Communication for Development Consultant-COVAX ( For International applicants only)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Immunization...

In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Since then, a few candidate vaccines have been developed and are already been deployed in several countries worldwide and in SS, COVAX was introduced on the 6th of April 2021. It is always challenging to introduce a new vaccine; the process can have a significant impact both positive and negative. The country’s health system, the general public and the new target populations e.g. front-line service providers must be well prepared to ensure the desired acceptance and uptake of the vaccine. The introduction of the new COVID-19 vaccine came with similar challenges, but it is key to the successful reduction of transmission and containment of the pandemic. There is also the need to respond to the recurring challenge of rumours and misinformation about vaccines among the community and in this regard, the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, SS governmnet adopted integration of COVAX in the national routine immunization as a comprehensive approach for joint service delivery and achieve the set results for both vaccines while utilizing the limited available resources. Communication for Development (C4D) is a critical component of this endeavor, aiming to inform SS population about risks and prevention measures to ensure their support and acceptance of the vaccinations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Ministry of Health and Sanitation). Design/adapt capacity development materials and develop training plan for relevant stakeholders on EPI and COVAX with focus on inter-personal communication skills and C4D approaches.

Scope of Work:

• Support the implementation of UNICEF-MOH communication action plan on COVID vaccine and routine immunisation rollout, public acceptance, and social mobilization, including
• Lead the assessment of communities’, community mobilisers and Health workers’ knowledge, behaviour, attitude and practice for COVAX and routine immunization in SS.
• Support the RCCE Cluster to develop C4D strategy for COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunisation demand generation and its implementation
• Adapt available training modules and job aids for health workers and vaccinators as both first adopters of vaccines and as advocates for vaccination acceptance and uptake in communities.
• Provide oversight to /conduct a mapping of key stakeholders, influential, faith based groups partners and most trusted sources of information to support acceptance and uptake of Covid-19 vaccination (eg: public health, nursing associations, organizations working with older adults, faith- based organizations etc) and in providing orientations to them.
• Lead with support from national consultants and partners capacity building of health workers, community mobilisers, CSOs, frontline workers on demand generation-linking it with the gains made in RCCE
• Lead monitoring framework and checklists including support monitoring (including community feedback, media and social media monitoring) and reporting of ongoing implementation of COVAX and routine immunisation and broader C4D/Risk communication activities
• Develop/revise a costed demand generation plan, keeping in mind the phased approach with the targeted population groups over the designated time period including oversight to IEC materials and messages.
• Support coordination with national and sub-national stakeholders, including government, implementing partners.
• Support the on-going implementation of UNICEF communication activities to promote behaviors to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Work Assignment Overview

Lead the assessment of communities’, community mobilisers and Health workers’ knowledge, behaviour, attitude and practice for COVAX and routine immunization.

Draft of C4D strategy for COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization demand generation and its implementation developed by RCCE Cluster

Adapt/revise training modules and job aids for health workers and vaccinators as both first adopters of vaccines and as advocates for vaccination acceptance and uptake in communities

Produce and present community engagement strategic concept and guidelines including rumour tracking for review and provide comments

Reports and meeting minutes on the support from national consultants and partners capacity building of health workers, community mobilisers, CSOs, frontline workers on demand generation-linking it with the gains made in RCCE.

Monitoring framework and checklists including support monitoring (including community feedback, media and social media monitoring) and reporting of ongoing implementation of COVAX and routine immunisation and broader C4D/Risk communication activities

Final costed demand generation plan, keeping in mind the phased approach with the targeted population groups over the designated time period including oversight to IEC materials and messages

Coordination with national and sub-national stakeholders, including government, implementing partners. Groups over the designated time period including oversight to IEC materials and messages.

Minimum Qualifications required:

• A Masters’ degree in Health Promotion or, Public Health or Health Communication or Community Health, Social and Behaviour Change Communication or another related field is an added advantage.

A minimum of 5 years’ experience in C4D and emergencies, risk communication and community engagement

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Experience in working on immunization- preferably prior experience in new vaccine introduction
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Willingness to travel and work in field environments
• Excellent written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of local language (Arabic) of the country is considered as an asset.

Language Requirements:

• English

All applications must be submitted with detailed financial and technical proposal

Payment Schedule

Payment will be done monthly upon delivery of key task and submission of all necessary reports as stipulated in the detailed Terms of Reference.

https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.