Product Roadmap Specialist (Adolescents)

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Support the development of a national online MHPSS platform for young people.

You have:

• High school degree or higher
• Minimum two years of experience in product management
• Experience in human/user-centered design
• Ability to listen and create high-quality specifications
• Ability to innovate and provide out-of-the-box solutions
• Fluency in Serbian and English is essential
• Technical background in software development
• Prior experience with UNICEF and/or other UN agencies will be considered as an asset

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

Adolescence is a difficult emotional period under any circumstance, but in Serbia and globally the COVID-19 pandemic has made things much worse. Many of the things that teenagers rely on for emotional stability and growth have been suspended – social activities, sports, normal schooling, dating and more. Children and adolescents can struggle with a variety of symptoms such as anxiety, stress, hopelessness, fear for the future and more, and unless we provide adolescents who need it with early support through community and innovative methods, the risk of developing more serious and long-term mental health problems could increase. At the same time, it is difficult for young people to talk about mental health issues and their struggles due to social stigma and toxic cultures that might prevent them from seeking early support and counselling.

UNICEF in Serbia seeks to address the existing prevention and response gaps in mental health and psychosocial support services for children and adolescents. One important step is to “meet children and young people where they are” – namely online. In this regard, UNICEF Serbia seeks a specialist to support the development of a national online MHPSS platform for young people, which will provide a space for comprehensive information and awareness-raising on relevant topics, on the importance of building emotional and mental health resilience among young girls and boys, the benefits of healthy life styles, a space that will provide young people with relevant information on self-care, resilience, positive coping mechanism, sexual and reproductive health, early self-detection of mental health conditions; as well as provide them with relevant information on existing mental health and psychological support and another important services in their communities and ways of reaching out to them.

Work Assignment Overview:

To support the above-mentioned process, UNICEF seeks to engage an expert for the development of the service algorithm and prototype, as well as the development of recommendations for the service development both online and offline, to enable the national MHPSS platform to become a “one-stop-shop” for young girls and boys wanting to learn more about how to seek support as needed.

The vision of the platform is for young people (aged 13-24, with specific content for specific age subgroups) and all interested (parents, caregivers, school workers, community workers, educators, social workers, mental health professionals, etc.) to obtain relevant, safe, age-appropriate and trusted information on wellbeing, self-care, resilience, early detection on mental health for children and adolescents, in addition to reliable information on sexual and reproductive health and other topics relevant to the age group’s needs.

Duration of the assignment: June – July 2021 (up to 30 workdays)

Detailed task description:

• The desired elements of the platform will include, but not be limited to, engaging texts, images and videos, self-learning activities, personalized content, discussion forums, etc.
• UNICEF partners responsible for running the platform will continue adjusting the platform in the future by being able to add new content after the initial development and launch of the platform.
• The platform must have both web application version with responsible design and a mobile version, available both on Android and iOS mobile devices.
• The web version must be synced with the mobile application and be available without Internet connectivity.
• The creation of the systems should follow the Principles for Digital Development; most importantly the technology and software used for the development of the systems must be fully based on open-source code, and the result needs to be provided under an open source license (available on GitHub under GPL license) and should be aligned with overall ICT strategy of UNICEF.
• The platform must be designed with users at the centre (human-centred design) through key informant interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions with relevant experts and young people to ensure the platform serves their needs and necessity.
• In consultations with UNICEF, the platform must be aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG).

Task 1: Develop a detail plan describing possible service functions and features based on the examples of platforms provided by UNICEF. Deliverables: A detailed project plan; Time frame: 5 working days Task 2: Develop an algorithm of the web application version and the mobile version in consultations with UNICEF. Deliverables: Service algorithm; Time frame: 5 working days Task 3: Develop a prototype of the web application version and the mobile version to represent the main features of the service. Deliverables: Service prototypes – web and mobile; Time frame: 5 working days Task 4: Conduct consultations with UNICEF, young people (including those that are coming from vulnerable groups) and partners to receive feedback on the usability of the service and adjust the algorithm and prototype. Deliverables: Service prototypes developed in consultancy with UNICEF; Time frame: 5 working days Task 5: Develop detailed technical requirements and recommended development platforms to be used, as well as users and admins functionality for all necessary components of the platform (CMS, mobile, 3rd-party services, chatbot, chat box, forums, etc.) Deliverables: Technical note for the developer; Time frame: 5 working days

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• High school degree or higher
• Minimum two years of experience in product management (either by owning a tech product, or working in a company which offers that kind of services)
• Experience in human/user-cantered design
• Ability to listen and create high-quality specifications
• Ability to innovate and provide out-of-the-box solutions
• Fluency in Serbian and English is essential
• Technical background in software development
• Prior experience with UNICEF and/or other UN agencies will be considered as an asset

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing the following information:

1. Daily rate (all costs included, e.g. usage of mobile phone).

Important notes:

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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Potential interview questions

Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org