Consultancy to coordinate the enhancement and promotion of the parenting application FOLEJA, Prishtina, Kosovo, ECD, 90 days

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, chance

Recognizing that parents and caregivers are the main providers of nurturing care to young children, UNICEF ensures to promote positive parenting and evidence-based practices for early childhood development and health that are proven to work in Kosovo. Hence, UNICEF strives to improve the capacities and skills of parents, caregivers, and communities to provide a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for young children, and to demand access to quality health and Early Childhood Education services, while addressing negative attitudes and social norms, harmful beliefs, and stigma.

In 2022, UNICEF launched “Foleja”, in a celebratory event attended by the President of Kosovo and representatives from the Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation; Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers; Primary Health Care facilities; preschool institutions and most importantly, children and their parents/caregivers. Foleja is an application that supports responsive, positive parenting, and early childhood development. The application targets parents/caregivers, healthcare service providers, educators of children 0 – 6 years old. Its aim is to provide comprehensive information about early childhood development and parental care in a parent-friendly format and provides tools for monitoring child growth, development, and health status.

Launched in Albanian and Serbian languages, Foleja is being promoted across Kosovo through communication networks, including social media influencers, live streaming, and face-to-face activities in different regions.

UNICEF Kosovo plans to draw on the expertise in the fields of behavior change communication, communication for development, and/or external communications to undertake the assignment outlined in this TOR for the purpose of strengthening and upgrading Foleja content, the feedback processes, and to increase the mobile App downloads and user engagement among the target population in Kosovo. Further, to improve the sustainability efforts of parental support and service provider engagement via Foleja (e.g., health workers, educators, social and welfare workers, etc.), UNICEF plans to also engage its NGO implementing partners in the promotion of the App with the support of this consultancy.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF ECD Specialist, and through working closely with the ECD Officer, the SBC Officer, and other designated staff of UNICEF Kosovo, the consultant will be the focal point for coordinating the promotion and development efforts of the Foleja App with involved institutional counterparts, implementing partners UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), within UNICEF Kosovo and other.

Within the scope of this assignment, the key expected output is:

1. Manage the Foleja App Content Management System (CMS), support the technical maintenance of the application with UNICEF ECARO team, and upload new content, and/or revisions/corrections in existing content.
2. Coordinate the process of new App releases into relevant App Stores, follow up on App updates and reviews in the App stores, coordinate with UNICEF Kosovo on review response, app updates, app changes (including possible string changes as well as supporting the required adaption/translation/contextualization of materials sent by ECARO, and planning and monitoring user feedback generation) as well as app testing as needed.
3. Maintain regular communication with UNICEF ECARO Foleja and Bebbo1 App team, and maintain regular updates with UNICEF Kosovo focal points.
4. Convene regular meetings with the existing National Working Group on Foleja App (NWG) to improve coordination efforts among the national partners, generate new ideas to improve the App, and provide technical support to the NWG members on utilizing the CMS to their specific needs, if needed.
5. Organize workshop with the National Working Group and present application updates as well as strategies for application strengthening and promotion, collect the insights and input obtained from the workshop and collaborate with the UNICEF focal points to ensures effective coordination and alignment in shaping future initiatives related to app strengthening and promotion.
6. Adapt/ possibly develop new interactive content for Foleja App jointly with a specialized company hired by UNICEF, in collaboration with subject matter experts from the NWG and UNICEF—ensure the content is evidence-based, and that all new content is uploaded in Albanian and Serbian CMS content pages.
7. Facilitate seamless coordination and provide support for video filming and editing as part of the content development process, in collaboration with the designated company responsible for content development.
8. Develop and coordinate promotion activities for Foleja App jointly with a specialized marketing company hired by UNICEF, in coordination with UNICEF Kosovo focal points and implementing partners as needed. The consultant will ensure to be actively engaged in planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the marketing campaign.
9. Monitor the App's usage and produce user statistics to identify areas for improvement and inform content development. Regularly inform the team on Foleja user behaviour based on the identified areas and firebase statistics.
10. Take the lead on conducting qualitative research with parents who have been using Foleja for some time, through Focus Group Discussions and Key Informative Interviews. The research methodology will be designed and implemented jointly with a specialized research company hired by UNICEF, and the consultant will represent UNICEF throughout the entire process (e.g., organize, monitor, gather, analyse and report results, etc.) in coordination with UNICEF Kosovo team.
11. Design and implement trainings on Foleja App use for service providers including health and social welfare workers and UNICEF Implementing Partners as well as during promotion events.
12. Organize Foleja promotion informative sessions, engage in identification of entry points, and utilize existing mapping of entities of service providers and potential users.

