International Individual Consultancy for conducting Capacity Building Trainings on Social and Behavior Change

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, an advocate 

UNICEF in Moldova is supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) to strengthen the National Immunization Program (NIP) to improve outcomes on vaccine-preventable diseases control. In 2023, the Government of the Republic of Moldova approved the National Immunization Program for 2023-2027, which prioritizes demand generation activities for immunization through community engagement (CE) and social and behavior change (SBC) interventions. UNICEF closely collaborates with the National Agency of Public Health (NAPH) and its partners to strengthen immunization services, including public awareness and demand promotion activities for vaccination.

Building on these efforts, UNICEF supported MoH and NAPH to develop the Social and Behavior Change in Immunization Plan 2027, which is integrated under the National Program for Immunization, with the primary goal of „to reduce the burden of communicable diseases by supporting high vaccination rates and ensuring universal and equitable access to, and demand for, immunization services for all age groups and populations through resilient primary health care systems and immunization programs. One of the SBCI Plan 2027 priority is to improve the national capacities in social and behavior change within the MoH, NAPH and Government, to support implementation and assessment of the interventions included in the Plan, on national, territorial or facility levels.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to deliver two capacity-building sessions focused on applying Social and Behavior Change approaches in health, immunization, and beyond, for public health specialists, communication officers from NAPH, MOH, public health institutions and Government, but also for UNICEF Moldova staff. These sessions will equip participants with practical knowledge on how to effectively program, conceptualize, develop, evaluate, and implement interventions and policies designed to influence behavior at the individual, community, and population levels. Participants will also explore the application of various disciplinary perspectives and models to enhance the efficiency and impact of SBC interventions. Moreover, participants will be equipped with knowledge and practice to implement efficiently the interventions included in the SBCI Plan 2027.

2. Overarching objectives

• To build foundational knowledge and apply principles and approaches for developing effective behavior change interventions and policies;
• To establish an in-depth understanding of, and confidence in, applying systematic processes and methods to design, evaluate and implement behavior change interventions and policies.

3. Work Assignment Overview

The assignment will be carried out both remotely and in-country. 

Specific Tasks and Deliverables:

1. Preparation of Workshop Materials:

• Develop separate pre-training Guidance with key information for participants of the 2-day training and the half-day training, respectively.
• Develop an introductory presentation that covers key concepts, theories, models and practical applications of SBC in health and immunization, and beyond
• Develop pre-training and post-training assessments for participants in the 2-day training.
• Develop training package materials (including power point presentations and hand-outs for participants) for the sessions of the 2-day training, including: 1. programming and conceptualization; 2. development; 3. implementation and 4. evaluation of behavior change interventions and policies.
• Develop training materials (including power point presentations and hand-outs for participants) for the interactive session of the half-day training for UNICEF Moldova staff.

2. Deliver a 2-day training for public health and communication specialists from selected institutions

• Facilitate a total of eight practical sessions around four main areas (1. programming and conceptualization; 2. development; 3. implementation and 4. evaluation of behavior change interventions and policies) over two days.

3. Deliver a half-day training for UNICEF Moldova staff

• Facilitate an interactive session on the application of social and behavior change principles for programming in all areas of interventions.

4. Deliverables and timelines

* Exact deadlines will be mutually agreed upon contract signature.

5. Definition of supervisory arrangements

The specialist will work under the oversight of Social and Behavior Change Officer and Health Specialist of UNICEF Moldova. Payments will be rendered upon successful completion of each task, as per the schedule outlined above.

6. Work location and official travel involved.

The consultancy envisages 15 working days between March – May 2025, out of which 3 days in the country. All travel arrangements and expenses are covered by the selected consultant and should be included in the submitted financial offer.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• Advanced academic degree in Communication, Social and Behavior Science, Social Marketing, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of professional experience in communication, Social and Behavioral Science, Social marketing, etc.
• Proven experience in designing and delivering capacity-building training programs on Social and Behavior Change.
• Experience working in the ECA region is an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of Romanian or Russian is considered a strong asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

For more details on the consultancy assignment and requirements, please refer to attached Terms of reference (ToR)

 2025_TOR_Int Indiv Consultancy_SBC Capacity Building_VA.docx

HOW TO APPLY: Your online application should contain the Technical and Financial Offers (templates below). Please secure the Financial Proposal *.pdf document with a password on document view; the password will be requested only from technically qualified candidates.

 Technical Offer_SBC Capacity Building.docx

 Financial Offer_SBC Capacity Building.xlsx

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.