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Social Behavior Change in Emergency Specialist (Coordination), Rapid Response Rosters -Eastern and Southern Africa Region

Contract type: Temporary Appointment, Consultant
Level: P-3
Location: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles
Categories: Emergency, Social and Behavior Change

Seeking external candidates only 

Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) or Consultancy

Duration: 3 months to 364 days

Location: Countries based in Eastern and Southern Africa

Job Description

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, hope

Since two years, countries in the ESA region have experienced an alarming increase in the number of new, or re-emerging humanitarian emergencies, including public health (including Ebola, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, wild poliovirus, and Cholera), armed conflicts and natural disasters emergencies.

UNICEF ESAR has prioritized the critical need to support countries to rapidly scale up capacity to prevent, mitigate, and manage ongoing and anticipated emergencies as well as to enhance capacity for preparedness and response to these emergencies.

Purpose

The purpose of this external announcement is to attract suitable Social Behavior Change in Emergency Specialist ( (Coordination) candidates interested in working in any of the countries within UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa region to respond to emergencies for the next 36 months.

The countries within each region are listed on the following website: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.

How can you make a difference?

Key activities & duties

1. SBCiE/RCCE Coordination for Emergency Preparedness and Response. 

Work in close collaboration with UNICEF, MOH, WHO and other partners to develop and implement the national RCCE strategy and plan for coordinated emergency response:

  • Support and co-lead RCCE coordination platforms (reactivate or establish at national or subnational level if they are not active) to convene RCCE partners and ensure coordination of best practice activities and approaches that are community-centred and data-driven;
  • Provide support to the MOH (or other ministries as relevant) to map partner RCCE activities;
  • Develop and communicate guidance for best practice RCCE implementation.
  • Collaborate with, advise and/or consult partners to design RCCE strategies, including formulation, production and testing materials to ensure engagement and participation of key audiences, and maximum outreach and impact.
  • Provide input into the development of quality and appropriate RCCE communication materials, pre-testing and production of culturally relevant messages and materials for key programmatic areas.
  • Confirm/verify the technical quality, consistency and relevance of RCCE strategies, including materials that are developed, produced and disseminated to target audiences (e.g., individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc).
  • Support partners to collect, share and utilise community feedback data including online and offline data;
  • Identify critical gaps in the community feedback and the response and coordinate with partners to undertake social science research as relevant (including secondary data analysis);
  • Coordinate and support provision of capacity support on demand for a range of partners including local NGOs, faith groups, traditional healers, women’s and youth groups; community leaders
  • Provide updates on UNICEF and RCCE pillar activities in different coordination groups at national (and regional/global level as relevant) including other pillars of the response; Incident Management Teams;
  • Engage donors to provide updates, challenges and highlight technical and funding.
  • gaps for the RCCE response;
  • Support documentation of UNICEF and the RCCE partner response activities including sharing lessons learned and best practices in real time with stakeholders at national, regional and global level.

2. UNICEF SBCiE/RCCE Technical Support 

  • Providing technical SBC support to UNICEF staff and partners in the development and appropriate use of RCCE guidelines and tools and guides.
  • Reviewing/providing inputs into Early Warning, Early Action Systems, the Emergency Preparedness Platform and other UNICEF emergency preparedness and response mechanisms
  • Conducting and/or participating in comprehensive SBC situation analyses of social, cultural, economic and political issues in the country/region and assisting in the synthesis of behavioural data and evidence that informs the design of comprehensive and evidence based RCCE interventions in UNICEF emergency programming, consistent with the Country Programme of Cooperation.
    • Participating in budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare financial plan for RCCE initiatives, including through the Humanitarian Action for children (HAC). Monitor/track the use of resources as planned and verify compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations and standards of ethics and transparency.
    • Supporting resource mobilisation activities by drafting RCCE components of funding appeals, donor reports and proposals related to emergencies and monitoring the status of RCCE-related emergency funds.

