Social & Behaviour Change (SBC) Officer, NO-A, Prishtina, Kosovo

Contract

This is a NO-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-1 contracts.

Job Title: Social & Behaviour Change (SBC) Officer, NO-A, Prishtina, Kosovo, #00122151

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, support

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) results are critical to UNICEF’s work and to realizing child rights and development globally, including for Kosovo. UNICEF has long been a leader in incorporating SBC approaches and interventions into child-focused programmes. Results are an anchor upon which UNICEF can institutionalize social and behavioural science and practice at scale.​​​​​​​

How can you make a difference?

The SBC Officer is responsible for the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of evidence-based and innovative SBC strategies in support of the continued COVID-19 pandemic emergency response Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) priority (approximately 40-45 % of their time) as well as other priorities of the overall Kosovo programme 2021-25 (approximately 55-60% of their time). The Officer provides technical and operational support to the UNICEF Kosovo programme pillars/outcomes by administering, executing and implementing SBC approaches to promote measurable behavioral and social change/mobilization.

1. Support to the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency Response /Risk Communication and Community Engagement

• Collect, analyse and present evidence on monitoring of the situation and the needs of the vulnerable populations impacted by the pandemic
• Liaise with government, UNKT, donors, NGOs and other stakeholders for coordination of activities and initiatives in response to the pandemic
• Guide and support programme sections, including RCCE Hub, on required emergency response Social & Behaviour Change programme interventions
• Conduct field monitoring of emergency response programme interventions and provide insight on potential adjustments and scale up to programme sections

• Develop concept notes, proposals, reporting and other required documents for fundraising and reporting purposes in response to the pandemic Support to design, management, monitoring and evaluation of evidence-based, inclusive and innovative SBC strategies and approaches in support of the Kosovo programme results

• Guide and support UNICEF Kosovo programme on Social and Behaviour Change programme interventions – advising the programme where SBC will have strategic impact as a programme strategy and how to design and prioritize most impactful interventions

• Research and/or participate in conducting comprehensive SBC situation analysis of social, cultural, economic, communication and political issues. Collect and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information and data to support the establishment of comprehensive and evidence-based information for developing and planning the SBC component of the Kosovo programme.

• Assess and/or recommend appropriate information and materials for SBC initiatives verifying accuracy and quality for dissemination.

  Generate and utilize research, data, and evidence to inform the design, measurement, and monitoring of SBC programs and outcomes in both development and emergency contexts and to build the evidence base for SBC

• Initiate, commission, manage and/or utilize qualitative and quantitative research on social and behavioral drivers that include behavioural analysis, human centred design, social listening, behavioural insights and participatory research.

• Support data collection, tracking, monitoring and reporting SBC results and prepare syntheses of results.
• Collect, draft and/or organize materials and related documentations for SBC strategies, plans and activities (as a component of the Kosovo pogramme and/or UNSDC) to ensure optimum impact, scale and sustainability of achievements/results.
• Assist in establishment of community feedback mechanisms and use feedback to inform community engagement and SBC actions for disaster preparedness, response, recovery and resilience. Generate and use SBC evidence, data, and assessments for disaster preparedness, response, recovery and resilience
• Contribute to terms of reference, research tools, frameworks and protocols for generating evidence to inform SBC initiatives and apply tools, methodologies and frameworks for data collection, tracking, monitoring and reporting and disseminating SBC results.
• Assess and/or recommend appropriate information and materials for SBC initiatives verifying accuracy and quality for dissemination.

• Assess the impact of SBC activities on the Kosovo Office and UNICEF goals to achieve measureable behavioral and social change resulting in the improvement of children’s rights and wellbeing. Submit qualitative report/synthesis of results for development planning and improvement.

  Design, plan and implement SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioural evidence and strong engagement and participation mechanisms

• In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral specialists, relevant government officers and other UN/NGO partners, develop, implement (test, produce) and monitor evidence-based, quality SBC strategies and activities, in line with global standards and UNICEF priorities and approaches.

• Provide technical, administrative and logistical support and background materials to carry out SBC activities and recommend operational strategies, approaches, plans, methods and procedures.
• In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral colleagues and implementing partners, select appropriate SBC activities and platforms for engagement, ensuring quality and integration of the latest evidence and science-backed approaches. In this process, oversee coordination with SBC stakeholders and partners to align plans and activities.
• Identify/propose actional evidence-based programme/strategy recommendations from current data, evidence and trends for priority social and behavioral issues and ensure the integration of latest innovative approaches and technology in SBC in programme approaches and advocate for their adoption among internal and external stakeholders.
• Assess and recommend potential contacts, networks, resources and tools to support the maximum impact and outreach of SBC initiatives.
• Follow up on the production of SBC materials to ensure technical quality, consistency and relevancy of communications materials that are developed, produced and disseminated to target audience (e.g. individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc).

• Collect, assess and organize information for budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare documentations and related materials for financial plan for SBC initiatives. Monitor/track the use of resources as planned and verify compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations and standards of ethics and transparency.

  Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Build and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with national and international civil society organizations, community groups, leaders and other critical partners in the community and civil society to reinforce cooperation through engagement, empowerment and self determination and to pursue opportunities for greater advocacy to promote UNICEF’s mission and goals for child rights, social equity and inclusiveness.

• Collaborate with internal global/regional communication partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging to enhance SBC outreach and contribution to programmatic outcomes.

  Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Institutionalize/share best practices and knowledge learned/products with global/local partners and stakeholders to build capacity of practitioners/users, and disseminate lessons learned to key audiences including donors and partners.

• Support the organization, administration and implementation of capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders/partners across programme sectors in SBC planning, implementation and evaluation in support of programmes/projects. Develop training materials for training activities and revise them periodically for improvements and updates. Promote continuous learning, strengthening and scaling up in SBC for both development and humanitarian contexts through capacity building for UNICEF staff and partners.

• Identify, design, and organize SBC training materials and opportunities 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 build SBC capacity among staff, implementing partners and relevant government and non-government counterparts.

• Contribute to the development and institutionalization of best practices, facilitate the exchange of experiences and provide technical assistance for the uptake of new SBC methods and knowledge internally and externally.
• Plan and implement SBC capacity assessments within the CO.
• Identify and mobilize resources to support capacity development internally and externally and provide SBC technical support and capacity building to government counterparts.
• Initiate and manage partnerships with academia and learning institutions for the delivery of SBC capacity development activities.
• Identify and develop mechanisms to strengthen systems for community engagement in humanitarian contexts.
• Develop and/or adapt capacity development tools and activities for humanitarian programming with a focus on preparedness, response and recovery.

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, public relations or another relevant technical field.

• A minimum of one year of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development programme planning, communication for development, public advocacy or another related area.

  Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

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

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.