UNDP is the UN's global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. As a founding Cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and guided by the health-related MDGs, responding to HIV is one of the organizations’ priorities. Under the UNAIDS division of labour, UNDP is responsible for leading the UNAIDS response in addressing dimensions of AIDS relating to: development planning and mainstreaming; governance; and human rights, gender and sexual diversity. UNDP is also responsible for providing support to governments in their implementation of policies and programs that protect the human rights of people affected by HIV.
 
While globally the number of new HIV infections is decreasing, the region of Eastern Europe and the Central Asia (EECA) is home to a still further growing HIV epidemic: rising from an estimated 970,000 people living with the virus in 2001 to 1.4 million in 2012. The Russian Federation and Ukraine, together account for almost 90 percent of newly reported HIV cases. Levels of treatment in the region are low with approximately 20 percent of those in need of antiretroviral therapy receiving it. While there has been a significant improvement in the legal environment relevant to HIV in the region, gaps still persist.  In addition to the HIV-specific gaps on legislation and policies, the regional dynamics on general right to health matters differ from neighboring regions, for instance in the area of patients’ rights. Patients’ rights are gaining more and more recognition in the world and in particular through international, regional and national legislation, policies and practices. Once a leader in this area (through the Declaration of Alma-Ata in 1978), the region is now lagging behind on patients’ rights, especially in comparison with countries of the European Union and with regional initiatives, undertaken at the levels of EU and the Council of Europe. At the same time, national developments in the Russian Federation and Ukraine indicate that patients’ rights are a highly relevant topic for discussion in the context of public health in the region.

In cooperation with governments, other UN agencies, international organizations, and civil society actors, UNDP works to develop the capacity of national legislators, government offices and civil society actors on matters of HIV, health and development. UNDP seeks a consultant on patients’ rights to support the work of the HIV, Health and Development Team at the Regional Center in Bratislava in EECA for four months.

Reports to the Programme Specialist on Rights and Law of UNDP’s Practice on HIV, Health and Development, Regional Centre for Europe and the CIS in Bratislava (Supervisor).

Building on the interventions on patients’ rights carried out by UNDP in 2012 on international and national good practices, as well as external research completed (such as HiT country reports and other documents):

• Carries out a compressive research on patients’ rights and the instruments for their monitoring in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Georgia,  focusing in particular on:
  - Legislation, especially recent, pertaining to patients’ rights;
  - Secondary laws, by-laws, regulations and policies that tackle patients’ rights and – where applicable – relevant litigation, or proceedings in support of patients’ rights;
  - Bills, proposals, discussions and scholarship in the region that address patients’ rights.
• Maps international and national agencies, research institutions, non-governmental organizations (With particular focus of country-level and regional patient rights and advocacy groups), and other entities or persons, carrying out research, advocacy and in other ways contributing to the development of patients’ rights in countries of the region.
• After completion of this research, produces a comprehensive analysis of the status of patients’ rights in CIS counties and Georgia and series of brief patients’ rights updates (snapshots) for each of these countries. In the analysis, outlines recent tendencies, good practices, lessons learned, identifies potential threats and suggests strategies for their mitigation.
• Compares the results to  WHO guidelines/standards/guidance on patient rights, patient charter and patient empowerment
•  If necessary, produces other reports and presentations and provides input related to the area of research. Contributes to knowledge sharing by participating in the development of virtual and hard-copy publications, including by contributing to the UNDP Regional Center’s website and blog and the knowledge-sharing network Teamworks.
• Performs other consultancy-specific tasks assigned by the Supervisor.
• The Consultant is expected to be home-based and liaise with the Regional Center on a regular basis.
• The Consultant is expected to carry out one to three missions in the region.
  

Deliverables:

• Analytical report on patients’ rights in the CIS countries and Georgia and country overviews. Produce systematic, standardized summaries (narrative, table graphic) per country and regional aggregates and comparisons.
• Presentations and other documents; a policy brief and a joint publication in journal if Contributions to social media discussions as requested.
  

Specific deliverables will be agreed upon with the Supervisor at the beginning of each month, in writing. Payments will be made once a month upon submitted satisfactory progress report against deliverables and approved timesheet submission providing details of time spent on respective deliverables, their timely execution and acceptance by the Supervisor.

• Commitment to the principles set forth in the UN High Level Declarations on HIV and AIDS.
• An excellent understanding of the history of and recent developments in patients’ rights, worldwide and in the region.
• Excellent legal and policy research and analytical skills.
• Excellent drafting skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to work independently, strict adherence to completing assigned tasks in a timely manner.
• Quality-oriented professional, constructive approach to obstacles and delays in planned performance.
• Excellent communication skills, oral and written.
  

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• A masters’ degree in law, international relations, public health, or other relevant field.

Experience: 

•  Four or more years of relevant regional experience in the field of human rights, law and health. Experience in working with patients’ rights is a plus.
• Publications: At least one recent relevant publication in the field of public health and/or human rights, or in English. Additional publications in English and/or Russian are a plus.

Language skills:

• Fluency and ability to communicate and perform complex research in English and Russian. Knowledge of more regional languages is a plus.
  

Evaluation of Applicants:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and a financial proposal of a daily consultancy rate, in US$, which includes all consultant’s costs except missions.

The award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable
b) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria -70% of total evaluation

• Education and additional qualifications (courses, diplomas): max 10 points
• Publications: max 10 points
• Relevant work experience in HIV, public health and the law: max 10 points
• Experience in patient rights and patient empowerment: max 10 points
• Communication skills and languages: max 5 points
• Writing sample: max 5 points
• Maximum technical criteria points: 50 points

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 21.5 points 

Application procedures:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees
  (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); Please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
• Writing sample in English, not edited by others, link to be pasted below or sample to be sent to hru.sk@undp.org
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a daily rate in USD.  Specific deliverables will be agreed upon with the Supervisor at the beginning of each month, in writing. Payment to be made once a month upon submitted satisfactory progress report against deliverables and approved timesheet.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged costs (except missions) must be included in the financial proposal. Missions, if any, will be covered separately according to UNDP rules and regulations.
Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org

General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/jobs

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

FC: 30000