    3. Capacity building of UNICEF staff and partners on SBC in emergencies. In collaboration with the Regional Office, Field Offices and relevant sections: 

    • Conduct an RCCE/AAP capacity assessment to assess UNICEF, including SBC, capacity for emergency response.
    • Organise/implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders/partners (government and non-government) in RCCE planning, implementation and evaluation in support of programmes/projects including in humanitarian settings.
    • Develop tools, guidelines and training materials and activities to build capacity on SBC for personnel who are involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of SBC and RCCE interventions, in support of programme sustainability.

  • 4-Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of social and behaviour change interventions in emergency contexts 

    • Conduct and/or participate in monitoring exercises, including country programme previews, meetings, intra-action and mid-term/annual reviews to assess/report on efficacy/outcome of RCCE on UNICEF in emergency programming.
    • Provide technical support to partners and staff for the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to collect, analyse and report on RCCE indicators and the development of research/M&E terms of reference, investigative tools and research protocols that can be used to set an evidence base for social and behaviour change.
  • Assist in strengthening country office and field office capacity to research, analyse and equitably address the trends and dynamics of the key issues related to socio-cultural and behaviour dynamics in humanitarian context.
  • Assist in monitoring the implementation of key RCCE interventions before, during and after emergencies and then disseminating communication research findings and provide feedback, facilitating knowledge exchanges, on experiences encountered and new methods/innovations to UNICEF programme staff, partners and the broader humanitarian community.

5. Advocacy, networking, and partnership building 

  • In support of the RCCE Pillar, identify, establish, and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with strategic partners, including UN agencies, (I)NGO’s, Faith based groups, academia, social networks, influencers, and other relevant organizations and coordinate their involvement in emergency SBC preparedness and response and RCCE work.
  • Collaborate with internal global/regional communication partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging and use of multiple media and communication platforms to enhance RCCE outreach.
  • Participate in organizational and/or inter-agency (e.g., UN Emergency Clusters) discussions and planning to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues in the planning and preparation for humanitarian situations, including disease outbreaks prevention and control, representing UNICEF and/or RCCE.

6. Innovation and knowledge management  

  • Implement innovative practices, approaches and latest technology through multiple channels and networks for RCCE that are appropriate/available for the CO context and audience.
  • Institutionalize/share best practices and knowledge learned/products with global/local partners and stakeholders to build capacity of practitioners and disseminate these products to key audiences including donors and partners.

 Key Expected Results

The selected candidates may be deployed to countries/regions responding to emergencies and disasters to proactively assist with Social and Behavior Change (SBC) emergency response across UNICEF programmatic areas as well as mobilize partner agencies, families and communities in mitigating disasters’ negative impact by limiting any additional loss of lives or health deterioration through unhealthy behaviors that may breed disease or cause physical or psycho-social harm, especially to children and women.

The selected candidates will also lead to positive collective action and informed demand among affected communities for emergency assistance, supplies and services through communication and engagement, as well as the empowerment and participation of stakeholders, communities, children, civil society partners, and government counterparts that eventually will promote measurable SBC.

All of these will contribute to protecting and promoting the well-being and supporting resilience of children, women and their families when disaster strikes.

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

Education-

  • An advanced university degree (Master or higher) in one of the following fields is required: social and behavioural science, sociology, anthropology, education or another relevant technical field.

*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

Work Experience- 

At least 5 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health, social sciences; development; strategic communications; or another related area preferably with a focus on emergency.

  • Strong technical knowledge and previous experience in development and implementation of SBC or RCCE approaches.
  • Experience in SBC/RCCE coordination in humanitarian responses with governments, UN and partners.
  • Demonstrated technical skills in collection, review and utilisation of community feedback and social and behavioural data and communication of key findings and recommendations to a range of audiences.
  • Proven skills in communication, data-driven planning and monitoring of social and behaviour change processes and results.
  • Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
  • A strong understanding of UNICEF’s core commitments to children in humanitarian action, humanitarian principles, standards, coordination mechanisms, gender and diversity aspects of humanitarian work.

Language Requirement:-

  • Fluency in verbal and written English and/or French (depending on the country office’s official language).
  • Knowledge of another UN language or a local language is an asset.
  • Good written and spoken skills in French and/or Portuguese 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…

  • Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
  • Works Collaboratively with others (1)
  • Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
  • Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
  • Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
  • Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)

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.

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 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.

Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time

 

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