Individual Consultancy: Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) for nine (9) targeted provinces

Consultant Programme & Policy Communications & PR

Overview

Support polio outbreak response through social and behaviour change initiatives

You have:

• At least 3 years of professional work experience at national and international levels in health communication, immunization/Polio SBC and other relevant programs
• A secondary degree is required together with another relevant technical field.
• Fluency in English and Portuguese is required.
• Knowledge of Mozambique context is an added advantage

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, Health

How can you make a difference?

Background and Justification:

Communication for Development (SBC) plays a crucial role in improving child immunisation, by fostering understanding of childhood diseases, creating demand for services and acceptance of the vaccines. In recognition of this important role, UNICEF Mozambique assists the Ministry of Health to have effective SBC to support national immunisation programmes and disease outbreak campaigns.

The Vaccine-Derived Polio Virus type 2 - cVDPV2 cases reported in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, raise particular concerns, given the virus was probably circulating by approximately two years. This is posing a treat for the entire country due to the existence of pockets of unimmunised/under-immunised children.

In addition to the cVDPV2 cases in the northern provinces of the country, a regional bOPV campaign will be implemented on 21st of March to respond to the WPV1 case detected in Lilongwe, Malawi. In Mozambique 7 provinces and 105 districts will be targeted by the campaign in order to reach more than 4 million U5 children with bOPV.

As a key partner of the GPEI, UNICEF has the mandate of providing assistance to ensure evidence-based, fast track and effective SBC response whenever a polio outbreak is confirmed, as well as the support to strengthen routine immunization. The organisation relies on highly trained and experienced personnel of staff and consultants to meet this obligation.

It is against the above premise, that UNICEF Mozambique need to hire a Polio SBC individual consultant, who is willing and will be available for immediate deployment to support the Mozambique SBC team and the Ministry of Health, and also to coordinate multiple partner agencies including WHO, CDC, BMGF, etc., for Polio Outbreak Response (OPR) and nOPV2 introduction.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Purpose for the job: The SBC consultant reports directly to the to the SBC Specialist in coordination with the polio SBC consultant for supervision and guidance and provide technical support for Polio Outbreak Preparedness and Response and nOPV2 introduction.

In close co-ordination with the UNICEF SBC cluster, External Communication, the EPI Specialist and MoH, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of an evidence-based SBC strategy
• Facilitate community engagement, social mobilization and specific behaviour change interventions.
• Undertake communication assessments and rapid social-behavioural research and evidence building, especially in high risk and hard-to-reach communities;
• Support translation and adaptation of polio messages and information products for various target populations/audiences, based on community knowledge, practices, and behaviours;
• Facilitate the designing and implementation of specific plans of actions for immunization and/ or Polio eradication to reach special groups;
• Organise and support training of health workers, especially in inter-personal communication (IPC) for social and behavioural change in underserved and hard-to-reach communities who are at high risk of vaccine preventable diseases;
• Support community engagement interventions to engage political, religious, and community leaders and other stakeholders;

• Submit final consultancy report with best practices, recommendations, gaps & challenges

  OUTPUTS

• SBC strategies and plans. COs supported to improve communication for polio outbreak response.

• Communities are supporting and participating in immunization activities
• Media houses incorporating child immunization in their on-going programmes.
• Newspapers, radio and TV are covering child immunization issues and covering campaign activities.
• Communication materials on immunization produced and distributed in strategic areas/ places
• Frontline workers have improved IPC knowledge and skills
• Community volunteers/ health workers have improved knowledge and skills on monitoring of immunization communication

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

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Education:

A secondary degree is required together with another relevant technical field.

Work Experience:

• At least 3 years of professional work experience at national and international levels in health communication, immunization/Polio SBC and other relevant programs
• Proven expertise in developing Communication materials, strategies and plans for immunization, new vaccine introduction and SIAs

Competencies:

• Ability to work quickly and effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
• Familiarity and/or experience with UNICEF and the UN system is desired
• Excellent facilitation skills, negotiation skills and oral and written communication skills
• High proficiency in English both written and verbal is required
• A repertoire of a wide range of facilitation approaches
• Strong analytical skills
• Knowledge of Mozambique context is an added advantage

Language Proficiency:

Fluency in English and Portuguese is required.

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of [insert years] of relevant professional experience in
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English 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).

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:

CONDITIONS (IMPORTANT)

• The consultant will be based in the provinces targeted by the polio vaccination campaign observing COVID-19 SOPs, with frequent travels to the districts targeted by the Polio outbreak response.
• The consultant will provide his/her own laptop.
• The consultancy will not commence unless a contract is signed by both UNICEF and consultant.
• The consultant will not have responsibilities on UNICEF budget and other resources
• The consultancy will have access to UNICEF transport for field travel
• Consultants are not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within the contract agreement
• The consultant will be entitled of ticket to reach the duty province. DSA will be disburse only if traveling into districts.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org