Job Title: Project Coordinator, Nepal, SB4 [4 position]
Job Opening ID: 18166 (Sarlahi); 18167 (Rautahat); 18168 (Bajhang); 18169 (Bajura)
Location: Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bajhang & Bajura
Full/Part time: Full Time
Vacancy Type: Service Contract
Level: SB4
Rotational/Non Rotational: Non-rotational
Duration: 1 year initially with possibility of extension
Education & Work Experience: Master's Degree with at least 3 years of experience OR Bachelor's Degree with at least 5 years of experience 
Deadline: 17 May 2024 by 5:30 PM NPT
Link: https://nepal.unfpa.org/en/vacancies

The Position:

UNFPA works to ensure sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) which remains at the very center of development. The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) draws a clear connection between reproductive health, human rights and sustainable development. When sexual and reproductive health needs are not met, individuals are deprived of the right to make crucial choices about their own bodies and futures, with a cascading impact on their families’ welfare and future generations. And because women bear children, and often bear the responsibility for nurturing them, sexual and reproductive health and rights issues cannot be separated from gender equality. Cumulatively, the denial of these rights exacerbates poverty and gender inequality. Advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the elimination of all kinds of violence against women, and ensuring women’s ability to control their own fertility, are cornerstones of population and development.

UNFPA works with governments, other UN agencies, civil society, and donors to develop comprehensive interventions to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health care. This includes efforts to strengthen health systems, including supporting the implementation of reproductive health programmes, improving the quality of reproductive health care, and strengthening capacity of human resources. UNFPA also works to make sure reproductive health commodities, such as contraceptives, life-saving medicines and basic medical equipment are available where needed, and that a functioning logistics system is in place.

The Project Coordinator plays a key role in providing technical leadership for UNFPA’s work on SRHR towards accelerating the achievement of the ICPD PoA and Agenda 2030 in the UNFPA priority municipalities and districts. S/he will engage in sub-national policy advocacy efforts, provides technical assistance and implementation support of SRHR interventions including comprehensive sexuality education, humanitarian assistance and Gender Based Violence prevention and response. S/he will ensure linkages with other UNFPA supported programmes in the areas of adolescent and youth and population dynamics and will build capacities of staff and concerned partners at the local level to mainstream reproductive rights. S/he will be located at the project municipalities of Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bajhang and Bajura and will work under the overall technical guidance and support of the SRHR Programme Analyst based in the UNFPA Provincial offices, and the direct supervision of the UNFPA Provincial Head of Office, and in close collaboration with the UNFPA teams at all levels.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, taking the lead in delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s current strategic plan (2022-2025) focuses on three transformative results; to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning and end gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.

UNFPA recruits principled and ethical staff with a firm belief in and commitment to upholding human rights and gender equality, who embody UN international norms and standards including zero tolerance to sexual exploitation and abuse, and who will defend these diplomatically and courageously.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire, and deliver high impact and sustained results and who are true team workers; we recruit staff who are transparent, accountable, exceptional in how resources entrusted to us are managed and ensure value for money and are committed to delivering excellence in project results.

Job Purpose:

The Constitution of Nepal 2015 and the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Rights Act 2018 protects the sexual and reproductive health rights and choices of women and girls. However, Nepal has one of the highest ratios of maternal deaths in the region (151 per 100,000 live births) and women and girls from marginalized groups continue to suffer disproportionately from unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, maternal deaths and disability, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence. UNFPA has had a close working relationship with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) for the last four decades and has contributed to establishing a progressive policy and legislative environment for SRHR; provided technical support to put in place SRH protocols and guidelines; invested in developing health systems including human resources and supply chain management for SRH; and provided SRH commodities to the Government of Nepal. UNFPA also works closely with its provincial and local partners, with a strong field presence in several districts and in the provincial capitals of Madhesh, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim. In addition, under the UNFPA supported gender equality/gender-based violence prevention and response programmes, UNFPA has established presence in Koshi and Karnali Province. Since 2018, UNFPA has focused on enabling the new federal structure, at all levels, to strengthen the delivery of SRH services in the above-mentioned geographic areas, with a focus on marginalized and vulnerable groups. This has included advocacy efforts to strengthen planning and budgeting process; provision of technical assistance to support an enabling policy environment for SRHR; support for SRH including family planning (FP) commodities; and oversight of a range of implementing partners engaged in capacity building and service delivery at the local level. 

Humanitarian preparedness and response are an integral part of UNFPA’s work in Nepal. UNFPA is the lead agency mandated with the responsibility to coordinate and implement lifesaving SRH services as well as GBV response services in emergency settings. UNFPA has built the trust and confidence of the national and sub-national counterparts and partners in humanitarian settings, including in the capacity to provide an effective and rapid response, tailored to the local context, as experienced in the 2015 earthquake response and the more recent floods and COVID-19 responses. 

