Consultancy- Communication for Development (C4D) Consultant, Luanda, Angola (4 Months)

Contract

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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, a voice.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated.

How can you make a difference?

Goal and objective:

Under the supervision of the Chief Communication for Development (C4D) and in close coordination with the Education Section, the individual consultant will:

• Apply human-centered design (HCD) methodologies to develop social and behavior change interventions to support girls in Cazenga municipality in accessing learning opportunities outside and inside the school, focusing on the most vulnerable groups.
• Apply qualitative research methodologies in a flexible, iterative and human-centred manner in order to identify

1) key bottlenecks impeding girls’ access to and retention at school in the municipality of Cazenga;

2) technical, vocational and professional training and future employment opportunities according to the girl´s perspectives and the community´s context;

• Propose several possible solutions (ideation) based on the findings, conceptualize ideas collected from girls and boys in their communities, and test the ideas (prototyping); and prepare the proposed solutions for implementation and possible adaptation by developing a implementation plan.

Principles

Design all above deliverables in close collaboration with girls from the community, provincial and municipal government teams, civil society organizations at the community level and UNICEF team. The experiences and perspectives of girls should be prioritized. Girls themselves should be the primary source of solutions to address the challenges they face in accessing quality education, Complement with vocational technical training and employment opportunities, and life and job skills learning opportunities, overcoming gender stereotypes; (ii) capacity building of local actors so that the process of HCD can be replicated and adapted to other municipalities and provinces in the country under the leadership of the Ministry of Education and local administrative authorities and with the participation of community based organizations (CBOs).

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Chief of Communication for Development and in close collaboration with the Education section, UNICEF Angola is seeking to obtain the services from an individual professional with design thinking and human centered design expertise to review and document existing international and local knowledge about the challenges to girls’ education, past efforts, the socio and behavioral drivers influencing the access, return and non-return to school of girls, particularly the most vulnerable, such as adolescent girls from low income families, parents with low level of education, children with disability and marginalized groups. It includes aspects related to non-traditional training opportunities, life skills and employability, and stereotyped job opportunities.

The consultant will prepare a desk review and map the relevant information at country, provincial and municipality level, considered the available sources, associated to the possible drivers leading to exclusion or drop-out. She or he will also establish a national technical working group to support the development and implementation of the human centered approach for improving girls’ access and retention at school in Cazenga municipality and train the members in Human Centered Design methodologies. The local team should be made of Government counterparts and civil society organizations (CSOs) / CBOs;

Designing and implementing a field-based Human Centered Design Research involves planning and conducting qualitative field research using methodologies such as focus groups, participant observation (observing girls within their environments that shape their day-to-day lives and behaviors) and semi -structured interviews (conduct interviews with girls and their close environment to allow them to speak about specific events and experiences). Developing with girls journals, diaries, blogs, video records, trajectory maps (their way to education) or others qualitative strategies to collect from the girls the information needed about how important learning is from them, how much learning is identifying by them as synonymous of formal education; and how they see themselves as students and learners from different opportunities, today and in the future, indicating past experiences and current contexts that may affected their perspectives;

Based on the research findings, identify the challenges and constraints that impede girls’ ability to access education, and to opportunities for learning employability skills and access to vocational-professional training (including, but not limited to social norms, beliefs, cultural habits, structural bottlenecks, etc.). Identify at the community level individual and institutional leaderships related to education and girls’ agenda in order to design a potential network and identify potential strategic partners at the community level for implementation (churches, parent’s association, community radios, youth associations, groups linked and not linked to local institutions, such dancing groups, poetry and rap groups, sport teams, specific areas in the community where youngsters gather etc.).

Conceptualize and test solutions / initiatives and communication tools for better access and retention at school but also for an improved access to opportunities for learning employability skills with the technical working group, girls in Cazenga and members from their communities (parents, local leaders, etc.). Define the key evaluative questions, possible risks, measurable criteria and corresponding indicators to track progress over time;

Using the research findings to develop a package of innovative and tailored communication materials, with girls´ participation, building a communication narrative that will guide the implementation.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Estimate Budget

Desk review

Summary of desk review on challenges to girls’ education and learning opportunities for life and work, the socio and behavioral drivers influencing the access, return and non-return to school of girls, opportunities and past interventions.

30/09

20%

Human Centre Design methodology and plan

Design methodologies adapted to the needs of the project implementation in the municipality of Cazenga. Human-centered design research plan for local support in Cazenga municipality involving girls through different qualitative methodologies of fieldwork.

15/10

20%

Human Centre Design research

Mapping of leadership related to girls’ education and skills’ agenda at the community level (churches, parent’s association, community radios, youth associations etc.) to establish a national technical working group in the municipality of Cazenga. Developing with girls journals, diaries, blogs, video records, trajectory maps (their way to education) or other qualitative strategies to collect from the girls the information needed to demonstrate the way of girls to education and other learning opportunities for life and work.

30/11

20%

Final report with social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions proposed

Proposal of tested local initiatives and solutions including social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions and tools based on girls, their families and the neighborhoods’ perspectives.

30/12

40%

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree in Communication for Development, Community Development and/or Social Science (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology etc.).
• A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in human centered design expertise for research and strategy development and implementation or portfolio-proven experience in developing locally tailored community-based approaches.
• Experience in developing community-based approaches in the Education sector is a strong asset. As well as having worked with youth associations on issues related to life and job skills.
• Experience in development projects in Angola is a strong advantage.
• Portfolio-proven experience in innovative communication materials design (print and digital media), creating infographics and visualizing complex information.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills. Professional approach to time, costs and deadlines. Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English and Portuguese is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness
• Works Collaboratively with others
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Innovates and Embraces Change
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Drives to achieve impactful results
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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:

Duty Station: Luanda, Angola

Terms of Payment: The consultant will be paid an all-inclusive fee (transportation costs, stationary, communication and other miscellaneous expenses) as per the stipulated deliverable and payment schedule.

Contract Duration****: 4 months

How to apply: Interested candidates are requested to create their profile on UNICEF career portal at https://www.unicef.org/careers/, including cover letter and CV. Candidates should indicate ability, availability and all-inclusive financial proposal to undertake the terms of reference.

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.