Youth Officer (HIV, Innovation, Youth Engagement and Participation) Contractor, Gaborone Botswana

Contract

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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, protection

How can you make a difference?

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favouritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF’s HIV response for children must ensure that neither age, poverty, gender inequality, nor social exclusion determine access to life saving HIV prevention, treatment, and care. UNICEF and its partners’ responses ensure all children are born free of HIV and remain HIV-free for the first two decades of life, from birth through adolescence. It means that all children living with HIV have access to the treatment, care and support they need to remain alive and healthy. This is UNICEF’s vision of an AIDS-free generation starting with children. Ending AIDS among children is vital to ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 – the overarching goal of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) of which UNICEF is a cofounding partner.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The latest country HIV estimates and projections indicate that Botswana has the third highest level of HIV prevalence in the world with a prevalence of 20.7% among adults (15-49 years ). In 2019, adolescents and young people (AYP) accounted for approximately 1/3 of all new HIV infections, a quarter of them occurring in females aged 15-24 years. AYP are also underserved in terms of treatment. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage of adults stood at 84% in 2019, only two thirds (66%) of 15-24-year olds living with HIV were on ART. Adolescent girls and young women – especially the poorest and most excluded - suffer from inter-connected and overlapping deprivations around HIV infection, early sexual initiation and unintended pregnancy (EUP), lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based and sexual violence, school drop-out, and mental health. While AYP are disproportionately vulnerable and affected by HIV, SEA and EUP, spaces and platforms for their meaningful engagement and participation in decision-making, policy development and programming in HIV, SRH and other matters of concern to them are limited. As such, innovative measures, and approaches such as U-Report, digitization and technological applications need to be intensified and scaled up to improve AYP engagement and participation and delivery of effective and efficient HIV, SRH, SEA, GBV, MHPSS and other sector specific interventions for AYP in Botswana.

The COVID-19 pandemic has added further challenges with vital HIV prevention and treatment services disrupted and restriction on travel and gatherings preventing or limiting access to health and other social services. To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and protect gains made, innovative approaches such as use of technology and virtual platforms are being utilized to augment and support continuity of key HIV services, including mental health and psychosocial support.

In light of the prevention and treatment gaps for AYP, the multi-sectoral social and structural factors fueling HIV transmission and hindering treatment coverage and viral suppression among this population, limited youth engagement and participation platforms, the impact of COVID-19 on health and other social services, the need to intensify use of innovation and technology in programming for AYP, UNICEF Botswana is seeking to recruit a Youth Officer to support digitalization of the Adolescent and HIV Programme including the scale up of virtual mental health and psychosocial support interventions and services (MHPSS). The Youth Officer will also take U-Report platform to scale, develop a concrete strategy to reach communities and gather relevant information, empower communities to address child-specific issues and exert influence on local, regional, and national stakeholders as part of a larger governance and accountability strategy. The Officer is also expected to ensure that information collected feeds into UNICEF and the Government of Botswana’s programmatic goals.

Scope of Work:

The Adolescents and HIV programme component aims to empower adolescents and young people to ensure that they claim their rights and have access to integrated and gender-responsive health, HIV, child protection services and skills for their improved health, well-being, and development. The country programme further aims to prioritize engagement with adolescents and young people to co-create programmes and involve them in decision-making, policy development and programming. Given the limited staff resources, UNICEF in 2019 successfully recruited a Youth Officer through the AU Youth Volunteer Corps Programme (AU YVC) for a two-year period to support innovation and HIV/AIDS Programme Communication. The current contract of the AU YVC will be ending by August 8, 2021. Given the demanding adolescents and HIV programme, as well as the existing staffing capacity within BCO, UNICEF is recruiting a Youth Officer to support innovation in HIV programming and the scale up U-Report platform to strengthen the engagement and participation of AYP in policy and programming across sectors (health, education, child protection and HIV).

Specifically, the Youth Officer will: • Support implementation of comprehensive models of care for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) and the roll out of virtual mental health and psychosocial support interventions for ALHIV enrolled into teen clubs. • Support the design, development, and deployment of a mobile application for AYP treatment adherence, preventive behavior and mental health and psychosocial support. • Support the scale up of the innovative, evidence-based combination prevention initiatives for in-and-out of school youth in collaboration with partners including capacity building in digital engagement. • Management of innovation, communication, visibility and documentation of adolescent and HIV programmes. • Contribute to strategic planning around engagement of adolescents and young people for the upcoming 2022-2026 country programme. • Roll out of U-Report platform to strengthen engagement with adolescents and young people.

