International Consultant to build an educational programme for health care communicators to address vaccine hesitancy and strengthen routine immunization system in Kazakhstan

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International Consultant to build an educational programme for health care communicators to address vaccine hesitancy and strengthen routine immunization system in Kazakhstan

Type of contract: Consultant Duration: 4 months from July to October 2021 Workplace: home-based

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, a fair chance

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Background

During the last decade the Government of Kazakhstan is consistently reporting immunization coverage with MCV1 and MCV2 as high as 98-99%. WHO and UNICEF immunization coverage estimates also indicate high coverage based on country reports. However, MICS 2015 shows that the percentage of children aged 24-35 months who received measles vaccine by their second birthday was 95.1% Measles vaccine was included in the national calendar of immunization in 1964, the 2nd dose was included in the national calendar of routine immunization in 1999. Currently, the immunization calendar against measles include: Vaccination at 12 months and Revaccination at 6 years. So, young people born before 1999 did not receive the second dose. Despite high reported administrative coverage of measle vaccination, Kazakhstan faced a measles outbreak in 2019. This highlights persistent immunity gaps and systems weaknesses, which are likely to be worsened due to COVID-19 related to disruptions in immunization services. In an effort to prevent further accumulation of susceptible, un-immunized children, UNICEF will support the Government and provide technical support to address system gaps in evidence generation, , forecasting, s and budgeting for vaccine procurement, addressing vaccine hesitancy among parents and capacity building of health professionals including communication staff.

How can you make a difference?

This assignment requires specific knowledge and skillset for developing materials on planning, implementing and monitoring communication for social change campaigns, as well as for conducting capacity building activities for local stakeholders.

Purpose of the Assignment

Alongside with supply and availability of immunization services, caregivers’ demand for vaccination, trust in vaccines and immunization directly impact immunization programmes performance and the degree to which a population is protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. Parents and caregivers may have many reasons for delaying, refusing, or not fully completing childhood vaccination. One of the factors is the poor quality of interaction from the official government representatives. Some caregivers mention limited or no information provided on the vaccine administered and what they prevent, what can be the side effects and how to address them, how to combat the misinformation and the use of technical language.

To strengthen health professionals’ communication skills and their capacities to identify, understand and address vaccine hesitancy, UNICEF in Kazakhstan is looking for an international individual consultant to develop an educational programme and facilitate its roll out through a series of trainings for health care communicators.

The consultant will work closely with the national company to implement the main tasks and accomplish the deliverables. Logistical administration of the trainings will be covered by the national company engaged directly by UNICEF. In close consultation with the UNICEF Kazakhstan communication unit, the contractor will:

1. Develop a country specific practical manual for communication departments of the healthcare organizations on planning and implementing communication campaigns on health care activities, including for routine immunisation (in consultation with UNICEF and the national company engaged by UNICEF). The sub-tasks for developing the manual are: a. conduct desk review of available materials and information necessary for preparing the manual; b. identify key thematic components of the manual in consultation with UNICEF, national stakeholders (Ministry of Health (MoH), NCPH Working Group for Development of National Communication Strategy in Immunization) and locally engaged company; c. prepare draft of the manual: expected total volume of the manual is 25-30 pages. The manual as a minimum should include the Title Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Main Part, Annexes, List of References. The national company will be responsible for drafting 2-3 chapters of the manual, which will be assigned to it by the international consultant. d. revise the manual based on feedback from UNICEF and national counterparts. 2. Conceptualize and conduct a 5-days online educational programme (3-4 hours each day) for communication specialists and 2-days trainings for spokespeople of the local healthcare authorities (MoH and its respective divisions, including the Committee for Quality Control and Safety of Goods and Services of the MoH, the National Centre of Public Health, the National Scientific Center of Pediatrics and the local Departments of Health (DOH) under Akimats) to strength their skills on: analysing, planning, preparing and implementing communication strategies, addressing vaccine hesitancy and combating misinformation on routine immunization, social media management at the healthcare sector, including training for spokespeople; media relations it the healthcare sector, including training for key spokespeople; crisis communication at the healthcare sector; risk communication and community engagement during emergencies; establishing a system for vaccine safety communication, including coordination mechanism (in coordination with locally recruited national companyngaged by UNICEF). a. Develop an agenda and the concept of the educational programme for around 80 participants. Training will be delivered in Russian language, with the simultaneous translation into Kazakh and English languages. b. Develop the agenda for the 2 days training for the spokespeople of the health care organizations (1 day training will be conducted offline in Nur-Sultan for the high-level management with participation of local company engaged by UNICEF and 1 day will be online training for the middle-level management from the regions). c. Facilitate some of the sessions of the online trainings as per confirmed agenda of the educational programme. d. The capacity building training will be kept participatory, allowing participants to practice and develop skills and competencies. A focus on strengthening participants’ communication skills on vaccination safety and false contraindications to vaccination based on UNICEF and WHO materials. e. Develop educational programme materials. 3. Prepare the final report based on the notes from the sessions, trainee’s engagement results, and workshop evaluations. The report will contain the following data: training summary (objectives, structure, methodology, trainees), conclusion (results on the conducted trainings, suggestions for future workshops, recommendations), appendices (list of trainees, full training evaluation results). It is expected that national company engaged by UNICEF will contribute to the final report.

