International/National Consultant: Rapid Evidence Assessment of C4D Interventions, Indonesia

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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, a fair chance

A steadily growing economy isn't benefiting all. Half the population still lives in poverty and children's changes can vary dramatically depending on their families’ wealth or where they live.

For more information, visit the UNICEF Indonesia Country Office website: https://www.unicef.org/indonesia/

Title: International/National Consultant: Rapid Evidence Assessment of C4D Interventions

Du****ty Station: Home-based

Type of Contract: Individual Consultant

Duration: 40 working days over a period of 30 August 2021 – 30 October 2021 (2 months)

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF Indonesia country office has started its new country programme cycle 2021 – 2025. The new Country Program Document (CPD) outlines a range of ambitious programmes and interventions to improve child welfare in the country. The UNICEF country program's overall goal in Indonesia is to realize children’s rights in support of the country’s National Medium-Term Development Plans vision and accelerate results for children in areas such as health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection, and social policy. In the new CPD, the UNICEF Indonesia country office recognized the need for Communication for Development (C4D)[1] as a change strategy to support the overall CPD objectives. This has resulted in increasing the human resources to enable the country office to better deliver on this area. This was sought before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the hit of the pandemic, the support required from C4D has grown significantly.

To better align the C4D activities across the programmes, a strategy will be developed to better facilitate the integration of behavior and social change interventions throughout UNICEF’s work in Indonesia. Ahead of the strategy development, the C4D team has deemed it necessary to commission a light-touch rapid evidence assessment[2] to gather evidence and best practices on what works or does not in driving change and achieving results for children using three strategic approaches. These are youth engagement networks[3], strategic partnerships with religious organizations[4], and establishing national advisory entities on social behavior change. The rapid evidence assessment will also review existing evidence and propose the most feasible M&E approaches for capturing and monitoring the required data and information to demonstrate achievement of planned results and targets for children.

The main objectives of the light-touch rapid evidence assessment are two-fold. These include:

- To conduct a rapid evidence assessment and synthesize the findings and lessons learned on what are the most effective approaches for:

- creating demand for basic services (in health, nutrition and WASH)

- addressing negative social norms that contribute to violence against children (VAC)

- strengthening engagement with youth

- establishing strategic partnerships with religious organizations

- instituting national advisory entities to support social behaviour change initiatives.

- To review and propose the most feasible approaches for capturing and monitoring the required data and information to demonstrate achievement of planned results and targets for children during the implementation of the new Country Programme (2021-2025). The focus is at the output and outcome levels.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The light-touch rapid evidence assessment (REA) will focus on reviewing evidence materials published in the last 10 years on models and approaches for creating demand for services in the following areas:

- Health (with a specific focus on improving child immunization and addressing immunization hesitancy)

- Nutrition (with a specific focus on prevention of child stunting and wasting)

- WASH (for hygiene promotion)

- Child Protection with a specific focus on negative social norms that contribute to violence against children (VAC)

- The REA will also assess the effectiveness of strategies for engaging youth networks, religious organizations and establishing advisory entities at the national level to drive change and support the achievement of results for children as noted above

- The REA will also review and synthesize evidence on M&E approaches for tracking and evaluating programme-level activities and results processes for social and behaviour change interventions.

In terms of geographic scope, the light-touch REA will focus on Philippines, Malaysia and India. The targeted countries have well developed Communication for Development (C4D) initiatives. In addition, only studies published in the last 10 years will be included. It is important to note that both selection criteria could present some limitations to the evidence base and analysis. Studies focusing on theoretical and conceptual work will be excluded (only studies focusing on empirical evidence will be considered for the REA).

[1] UNICEF defines Communication for Development (C4D) as “a systematic, planned and evidence-based process to promote positive and measurable individual behavior change, social change and political change that is an integral part of development programmes and humanitarian work. It uses research and consultative processes to promote human rights and equity, mobilize leadership and societies, enable citizen participation, build community resilience, influence norms and attitudes and support the behaviours of those who have an impact on the well-being of children, their families and communities, especially the most marginalized or hard-to-reach.”

[2] A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) is a tool for incorporating the available research evidence on a policy issue, as comprehensively as possible, within the constraints of a given timetable into the decision-making process. REA is a process that is faster and less rigorous than a full systematic review but more rigorous than ad hoc searching, it uses a combination of key informant interviews and targeted literature searches to produce a report in a few days or a few weeks. Source/paraphrased from: BetterEvaluation

[3] For example, youth engagement is meant to support overall UNICEF programme priorities in immunization for health, hygiene promotion for WASH, and stunting and wasting for nutrition.

[4] The partnerships with religious networks are meant to promote child rights with focus on issues of child rights violations in Islamic schools, promoting some key family practices in relation to breastfeeding, hygiene promotion and child immunization.

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

- Education: Master's degree or equivalent in Development Communications, Development Studies, Economics, Social Studies, International Relations or other related fields.

- Specialist skills/Training: Experience working with the United Nations, particularly UNICEF and sector specific technical expertise include communication for development (C4D), health, nutrition and WASH, and gender and equity responsive programming.

- Years of experience: At least 8 years of experience in research and monitoring and evaluations processes. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in conducting rapid evidence assessments, systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses for strategic and policy utility.

- Competencies: Proven skills in research and policy analysis and use of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. Excellent report writing skills, analytical skills, and computer skills; an ability to work independently and take the initiative in a cross‐cultural environment.

- Languages required: Excellent command in written and spoken English language.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies:

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

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.

Closing date: 23 August 2021

Disclaimer: The screening of your application will be conducted based on the information in your profile. Before applying, we strongly suggest that you review your profile to ensure accuracy and completeness. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.