National Consultancy Vacancy for Yemen Social and Behavior Change Polio Surge Support, Aden,9 months, Office-Based

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, change

In the 1970s UNICEF established presence in Yemen to respond to the urgent needs of children in the poorest country in the Middle East. In 1991, Yemen ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it was enacted immediately.  Since then the country has been making steady progress for children until it plunged into a brutal conflict in 2015 but even before that, Yemen needed large amounts of humanitarian assistance.

In collaboration with local authorities, non-governmental organizations and community partners, UNICEF is working in all the governorates in Yemen to respond to the needs of children throughout the country with a continuum of services to help children survive and grow to their full potential through the following programmes: Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Basic Education, and Child protection.

For more on our work in Yemen, please visit our website: https://www.unicef.org/yemen/

How can you make a difference? 

UNICEF Yemen is seeking a highly skilled and experienced consultant to support the polio social and behavior change efforts in Yemen based in the Aden Field Office during the response to the poliovirus outbreak, working under the supervision of the Chief of SBC in UNICEF Country Office and in close collaboration with the Chief of Field Office of Aden, SBC specialist in Aden, and the WHO communication team at national and Aden level, and Health Offices’ Extended Programme on Immunization and Health Education Centers.

The consultant will be responsible for implementing key SBC activities related to Polio and outlined in the SBC work plan to achieve the intended outcomes. Specifically, the consultant will:

• Support the development, adaption, and roll out essential SBC strategies and interventions especially the parenting package at community and institutional levels to increase immunization demands.
• Support to strengthen and institutionalize the capacity of key stakeholders in Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) programming, the newly developed the parenting package with a focus on polio eradication efforts.
• Support the implementation of EAF and other zero dose reduction activities in Polio low performing governorates
• Support the roll out of planned Polio Campaigns and IORs and ensure that the community engagement and SBCC components are well planned, implemented and monitored.
• Support the implementation of the gender mainstreaming in immunization efforts, especially the GMG proposal.
• Design and implement targeted SBC interventions to promote polio vaccine acceptance and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
• Develop tailored communication strategies that address misinformation and community concerns regarding polio immunization.
• Support the community engagement efforts through influencers, religious leaders, and health workers to advocate for polio vaccination campaigns.
• Support the mass media, social media, and interpersonal communication efforts to enhance public awareness and encourage behavior change in relation to polio prevention.
• Conduct training and capacity-building workshops for frontline health workers, volunteers, and community organizations on effective SBC strategies.
• Support the development and dissemination of culturally appropriate information, education, and communication (IEC) materials to reinforce key polio vaccination messages.
• Monitor, evaluate, and document the impact of SBC interventions to assess effectiveness and inform future programming.
• Participate in technical meetings and events related to the polio vaccine and vaccine demand generation.
• Support monitoring, evaluation, and documentation of SBC interventions to assess impact and inform future programming.
• Support to implement integrated SBC projects with other sectors.

To view the specific tasks and the required deliverables, scope of the work and full details of the job profile, hold CTRL & double-click on the following link:  Terms of Reference _National Consultant SBC Polio Surge Support.pdf

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

Education:

Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of relevant experience in the social/behavioural communication. Knowledge about communication interventions for outbreaks, and routine & supplementary immunization.

Experience & Knowledge:

• Proven successful experience of 5 years of working in the field of social and behavior change communication and community engagement.
• Experience in inter-disciplinary approaches in strategic communication with knowledge of UN and/or UNICEF’s work in health and polio eradication.

Language:

Arabic native speaker. Fluency in English will be an added advantage.

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. 

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 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. 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 for ensuring that the 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, programmme 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.
• Candidates are required to provide an all-inclusive fee proposal (in U.S.D) as part of their application. It is better to attach a table which shall include fees for the deliverables, living allowance, accommodation, and travel cost.
• Candidates are required to provide a technical proposal as part of their application. The technical proposal might include highlights on the below points:
• Background information that includes an interpretation and understanding of the terms of reference.
• Methodology and approach outlining a clear conceptual and analytical framework for the work to be undertaken.
• Proposed work plan outlining clear timeframe and logical steps in conducting the assignment.
• Name and brief background of the vendor/consultant, including existing experience and expertise that will be of benefit to the proposed assignment.
• Names and contact information of referees for the 3 most recent and relevant projects