Public Health, Health Innovation, Health Policy Development, Strategic Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, Reporting, Capacity Building, Organisational Development, Project Management, Partnership Development.

UNITAR is an autonomous body within the United Nations that was established in 1965 pursuant to a UN General Assembly resolution. UNITAR’s mission is to develop the individual, institutional and organizational capacities of countries and other United Nations stakeholders through high quality learning solutions and related knowledge products and services to enhance decision-making and to support country-level action for overcoming global challenges.

UNITAR hosts the Defeat-NCD Partnership Secretariat. The Defeat-NCD Partnership is a multi-stakeholder partnership anchored in the United Nations and includes governments, multilateral agencies, civil society, academia, philanthropies, and the private sector. It was established in January 2018 to help tackle the most significant global health problems of the age: premature death, sickness, disability, and the associated social and economic impacts of selected non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It is based on the expert guidance and the technical norms and standards issued by the World Health Organization for managing NCDs.

The Defeat-NCD Partnership is establishing a new country programme (Programme) for India in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to reduce by one-third of premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment. The initial projects of the Programme will aim to reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality in India by cooperating on a comprehensive approach to cancer control that integrates cancer prevention, early detection, and surveillance within the existing primary health care system, thereby supporting their mutual aim of achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4.

This assignment will enable the initial Programme states in India and other future priority states to access a range of interconnected essential services and resources through four pillars of interventions:

1. Building national capacity in India and ensure essential institutional capacities for NCD are strengthened;
2.  Scaling up NCD services for communities by improving last-mile delivery, introducing innovative technologies, improving self-care and enhancing existing public communication and advocacy activities;
3. Improving affordability and accessibility of essential NCD supplies; and
4. Scaling and sustaining financing available for NCD programming by establishing sustainable financing models.

The Public Health Specialist for India will provide technical assistance on public health, NCDs, and lead the management, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of The Defeat-NCD Partnership programme activities in India. Within the delegated authority and under the guidance of the Programme Coordinator for India, the Public Health Specialist for India will carry out the following tasks:

Project Management

• Manage day to day relationship with implementing partners to ensure timely delivery of agreed outputs.
• Write progress reports on the progress of implementing partners implementing projects of the Programme.
• Lead technical support for the development of NCD strategies and costed action plans at different levels of government in India.
• Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation of existing and future projects of the Programme and relevant NCD strategies and costed action plans at different levels.
• Write new project proposals for identified funding opportunities to scale-up the reach of the Programme.
• Support the Programme Coordinator for India in proactively identifying funding opportunities and drafting concept notes and project agreements.

Capacity Building

• Lead policy analysis for NCDs and support new policy development for NCDs in India, including coordination structures and multisectoral monitoring frameworks that improve data availability for better analysis.
• Provide technical support for training and building institutional human resource capacity to manage NCDs at all levels of the health services and implement plans to address them in a phased manner.
• Lead relevant epidemiological, economic, and service delivery studies/research to inform both policy development and various multisectoral planning for NCDs.
• Lead the development and refinement of tools and methods on NCD programme implementation at different levels.
• Identify and implement technology/digital tools for e-learning/skill development of primary health care workers and implementation of decision support systems for service delivery for NCD management in the country at different levels.
• Lead knowledge-sharing by documenting and disseminating best practices from India in reducing premature mortalities due to NCDs.
• Provide continuous analysis of health financing needs to implement a scaled-up national/state programme(s) on the prevention and control of NCDs.

The Defeat-NCD Partnership Marketplace

• Assess and provide assistance where needed to develop/improve the electronic forecasting, inventory, stock and logistics management information system and roll out trainings on their efficient use.
• Promote The Defeat-NCD Marketplace to relevant stakeholders as a procurement tool to help make provision of quality NCD supplies simpler and more cost effective in the country.
• Document and track the affordability and accessibility of NCD drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices in India through the development of relevant market monitoring studies.
• Contribute to the global State of the World’s Essential Medicines and Diagnostic Supplies for Noncommunicable Diseases report.
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

1. Develop an activity-based budget and project implementation plan, identify baseline and end line indicators, and a system for monitoring and evaluation of the existing project by 30 November 2021. 
2. Draft a minimum of eight concept notes for projects to fund raise for the Programme by 31 July 2022.
3. Support a minimum of two states that have prioritised HPV vaccination to mainstream it into their regular immunisation plans/programmes by 31 July 2022.
4. Ensure a minimum of 1500 frontline healthcare providers (nurses within health and wellness centers) are trained on cervical cancer screening and care by 31 July 2022.
5. Write a minimum of two studies that expand the evidence-base for policy-based interventions by 28 February 2022.
6. Commission and supervise a market monitoring study to track the affordability and accessibility of NCD drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices in India by 30 April 2022.

• Timely and quality submission of deliverables.
• Activities implemented with a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency.
• High degree of professionalism demonstrated by the individual contractor.

• Excellent analytical and writing skills - ability to quickly understand, internalise, and communicate complex partnership topics.
• Demonstrated project and financial management skills.
• Proven background in fund raising and partnership-building with the ability to establish a high level of trust and confidentiality internally and credibility externally.
• Demonstrated technical expertise and experience with strategic vision and ability to seize emerging opportunities for influence and impact, proven skills to deliver results in a start-up operational environment, and the ability to mobilise various forms of support from multi-stakeholders and partners.
• Good knowledge and experience of outreach and internal communication tools for a wide of audience.

The incumbent will report to the Technical Specialist (Country Support) of The Defeat-NCD Partnership.

General conditions of contracts for the service of Individual Contractors apply.

Individual Contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local laws. UNITAR does not reimburse Individual Contractors for any taxes, duty, or other contribution payable by the Individual contractor on payments made under the Individual Contract.

The Institute does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for Individual Contractors, and Individual Contractors are not eligible to participate in the life and health insurance schemes provided by the UN for its staff members.

*https://treasury.un.org/operationalrates/OperationalRates.php

a. Education

• A Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Economics, or in a related field is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree in medicine is required.
• A certification in project management is desired.

b. Work Experience

• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in private/public sector focusing on public health policy, management consulting, pharmaceutical industry, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant project management experience working with government to influence and advocate for change in public policy is required.
• Relevant work experience is required in at least three of the following areas: public health, health innovation, health policy development, strategic planning, monitoring & evaluation, reporting, capacity building, organisational development, project management, partnership development.
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills.
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
• Knowledge in using project management tools such as Asana (https://asana.com) on a daily basis is required for this assignment.
• Able to establish a high level of trust and confidentiality internally, and credibility externally.

c. Languages

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Fluency in Hindi and at least one other Indian language is preferred.