Contract type: Temporary Appointment, Consultant
Level: P-4
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: Social and Behavior Change
Seeking external candidates only
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) or Consultancy/Short Term Assignments (SSA)
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 hemorrhagic 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 Officer/Specialist (Social Listening) 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. SBC Technical and Operational Support for emergency preparedness and response
Supports strategy design, planning and implementation of SBC activities for emergency preparedness and response with a focus on social listening, in close collaboration and coordination with field operations, programme and other relevant sections by:
- Develop UNICEF/national social media monitoring and rumour management action plan, taking into consideration all emergency response initiatives undertaken by UNICEF and other partners in the region/country, including Social Media content production and dissemination, U-Report chatbots, polls and counselling hubs, Internet of Good Things.
- In the context of the action plan, adapting the CO RCCE M&E framework to include online emergency tracking dashboard with the aim to integrate information from various channels, most common rumours and identify additional segments to be developed for social media monitoring in a given country.
- Analyzing the information collected through the digital platforms used by UNICEF COs, such as U-Report or Internet of Good Things (IoGT), – launched in the country to identify the most common source of information and assess the level of correct information of users.
- Producing monthly or more frequent reports highlighting key issues, topics, concerns raised and addressed online providing recommendations for better engagement.
- Contributing to content to the various reporting requirements including but not limited to Situation Reports, weekly updates to HQ, and any other reporting needs related to RCCE response focusing on the social media monitoring dimension.
- In collaboration with the Regional Office (ESARO) identifying and engaging country fact-checkers institutions and social media influencers in SBC and RCCE interventions.
- Participating in budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare financial plan for RCCE and social listening initiatives.
- Reviewing/providing inputs into Early Warning Early Action Systems and other UNICEF emergency preparedness mechanisms.
2. Capacity building of UNICEF staff and partners on SBC and social listening in emergencies
In collaboration with the Regional Office, Field Offices and relevant sections:
- Organize/implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders/partners (government and non-government) in social listening and rumour management 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 social listening and rumour management for personnel who are involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of SBC and RCCE interventions, in support of programme sustainability.
- Facilitate capacity building of UNICEF staff and partners on social listening and rumour management interventions in emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
- Organise webinars to reinforce capacity of CO colleagues and their counterparts on SBC online content development/adaptation and rumour management.
3. RCCE coordination and implementation in emergency/humanitarian settings
- Collaborate with, advise and/or consult internal and external partners to design RCCE strategies, including formulation, production and testing materials to organise SBC digital engagement interventions to promote digital literacy and adoption of healthy behaviours of key audiences online, and maximum outreach and impact on SBC, including in humanitarian response.
- Guide the development of quality and appropriate RCCE online communication materials, including social media packages, pre-testing and production of culturally relevant messages and materials for key programmatic areas.
4. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of social listening and rumour tracking in emergency contexts
- Conduct and/or participate in monitoring exercises, including country programme previews, meetings and mid-term/annual reviews to assess/report on efficacy/outcome of social listening and rumour tracking as part of UNICEF emergency programme response.
- Provide technical support to partners and staff for the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to collect, analyse and report on social listening and rumour tracking that can be used to set an evidence base for social and behaviour change.
Assist in monitoring the implementation of key social listening and rumour tracking 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
- Identify, establish, and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with strategic partners, including UN agencies, fact-checkers institutions, media outlets, (I)NGO’s, Faith based groups, academia, social networks, influencers, and other relevant organizations and coordinate their involvement in social listening and rumour monitoring as part of 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 online media and communication platforms to enhance social listening and rumour tracking. 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 on social listening and rumour tracking mechanisms’ establishment in humanitarian situations, including disease outbreaks prevention and control.
6. Innovation and knowledge management
- Implement innovative practices, approaches and latest technology on online media and social/digital platforms and networks for social listening and rumour tracking 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 disaster hit countries/regions to proactively assist with 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 inappropriate behaviors that may breed disease or cause physical or psycho-social harm, especially to children and women.
The selected candidates will 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 social and behavior change. 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 behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, education, communication 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 (for P2/NOB and P3/NOC level)
Work Experience-
- A minimum of 2 to 8 years of of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: strategic communications, information management, development, social sciences or another related area preferably with a focus on emergency and social media monitoring/analysis and/or digital listening.
- Previous experience with social media management, trend monitoring, and influencing.
- Experience in the design and implementation of interventions on rumour management or misinformation.
- Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
- A basic 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…
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- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2) ( for P4/NOD level only)
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
- Works Collaboratively with others (2)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
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