Work Assignments Overview: Manage Foleja content management system and technical maintenance of the App with the regional UNICEF team Deliverables/Outputs: CMS content maintenance regularly conducted Timeline: 3 days Type of support: (In-person and offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Coordinate the process of new App releases into stores and possible app changes including string changes. Check App reviews and responding. Coordinate with UNICEF staff on testing and updates as needed. Deliverables/Outputs: App releases successfully implemented, and updates reflected in the App Timeline: 9 days Type of support: (offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Organize regular update and feedback meetings with the UNICEF focal points for Foleja and regularly participate in bi-monthly meetings organized by the regional office and update the UNICEF Foleja working group about the highlights of the meeting Deliverables/Outputs: Meetings with UNICEF staff Regular email updates Foleja progression report developed Timeline: 5 days Type of support: (In-person and offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Regularly maintain coordination with the national working group members and provide technical support on utilizing the CMS to their specific needs, in support of the company that will engage members for endorsing new App content Deliverables/Outputs: National working group members engaged and endorsing newly developed content Timeline: 6 days Type of support: (In-person and offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Organize the workshop with the national working group to present updates on the strategy for App strengthening and promotion Deliverables/Outputs: Workshop organized and report prepared with feedback and actions agreed with the national working group Timeline: 2 days Type of support: (In-person)

Work Assignments Overview: Adapt and possibly develop new interactive content and conduct their upload as well as manage the editing of existing content in the Content Management System of Foleja Deliverables/Outputs: New articles uploaded and existing articles up to date in the Foleja CMS Timeline: 8 days Type of support: (In-person and offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Coordinate and support video filming and editing by the company for content development Deliverables/Outputs: Videos filmed and edited (Number and content of the videos will be determined following the qualitative research) Timeline: 10 days Type of support: (Offsite, with the flexibility to be present in filming locations if needed)

Work Assignments Overview: Coordinate and possibly develop promotion activities for Foleja, jointly with the marketing company and in coordination with UNICEF staff and its partners—ensuring active engagement in planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the marketing campaign Deliverables/Outputs: Promotion activities coordinated and developed with all intended components for social media and community outreach and results report prepared. Timeline: 12 days Type of support: (Offsite, with the flexibility to attend meeting in-person if needed)

Work Assignments Overview: Regularly monitor, analyse, and update the team on Foleja user behaviour based on firebase statistics and dashboard data Deliverables/Outputs: User statistics and trends reports prepared and presented Timeline: 8 days Type of support: (offsite)

Work Assignments Overview: Plan and coordinate focus group discussions and key informant interviews, as well as support monitoring and reporting on the Rapid Qualitative Assessment jointly with the specialized research company. Deliverables/Outputs: 3 focus groups and 3 KII completed, and results prepared of RQAs prepared Timeline: 10 days Type of support: (In–person)

Work Assignments Overview: Design and support training sessions on Foleja as part of the activities carried out through implementing partners, including training sessions for health, education, and social welfare service providers. Deliverables/Outputs: Foleja promotion successfully included in the modules of trainings and outreach reported by service providers Timeline: 12 days Type of support: (In–person)

Work Assignments Overview: Organize informative sessions for Foleja promotion using existing mapping of entities of potential users and service providers as well as engage in identification of new entry points. Deliverables/Outputs: Promotion informative sessions organized and entry points for promotion identified Timeline: 5 days Type of support: (In–person)

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

• Bachelor’s degree in communication, psychology, social sciences, or other related areas.
• Experience in project support, programme coordination in development organizations
• Good digital skills
• Good reporting and presenting skills
• Communication verbal skills with various stakeholder
• Ability to identify risks and to develop strategies to mitigate them
• Good independent and team working skills
• Experience working with UNICEF or other UN agency is considered an advantage
• Working knowledge of English and Albanian.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.