HIV/ADIS Research Consultant

Background

China has made remarkable progress on the AIDS response and implemented a series of HIV-related health services for people living with HIV. However, HIV epidemic is still evolving and has been influencing the country deeply in the past decade. Latest data shows that about 1.25 million people were living with HIV in China by the end of 2018.

On the other hand, social environment and public services such as healthcare, employment, education, and social protection policies and mechanisms have not fully adapted to meet the needs of people living with or affected by HIV. Often, they disproportionately affect members of marginalized groups. Social protection mechanisms are not sensitive or sufficient to ensure inclusive and sustainable development of PLHIV and their families; lifelong HIV treatment has caused side effects and other subsequent illnesses, causing high proportion of out-of-pocket expenditure and home-care burden; gender-based inequality and age exclusion on accessing HIV services are still not well recognized and addressed in some places; discrimination against PLHIV has also affected their access to HIV-related care and services as well as their access to employment. In the context of crisis situation like COVID-19 pandemic, PLHIV and their families are facing more challenges in employment and receiving affordable necessary medical cares and having higher risks to slip back into poverty than other people.

To build a strong basis to inform the development of a new UN Joint Plan on HIV for China from 2021 that is aligned to a new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the UN Joint Team on AIDS has launched a multi-disciplinary study in 2020 to better understand the situation and challenges of people living with and affected by HIV, especially people in the central and south-western parts of China, to access fully employment, high-quality and affordable health services and equitable social protection based on the assumption that the provinces with the highest poverty rates also tend to be where HIV-related burden is most severe.

The research project was jointly commissioned by WHO, ILO, UNFPA, and UN Women. UNAIDS and UNDP provided coordination and technical support for the project. Currently the multi-disciplinary study has been done and data analyzed by co-sponsor agencies. To further summarize and integrate the findings from different sources on a multi-dimensional perspective, the Joint Team agreed to conduct an executive summary of the reports and and generate recommendations.

UN Women China Office is seeking an experienced consultant to review the current findings in this multi-disciplinary study and integrate the findings into an executive summary with recommendations generated from the outcome. The consultant should ensure high quality and consistency of work, using an approach that is consistent with the UN’s values and regulations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Main Objective

To summarize the evidence and findings on the relationship between poverty, vulnerability and HIV, and generate recommendations from the study to inform the development of the next UN Joint Workplan on AIDS and align it more effectively to the new UNSDCF in 2021-2025.

Scope of Work:

The Consultant is responsible for the following tasks:

1. Review of multi-disciplinary study

Understand the background, design, methodology, statistic analysis of this multi-disciplinary study
Review the current findings from different parts of the study, based on full understanding of the sample population, time of study, and collaborators
Discuss with focal points from co-sponsor agencies and collaborating institutions to elucidate the findings and potential interpretation on their meanings
Recommend further analysis and collect relevant information regarding the study if necessary

2. Compile the executive summary

Discuss with Joint Team members to set the main goal of this executive summary
Propose a summary structure based on the current available data to include different horizontal dimensions to be reviewed by the Joint Team
Summarize and integrate the findings into the draft executive summary and generate recommendations based on the study outcome
Drafting, editing, proofreading the summary
Regularly discuss with Joint Team members and finalize the executive summary based on comments from the Joint Team

3. Translation of the executive summary to prepare for the final bilingual deliverables.

Deliverables and Timelines

Deliverables

Tasks

Target Delivery Date

Review and first draft of analysis report based on the multi-disciplinary study

Discuss with focal points from co-sponsor agencies and collaborating institutions to elucidate the findings and potential interpretation on their meanings

Gnenerate prelimary recommendations based on the multi-dsciplinary study

40%

31 January 2022

Bilingual executive summary report on the multidisciplinary study on poverty, vulnerability and HIV, with main findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

conduct the executive summary report on the multidisciplinary study on poverty, vulnerability and HIV, with main findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Translation of the executive summary to prepare for the final bilingual deliverables

60%

28 Feburary 2022

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration

Functional Competencies:

Proficiency in computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.);
Proficiency in editing, professional writing and reporting in both English and Chinese
Ability to work independently under tight deadline

Required Skills and Experience

Experience and required qualifications

The consultant should demonstrate qualifications, experience and competencies in the following areas:

Minimum educational requirement: Master’s degree in public health, international development, and other relevant field; or bachelor degree in combination of 2 additional years experience maybe accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
At least 5 years’ working experience in scientific research methodologies, and/or with vulnerable groups, including HIV and people with disabilities
Proven experience in data analysis
Previous working experience of report writing in both English and Chinese
Previous working experience in the UN System is an advantage.