CONSULTANCY POSITION
Provision of Technical Assistance for the Establishment of One Stop Centres in Malawi
VACANCY#: UNICEF/MLW/2014/011
- BACKGROUND
Like many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa Malawi is facing “dual endemics” of violence against women and children and HIV infection. Each passing day, the safety, wellbeing and opportunity for development of women and children are threatened by exposure to high incidence of abuse, violence and exploitation, as well as harmful traditional practices.
The most recent Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (DHS 2010) found that forty-one per cent of women in Malawi experienced either physical or sexual violence. A study of different forms of violence against children attending selected primary and secondary school in Malawi revealed that 65 per cent of girls and 35 per cent of boys experienced some form of child abuse and violence during their lifetime.
Approximately 90,000 children are living with HIV and one in six children (1.2 million) are growing up with reduced parental care in a wide range of formal and informal care arrangements, exposing them to an increased risk of rights violations, such as violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination. Disturbingly, 11 per cent of children are not living with their parents, although both parents are alive.
Children and women subjected to violence are at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, unwanted pregnancy, urinary tract infections, chronic pelvic pain, miscarriage, and immediate and longer-term mental and psychosocial problems including depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep difficulties, and suicide. Experiences of sexual assault are also associated with longer-term vulnerability to risky sexual behaviours that can contribute to further adverse outcomes. Experience of violence can affect children’s ability to learn or their willingness to go to school. It can lead to children running away from home, exposing them to further risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation. Violence can destroy children’s self-confidence and undermine their ability to be good parents in the future.
Violence does not only affect children as individuals, but it also contributes to the impoverishment of communities and the entire nation. It is a threat to global development and the effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). It is difficult to achieve universal primary education unless children feel safe to attend and remain in school. The spread of HIV and AIDS is difficult to halt until violence against children is reduced and ultimately stopped. In order to enhance gender equality and the empowerment of women (MDG 3) violence against women must be addressed and reduced.
With support from UNICEF and other partners, Ministry of Health in Malawi has established One Stop Centres in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu. These centres are located within a hospital with linkages to other services based outside the hospital. Referral mechanisms have been established so that police investigators, prosecutors, and social welfare are all involved when a case is registered at the hospital. Case review meetings are held every month to review how cases registered in that month were handled. These meetings help address any gaps in the provision of services. Linkages to NGOs and faith based organisations as the case is in Blantyre ensure that psychosocial services are provided to victims of abuse.
UNICEF therefore is looking for an individual international consultant to to support the Ministry of Health to scale up One Stop Centres services to 10 districts in the country. The support to Ministry of Health should constitute developing a training package for one stop centre training using the guidelines on management of violence related cases in hospitals, training of a multidisciplinary national team that will be responsible for rolling out the establishment of one stop centres in the country and mentoring the districts on the provision of one stop centre services. The consultancy will also entail reviewing the operations of the existing one stop centre services with a view of documenting best practices.
- SCOPE OF WORK
Objective 1:
§ Develop a Training of Trainers (TOT) curriculum for provision of integrated services for victims of physical and sexual violence. This curriculum should cover the integrated response by the health sector, justice sector and social welfare. Under this objective, the consultant should also develop power point presentations covering the entire curriculum.
Objective 2:
§ Deliver training to a new multidisciplinary team assembled by the Ministry of Health (MOH), the College of Medicine (COM) and Ministry of Gender to enable them perform as a one stop centre instructors team (OSCIT) in Malawi.
§ Support the one stop centre instructors team (OSCIT) in facilitating training of the first two district One Stop Centre teams.
Objective 3:
§ Work with MOH, OSCIT, COM and the OSCs and other stakeholders to finalise the development of written SOP’s, protocols and guidelines for one stop centres in Malawi. Under this object the consultant will revise the Ministry of Health Guideline for Management of Sexual and Physical Violence (2012) so that it conforms to the current guidelines, standards and requirements of Ministry of Health, the Judiciary, the Malawi Police and Ministry of Gender children and Social Welfare who are key for the provision of integrated services in One Stop Centres in Malawi.
§ Work with the existing One Stop Centres to map out standard operating procedures that should be used in all One Stop Centres in the country.
§ Develop protocols for the clinical management of survivors presenting at One Stop Centres in the country
Objective 4:
§ Develop terms of reference for the collaboration of stakeholders around One Stop Centre Services in the country
§ Document best practices in one stop centres.
§ Work with the MOH NCD Department to establish a system to identify record and report violence cases within the health sector including developing indicators that should be tracked in all One Stop Centres.
§ Develop recommendations for the One Stop Centre Information Management System that feeds into the HIMS and Child Protection Information Management System. The IMS should support referrals and case management, building on existing systems and the Child Protection Information Management System and Gender Based Violence Information Management System available internationally.
- EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE
· Must have a recognized Masters Degree in social sciences, health sciences or any related field.
· Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work experience as an expert in the medical diagnosis and treatment of sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.
· Experience of working in child protection within the region or other resource-poor settings
· Teaching and training experience
· Must have previous record (samples will be required) of developing training packages for the management of sexual and physical abuse in the health setting
· Previous knowledge of one stop centres will be an asset
- DURATION 90 Days
How to apply:
- METHOD OF APPLICATION
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a technical and financial proposal each in a separate envelop. The technical proposal should at a minimum include sections on: the consultants profile and CV; introduction; outline of the methodology to be employed and list of relevant projects delivered. A Personal History Form (P-11 form) (which can be downloaded from our website at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) should also be completed and attach copies of your academic certificates.
Applications should be sent on or before 14 April 2104 to the following address:hrmalawi@unicef.org
NOTE:
· UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged.
- Applications sent through the post office or hand delivered is not accepted.
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