National Researcher on Implementation and testing of vaccine hesitancy study

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, health

UNICEF ECARO (Europe and Central Asia Regional Office) is currently working with BIT (Behavioural Insights Team) on a project to apply behavioural insights to improve the uptake of timely MMR1 vaccination in North Macedonia. BIT have carried out a desk review to explore existing data and evidence and have carried out additional in-country research including in-depth qualitative interviews with caregivers, a focus group with healthcare professionals and a small number of meetings with key stakeholders.

The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) is a world-leading social purpose company with a mission to generate and apply behavioural insights to inform policy, improve public services and deliver positive results for people and communities.

BIT and UNICEF are now in the process of developing a small number of interventions aimed at increasing timely MMR1 vaccination uptake. In our next stage of work - our pre-testing stage - we will implement, assess and further develop between one and three of the interventions. This pre-testing stage will involve three cycles of small-scale implementation (e.g. in one or two vaccination clinics), data collection and iterating each intervention. In each cycle we will test a different attribute of the intervention: 1) desirability, 2) feasibility, 3) viability. At the end of each cycle of implementation and data collection we would facilitate workshops to analyze the data collected at each stage and co-design any necessary adaptations prior to the next cycle of testing.

UNICEF Skopje and BIT are looking to recruit a national researcher to support these pre-testing activities in North Macedonia.

Time commitment and required availability

This role is for 15 weeks from 1st February 2021 to the 14th May 2021. The successful candidate will be required to spend 2.5 days per week on this project, but flexibility is essential (some weeks may require more than 2.5 days, and others may require less). The total time requirement for this role is 37.5 full working days (300 hours) excluding travel time.

Role and responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced researcher to support recruiting a small number of health centres to take part in the pre-testing. The researcher will be required to manage the implementation of the intervention(s), collect data (or arrange data collection activities such as interviews), and arrange further development workshops for each of the three cycles of pre-testing. The exact responsibilities may vary depending on the interventions that will be selected for pre-testing, but we expect that the successful candidate will be required to do the following:

1. Recruitment of health centers - ****Recruitment of between 1-3 health centres to partner with on pre-testing****

• Identification of appropriate health centres dependent on the type of intervention to be tested (BIT will advise on requirements)
• Provision of clear information to these clinics of what their involvements means and requires of them
• Seeking written confirmation from a senior manager in the health centre to confirm their willingness to partner on the pre-testing

• BIT will provide advice throughout

  Time frame: 2.5 days during 1 - 5 February 2021

2. Manage implementation of intervention(s) - Provide oversight and project management for the implementation of the interventions

• Liaising closely with the BIT team and the health centre to ensure clarity on what is required in terms of implementation of the intervention
• Ensuring all necessary staff members at the centre are fully aware of what is required of them, and have the time and resource to implement any intervention (if appropriate, dependent on the intervention)
• Monitor the implementation of the intervention(s), for example if the intervention requires healthcare professionals providing an information leaflet to patients the researcher will ensure the healthcare professionals have the materials and know how and when to use them.
• Provision of regular feedback to the BIT team on implementation, including any issues or barriers to effective implementation

Time frame: 15 days during: 8-19 Feb 2021; 8-19 March 2021; 6-16 April 2021

3. Data collection - Assistance with data collection and/or carrying out data collection directly

• Providing assistance with various aspects of data collection in order to assess the desirability, feasibility and viability of the intervention
• This may involve administering surveys designed and produced by BIT, arranging interviews between BIT and healthcare staff or patients, or collecting anonymised data regarding vaccine uptake (or interim measures to be decided by BIT)

Time frame: 15 days during: 22 Feb 21 - 5 March 2021; 23 March 21 - 2 April 2021; 20-30 April 2021

4. Arranging workshops - Arranging the logistics of short workshops following each cycle of implementation

• Identifying appropriate invitees to workshops to further develop the interventions following each cycle of implementation (e.g. healthcare workers at the health centre or patients)
• Arranging the logistics of these workshops, agreeing a date and time, scheduling the workshop (via Zoom) and inviting all invitees

Time frame: 5 days during: 22 Feb - 5 March 2021; 23 March - 2 April 2021; 20-30 April 2021

How can you make a difference?

How the researcher will work with the BIT team

BIT will provide clear instructions to the researcher and will be available to provide any support or answer any questions via email on a day-to-day basis. BIT will provide prompt responses to any questions the researcher has and will be available via telephone to answer questions.

The researcher will be expected to respond promptly to email communication from the BIT team (within 1 day) and to inform BIT of any issues in carrying out the assigned activities promptly. The researcher will also be expected to provide short weekly update emails every Monday advising the BIT team on progress they have made the previous week and the activities they intend to carry out that week. In addition to the emails, the researcher will be required to join weekly or fortnightly meetings (over Zoom or Hangouts) to discuss progress with the BIT team.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

Application procedure:

• Upload in the Talent Management System your most recent CV and Motivation letter.
• Upload a financial offer as a separate document consisting of monthly gross fee and other costs if applicable. The financial offer should be in Macedonian Denars.

Selection Method:

All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below.

1. Technical Criteria – max 70% of total evaluation – max 70 points (Education & Experience).

Only candidates who obtained at least 49 points from the technical part, will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation.

2. Financial Criteria - 30 % of total evaluation – max. 30 points: Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].

If needed, short listed candidates may be invited to an interview to further assess the criteria.

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

Expected experience of the successful candidate

• Experience in managing implementation of interventions (ideally in healthcare settings), excellent project management skills, and qualitative research skills.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of or a local languages is an asset.
• University degree in one of the following areas: public health, epidemiology or any related technical field. The candidate may have an undergraduate degree in a subject related to research skills, but this is not deemed an essential requirement.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

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.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.