NUNV Social and Behaviour Change

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

UNICEF is a leading organization dedicated to promoting the rights and well-being of children and adolescents worldwide. The Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Section at UNICEF plays a crucial role in developing and implementing strategies to empower communities, parents, young people and promote positive behavioral change. The SBC section of UNICEF and the country programme’s strategy for engaging with young people/youth are both cross cutting for all other sectors. SBC section also has outputs integrated within other sectors thus making it the only cross cutting sector that supports all the programmes. As SBC is identified as a change strategy, all sectors have some element of SBC activities and programming ongoing in their workplans in the current country cycle.

The SBC section of Maharashtra has been engaging with various sectors especially health, WASH, child protection education in engaging with communities and adolescents on multiple issues like mental health, anaemia, ending child marriage and gender empowerment and transformation through schools and community engagement.

To further streamline and strengthen these programming, the SBC section is looking for a National UN Volunteer who can strategize engagement with communities, involve them in various programs and support in the creation of change agents across Maharashtra for Social and Behaviour Change, starting with Mumbai.

• Engage with SBC specialist and other experts to understand the key behaviors of communities that each section is working towards addressing and identify strategies to influence and engage with them. • In discussion with the SBC Specialist, identify the internal programme areas for engagement with communities under different programme sectors. • Conduct a comprehensive review of existing programs and policies in the state that engage with communities and develop a report of effective strategies in action. • Develop concept notes on various engagement platforms in the state and means to strengthen them. • In discussion with SBC Specialist and other programme leads, develop and implement evidence-based strategies and interventions to promote behavior change of key population on identified health, education, protection, and participation issues. • Seek inputs from behavioral experts to bring in elements of behavioral insights into programs being designed to address and engage with adolescents and young people. • Collaborate with UNICEF teams and partners to design, adapt, and implement SBC driven youth and adolescent programs in line with UNICEF's mandate and global standards. • Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify the specific needs, challenges, and opportunities for youth and adolescents in the target areas. • Provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to partners in the field of Social and Behaviour Change. • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach to behaviour change programming with key audiences and stakeholders. • Forge and maintain partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations, and youth-led initiatives to advocate for SBC programming.
• Establish robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track the progress and impact of youth and adolescent SBC initiatives. Regularly report on findings and adjust programs as needed. • Monitor the engagement of stakeholders/communities in SBC initiatives being undertaken by partners and various programmes and provide handholding support where required along with generating regular progress reports. • Contribute to knowledge sharing within UNICEF and with external partners by documenting best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches in engaging stakeholders/communities for SBC.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF, India Country Office; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF, India Country Office procedures and rules; ability to apply good judgement; and ability to work as a team under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF, India Country Office in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF, India Country Office’s mission and vision, as well as to the UNICEF Core Values (Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability).

areas of social development program planning, communications and public advocacy and/or related areas at the national and/or international level is required. • Experience of working with young people is a must. • Experience within government systems and programs is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization. • Excellent oral and written skills in English and Hindi, fluency in Marathi will be an asset; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing. • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; • Familiarity with theories, tools and approaches of SBC; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; • Familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

Mumbai – Maharashtra: Mumbai, is the most populous city in the Indian state of Maharashtra, offering a wide variety of jobs from conventional industries to IT services. It is also home to the Bollywood film industry. As India's capital of finance, Mumbai has the greatest number of fin-tech startups, and the cost of living and rental prices remains reasonably high.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Mumbai. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents - except for UN Community Volunteers), as well as final repatriation (if applicable). You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator . In addition to duty station specific vaccine requirements, appointments 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 appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers 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 contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers 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 recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.