National Consultancy: Updating the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Policy and Assessing Accredited Hospitals in the West Bank, 4 months, Jerusalem, Palestine (Nationals only)

Contract Duration- 4 months

Working arrangement: Home based

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                                                         TERMS OF REFERENCE

UNICEF is seeking a consultant to support the update of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Policy and Assessing the Accredited hospitals in the West Bank, and ensure the safety and security of personnel, assets, and operations. The role involves assessing the policy, updating as per international guidelines, visiting the accredited hospitals, and abiding by the deliverables mentioned in this TOR.

 

Background and Rationale the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), led by World Health Organization and UNICEF, is a global effort to improve breastfeeding practices through implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and maternity friendly care. Following the 2018 revised BFHI guidance, there is a global shift toward: • Integration of BFHI into national health systems • Institutionalization within quality-of-care frameworks • Continuous monitoring and re-certification (instead of one-time accreditation) In the West Bank, while all governmental hospitals, UNRWA hospital, and Al-Makaased hospital have been designated as Baby-Friendly, challenges remain: • Outdated policy frameworks not aligned with 2018 guidance • Weak reassessment and monitoring systems • Variability in compliance across facilities • Limited integration into routine quality improvement systems This consultancy supports strengthening national systems to ensure sustainable, high-quality breastfeeding support services. 2. Purpose To support the Ministry of Health and partners in strengthening BFHI implementation through: Updated, system-integrated BFHI policies • Robust monitoring and reassessment mechanisms • Evidence-based assessment of accredited hospitals 3. Objectives 3.1 General Objective Strengthen the quality, sustainability, and system integration of BFHI in the West Bank. 3.2 Specific Objectives 1. Update national BFHI policy in line with global guidance 2. Develop a standardized accreditation and reassessment system (MOH has an accreditation and reassessment tool that could adapted) 3. Assess compliance of BFHI-accredited hospitals 4. Identify system-level and facility-level gaps 5. Develop actionable recommendations and implementation roadmap

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  External ToR TMC0002699.pdf

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s degree in public health, nutrition, or related field
• Work Experience:
  • 7+ years of relevant experience in public health, nutrition, nursing or relevant programs.
  • Proven experience with BFHI or Breastfeeding Programs in the country, experience with policy development and health systems.
  • Experience working with Ministries of Health, government institutions, or UN agencies.
  • Experience supporting the development of national strategies, guidelines, or standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly in the health or nutrition sectors.
• Language Requirements:
  • English and Arabic
• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
  • Proven experience with BFHI or breastfeeding programs
  • Experience with policy development and health systems
  • Strong analytical skills
• Desirables:
  • Familiarity with WHO/UNICEF frameworks
  • Field assessment experience
  • Stakeholder facilitation