qualifications and Experience
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Education:
Advanced degree in Midwifery and /or Nursing Studies, a combination of Medical and Public Health or related field
Knowledge and Experience:
- Five years of increasingly responsible professional experience in nursing/midwifery practice or education.
- Demonstrable technical expertise in maternal and newborn health, and sexual and reproductive health in general.
- Good understanding of the health sector;
- Prior association with the Nursing and midwifery educational institutes an advantage.
- Demonstrated ability to network within the health sector.
- Excellent communication, facilitation and negotiation skills, and good emotional intelligence.
- Ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary and culturally diverse teams.
Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Working knowledge of Hindi and /or other national language is highly desirable.
Required Competencies
Values:
• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing diversity in all its forms
• Embracing change
Core Competencies:
• Achieving Results
• Being Accountable
• Developing and Applying Professional Expertise/Business Acumen
• Thinking analytically and Strategically
• Working in Teams/Managing Ourselves and our Relationships
• Communicating for Impact
Functional Competencies:
- Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
- Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
- Delivering results-based programme
- Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilisation
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Compensation and Benefits
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This position offers an attractive remuneration package range starting from INR 2,562,938 (gross) annual, health insurance, pension and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer
WARNING TO APPLICANTS: UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Should you feel that you have received a fraudulent notice, letter or offer that makes use of the name or logo of UNFPA, you may submit a report through the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
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HOW TO APPLY:
UNFPA has established an electronic application management system. This allows applicants to create a candidate profile, which can be updated regularly and submitted for more than one vacancy. Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment. Please print out the Guide for your reference during the registration and application process.
Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
