Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Mekele, Jijiga
Deadline: 30 Jun 2023
Job Description
Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF Ethiopia is implementing a 5-year country programme 2020-2025 which is fully aligned with the UNSDCF. UNICEF will work collaboratively within the UNSDCF on a joint strategy to strengthen national systems for data collection, analysis, monitoring and applying adjustments to promote equity. Evidence will be used to monitor the situation of children, tracking progress towards equity and scale, and to inform advocacy to adjust policies, strategies and budgets. Monitoring and corrective actions will be undertaken through UNICEF staff, partners and third-party monitoring, and through mechanisms for community feedback and accountability to affected populations.
Context
The U-Report initiative aims to foster the active participation of adolescents and young people, in line with its primary objective of empowering these groups to express their views on pertinent concerns. U-Report initiative provides a platform for young people to share valuable information with their peers, communities, stakeholders, and duty-bearers, thereby enabling meaningful engagement with government and community issues. Consequently, scaling up U-Report membership among these groups is valuable to communities and governments.
1. Rollout and Scale-up U-Report Membership among young people, women and girls with a target of 100,000 by December 2023
2. Empower young people to share opinions and information on issues that matter to them. Young people share information with peers, communities, stakeholders and duty-bearers that is valuable to communities and governments.
3. Sustaining the active participation of registered U-Reporters. This is accomplished by elevating the perspectives and insights of young people alongside their data on vital concerns.
4. U-Report facilitates avenues for civic and social engagement to ensure that knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities of this demographic are identified and then used to inform programming and policymaking, generating opportunities for young people beyond the scope of U-Report
5. Keep registered U-Reporters Engaged 6. Amplify voices of young people, opinions and data on key issues
7. Provide opportunities for civic and social engagement: U-Report identifies knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities of young people to inform programming and decision-making that provides opportunities beyond U-Report
8. U-Report supports positive social change by applying U-Report voices, opinions, and data. Specifically, data is used to advocate for social change, improve accountability, and influence policy decisions. The application of U-Report voices, opinions and data facilitates the attainment of positive social change.
9. Data utilization is a powerful tool to advocate for improvements in accountability and influence policy decisions. Young people’s concerns about harmful social norms can prompt positive behavior change. Ensure an adequate representation of UNICEF, partnership with youth-led and youth-focused organizations is essential.
10. Constantly communicating new developments or changes is crucial for all partners to keep abreast. Collaborating with these organizations and partners is vital for an efficient representation of UNICEF and its U-Report initiatives, and it is imperative to disseminate updates effectively to maintain timely and effective communication.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and guidance of the supervision of the Refugee and Youth Engagement Specialist, his/her designated mandated representative(s), the U-Report Engagement Officer will implement the U-Report Ethiopian plan to promote youth involvement, participation, and empowerment among various field officers. The officer will support the rollout of U-Report and assist in developing, planning, monitoring, and U-Report Ethiopia’s social outreach and youth engagement initiatives. Working in coordination with UNICEF and other partners, the officer will provide technical support for U-Report deployment, including the upcoming U-Report launch in November 2023.
Additionally, the three (3) U-Report Engagement Officer Officers will support and facilitate U-Report Ethiopia recruitment nationwide, supporting youth networks, community organisations and government partners to run U-Report. The UNVs will actively prepare for the U-Report launch in November by organising ted talks across different regions for young people, which will also be used as avenues to recruit U-Reporters. The officers will oversee day-to-day U-Report operations and organise mobilisation events and social media promotion across different channels, working with key influencers and organising and running U-Report introductory activities across diverse communities. In addition, the U-Report officers will monitor U-Report engagement across various channels, support U-actions in communities, and gather user feedback on strengthening the platform and community uptake.
The U-Report Engagement Officer Officers’ duties shall encompass but not be restricted to the following responsibilities:
1. Work closely with the Youth Engagement Specialist and Social Policy officer to set up U-Report in all communities in Ethiopia and across all regions, working closely with youth networks, community organisations, and field offices.
2. Work closely with Education team youth volunteers and key events led by other program teams focusing on adolescents and youth. 3. Support management of U-Report social media accounts and build momentum and a following across all regions.
4. Develop a U-Report recruitment strategy for each region, identifying what works in consultation with young people and setting up U-communities.
5. Collaborate with the U-Report virtual and physical communities to develop and implement support and outreach efforts to enable efficient communication through virtual and face-to-face facilitation. In addition, actively involve youth networks in schools and communities to support in-person and online U-Report activities. The consultations thoughtfully and comprehensively recognise and address the needs and concerns of Ethiopian adolescents and youth.
6. Support the empowerment and capacity building of adolescents and young people, encouraging them to leverage innovative U-Report initiatives to inspire and equip them with the skills and confidence to lead and effect positive change within themselves and their communities.
7. Facilitate youth engagement by establishing partnerships and collaborations with youth-led and youth-focused organisations and initiatives with the U-Report promoting synergy with youth networks to foster robust partnerships.
8. Promote youth engagement in regular U-Report polls and participate in designing them in consultation with the Steering Committee, Partners and Programmes, also following up to ensure data collected is used and feedback shared with young people.
9. Ensure the monitoring of the implementation process to measure the impact and effectiveness of U-Report and respond to inquiries regarding U-Report-related information.
10. Develop monthly recruitment and engagement reports, launch strategic campaigns, and amplify outreach efforts, organising flagship events and providing specialised training at different levels to promote the platform online and offline.
11. Work with the U-Report Champions Group to create impactful communication resources for U-Report’s social media channels.
12. Connect with U-Report counterparts in different country offices for networking and resource sharing and participate in global/regional webinars.
13. Attend monthly U-Report Global calls and other learning activities on how the platform functions. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work.
As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
– Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
– Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; – Provide annual and end-of-assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
– Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
– Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
– Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.