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), UNFPA is implementing a three-year reproductive health and rights programmes in four districts (Bajhang and Bajura of Sudurpaschim Province, Sarlahi and Rautahat of Madhesh Province). The aim is to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes by prioritizing women and girls, particularly adolescents, youth, people living with disability and those left furthest behind in underserved municipalities in the development/humanitarian continuum by strengthening systems and institutions for the delivery of quality sexual and reproductive health services. This will be achieved through three outcomes, namely (1) Strengthened laws, policies, financing, and accountability for sexual and reproductive health and rights (2) Strengthened systems and institutions for delivery of resilient, high-quality rights based SRHR information and services (3) Strengthened systems and institutions to increase awareness and empowerment. 

The Project Coordinator is entrusted with the responsibility of engaging in advocacy and policy dialogue for concerted actions with the local counterparts, UN system and other development partners, and civil society organizations and networks on issues related to SRHR. S/he will provide technical leadership and build partnerships to leverage financial and technical resources for accelerated achievement of UNFPA’s transformative programme goals. S/he ensures effective implementation and management of UNFPA-supported SRHR interventions including interventions to promote comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), Gender Based violence prevention and response in development and humanitarian settings.

You will be responsible for:

A. Policy advocacy and technical support

• Provide hands-on technical and program backstopping support to municipalities in annual planning and budgetary process to prepare and execute the annual SRHR framework.
• Facilitate the integration of SRHR, gender equality and gender-based violence (GBV) priority issues in local government and sectoral policies, plans and budgets.
• Provide support in conducting sensitization and advocacy events with elected representatives to promote evidence-based planning and budgeting, accountability and governance for health service management and service delivery.
• Support to the municipalities in developing local level policy and guidelines related to SRHR including Disaster Preparedness and Response Plans, Gender Based violence prevention and response.
• Support municipalities to conduct periodic reviews, roll-out accountability tools and capacity building of Health Facility Operation and Management Committee on SRHR and its interlinkage with disaster preparedness and response and GBV prevention and response.
• Support in functioning Municipal Quality Assurance working groups and implementation of health facility minimum service standards in target health facilities as per the national standards.
• Support municipalities to develop and implement interventions on improving awareness and referral on cervical cancer and other RH morbidities.
• Support capacity building of municipalities and health facilities on minimum initial service package for SRH in Emergencies including GBV identification, management, and referral.
• Support in functioning CSE technical working groups, facilitating CSE trainings and strengthening linkages between school and health facilities.
• Conduct mapping and needs assessment of the existing school-based Adolescent Friendly Information Corner and expand CSE in collaboration with school management committee and partner teacher association.
• In collaboration with the Provincial Programme Analyst or Program specialist, conduct advocacy activities with local government on cost sharing strategies for GBV service provision and prioritizing gender responsive budgeting at local level.

B. Program Management & Coordination

• Strengthen partnership and collaboration with the local governments, civil society actors and development partners to ensure effective access to SRHR and GBV prevention and response services through supporting effective coordination mechanisms.
• Provide facilitation and secretarial support in meetings with local governments, Social Development Committee/Heath Committee to share program progress updates, planning, and review.
• Collect routine monitoring data using project data collection tools and baseline indicators.
• Assess technical capacity of service providers (health workers, teachers, safe houses, one-stop crisis management centers) in the areas of family planning, safe motherhood, adolescents sexual and reproductive health, CSE, Gender Based violence prevention and response and support to develop and implement capacity development action plan.
• Actively promote, nurture, and participate in relevant networks and coalitions related to SRHR, GBV and protection cluster to keep abreast of the developments, share information, advance SRHR and ending GBV goals.
• Ensure the production of high-quality communication materials for SRHR advocacy and for promoting visibility of UNFPA’s work and achievements.

C. Others

• Create a safe working environment by developing respectful and safe organizational culture and supporting practices.
• Perform any other duties as requested by the supervisor and the UNFPA Management team.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced degree in Public Health, Nursing/Midwifery, Gender or related social science disciplines with at least three years of professional experience in implementing sexual and reproductive health and/or gender programmes OR Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nursing/Midwifery, Gender or related social science disciplines with five years of experience.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Working experience and knowledge in strengthening municipal health systems, ASRH, governance, CSE, Family Planning, Gender Based violence prevention and response programmes will be an asset.
• Demonstrable technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health.
• Strong understanding of implementing reproductive rights and gender dimensions in subnational policy and programme formulation, implementation, and monitoring.
• Proven experience in working with a multi-disciplinary team of staff, experts and consultants.
• Familiarity in communicating in a clear and articulated manner, technical and/or complex issues to different types of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to network at all subnational levels within the health sector.
• Ability to work independently and in culturally diverse teams.

Languages:

• Fluency in Nepali and English is required. Working knowledge of other Nepali local languages is an asset.

Compensation and Benefits

• This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus, health insurance, pension and other benefits as applicable.

Disclaimer

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.