Social and Behaviour Change Officer

Support the design and implementation of SBC strategies for children's rights.

UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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Application deadline in 6 days: Monday 26 May 2025 at 00:00 UTC

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Overview

Support the design and implementation of SBC strategies for children's rights.

You have:

  • Bachelor's degree in social sciences, communication, behavior change, or a related field.
  • At least 3 years of progressively responsible experience in social and behavior change communication, public advocacy, or related fields.
  • Strong skills in data analysis and the utilization of research evidence.
  • Experience in capacity development and training.
  • Fluency in English, both oral and written.
  • Ability to work effectively in teams and build consensus.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

The overarching goal of the UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2023-2027 is to realize the rights of every child, especially the most disadvantaged. The plan establishes five goal areas aimed at making sure that every child: 1) survives and thrives; 2) has quality education; 3) is protected from violence and exploitation; 4) lives in a safe and clean environment; and 5) has an equitable chance in life.

Aligned with the UNICEF Ghana Country program, under the general guidance of the SBC Unit Head, and in close coordination with Sectoral and Cross-Sectoral Specialists and Officers, the SBC Officer will contribute to the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of evidence-based, inclusive and innovative SBC strategies in support of the country programme. Key activities that the UNV will support include: 1. Support with generating and utilizing research, data, and evidence to inform the design, measurement, and monitoring of SBC programs and outcomes and to build the evidence base for SBC. 2. Support the design, planning and implementation of SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioural evidence and support strong engagement and participation mechanisms. 3. Support with strengthening capacity of UNICEF partners and knowledge management.

Under the direct supervision of Head of SBC, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Support with generating and utilizing research, data, and evidence to inform the design, measurement, and monitoring of SBC programs and outcomes and to build the evidence base for SBC. • In collaboration with sectoral and cross-sectoral specialists, relevant government officers and other UN/NGO partners, assist with the design, implementation, and/or participate in SBC situation analyses and formative research that identify social and behavioral drivers. • Support with the management and utilization of qualitative and quantitative research on social and behavioral drivers that include behavioural analysis, human centred design, social listening, and behavioural insights. • Support data collection, tracking, monitoring and reporting SBC results and prepare syntheses of results. • Assist with collating and summarizing data, evidence and trends for social and behavioral is-sues to inform evidence-based SBC strategies, plans and activities • Assist with the establishment of community feedback mechanisms and use feedback to in-form community engagement and SBC actions for disaster preparedness, response, recovery and resilience (when and where applicable). 2. Support the design, planning and implementation of SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioural evidence and support strong engagement and participation mechanisms. • In collaboration with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral specialists, relevant government officers and other UN/NGO partners, contributes to providing technical and administrative sup-port for the development, implementation and monitoring of evidence-based SBC strategies and activities, in line with global standards and UNICEF priorities and approaches. • In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral colleagues and implementing partners, contributes to identifying appropriate SBC activities and platforms for egagement, ensuring quality and integration of the latest evidence and science-backed approaches. Assists with coordination with SBC stakeholders and partners to align plans and activities. • Assists team to provide evidence-based programme/strategy recommendations based on current data, evidence and trends for priority social and behavioral issues and supports with the integration of the latest innovative approaches and technology in SBC in programme approaches. 3.Support with strengthening capacity of UNICEF partners and knowledge management. • Support with the development of SBC training materials for staff and partners, including on new approaches such as behavioural analysis, behavioural insights, human-centered design, social listening, and social accountability mechanisms. Use and adapt existing UNICEF learning resources, guidelines and training materials to support strengthening of SBC capacity among staff, implementing partners and relevant government and non-government counterparts. • Contribute to the documentations of best practices, participate in the exchange of experiences. • Assist with providing SBC technical support and capacity strengthening to government counterparts.

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Building Trust, Client Orientation, Commitment and Motivation, Communication, Creativity, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Knowledge Sharing, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Self-Management, Technological Awareness, Working in Teams

Social development programme planning Communication for development or social and behaviour change Public advocacy Quantitative and quantitative research or market research.

The incumbent will be based in Accra, Ghana which is relatively safe location and currently classified as hardship category B. Transport, medical, education and other services are at a higher level compared to other countries in the region. At the sea level, the climate of the country is tropical – hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27°C (80°F) and little daily variation. At the interior’s higher attitudes, the average yearly temperature is 20°C (68°F), and nights are generally cool. Annual rainfall varies from 500 centimeters (200 in.) on the southwestern slopes to 100 centimeters (40 in.) in the northern lowlands. The rainy season runs from October to May. The total population of Ghana is currently estimated at 31,000,000. Ghana is a Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) country.

Potential interview questions

Describe a time when you used data to drive a social and behavior change program. This question assesses your ability to utilize data in program planning. Reflect on a specific instance where your data analysis led to actionable insights.
How do you ensure stakeholder engagement in your projects? This evaluates your approach to collaboration and partnership. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you provide an example of a successful capacity development initiative you've led? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What methods do you use for monitoring and evaluation in SBC programs? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a challenge you faced in implementing an SBC strategy and how you overcame it. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you incorporate feedback from communities into your SBC initiatives? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What role does creativity play in your approach to social and behavior change? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you stay updated on current trends and evidence in SBC? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 11 days ago - Updated 9 hours ago - Source: unv.org