International Individual Contractor (IC) - Risk Communication and Community Engagement

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, Hope

How can you make a difference?

Purpose

Support UNICEF SBC Unit to implement RCCE activities at all levels of implementation to facilitate strengthening of RCCE interventions and systems in Tanzania.

Background & rationale

UNICEF is accountable for supporting the government in the areas of SBC and RCCE activities for emergency interventions. The ToR has been prepared to hire an emergency RCCE international consultant for immediate deployment in the UNICEF Tanzania country office to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) and President's Office- Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) to implement RCCE activities. The Consultant will be expected to provide SBC technical support for RCCE activities to both MoH and PO-RALG, as guided by the SBC Specialist.

Rationale

When emergencies arise, such as new epidemics or pandemics, communities need timely, accurate, up-to-date information they can trust. Reaching communities can be a challenge and it’s compounded by fears of the unknown, unfounded rumors and misinformation and requests to behave in new ways. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) focuses on informing and engaging the public on how to reduce their risk and better protect themselves. RCCE uses strategic behavior change approaches to motivate action. Importantly, tailored RCCE intervention facilitate and promote the engagement and support for communities to create and execute plans to control outbreaks based on their local context. The presence of the International Consultant will support RCCE activities on COVID-19, Cholera, Leptospirosis, and any other emerging outbreaks. The Consultant will support strengthening RCCE mechanisms and structures at national and sub-national level.

Scope of work:

• This assignment is expected to start from 1 September 2022 for a period of 6 months and final reports will be submitted.
• The consultant under the guidance of the SBC-RCCE Specialist will support RCCE activities in Tanzania.

Tasks, deliverables, and time frame

The Individual Contractors will undertake the following tasks:

• Lead the development of RCCE private partnership model and facilitate its operationalization along key thematic areas
• Lead the development of costed RCCE Advocacy strategy working closely with line ministries.
• Support the review and finalization of national RCCE strategic documents, costed roll out plans and monitoring plans on community engagement etc.
• Support establishment and activation of national, and sub-national level coordination mechanisms and subnational working groups to optimize implementation of RCCE activities
• Support development of evidence based key messages using the stages of change model and facilitate development of repository for wide dissemination and use by partners.
• Provide technical support on RCCE knowledge management initiatives to ensure documentation of processes and best practices
• Support mainstreaming of AAP mechanisms into RCCE interventions at sub-national level.
• Facilitate SBC training for provincial and district health promotion and other relevant staff in line with the UNICEF global training standards for RCCE
• Ensure monitoring and reporting of SBC activities are carried out in line with the M&E standards and systems and use of social data, including a focus on reporting on missed children and refusal children recorded during campaign, document human interest stories and good practices.
• Provide technical support to four national RCCE consultants
• Provide weekly reports, monthly reports and quarterly reports detailing progress of activities
• Support resource RCCE mobilization strategies and any other activities delegated

Deliverables and reporting requirements

Tasks

Deliverables

Time Frame (days)

Payment Schedule

Lead the development of RCCE private partnership model, costed RCCE Advocacy strategy and support the review and finalization of national RCCE strategic documents, costed roll out plans and monitoring plans on community engagement etc.

• RCCE PPPs platforms mapped with clear roadmap
• Advocacy strategy developed
• Finalized RCCE strategic documents with costed roll out plans and monitoring and evaluation plans
• Weekly reports, progress updates from coordination platforms and reports

4 weeks (28 days)

1st payment (25%)

Support sub-national level coordination mechanisms and RCCE sub-working groups pillars and costed monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and documentation framework and resource mobilization strategy and plans

• Functional sub-national level coordination mechanisms and RCCE sub-working groups pillars
• Costed monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and documentation framework developed with implementation plans
• Resource mobilization strategy and plans
• Weekly reports, Progress updates from coordination platforms

6 weeks (42 days)

2nd payment (25%)

Support mainstreaming of AAP mechanisms into RCCE interventions, facilitate RCCE training for provincial and district health promotion and other relevant staff in line with the UNICEF global training standards for RCCE and monitoring and reporting in line with the M&E standards and systems

• Implementation progress updates detailing AAPs mechanisms
• Detailed endorsed minutes and reports of coordination meetings
• Training and field strategies reports
• Resource mobilization report

8 weeks (56 days)

3rd payment (25%)

Provide weekly reports, monthly reports and quarterly reports detailing progress of activities and Support resource RCCE mobilization strategies and any other activities delegated

• Progress updates from coordination platforms /reports
• Weekly updates, monthly, quarterly reports, end of assignment reports and endorsed coordination meeting reports
• Key messages repository and IEC-RCCE materials repository
• Offline and online file handover

6 weeks (42 days

Final payment (25%)

Management and supervision

• The contractor will work in close coordination with Health Promotion Services and PORALG. The consultant will report to the SBC Specialist RCCE under the overall supervision of the SBC Unit Specialist
• HPS, PO-RALG and UNICEF will provide background and documents that are relevant to for the contractor to undertake this assignment.
• UNICEF will provide direction and technical inputs, along with HPS and PO-RALG which will be involved at all key stages of the assignment.

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

• • University degree, preferably in Social and Behavior Change, Public Health, Community Development, Development Studies, Social Science, Media Studies, or other relevant fields.
  • Minimum five years of professional work experience at national and international levels leading RCCE activities.
  • Notable achievements in designing and leading RCCE activities at country level.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the principles of social and behavior change, knowledge, and demonstrable experience with collecting data and designing evidence based RCCE strategies, as well as risk communication and communication engagement are essential.
  • Proven experience in Public Health Emergencies and Risk Communication interventions planning and coordination in developing country context.
  • Strong communication skills in English spoken and written.
  • The Individual Contractor is expected to have the following experiences and skills: Proven ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multi-cultural settings and teams, and to deliver high-quality results within expected time frames.

Payment Schedule

Payment to the contractor should be made as follows:

• Payment will be made on submission of reports as scheduled and invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables.

Administrative

• Evaluations: The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposal which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee, travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA.
• Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the contractor will clarify his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each deliverable and the assignment in totality. The financial part will carry 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of each deliverable and total cost.
• Contractor will work from Dodoma with frequent travels to the regions and councils.
• The contractor will be required to travel for at least 10 days in a month on average.
• The Contractor will be provided sitting space at UNICEF offices or government offices at their respective duty stations.
• Individual Contractor will be required to sign the Health statement for Individual Contractors prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, including Medical Evacuation. 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).
• The Contractor will have to ensure that they have necessary medical insurance, including a provision for medical evacuation in an emergency.
• The consultant will also need to apply for a Visa all cost should be included in the financial proposal.
• The Contractor will be subjected to inoculation (vaccination) including against SARS – CoV – 2 (Covid)
• Payment will be made on submission of a monthly invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables.
• UNICEF will provide a meeting space, as needed, and will facilitate the collection of documents and connections with Government counterparts and other stakeholders as needed to complete the tasks of this assignment.
• UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 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.