Local Consultancy - Risk Communication Consultant, Yerevan, Armenia

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, a champion

Individual Contractor is expected to perform this assignment full-time office based.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia, UNICEF country office launched risk communication activities targeting parents, children and young people, as well as specialists working with children, such as teachers and healthcare professionals to raise awareness about the risks related with the virus, encourage adoption of precautionary measures, advocate for uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and counter misinformation. UNICEF risk communication has also included a focus on mental health, advocacy for continuation of mainstream services for children, tips and expert advice on healthy nutrition and lifestyles, positive parenting, play and continued learning during the pandemic.

With the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in Armenia, the scale of infodemic and vaccine hesitancy have grown, which has exacerbated trust in the healthcare institutions. Hence, UNICEF would like to strengthen its capacity and amount of effort in risk communication, community engagement and demand generation. For this, it is crucial to review and generate evidence. In particular, UNICEF plans to support social listening on immunization and COVID-19 in Armenia to map and monitor conversations in an evidence-based manner and to strengthen country capacity on social listening and development of evidence-based social media interventions. This will be tackled in partnership with the Ministry of Health and in strong coordination with the national risk communication working group.

While COVID-19 risk communication is a priority and long-term agenda, from 2021-2022, with funding from USAID, UNICEF will specifically focus on that: COVID-19 vaccines are distributed, given and disposed of safely, a positive enabling environment is developed to reduce opt-out/refusals to vaccination, and that adverse events are identified, investigated and results shared with communities. To make best use of social listening tools, UNICEF will also generate evidence on key topics and issues of concern for caregivers in Armenia in order to be able to respond to those needs better through its parenting website www.babycef.am.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:

Social listening on immunization, COVID-19, parenting to map and monitor conversations in an evidence-based manner

• Develop and implement risk communication plan for 2021-2022 focusing on COVID-19, immunization, COVID-19 vaccine uptake and positive parenting.
• Develop social listening platform dashboard and consolidate, analyze, and share social media monitoring and rumor tracking data in a systematic and regular manner.
• Ensure good quality data collection, analysis and evaluation and reporting to ensure effective risk communication strategies and planning
• Leverage an online monitoring tool to track misinformation and rumors. Develop a rumor log and rumor management algorithm. Produce regular briefs for UNICEF and Ministry that synthesizes multiple online and offline sources of data, identify signals and trends, describe current narratives, and provide recommendations and guidance.
• Identify country-specific online influencers across different types of media channels for potential engagement to amplify correct information about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, immunization and parenting.
• Provide insights to the communication and programme teams in order to help them to make informed decisions.

Country capacity on social listening and development of evidence-based digital interventions

• Establish a regular coordination mechanism on social listening and ensure timely information sharing and engagement
• Provide technical assistance on social listening to Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to build country capacity
• Coordinate capacity building initiatives and activities involving previously identified and engaged stakeholders
• Evaluate capacity building efforts and build on that to expand evidence-based digital interventions in the health sector

• Consolidate, analyze, and share social media monitoring and rumor tracking data in a systematic and regular manner.

  Crosscutting

• Establish and implemented USAID funded project visibility plan

• Work closely with communication and programme teams to develop tailored content for media and digital channels
• Assist in developing and maintaining close collaboration with potential partners, including mass media, celebrities and influencers, private sector
• Maintain up to date documentation center for social listening and risk communication materials
• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful risk communication experiences

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

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Communication/Media or other relevant discipline
• 3 years of work experience in sociology or mass communication, including in formulating risk communication messages and developing multimedia communication
• Experience in working with a data/insight role
• Strong knowledge of various insight tools and activities, e.g. audience research, digital analysis, etc.
• Strong analytical skills, including data analysis
• Ability to present technical data and information in an engaging way,
• Ability to work both independently and in a team
• Strong organizational and planning competencies
• High sense of responsibility for timely and quality delivery
• Fluency in English; strong skills in Armenian, including editorial and writing

For more details please refer to the attached Terms of Reference ToR_Risk Comms Consultant_UNICEF_for VA.pdf

Terms of the application:

The deadline for the submission of applications is 27 October 2021. Applications should include:

• CV
• Financial Proposal

All qualified applicants should apply online, using the UNICEF E-Recruitment system and following the online application link.

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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.