Organization Mission

UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health and rights agency, expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. It 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.

Since 2003, UNFPA Timor-Leste has supported the Government of Timor-Leste to conduct Census and has strongly promoted sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality as key elements to achieve human rights and human dignity. Over the past decade UNFPA assistance has contributed towards establishing basic social services and generating baseline socio-demographic data for Timor-Leste.

The main focus of the programme is to support national efforts to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, in line with the UNFPA transformative results to end maternal deaths, unmet need for family planning, and gender-based violence and harmful practices — responding to the principle of leaving no one behind, focusing on women, adolescents and youth, particularly those living in rural areas, people with disabilities and key population groups.

Context

Within the context of work of UNFPA in Timor-Leste, the objective of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Data Specialist assignment is to provide support on the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)/maternal health programme implementation of UNFPA Timor-Leste, with a focus on strengthening the health systems and related SRHR data systems. In particular, this position will be part of the support of a regional initiative funded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) (Government of Australia) to support on-going work to improve Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (SRMNCAH) data systems, focusing on those that have the greatest impact in the delivery and monitoring of life-saving maternal and reproductive health interventions: Maternal Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response, Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care data, and – to a smaller extent – Health Management Information Systems (HMIS).

It is expected that the International UN Volunteer will support the technical and programme teams of UNFPA Timor-Leste in the broader implementation of the UNFPA Timor-Leste Country Programme on maternal health and SRHR as needed

Key Responsibilities

Working under the overall supervision of the Country Representative, in close coordination with the Assistant Representative and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Program Analysts and M&E teams and other UNFPA staff as necessary – in particular the DFAT SRHR Programme Manager in the UNFPA Regional Office for Asia-Pacific – the UN Volunteer will support the team focusing on the maternal health components of the programme. S/He is expected to inform themselves and stay abreast of the latest UNFPA policy and technical guidance in relevant areas of work and support the SRHR unit and Timor-Leste to align and bring in innovation and global good practice into the UNFPA Timor-Leste deliverables for SRHR. Specific areas include:

Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR)

· Coordination and Facilitation of technical, ministerial and implementing partners workplans

· Oversee and coordinate the implementation of the MPDSR acceleration plans and training components

· Plan, organise, and facilitate workshops and consultative meetings at all levels (national, provincial, district, and facility) to ensure collaboration and buy-in.

· Provide administrative and logistical support for Training of Trainer (ToT) programs and build capacity at sub-national level

· Support data collection, processes, analysis and evidence generation on MPDSR within UNFPA, and provide technical assistance as relevant to the MOH

Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC)

· Support the implementation of the Geographic Mapping and analysis component of the Emergency Obstetric Care Network, in close collaboration with the UNFPA AP Regional office and technical partners

· Support the SRHR Analyst and M&E team in adapting, validating and implementing data collection on EmONC Functionality and Readiness

· Support the organization of EmONC prioritization workshop and technica meetings, including coordinating with health facilities representatives

· Support the SRHR and M&E unit in producing comprehensive annual reports on the EmONC situation at regional and national levels, adapting formats for various audiences, help with knowledge management and documentation on the EmONC Prioritisation process at national and sub-national levels

· Participate in relevant meetings to ensure coordination with other initiatives.

Health Management Information Systems (HMIS)

· Support the UNFPA CO in liaising with relevant MoH departments and technical development partners on strengthening RMNCAH and GBV Data in HMIS and DHIS2.

· Support SRHR and M&E teams in UNFPA Timor-Leste to generate, monitor and analyse data on SRMNCAH for programme analysis and evidence generation.

· Coordinate knowledge sharing and training opportunities for MoH staff and UNFPA colleagues, including in close collaboration with UNFPA Regional Office and technical partners

Overall Coordination and Reporting

· Ensure close coordination and communications between UNFPA Timor-Leste stakeholders in the country, and the UNFPA Regional Office responsible for the implementation of the regional DFAT initiative.

· Provide inputs and accurate reporting of activities for progress reports, annual reports and other requests of information by UNFPA Regional Office and/or DFAT, as necessary.

