NATIONAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A BARRIER ANALYSIS AND DEVELOP A BEHAVIOUR CHANGE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ON COVID-19 TESTING AND VACCINATION

Contract

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Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality (GE) and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts.

Late last year WHO in South Sudan reported to UN Women that women were among the people that were falling behind in as far as the testing of COVID-19. As experience has shown, this would at most times mean a lack of belief in the existing of COVID-19 as a disease, which would then lead to disregard of the prescribed preventive measures and guidelines of the disease.

At the same time, the 2021 HRP indicates that the indirect socio-economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to further deepen in 2021, including associated protection risks for refugees, host communities and refugee returnees. The operating environment in refugee-hosting areas remains extremely complex and further challenged by COVID-19. The South Sudan Regional Response Plan for 2021 cites the access to business opportunities as key to the foundation of resilient livelihoods for host and refugee communities. The report also recognizes the importance of increasing freedom of movement and refugee access to markets.

Recognizing the unique gender focus of the ongoing pandemic and based on its experience and ability to add-value through its contributions, UN Women intends to continue its expansion of integrating its capacities, networks and women’s empowerment to complement the global response to COVID-19. To support and protect women through the pandemic, UN Women South Sudan will continue to promote stronger programming to support economic empowerment of businesswomen within the internally displaced and refugee communities. UN Women South Sudan proposes a few activities to reduce/slow infection and transmission rates among those that are most affected and at-risk women and girls. It proposes activities that will allow access to key COVID- preventative information, curb deterioration of livelihoods for internally displaced and refugee businesswomen, activities that will see them continue to have access to markets and ply their goods. The proposed activities plan to compliment the Transitional Government of the National Unity to combat the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that people get tested, have access to and through that contain the spread of the COVID-19.

UN Women would therefore like to hire a consultant to carry out a barrier analysis on COVID-19 testing and the COVID-19 vaccine in Juba, of which findings will inform a behavior change strategy that aims to influence positive perceptions of businesswomen testing for COVID-19 and to also provide the correct information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The aim is therefore to first understand the existing stigma surrounding the testing of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine and thereafter promote good behavior in as far as COVID-19 testing and vaccination is concerned.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Purpose of the Barrier Analysis study:

The purpose of the barrier analysis study is to conduct a formative research in order to determine key barriers to behavior change among internally displaced and refugee businesswomen. The barrier analysis will also inform a behavior change strategy, specifically targeting businesswomen to increase their awareness of preventative health measures of COVID-19 as they continue to ply their goods. This will be done to ensure that the women continue to protect themselves against contracting COVID-19 and to also come forward and test in cases that they feel unwell or that they have been in contact with an infected person. By targeting businesswomen, we hope for the businesswomen to then share testimonies in both facilitated and unfacilitated spaces, of their experience in coming forward and testing for COVID-19 which can encourage other community members to come forward and test.

Specific objectives:

• •To establish key barriers to behavior, change in target groups’ practices associated with testing and vaccinating for COVID-19;
• •To identify the most important enablers that are likely to foster appropriate changes in target groups’ practices associated with testing and vaccination on COVID-19;
• •To identify the influencing groups and priority group motivator for adoption of desired COVID- 19 practices and behaviors: and;
• •To develop an effective behavior change communication strategy for the COVID-19 testing and vaccination intervention. In order to review and augment the behavior change strategy for promoting the good COVID-19 practices, the study should answer these following questions: a)What is the specific, feasible and effective Behavior to promote? b)What is the level of enabling environment for promotion of these desired behaviors? c)Who are the Priority Groups and Influencing Groups? d)What are the most important Determinants affecting (barriers) Behavior uptake? e)Which Bridges (enablers) to Activities need to be promoted? f)Which Activities will be implemented to address the Bridge to Activities?

Ethical considerations: At all stages of the study, the consultant should seek informed consent from all targeted participants. Personal identifiers and other information must not be entered into the final records.

Deliverables: The consultant will produce the following key outputs (subject to further refinement after consultation):

• Inception report with a detailed framework/design and implementation plan agreed with the UN Women SS Country Office, the data collection tools and a sampling framework;
• Draft report and a BCC strategy;
• A final study report and BCC strategy. The consultant shall present the results in an organized and concise manner.

The final report will have: an executive summary, introduction, methods, enabling environment analysis, barrier analysis result, discussion of results, summary of key actions. Pictures and appendices shall form part of the Annexes.

Competencies

Competencies:

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of normative frameworks;
• Good understanding of the South Sudan context;
• Good working relationship with women organizations;
• Proven experience in conflict contexts;
• Proven skills and experience in conducting gender analysis;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Excellent interpersonal skills on networking and building partnerships;
• Ability to work under pressure.

Core values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies:

• Good knowledge of programme management;
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;
• Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats;
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow;
• Strong financial and budgeting skills;
• Strong IT skills;
• Good report writing skill.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification

• Advanced university degree in social science, in security studies, communication, law, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or Anthropology or other related fields.

Experience

• 7-10years’ experience of conducting relevant public health surveys and assessments-A reputable consultant with documented experience in conducting studies relating to health/WASH especially, associated barriers analysis and management capability to conduct formative research;
• The consultant must have a strong background in quantitative and qualitative data analysis;
• Excellent reporting and presentation skills and proven ability to work independently;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Available in South Sudan during assignment period and can visit office and field time to time as needed;
• Experience working in/knowledge of South Sudan and working in the context of IDPs and the refugee response context.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.

Please note, the system will only allow one attachment and hence combine the multiples files while uploading the attachment.

Qualified women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Note: In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.