The Position:
The Technical Specialist will be based in Maputo, Mozambique. Under the overall guidance of the Representative and the Deputy Representative, and working closely with the SRHR Programme Team Leader to support the management of SRH programmes implemented throughout the country, he/she will: 1) provide information on the political, social and economic context relevant for the SRH/MMR & HIV/AIDS Prevention and achievement of results in the implementation of the UNFPA program; 2) actively participate in policy dialogue and provision of inputs at various coordination platforms, and UN system in the Country including to advocate for financing for SRHRs as critical achievement of the SDGs; 3) establish and maintain partnership, synergy and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies and civil society to address emerging issues and to facilitate UNFPA program delivery including through accelerators such as south-south cooperation and innovation; 4) provide evidence-based and data driven technical leadership and support in strengthening health systems and improving integrated approach to maternal health that combines: human resources, reproductive health commodities/family planning; and EmONC; 5) provide leadership in collating and documenting responses on maternal health and innovative SRH interventions and share lessons learned and success stories for improved programming, advocacy and resource mobilization; 6) provide effective programme management and support on the process of technical/annual and financial reviews of the SRH programme to assess progress of implementation; and 7) prepare briefs, talking points and relevant analytical documents to assist the external engagement of the Representative and the Deputy Representative.
Job Purpose:
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 (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
Guided by the UNFPA Strategic Plan, 2022-2025, and the goals of achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all and accelerating the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, UNFPA Mozambique is starting its tenth Country Programme (CP) in 2022 with the vision to galvanize efforts to end preventable maternal deaths, unmet need for family planning, and gender-based violence and harmful practices across the humanitarian-development-peace continuum. The CP is fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2022-2026.
The CP has four interconnected outputs – quality of care and services; gender and social norms; data policy and advocacy; and humanitarian action. The first CP output on quality of care and services focuses on strengthened capacities of institutions, systems and communities to provide inclusive, effective, innovative, people-centred, high-quality integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and gender-based violence services to ensure universal health coverage. The CP puts increased emphasis on providing technical support to the Government and other stakeholders to position sexual and reproductive health and rights in the development agenda, including universal health care, and reinforcing other national policies and programmes, and developing and implementing service policy, planning and delivery guidelines, protocols and programmes, based on global standards. National ownership and coordination with relevant line ministries is at the core of UNFPA´s approach to improve access to people-centred integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights care and gender-based violence quality essential services that leave no one behind.
Furthermore, pathways toward ending unmet need for family planning cut across the four programme outputs including by integrating family planning as a core element of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services; tailored approaches to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized groups; and mobilizing domestic resources and leveraging partners’ support for innovative finance mechanisms. To accelerate reduction in preventable maternal deaths UNFPA will put increased focus on providing technical advice and continued advocacy for the inclusion of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights in primary health care and universal health coverage and ensuring uninterrupted provision of the minimum initial service package for reproductive health in emergencies, while building health system resilience to reduce the impacts of climatic hazards on women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health.
UNFPA has provided the Government of Mozambique with high quality technical support for policy development in the context of its long-standing partnership with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and development partners and the Sector Wide Approach to Programming (SWAp) to strengthen national procedures during the previous CP. UNFPA has positively influenced investment decisions of the government as well as the international development partners in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights including family planning. Several national policies have been developed in recent years, including the adolescent, youth, and school health strategy with the contribution of UNFPA which has been acknowledged by all partners working in Mozambique.
In line with the recommendations of the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2022-25 and considering the need to accelerate the progress towards the three zeros in Mozambique, the Technical Specialist Health-SRHR will focus on ensuring sharing of cutting-edge technical knowledge and advice on current and emerging approaches in the area of SRHRs and policies to the CO, government and partners. He/she will provide leadership and technical support to national efforts to scale up an integrated family planning, reproductive and maternal health and RH commodities and services program with the view to increase demand for, access to, and utilization of reproductive health services, and commodities.
The Specialist provides leadership, managerial and technical support as part of a broader SRH team to ensure that the country office programmes are fully aligned with the UNFPA strategic plan and the ICPD Programme of Action, including in support of the achievements of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 throughout the Country Programme 2022-2026. Responsibilities of the Specialist include: ensuring strong results-based programme management of the SRH portfolio; influencing the substantive research agenda; advising on priorities in substantive areas; maintaining technical partnerships on critical issues; and, providing leadership to ensure that technical knowledge is updated, generated, collected and disseminated for effective technical and policy engagement, participation in technical and coordination meetings of a variety of partners, building sold partnership in the sector, and contributing to financing SRHR needs in the country and resource mobilization.
Qualifications and Experience Required
Education:
Advanced university degree in Medicine and Public Health or other directly related field sexual and reproductive health
Technical skills and experience:
A sound technical knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and development policies is necessary to perform this assignment, as is solid program management and coordination experience. Candidates should have:
- Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience in the area of sexual and reproductive health programme;
- Proven solid experience in Family Planning and Emergency Obstetrics Care is essential;
- Health systems experience, health reform, an asset;
- Knowledge and understanding on quality of care, specifically client rights issues and behavioral change communication;
- Experience in health systems and sector reform, review, (SWAps, etc.);
- Understanding of Human Rights dimensions of SRH/FP and gender, an asset;
- Strong track record of programme management, technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
- Demonstrated ability to network within the development partners’ community;
- Familiarity with sector approach, M&E methods and approaches, logical framework approach and strategic planning;
- Familiarity and experience in health/reproductive health programming in humanitarian setting and resilience an advantage;
- Knowledge of the UN system, especially UNFPA, and other international development organizations is a strong asset
- Ability to work in a multi-cultural team;
- Good coaching and mentoring skills required.
- Fluency in English and working knowledge in Portuguese, Spanish or Italian.
Computer skills: Microsoft Office applications. Familiarity with corporate IT systems.
Language skills: Fluency in English and working knowledge in Portuguese, Spanish and/or other Roman languages is desirable.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