· Provide detailed reporting, including financial reporting on the implementation status of activities under the DFAT programme and other activities in the Maternal Health programme of UNFPA.

Required Skills and Experience

· At least 3 years of experience with the UN and/or in NGO / academia – with expertise in public health or related fields, including programme management and implementation, policy development and/or capacity building, preferably in development settings.

· Skills in data analysis and processing, and strong understanding of programmatic needs for implementation of Health Systems Strengthening activities.

· Proven skills in monitoring and evaluation, and experience in results-based management of programmatic interventions.

· Excellent interpersonal, communication, coordination, and technical reporting skills required. Self-starter, proactive, passion for the issues.

· Excellent oral and written skills in English. Knowledge of other UN languages and/or Portuguese is desirable.

· Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; excellent drafting, formulation, and 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 Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.

· Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

· Sound security awareness.

· Have affinity with or interest in Sexual and Reproductive health volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system

Core Competencies

☒Accountability
☒Adaptability and Flexibility
☐Building Trust
☐Client Orientation
☒Commitment and Motivation
☐Commitment to Continuous Learning
☒Communication
☐Creativity
☐Empowering Others
☐Ethics and Values
☐Integrity
☐Judgement and Decision-making
☐Knowledge Sharing
☐Leadership
☒Managing Performance
☒Planning and Organizing
☒Professionalism
☒Respect for Diversity
☒Self-Management
☐Technological Awareness
☐Vision
☒Working in Teams

Living Conditions

Timor-Leste is half of a tropical island on the Australian continental shelf characterized by a rugged mountain chain running east-west that divides the country into a generally warmer north coast and a milder south coast. The capital city, Dili, is located in the north.

Climate: The climate along the coast is relatively warm hot year-round with an annual average temperature of 30°C. There are two distinct seasons: the north- east monsoon season, which runs from November to March, constitutes the rainy season throughout the country. The south-east monsoon season, which runs from March to October, constitutes the dry season with some rain on the southern coast but otherwise dry and windy conditions in the rest of the country. The climate inland with its high mountains can be cool with an annual average temperature of 15°C.

Health: At the moment, Stamford clinic serves as a recommended medical facility for UN staff. It has two approved UN physicians that can perform primary healthcare and simpler treatments, or recommend medical evacuation to Singapore. There is a national hospital with some international staff and a limited number of other private clinics in Dili. For more complex medical treatment and assessment, it is necessary to evacuate to neighbouring countries such as Darwin or Singapore. Most of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19 and booster shots are available for UN staff (if needed). It’s recommended to be fully vaccinated prior to travel.

Diet, Food and Water: Most staple foods can be found in the markets such as rice, meat, vegetables, cooking oil, salt and sugar. There are many local markets around Dili as well as four supermarkets that are stocked with imported goods, mainly from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and China. Dili has a large number of restaurants, cafes and bars. There is a variety of food ranging from Western to Southeast Asian fare. You can also find several local warungs with less expensive meals. The price range for a meal can range from $3 to $20+.

Telecommunications: At the moment, there are three telecommunication providers in country, Timor Telecom and Telcomcel and Telemor. While Timor Telecom has been long present, Telcomcel and Telemor were newly launched in Timor-Leste, and started operating in February 2013. The SIM cards cost $2- 3 and pre-paid/pulsa cards range from $1 to $50. Further, depending on UN Agency, you may receive a PIN code to make international phone calls that will be charged to your VLA.

Hotels: The host agency in Dili will help arrange your initial accommodation in a hotel, at your expense. Most of the hotels in Dili are aimed at internationals and offer a good level of comfort with air-conditioned rooms and ensuite bathrooms. You can expect to pay from $30 to $50 per night.

Permanent Accommodation: Expect that your accommodation will range from the very basic to adequate, although many private houses in Dili have been renovated to a reasonable or even considered ‘luxurious’ level of comfort. The rate of reconstruction and renovation in the districts has been much slower than in Dili. Accommodation is far more likely to be of a very basic level. https://www.unv.org/