The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sierra Leone Country Office invites interested individual candidates to apply for the following short term consultancy:
National Consultant to implement midwifery preceptorship interventions
Purpose of consultancy:
The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical support to the MOHS to establish and implement midwifery preceptorship interventions in line with national and international standards.
Background
Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, with 1,165 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The main cause of maternal mortality is postpartum haemorrhage, which accounted for 33% of all deaths and unsafe abortion among adolescents (10%).
The Government of Sierra Leone has outlined strategic priorities for development in its new direction. Specifically, the strategic objective of the health sector is to transform the under-resourced, ill-equipped, dysfunctional and inadequate health infrastructure and healthcare delivery system to make it high quality, efficient, reliable, cost-effective, affordable and sustainable. This will increase access for all the population (particularly mothers, children and the elderly).
The National Nursing and Midwifery Strategic Plan 2019–2023 for Sierra Leone was developed in line with this new direction. The process of development was based on a systematic approach to determine the strengths and challenges of the nursing and midwifery systems. It was also to outline service provision strategies within the wider remit of the relevant policies of the MoHS and global provisions. Preceptorship systems development was identified as a key focal area for competency building for quality improvement in midwifery education.
UNFPA is currently implementing the DFID supported Saving Lives Programme which is aimed among others to improve the lives of children, adolescents, and women and reduce preventable maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. A key component of this is the deployment of skilled providers especially midwives for the implementation of a quality of care package for women, mothers and their newborn.
Main objective of the consultancy
This consultancy is aimed at operationalising a holistic approach to preceptorship in Sierra Leone to inform a comprehensive academic preparation of midwifery students in both the pre-service and clinical environments.
Specific objectives are:
The consultant will work in collaboration with country office team to:
- Contribute to providing technical assistance to the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery of the MoHS in all matters pertaining to midwifery preceptorship
- Support the development of the preceptorship policy and guidelines
- Work with midwifery schools to implement the national preceptorship policy in the academic and clinical environments
- Provide role modelling in improving the skills of preceptors and students according to ICM midwifery competencies, educational and regulatory standards
- Strengthen the capacity of the faculties in midwifery schools to effectively apply principles of preceptorship to facilitate students’ competency-building
Activities:
The National Midwifery Preceptor is required to:
Development of preceptorship policy and guidelines
- Support the development of the midwifery preceptorship policy
- Translate the midwifery preceptorship policy into actionable steps to operationalize preceptorship at the institutional and clinical settings
Capacity building and clinical preceptorship
- Support the midwifery schools to conduct clinical site assessments for choice of accredited clinical sites
- Support faculties in midwifery schools to carry out standard preparatory activities (per policy) for effective clinical placement of students’ and the practice of objective structured clinical examination (OSCEs) into academic preparation of students
- Build capacity of faculty to apply the concepts and principles of the preceptorship policy to students’ clinical skills improvement
- Build capacity of Sierra Leone Midwives Association members on effective preceptorship techniques
- Build networks with other health care professionals and support clinical sites to implement preceptorship policy for a successful students’ experience
- Provide preceptorship supervisory support to students and clinical sites;
- Conduct an assessment of preceptorship experiences by students over the period
Deliverables
- Implementation plan for integration of Preceptorship policy in schools
with sustainability plans
- Adapted clinical site assessment tools and number of sites assessed
- Number of faculty trained in preceptorship
- Implementation guidelines for the integration of objective structured clinical examination as a standard for students’ academic clinical preparation in Sierra Leone
- Weekly updates on progress made in implementing midwifery interventions
- A monthly report on the progress in the establishment and implementation of midwifery preceptorship interventions in UNFPA and the MoHS
- Final report on the consultancy
Duration and working schedule:
Six months beginning 1 June, 2019
The final deliverables pertaining to these activities are due by 31 December 2019
Place where services are to be delivered/ Duty Station:
Freetown, midwifery schools and their clinical sites
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):
Deliverables: (in hard and soft copies)
- Monthly reports on activities implemented due on last Friday of every month
- Implementation plan for integration of Preceptorship policy by
15 July, 2019
- Adapted clinical site assessment tools 31 July, 2019
- Number of faculty trained by 30 November, 2019
- Number of sites assessed by 31 October, 2019
- Implementation guidelines for the integration of objective structured clinical examination by 30 September, 2019
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
The consultant will be supervised throughout the period by the UNFPA Reproductive Health Technical Specialist under the overall guidance of the Representative.
The consultant will be part of the maternal health unit of the UNFPA office and will work closely with the International Midwife Specialist or focal person; give weekly updates on activities; participate in monthly meetings on key deliverables.
A final debriefing meeting on the consultancy will be held at the end of the consultancy.
Supervisory arrangements:
The consultant will be supervised by the RH Technical Specialist under the overall oversight of the UNFPA Country Representative.
Expected travel:
The consultant will be expected to travel within and outside Freetown to assigned midwifery institutions.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
- Degree/diploma certification in Midwifery or Nursing
- License to practice midwifery
- Master’s degree in Midwifery preferable; An advanced degree in public health or related field could also be considered
- At least 5 years’ mid to senior-level experience in capacity development and quality improvement in midwifery
- Technical expertise in designing Midwifery related interventions, focused on promoting best practices in quality improvement, training, coaching/mentoring and supportive supervision
- Field experience in the implementation of International Confederation of Midwives standards for midwifery services
- Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines and under intense pressure to perform
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office software applications
- Fluency in oral and written English.
- Previous experience in working with the UN is desirable
- Ability to work independently
Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment):
- The Country Office will provide daily support allowance, office space and vehicle to facilitate the work
Other relevant information or special conditions:
Payment will be made on a monthly basis upon receipt and approval of a satisfactory report on activities implemented for the month.
Send online applications to registry-sl@unfpa.org
Additional Information:
- We will only be able to respond to those applicants in whom the Country Office has further interest.
- UNFPA offers an attractive compensation package commensurate with experience
- 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
- UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity, and a healthy work life balance.
Deadline for applications: 21 May 2019
IMPORTANT: There are NO application processing or other fees at any stage of UNFPA application processes
