UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Protection…

Malawi’s new Country Programme (2024-2028) includes three components: (1) child survival and development; (2) learning, skills development and protection; and (3) social policy. All components are supported by the programme and operational effectiveness and efficiency imperatives. All UNICEF programmes focus on risk-informed programming across the humanitarian and development nexus in all the above three outcome areas.  Risk-informed programming across the humanitarian and development nexus in all three outcome areas will contribute to strengthened disaster preparedness, enhanced climate adaptation/mitigation and response, and increased resilience capacity of institutions, communities, and young people. Programming aligns with UNICEF Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Transformative Agenda.

Malawi is ranked fifth in the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index. According to the Children’s Climate Risk Index (UNICEF, 2021), Malawi is among the top forty countries with high climate risk for children and the most vulnerable communities.  Malawi is highly susceptible to climate and environmental shocks, including flooding, drought, cyclones, and extreme heat. Such shocks have recently increased in frequency and magnitude and are among Malawi’s children’s greatest threats. As per UNICEF, ‘Climate Landscape Analysis for Children in Malawi’ report (CLAP) 2022 that climate-related hazards have resulted in the loss of life, displaced thousands of people, and damaged or disrupted roads, health facilities, schools, and power supplies across the country. Malawi also faces frequent outbreaks of cholera, endemic malaria, and the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, contributing to a need for a programme response fully responsive to an increased poly-crisis environment.

How can you make a difference?

The district emergency coordinator is expected to coordinate UNICEF’s multisectoral responses at district leave and provide technical support to district authorities on emergency preparedness and repone as part of the emergency team under the direct supervision of Humanitarian Action and Resilience and in partnership with counterparts and partners with a specific focus on the following elements:

• Establish strong and close relationships with the District Commissioner and other line departments to strengthen the coordination and monitoring of multisectoral interventions.
• Actively coordinate UNICEF-supported activities with districts, WHO and other partners engaged in the flood and cholera preparedness and response activities.
• Participate in health, WASH, education and Child protection coordination and working group meetings and engage with key partners to promptly deploy in those districts newly affected, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of response activities, and share relevant updates to ensure the effective application of relevant Health and Nutrition in Emergency programming and tools.
• In collaboration with other sector partners, support districts with effective planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on Infection Prevention and Control (clinical, community and prevention activities).
• Coordinate and monitor the implementation of the district response plans, focusing on Health, Nutrition, and overall coordination.
• Strengthen the district-level data (Camps, community, and Institutions) for prompt decision-making in close coordination with District Commissioner (DC).
• Supportive supervision of the ongoing response activities focusing on end-user monitoring.
• Regularly manage and share information with the Blantyre- and Lilongwe-based colleagues.
• Prioritization of activities and supplies through constant contact with Implementing Partners and site visits.
• Participate at district cluster-level meetings of WASH, Education, protection, RCCE, Nutrition, and other relevant forums.
• Capacity building of the government entities in the needed area.
• Supportive supervision of the ongoing response activities with a focus on end-user monitoring.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Academic qualification:

Essential:

Master’s degree in one of the following fields is required: Social Science, Economics, public health or another relevant technical field.

Work experience:

• At least five (5) years of related experience at the district-level Emergency response.
• Experience working with government agencies, local authorities, international organisations, NGOs and communities in the disease and disaster emergency response environment.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience working or collaborating with either UNICEF or other UN and NGOs.
• Experience working within the health, WASH and Nutrition or other sectors.
• Technical experience and health knowledge in emergency response, including monitoring and evaluation, supply management and partnership coordination. 

Technical skills, knowledge and strength areas:

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in emergency fieldwork.
• Familiarity with Government programmes in Malawi is an advantage.
• Strong coordination and collaborative abilities within the health sector and other sectors.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in public health fieldwork with a focus on cholera and other diarrheal diseases would be an asset.
• Good interpersonal skills, ability to build and maintain partnerships across government and NGOs, ability to work in multi-cultural settings and culturally sensitive communities.
• An innovative and resourceful mindset to make solutions work in adverse conditions and the ability to perform under stressful conditions and have a flexible approach in undertaking assignments, maintaining a sense of professionalism.
• Essential knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, working knowledge of online data collection applications, and statistical analysis packages (SPSS, Stata etc.

Languages: 

• Fluency in written and verbal English is required, familiarity with Chichewa will be asset.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference  Terms of Reference_District Emergency Coordinator.pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

HOW TO APPLY…

Interested consultants should provide the following:

1. Cover letter:

• Describing the candidate’s relevant experience with similar type of assignments (max 300 words)

2. Updated Curriculum Vitae (not more than 4 pages)
3. Two latest performance appraisals and/or recommendations letters from recent assignments including reference contact details (phone numbers and email addresses)
4. When a need arises, the office will invite pre-selected roster candidates to provide their financial proposal (all-inclusive fee) for the specific assignment as well as to confirm their availability and interest at the time of the deployment need.

5. Include with your application relevant samples from similar work (web links also can be provided).

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.