Home-based Consultancy: Social Behavioural Change Consultant (142 Working days), ECARO, O/P Italy

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, Protection

Since 2016, UNICEF is responding to the unique needs of adolescents and young people who are seeking asylum in Europe, on the move, stranded or pushed back. Since 2022 the UNICEF office in Italy has also been responding to the refugee influx caused by the war in Ukraine. The operation established in Italy aims to provides support to the Government of Italy on children and young migrants and refugees, to ensure timely, equal and appropriate care, protection and support for social inclusion, as part of the Regional Migrant and Refugee Response. The Italy Response focuses on child protection, Gender-based Violence and adolescent participation and development.

Social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) is an integral component of the response aiming to provide young migrants and refugees with access to life saving and life protecting information and services, to give them a voice, to scale engagement in positive social change and to strengthen accountability towards affected populations.

The primary digital channel through which the SBCC strategy is rolled out is U-Report on the Move (https://onthemove.ureport.in/ ), a digital platform dedicated to Unaccompanied minors and young migrants and refugees living in Italy. Through the platform, U-Reporters have the possibility to voice their opinion on key issues of concern through monthly opinion polls, to access key information for their protection and social inclusion, to benefit from digital one-to-one counseling (legal and psycho-social) via Here4U and to connect with their peers in the digital community space.

From the onset, the migrant and refugee response has supported the promotion of a positive narrative around children and young people on the move. Starting in 2021, this work stream has been structured around the "OPS!" campaign, launched for and with refugee and migrant youth (especially UASC) focuses on youth engagement to overcome prejudice and discrimination. The campaign, currently in its third phase, has featured evidence building, the design and testing of web app to raise awareness of young people’s unconscious biases, a skills building component for UASC’s digital activation, amplification via media and social media channels and advocacy together with institutional stakeholders.

The SBCC strategy was the basis for the identification of priority areas for the office to focus on during 2023-24. The 3 pillars of the strategy focus on:

• Harmonizing the information available on the response and its provision to the different audiences from the different stakeholders involved in the response

• Engaging the different groups that the strategy is targeting

• Advocating with both the general public and with the national authorities and the media

This strategy targets four main populations including Ukrainian and refugee and migrant youth and communities (both arriving in Italy or already in the country), Italian individuals and communities, services providers involved in the response and local and national institutions

Scope of Work:

Considering the continuous evolution of the needs and trends of the refugee and migrant population – and to ensure an updated and tailored response, the main responsibilities and tasks of the consultancy are the following:

• Establish a national listening mechanism to monitor and contain misinformation, rumors, discrimination and bias targeting refugees and migrants

• Develop and maintain coordination and information management tools to facilitate monitoring and coordination within the organization and with partners

• Strengthen Accountability to Affected Population through a national monitoring mechanism on quality and gaps of public and social services for migrants and refugees

• Scale SBC interventions of Child protection, GBV and Adolescent participation and development programmes

How can you make a difference?

- Work location: Home-based in Italy

- Payment schedule: The consultant will be paid based on satisfactory and timely submission of deliverables.

- Duration: 142 days between July 2023 and January 2024

- Travel: The consultant is expected to travel.

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSafe certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

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

• Advanced University degree in communication, behaviour and social science, anthropology, or any related technical field
• At least 5 years of experience in the SBCC field
• Proven track record in country level SBCC strategy development, implementation and/or monitoring
• Fluency in English and Italian
• Previous work experience with UNICEF or UN

Desired:

• Experience working with migrant and refugee or highly vulnerable populations Excellent ability to work in team is required
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Fluency in English and Italian is required

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.