International consultancy to support the development of the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy for the UNICEF Uzbekistan 2023-2026

Contract

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And we never give up.

For every child, visibility.

1. Background

The UNICEF Uzbekistan is currently implementing the Country Program Document (CPD) for 2022-2025. In view of the increasing emphasis on issues related to the social norms and behavioural aspects, social development issues addressed within the CPD, the country office is planning to strengthen its SBC strategy in support of the current CPD. The strategic visioning on SBC comes very timely as the CO is planning to conduct strategic moment of reflection (SMR) during June-September 2023. The SMR will enable the CO to stock take the progress made in achieving the CPD goals during the first half of the programme implementation, reflect on the emerging issues, identify new and adapt current priorities to further sharpen the focus and strategic interventions that would enable the CPD outcomes. This exercise gives an opportunity to critically review the current positioning of the SBC in the CPD, identify strategic entry points for meaningful SBC integration into the programme with due reflection in the M&E framework of the SBC role and contribution to the achievement of results for children.

This consultancy will support the country office in:

• Development of an overall CO SBC strategy for CPD 2022-2025 and an SBC strategy and plan of action on elimination of violence against children (EVAC) with forward looking perspective beyond 2025 in close consultation with programs, sections, and partners.

• Capacity building of the country office team and national partners on SBC in programming.

  2. Purpose and specific objectives

The main purpose of this consultancy is to support the UNICEF Uzbekistan country office in identifying ways to better position, integrate/mainstream SBC across programmes, as a strategy, identify and articulate SBC results, integrate SBC in the results framework, budgets to acknowledge and document SBC contribution to CPD results. To showcase SBC’s contribution to advancing results for children, an SBC strategy for elimination of violence against children will be developed. Capacity building of UNICEF staff and partners will be conducted to help them understand SBC contribution and approaches and how to mainstream SBC in UNICEF supported work. This work will be done within the Early Adopters initiative, aiming to support countries transition from C4D to SBC.

More specifically, the consultancy will focus on:

1. Development of a CO SBC strategy to adequately mainstream SBC in prgrammes and help achieve CPD results.
2. Development, in participatory manner, of a SBC strategy on elimination of violence against children (EVAC).
3. Capacity building of staff and partners on SBC.

3. Specific objectives

In close collaboration with Regional Office SBC team and country office Communication team, the consultant is expected to deliver the following objectives:

1. Development of a CO SBC strategy to adequately mainstream SBC in prgrammes and help achieve CPD results. This will entail:
   • a desk review of CPD 2022-2025, work plans, workflow, budgets, results frameworks etc.
   • outline a strategy/framework, with very specific recommendations for SBC articulation and mainstreaming in programmes, results, budgets.
   • review (or develop, if non-existent) workflows and processes to ensure SBC is adequately integrated in evidence generation, planning/programming, partnerships; adequate budgets are allocated; M&E. In doing so, the consultant will be also guided by the SBC CSIs, ensuring the proposed recommendations, framework, workflows, tools are aligned with the quality standards for SBC delivery (coordination; budgeting; evidence generation; community engagement).
2. Development, in participatory manner, of an SBC strategy on elimination of violence against children (EVAC). This will serve as an example of how to adequately develop an evidence-based SBC strategy that examines and addresses all/various behavioral determinants in a comprehensive manner, with a focus on system strengthening. This will require,
   • desk review of the existing documents, studies, literature on EVAC
   • organization of consultations, workshops with CO staff and national partners to understand the challenges in EVAC,
   • define entry points and solutions,
   • validate the strategy.
3. Capacity building of staff and partners on SBC. It will include,

• • development of tools, workflows for UNICEF progammes,
  • organization of workshops, using participatory approaches when developing SBC strategies

  The consultancy will support the UNICEF Uzbekistan also in:

• progressing in the Early Adoption process

• enabling the institutional environment and involve the staff in the global shift from C4D to SBC, at the collective and individual level, by presenting and discussing the UNICEF Behaviour Change Guidance and the Country Program Document 2022-2025
• identifying barriers and opportunities to design, plan, approve, implement, and monitor activities under a Social and Behaviour Change approach within the programs, and how to overcome the challenges
• delivering concrete guidance for the teams not only to implement the activities, but also to rethink the way programs are designed, and putting people at the centre.

4. Scope of the review (Description of the assignment)

The contractor must provide high-quality services promptly and in full compliance with UNICEF quality standards and ethical considerations, during six (06) months, with the indicative time frame:

Stages / Key deliverables / Expected results 1. Development of a CO SBC strategy to adequately mainstream SBC in prgrammes and help achieve CPD results / CO SBC strategy with adequately mainstreamed SBC in programmes to achieve CPD 2022-2025 results / SBC is adequately reflected in the CPD 2022-2025 with clearly defined budgets, workflows, M&E framework and accountability mechanisms.

2. Development, in participatory manner, of an SBC strategy on elimination of violence against children (EVAC) / SBC strategy on EVAC / SBC strategy on EVAC with clearly defined goals, tactics, and implementation mechanism.

3. Capacity building of staff and partners on SBC / Report on the SBC capacity building training for staff and national partners / UNICEF Uzbekistan CO staff, management, and relevant national partners have improved understanding of SBC and its translation into action in programming and achieving the results for children.

5. Methodology

The consultancy will employ different methodologies and approaches including desk review, group discussions and brainstorming, key informant interviews.

6. Ethical considerations

The review will be guided by UNEG Ethical Guidelines and UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards. Should children be involved in the data collection or otherwise, ethical clearance should be sought by the review team. The common guiding principles will be used to ensure ethical safety during the review process:

• Privacy and confidentiality • Informed consent • Harm and benefits • Conflict of interest

The reviewers will explain to the participants the purpose and use of the review; they will also make it explicitly clear to the participants that their participation is voluntary, and they can withdraw at any moment. Throughout the process, the reviewers should be sensitive to beliefs, manners and customs and act with integrity and honesty in their relationships with all stakeholders.

7.Work plan

Tasks / Expected timeline 1. Development of a CO SBC strategy to adequately mainstream SBC in prgrammes and help achieve CPD results /20 May – 15 July 2023 2. Development, in participatory manner, of an SBC strategy on elimination of violence against children (EVAC) / 16 July – 30 August 2023 3. Capacity building of staff and partners on SBC / 1 – 30 September 2023

8. Deliverables and payment schedule

Deliverables / Timeframe / Payment schedule 1. Development of a CO SBC strategy to adequately mainstream SBC in prgrammes and help achieve CPD results / 20 May – 15 July 2023 / 35% 2. Development, in participatory manner, of an SBC strategy on elimination of violence against children (EVAC) / 16 July – 30 August 2023 / 35% 3. Capacity building of staff and partners on SBC / 1 – 30 September 2023 / 30% Total: 100%

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.

9. Management and supervision

The Consultant will provide services under the supervision of Communication chief and day-to-day collaboration with SBC officer.

10. Reporting requirements

The assessment of the services provided will be based on: • Technical and professional competence of the implementer • Scope of work • Quality and meeting deadlines for services provided • Reaching the expected results will also be considered • All contents provided in English and Russian

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

Required:

• Master’s / PhD in behavioural science, sociology, or any other relevant area
• at least 7 years of experience in the social and behavior change or behavioral economics consultancy or similar area in UNICEF is required
• Demonstrated capacity to perform all tasks and responsibilities requested
• Demonstrated technical capacity to conduct trainings focusing on behavioural change strategy
• Strong background in social and behavioural change consultancy and/or strategical thinking

Asset:

• Previous experience in Central Asia
• Knowledge of Russian

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.