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Estimate Budget (in BWP)

Comprehensive models of care:

• Provide technical support to partners for the adaptation of the existing teen club curriculum and ensure that key themes are adapted for delivery via the remote training platform.
• Continuous engagement with partners and beneficiaries to oversee the production of high-quality, engaging, functional, creative, and innovative multimedia audio-visual materials for web and mobile-based platforms in formats relevant to adolescents and young people.
• Oversee the set-up of WhatsApp groups per district and virtual meeting platform to facilitate the virtual teen club sessions and digital engagement.
• Facilitate digital training and orientation of the teen club participants.
• Adaptation and orientation of ALHIV and partners on delivery of the teen club curriculum via remote training platform.
• At least two consultative sessions with AYP conducted, with inputs incorporated into e-content and products.
• High quality audio-visual materials to facilitate digital engagement available.
• WhatsApp groups organized in each of the 6 districts and virtual teen club sessions initiated.
• ALHIV enrolled into teen clubs and facilitators oriented and trained on digital engagement.

August to October

Development of Mobile App for AYP/ALHIV:

• Collaborate with Stepping Stones International to provide technical oversight for the development of the mobile application.
• Create and deploy an effective project management and feedback mechanism with all partners involved in the project.
• Conduct consultative sessions and user research with AYP to ensure the inclusion of human-centered design thinking throughout the development process, including convening a youth task team.
• Collaborate with partners to curate content on adherence, MHPSS, preventive behavior and other information to feed into the content development of the mobile application.

• Oversee the availability of all reports, source codes, test result logs and all documentation and information related to the mobile application.

• Six bi-weekly programme update meetings with SSI and mobile app. developer held and key actions documented.

• One quarterly programme management meeting held with key stakeholders and minutes available.
• Task team with AYP established and two consultative sessions conducted.
• Relevant mobile app. content identified.
• Documentation from mobile app. development process available.

August to October

Scale up of innovative Shuga radio platforms and strengthen digital capacity of AYP:

• Support the promotion and hosting of Shuga radio on 124 IVR platform
• Support the implementation of the 124 interactive voice response gamified content to amplify the MTV Shuga radio drama series.

• Facilitate digital training and capacity building of peer educators and volunteers.

• Shuga seasons two, three hosted and interactive game hosted on 124 platform and quarterly report available.

• Promotional materials developed and produced
• Weekly social media posts promoting the 124 platform on the Shuga Facebook page
• One digital capacity building session conducted for peer educators

Management of innovation, communication and documentation of adolescent and HIV programmes:

• Provide management and monitoring support to all programme innovative and technology-based interventions.
• Creatively document and report key Adolescents and HIV initiatives and activities, best practices, case studies, case stories and testimonials in written, image, and video formats.

• Champion the inclusion of human-centered design (HCD) in programme activities.

• Monthly articles, case studies, stories

• Events-based photographs, videos, posters available

August to October

Roll out of U-Report platform to strengthen engagement with adolescents and young people:

• Design awareness raising and advocacy plan to run both national and subnational communication campaigns across all media outlets (print, radio, and TV), as well as strategies for reaching venues of community activism and dialogue).
• Design and deploy the Botswana U-Report platform and ensure the day-to-day management and related activities
• Conduct training of trainers (ToTs) on the utilization of U-Report for partner focal persons.
• Monitor and evaluate partner usage of U-Report and understand incentives and constraints involved between high-level users and low-level users.
• Establish system to ensure that information collected via U-Report is available to program staff.
• Manage the Website (Updating, Dissemination of polls results, Videos and stories).
• Manage the U-Partners website (Partnerships, Rules and Key words)
• Maintain U-Report Facebook page and website by regularly publishing content.
• Liaise with local artists acting as UNICEF influencers to boost U-report subscriptions
• Initiate two new partnerships with youth organizations to support U-Report mobilization efforts.

• Work with Communication Officer and Programme Staff to ensure relevance of U-Report for programme implementation, knowledge transfer and skills acquisition.

• Daily update of U-Report social media platforms

• Monthly updates for U-Report website
• Establish new partnerships with at least two youth organizations to support mobilization of U-Reporters.
• Design U-Report awareness raising and advocacy plan.
• Facilitate one training for U Partners on utilization of U-Report.
• Facilitate dissemination of poll results.
• Conduct two public activations to promote U-Report platforms in collaboration with selected young influencers.

August to October

Note to Consultants/Contractor:

1. Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of monthly progress reports linked to each milestone. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. All deliverables mentioned above are to be executed between August – October. 2. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 3. Contractor will be required to complete online courses related to Ethics, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Security related trainings prior to taking up the assignment and/or travel. 4. Contractor will be required to sign the Health Statement for consultants/individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, including Medical Evacuation

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

• University degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Development, Communications, or another relevant field is required. Advanced degree or Masters is considered as added value. • Demonstrated knowledge of public health including HIV/AIDS and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH). • Demonstrated experience in the use of technology and innovation in programme delivery as well as Human centered design thinking approaches. • At least 2 years of experience in public health, including HIV and SRH. Experience in programming for adolescents and young people is an advantage. • At least two years’ experience in advocacy, communication, youth engagement and participation, innovation, and technology.

Fluency in English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified candidates are requested to complete an application including profile to the respective advertisement online. Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal/quote to complete the terms of reference above.

Rates must include all expenses related to the assignment (e.g. consultancy fee), quoted in BWP for local Contractors and USD for International Contractors

Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered.

If you have not been contacted within 2 months of the closing date please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.