JOB DESCRIPTION

The Position:

The consultancy aims to develop an alert system / an Uber-like application/leverage to connect accredited GPRTU and local transport providers with pregnant women, and health providers allowing them to request services and make payments. The four focus areas are an alert system linking 1) parturient, 2) health facility system, 3) health facility system to blood banks, and 4) a payment system for the services of transport operators. This innovative approach focuses on bridging transportation and ensuring business sustainability for Maternal Health.

UNFPA Ghana aims to achieve three transformative goals: ensuring every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person”s potential is fulfilled. Despite a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, Ghana”s maternal mortality rate remains high at 310 deaths per 100,000 live births, with Greater Accra and Ashanti regions being the hotspots. This high rate is often attributed to “Three Delays”: delays in deciding to seek care, reaching a health facility, and receiving adequate care upon arrival. To address the second delay—reaching a health facility—UNFPA received funding from SIF to implement TIMER (Transport Innovation for Maternal Health Emergency Rescue) project through a Private-Public Partnership.

The TIMER project established a maternal health “susu fund,” leveraging existing mobile money platforms (MTN/IT Consortium”s Chango and Sika Save) to allow pregnant women, their families, and philanthropists to incrementally save and crowd-source funds for transportation during pregnancy. While this fund significantly eases financial burdens, a crucial next step is to connect pregnant women with available transport providers to ensure timely access to services and further reduce delays. To achieve this, UNFPA is commissioning a consultancy to develop an alert system in this regard. This system will be a simple mobile/tablet-based application, linked to the susu fund, designed to connect pregnant women, healthcare providers, blood bank systems, and transport operators, facilitating efficient transportation and payment for services.

You will report to:

Under the overall supervision of the Representative, guidance of the Deputy Representative and direct supervision of Head of the Reproductive Health Unit, the Individual Consultant (IC)/consulting firm shall develop the alert system in consultation with TIMER partners, pregnant women and relevant stakeholders, including UNFPA.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person”s potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

You would be responsible for:

1. Develop an uber-like / adapt an alert system that connects parturient to transport operators (GPRTU Tap and Go system, and local transport operators (Aboboya, Okada drivers) to request emergency transport service.
2. Create health facility alert feature in the system that enables parturient and families to inform health facilities to prepare to receive them.
3. Link health facilities in the project districts to the national blood bank date set to facilitate easy request for blood
4. Create a functionality/feature to trigger payment for the driver’s service, through savings made on Sika Save and Chango platforms.

Qualifications and Experience:

• The individual must have Masters’ degree in telecommunication or related areas
• Have minimum of 7 years’ experience in developing similar App or project being implemented in the country with good patronage
• Experience in providing public health, social development technology solutions across the country.
• Familiarity with issues of maternal and reproductive health, and how these impacts on women and the young.
• Experience in working with the UN, government institutions, NGOs and/or donor institutions will be an added advantage.

Languages:

Fluency in English is mandatory.

Required Competencies:

Values:

Exemplifying integrity,

Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,

Embracing cultural diversity,

Embracing change

Competencies:

Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural settings and with diverse stakeholders.

Strong organizational and project management skills.

Commitment to ethical standards and data protection principles.

Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks effectively.

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA”s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants” bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.