Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Officer

Volunteering Communications & PR Crisis & Emergency Response

Overview

Support UNICEF's risk communication and community engagement efforts in Zambia.

You have:

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in Social Behavioural Change, social mobilization, risk communication, and community engagement.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of SBC principles, with proven experience in collecting data and designing evidence-based SBC strategies, as well as risk communication and community engagement.
• Proven experience in planning and coordinating Risk Communication interventions in Public Health Emergencies within a developing country context; experience in Zambia is an added asset.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multicultural settings and teams, and to deliver high-quality results within expected timeframes. Sound security awareness.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

Zambia is among the countries facing the negative effects of the climate crisis and recurrent disease outbreaks, with multiple determinants driving public health emergencies and humanitarian situations. The ongoing crises poses significant risks to the adoption of promotive behaviours and the uptake of essential services. UNICEF is accountable for supporting the Government in the areas of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), in collaboration with partners. The RCCE Officer will operate within the Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) section working closely with programme sections (Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Child Protection, Education and Social Policy, as well as relevant teams in cross-cutting units such as Communication, Advocacy and Public Engagement (CAPE), Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) and Operations).

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.

Under the direct supervision of the Social and Behavioural Change Manager, the RCCE Officer will perform the following tasks:

• RCCE Evidence generation: Provide technical assistance in the conduct of rapid assessments, data collection, and analysis to inform RCCE strategies and activities, using relevant methods including Rapid Qualitative Assessments (RQA) in districts targeted for drought and Public Health Emergency (PHE) response. Extract insights and translate recommendations to inform RCCE planning and the design of interventions and messages. Support the development of reporting tools and the collection, compilation, and analysis of data and insights;

• Planning, Design, and Coordination: Assist the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Promotion Unit, Provincial Health Directors (PHDs), District Health Directors (DHDs), and partners in the development of costed RCCE strategies and plans, including facilitating the design of coordinated and tailored interventions for hard to reach, hesitant, and vulnerable groups and communities. Support the MOH in the rollout of strategic guidance, including the multi hazard plan and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);

• Capacity Building: Support capacity building activities on RCCE and Community Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), jointly with the MOH, PHDs/DHDs, and key partners. Provide mentoring on the use of CFM tools and multimedia tools;

• Community Engagement: Support the MOH and partners in the implementation and monitoring of integrated community engagement and multimedia activities. Support PHDs/DHDs in identifying ways to strengthen engagement with community structures, including women’s and youth associations, digital mobilizers, CSO and faith-based organizations;

• Message and Material Development: Support the development and adaptation of evidence based, culturally sensitive, and disability inclusive multimedia RCCE materials. Participate in all stages of key message and material development, from assessment to co design, pretesting, planning for material distribution, and monitoring of outcomes;

• Social Listening and Community Feedback: Support the MOH, PHDs, and DHDs in social listening and community feedback mechanisms, generate evidence, and ensure its use to improve RCCE interventions. Engage with digital mobilizers and support provinces to strengthen media capacity to communicate RCCE messages, and to monitor and measure reach and engagement.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in Social Behavioural Change, social mobilization, risk communication, and community engagement. • Strong knowledge and understanding of SBC principles, with proven experience in collecting data and designing evidence-based SBC strategies, as well as risk communication and community engagement. • Proven experience in planning and coordinating Risk Communication interventions in Public Health Emergencies within a developing country context; experience in Zambia is an added asset. • Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken. • Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-cultural and multicultural settings and teams, and to deliver high-quality results within expected timeframes. Sound security awareness.

Zambia is a land-locked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods.

Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural centre of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort.

Lusaka hosts several international organisation and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available.

The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 months ago - Updated 2 months ago - Source: unv.org