Consultant; GBV Technology (Laaha). Req

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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: GBV Technology (Laaha) Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection, PG - NYHQ

Duration: 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does - in programs, 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. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens - addressing inequity - not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital.

Related to this mission, UNICEF is directly involved in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in some of the world’s most intense and complex conflicts and disasters. GBV in its various forms constitutes a global crisis which undermines social and economic progress; as one of the world’s greatest human rights violations, GBV must be addressed to ensure universal rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity, and dignity of human beings. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE) is recognized as a life-saving measure and an essential component of humanitarian action. As a lead agency in addressing GBViE, UNICEF has expanded its on-the-ground programming in recent years and made prevention and risk mitigation of, and response to GBViE one of its targeted priorities in its new Strategic and Gender Action Plans (GAP) 2022-2025, as well as in the new Child Protection Strategy. GBViE contributes to the results under Goal Area 3 and is also now a cross-cutting priority across the new Strategic Plan, making GBV risk mitigation one of UNICEF’s change strategies and a key contributor across all Goal Areas. UNICEF is also a leading agency in the development of programming and tools related to GBViE, including supporting the development of the Call-to-Action Roadmap rollout of the revised IASC GBV Guidelines (2015), implementation of the interagency GBV case management capacity building initiative, and management of the GBV AoR help desk.

In 2019, UNICEF’s Executive Director issued a call to innovate to fill gaps in the accessibility and availability of services at the Oslo Conference on Ending GBV in Emergencies. Since 2020, UNICEF has been developing new technologies for gender-based violence programming. One of these innovative solutions is Laaha, a Virtual Safe Space (VSS) platform for women and girls. Women and girls' safe spaces have long been established as a key approach to provide survivors with information, links to services, skills-building, peer connection, and support. Yet, as access to physical safe spaces is often limited for adolescent girls and women, UNICEF has been developing Laaha, a VSS platform for them. Following successful piloting in Iraq and Lebanon, a second version of a more interactive platform has been piloted in Iraq and Ecuador. As a component of the new iteration of Laaha, UNICEF is creating a virtual forum which enables girls to seek support, ask questions, receive linkages to specialized services, and in time, replicate the sense of a safe social network on the platform with peers. Laaha is currently being deployed in a number of additional countries, including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Laaha aims at reaching 1 million users and 15 languages by 2025.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist (GBViE Innovation and Service Delivery), the consultant will be responsible for the completion of the following deliverables:

1. Support finalization and implementation of the moderated users’ forum
2. Test and finalize the chatbot based on field inputs
3. Support the shift from country-based to language-based platform
4. Improve intuitive design and user engagement in collaboration with the technology vendor
5. Support the development of an interactive digital literacy module to be added on Laaha
6. Support the deployment of Laaha in at least 5 new languages
7. Support the development of framework documentation for Laaha

The consultancy will be home-based with travels to emergency-affected contexts as feasible.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• Training guide for forum moderators developed and approved - By 15 January 2024
• Step-by-step guide for user researchers to test the forum developed and approved - By 31 January 2024
• Forum tested and finalized– By 31 March 2024
• Chatbot script completed with existing modules – By 31 December 2023
• Voice Over added – By 31 January 2024
• Chatbot tested and finalized – By 31 March 2024
• Requirements defined and Quality Assurance and User Acceptance Testing supported – By 15 January 2024
• Improved service hub page finalized – By 30 November 2023
• Improved homepage finalized – By 30 November 2023
• Interactive digital literacy module approved and added on Laaha – By 31 December 2023
• Risk mitigation matrix endorsed by at least 5 new contexts – By 31 July 2024
• Translated content uploaded on Laaha in 5 new languages – By 30 September 2024
• Framework developed and piloted – By 30 June 2024
• Deployment guide finalized - By 31 October 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• University degree in Computer Science, Business Administration or related technical field.

Work experience:

• At least five years of experience in supporting and coordinating tech project activities across a large organization and with international partner organizations.
• Specific experience as a product manager for users in emerging markets.
• Experience preferably including GBV programming in humanitarian contexts.
• Progressively responsible professional work experience in communication, technology fields, youth participation and gender, preferably in international settings.
• Experience in managing projects with strong technology components.

Competencies:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)®, PRINCE2 certification and/or MBA from a recognized university or college are a plus.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodology and Software development project management using GitHub e.g., Pivotal Tracker, Redmine, Trello…
• Technical skills and track record on Apps development processes.
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications.
• Strong understanding of UNICEF programmes, communication, technology, user-centered design, youth participation and partnership goals.
• Deep understanding of GBV guiding principles and what it means to provide a survivor-centered response.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to manage relationships with UNICEF partners, including women and girls.
• Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability to relate this to new media and young people.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in Arabic, Spanish, French is an asset for this role.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.