Goals of the planned educational programme: • Development and dissemination of manual which will include information on: - Building communication strategy and delivering campaigns for the target audiences in the healthcare sector, including: - Situation analysis and audience segmentation; - Selection a theory that will guide the communication strategy development; - Applying the principles, channels and techniques of communication for social change; - Finding out winning approaches and key messages; - Engaging stakeholders and partners; - Preparing implementation plan; - Preparing monitoring & evaluation plan; - Setting budgets for the campaign; - Monitoring and evaluation. • Enhancing participants’ knowledge and skills on: - Building communication strategy and running communication campaigns in immunization sphere; - Social media management at the healthcare sector, including training for spokespeople; - Media relations at the healthcare sector, including training for key spokespeople from the high and middle level managment; - Crisis communication at the healthcare sector; - Risk communication and community engagement during emergencies. Establishing a system for vaccine safety communication, including coordination mechanism.

All materials, articles and information messages, as well as speakers, must be agreed with UNICEF prior to their publication or participation. Any use of the UNICEF brand (logo, mention) must be agreed with the UNICEF responsible persons. The involvement of the above-mentioned advisory services is based on the UNICEF work plan in Kazakhstan for 2021, as part of the implementation of the program to strengthen immunization, including measures to combat measles. The contractor will perform his/her duties in line with UNICEF standards and procedures.

Work Assignment Overview

Detailed workplan and schedule will be agreed with the individual consultant. Due to COVID19 consideration should be given to implementing the outlined tasks in online format including the planned trainings. Training sessions and their duration should be structured to take into consideration participants readiness to take part in on-line trainings.

1. Tasks/Milestones: Develop the country specific practical manual for communication departments of the healthcare organizations on planning and implementing communication campaigns to promote immunization 1.1. Deliverables/Outputs: Completed desk review and consultations with UNICEF, national stakeholders and national company on thematic components for the contents and structure of the manual. Date: 20 July 2021 1.2. Deliverables/Outputs: First draft of the manual: expected total volume of the manual is 25-30 pages. The manual as a minimum should include the Title Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Main Part, Annexes, List of References. Date: By 10 August 2021 1.3. Deliverables/Outputs: Written guidance to the locally engaged company on drafting of 2-3 chapters of the manual. Date: By 10 August 2021 1.4. Deliverables/Outputs: Revised and accepted by UNICEF manual based on feedback from the national partners as well as from UNICEF. Date: By 25 August 2021

2. Tasks/Milestones: Conceptualize and conduct 5-days online educational programme (3-4 hours each day) for communication specialists and 2-days trainings for spokespeople of the local healthcare authorities. 2.1. Deliverables/Outputs: Developed content and materials of the educational program and approved with UNICEF (fine-tuned focus of the training, training plan, agenda, presentations, exercises, work groups scenarios, handouts, timeline). Date: By 5 September 2021 2.2. Deliverables/Outputs: Delivered 5-day on-line training (3-4 hours each day). Date: By 15 October 2021 2.3. Deliverables/Outputs: Delivered 1-day on-line training for spokespeople from middle-level management of the healthcare authorities from the regions. Date: By 25 October 2021

3. Tasks/Milestones: Prepare the final report based on the notes from the sessions, trainee engagement results, and workshop evaluations. Deliverables/Outputs: Final report is prepared and approved by UNICEF relevant staff. The report will contain the following data: training summary (objectives, structure, methodology, trainees), conclusion (results on the conducted trainings, suggestions for future workshops, recommendations), appendices (list of trainees, full training evaluation results). Date: By 5 November 2021

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… • Master’s degree in Public health, Communications or related field • 10 and above years of experience in designing, developing, implementing, and monitoring of communication for social norms and behaviour change campaigns and strategies. • At least 5 years of experience in conducting capacity building activities and in developing communication strategies on promoting immunisation. • Flexibility in responding to the needs of the contractor; • Attentiveness to details and compliance with timelines. • Excellent presentation and academic writing skills in English. Knowledge of Kazakh or Russian languages is an asset. • Familiarity and understanding of social issues in Kazakhstan, in particular, in social norms and cultural practices around routine immunisation will be an asset. • Competencies: - Conducting of capacity building activities; - Development of communication strategies on promoting immunization.

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (https://www.unicef.org/about/unicef-culture)

Remarks: • Completion of the UN/UNICEF mandatory trainings is obligatory upon commencement of the contract. • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. • 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. • 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. • All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. • The Individual contractor or Consultant will perform his/her duties in line with UNICEF standards and procedures. • The successful candidate will be required to have medical insurance (at his/her own cost), covering the whole period of contract, including travel. • 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. • Payment upon completion of each deliverable according to schedule. 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.