Individual consultant of U-report STP in Sao Tome and Principe

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, [insert tagline]

UNICEF Sao Tome and Principe is transforming into an integrated programming focused on a holistic community-based approach that looks to the child and or adolescent/young people from a multi-deprivation lens, bringing more synergy and efficiency to the dissemination and engagement with the community. As part of the response, STP CO is developing a framework that: allows young people to participate in decisions that affect their lives, increase their access to all information and a platform gifted with secure and responsive mechanisms to deal with complaints and feedback.

The U-Report platform is a social monitoring tool designed for young people and other community members to strengthen community-led development, citizen engagement, and access to and use of real-time monitoring and participation platforms. It allows young people and the community to speak out through SMS through surveys and unsolicited messages about varied topics, including what is happening in their communities. It provides a forum to broaden their voices through local and national media and acts as a real-time citizenship data point for key stakeholders, service providers and decision-makers on the issues being addressed in communities. The platform also provides useful information to U-Report participants so that they can work for changes and improvements in their own locations.

In this regard, UNICEF Sao Tome and Principe will launch U-Report in December 2020 to strengthen the involvement and participation of young people in Sao Tome and Principe. The information gathered through U-Report will feed the UNICEF programs and the policy of the Government of Sao Tome and Principe, the National Youth Policy and Strategy and the National Action Plan for Youth, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in September 2020.

How can you make a difference?

Objective:

The overall objective of the assignment is to in coordination with the National Steering Committee, the consultant is expected to support the country to develop and implement U-Report strategy and scale up the initiative amongst the youth and adolescent population. There needs to be a concrete plan to reach into communities, gather relevant information, and to use it to empower the target public, and families, to address issues relevant to children and adolescents, as well as to use this information to exert influence at local and national level stakeholders as part of a larger governance and accountability strategy. The consultant is also expected to ensure that information collected feeds into UNICEF’s and partners’ programmatic goals.

Scope of work (– specific tasks):

• Support the development and implementation of U-Report STP national strategy in the country, in accordance with the Regional and National Concept Notes, and in coordination with the National Steering Committee. This includes recruitment, engagement, and positive change, ensuring data collected through U-Report informs the response of UNICEF, its partners and key decision-makers.
• Give training to the Steering Committee and support the coordination of its activities.
• As part of infobots’ development, create and continuously update country-specific information relevant to young people, in coordination with program sections within UNICEF, the youth Institute and other members of the Steering Committee.
• Schedule polling/chatbot questions in coordination with members of the steering committee and other related sections, according to the country's data and greatest needs.
• Lead the creation of data points at the national level in coordination with program sections within UNICEF and other members of the Steering Committee and support the harmonization of common data points at the regional level.
• Undertake the day to day management of U-Report STP, including creating polls, BOTs and managing Live Chats as appropriate.
• Demonstrate the construction of communication flows for rapid-pro polls.
• Demonstrate the best ways to interact on the Facebook and U-report website.
• Demonstrate the management of U-Report polls (align with global law dates and campaigns).
• Assist in setting up the launch of U-Report STP in coordination with the UNICEF CO Youth and Adolescent section. This includes the design of an awareness-raising and advocacy plan to run communication campaigns across all relevant media outlets as well as strategies for reaching venues of community activism and dialogue.
• Implement, test, and launch U-Report STP according the country planning.
• Assist in setting up the U-Report website (from template), keeping it updated with information useful to U-Reporters and partners.
• Ensure compliance of Standard Operating Procedures relevant at the national level to be followed by all users of the U-Report platform (i.e. RapidPro and U-Partner).
• Develop measures to address critical unsolicited messages and questions raised by adolescents/youth; selected programs/partners’ priorities, and capacities.
• Create a roadmap for integrating U-Report into common/shared initial set of priorities that are in line with key partner priorities.
• Monitor, evaluate and analyze the project according to the agreed M&E framework.
• Monitor U-Report initiatives on a daily basis during the consulting period, through the review of incoming messages, feedback, consultative meetings and/or information exchange with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely actions to resolve issues and/or consult relevant employees for timely resolution during the consulting period.
• Support the creation and management of complaint and feedback mechanism through U-Report.
• Set up a system to ensure that the information collected via U-Report STP is available to the program sections its partners and key decision-makers to guide their activities.
• Provide recommendations on scale/innovative campaigns and data display on the U-Report website.
• Ensure that project deliverables are provided on time and budget.
• Give training to the national coordinator

Expected Deliverables & Work Schedule:

• Contextualized U-Report STP strategy and documentation (guidelines & standards).
• U-Report Website up and running.
• Steering committee established.
• Initial flow development according to agreed content and data points for polls, infobots, protection and emergency preparedness messages and others.
• Awareness-raising and advocacy plan developed and approved by CO.
• Follow up the completion of the website of U-Report STP according to country planning.
• Partners trained and using U-Report and U-Partners, as relevant.
• Feedback loops established within UNICEF STP CO and partners.

Final Output/Product U-Report STP established in country and being used by multiple sections and partners of UNICEF and others UN Agencies for accountability to affected populations and program delivery.

Deliverable

U-report strategy and documentation (guidelines & standard) Including an inception report on the proposed outline of the strategy and work plan

U-Report Website up and running.

Steering committee established.

Initial flow development according to agreed content and data points for polls, infobots, protection and emergency preparedness messages and others.

U-report up and running in the country - sub-thematic groups in place to respond to critical unsolicited questions raised by Adolescents and youth; selected programs/partners’ priorities, and capacities for 2020/21 U-report polls

U-report media campaign launched & awareness-raising and advocacy plan in place

Final consultancy report

Details of how the work should be delivered: The consultant must submit to UNICEF every two weeks reports, including the above products, for evaluation. The results also will be reported to the Project Steering Committee. The consultant will work closely with the UNICEF Youth and Adolescent Development Programme and Communication Officer and CO task force.

Performance indicators for evaluation of results: Quality of work (No. of documents reviewed; No. of meetings with the organizations/partners working in project area; No. of project documents prepared with the consultation’s participation) Quality of work (Quality of the reports and documents developed) Responsibility (Timeliness of submission and accuracy of reports and information requested by UNICEF) Communication with stakeholders (e. feedback)

Nature of penalty clause to be stipulated in Contact Failure to produce quality work within the agreed time frame will result in non-payment.

Duration of the assignment: Two months, extendable depending on performance, project needs and budget availability.

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

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in research and data analysis, partnership development, youth engagement and youth dissemination.
• Experience in using RapidPro software and U-Report.
• Experience in using online dashboards for data analysis.
• Microsoft Excel Expert Level Experience
• Professional experience is needed in the development of social programmes, planning, management and/or monitoring in the programming of adolescents and/or genders, preferably internationally.
• Relevant experience working with government ministries, national/local institutions, civil society organizations, including youth/adolescent organizations and United Nations organizations in various areas of development and program/project management.
• Experience in the creation, implementation and expansion of projects for adolescents and young people
• A strong understanding of UNICEF’s mission and vision, as well as its programs through direct or indirect work experience with UNICEF.
• Understanding the channels of influence, communication and development based on the community, participatory methodologies.
• Fluent English and Portuguese in terms of orality and writing.
• Strong writing and communication skills and the ability to handle competing messages and priorities with multiple audiences.
• Training and/or familiarity with information systems and communication technologies is an added value. Proven ability to work and lead collaborative teams in various locations with different technical skills.

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.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.