National/International Consultant: Social and Behavior Change (SBC+) Capacity Development Consultant, Kathmandu, Nepal (Open for both National & International based in Nepal)

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. 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) stands out in the Nepal Country Programme Action Plan 2023-27 with a critical role

as a Change Strategy to catalyze the Cross-Sectorial integration to contribute to a Structural and integrated Social

Change by supporting the Nepal Country Program (CPD/CPAP 2023-2027) goals on Nutrition, Health, Education, Child

Protection, WASH and Social Protection and SDGs 2,3,4,5,6,10,11 & 16.

The vision of UNICEF Nepal Country Office is to build SBC+ Sectoral systems to accelerating Social Change. As a crosssectoral

area, SBC+ comprises Social and Behaviour Change, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE)

and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP). The overarching direction for SBC+ in the current Country Program

points to:

• Support SBC in all provinces with cost-effective solutions.
• Focus on demonstration on a small scale and on the most underserved populations.
• Engagement of children and adolescents as agents of social change.
• Internal and external co-creation and partnership for cost and resource efficiency.
• Internal and external capacity development reaching sub-national level.

SBC+ aims as facilitate the programme integration, building the effective bridge between knowledge, behaviours, and

impacts (including cost of inaction) to effectively contribute to the structural and social transformation agenda in Nepal,

impacting public policies and institutional services, community-led structures, and individual behaviours. Thus, a

sectoral SBC+ systematic multi-stakeholder collaboration, at the provincial and local levels, will become the big changer

for children’s and communities’ lives.

To adapt, contextualize and rollout the UNICEF’s online SBC+ Regional Capacity Development Programme to a remote and presential hybrid modality, aiming at contributing to build SBC+ sectoral national and subnational systems by strengthening the common understanding, technical knowledge and impact of SBC+, including Behavioural Sciences for social change, Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Accountability to Affected Populations, Faith Engagement for Positive Change, Digital SBC and Social and Gender Norms, among other approaches and solutions, to advance children’s rights and development across Nepal and beyond.

The consultant will report to the Chief of SBC Section, UNICEF Nepal Country Office, based in Kathmandu, in close

collaboration with the Field Offices and Programme Sections and Cross-sectoral areas, UNICEF Regional Office for South

Asia and other UNICEF Offices, academic and implementation partners and other supporting stakeholders. The

consultant will be accountable on all the stages of the adaptation of the SBC+ Regional Capacity Development

Programme, including facilitation, mobilization and coordination of capacities and resources; design, implementation

and monitoring of the programme, in coordination with academic, research and implementing partners; and support to

continued improvement, expansion and sustainability of the programme towards contributing to advance the social

transformation agenda in favor of children right and wellbeing in Nepal beyond.

The consultant will leverage UNICEF SBC+ global, regional and national capabilities and ensure an international

multicultural participatory approach of sectors, partners and stakeholders to facilitate their engagement and

contribution to the programme as well as its appropriation and expansion. Moreover, the consultant will contribute to

the SBC+ Vision for UNICEF Nepal 2024-2025, supporting the shift from message-oriented interventions to an evidencebased

people-centered SBC+ system, built on the use of social data for quality behavioral science, community

engagement, interpersonal communication, knowledge strengthening and feedback mechanisms, among other

components to prompt positive social change.

This consultancy is home-based. It’s planned to run from 1 December 2024 to 30 September 2025, estimating 10

months with

Scope of Work:

In line with the purpose of this consultancy, the Country Programme Action Plan, UNICEF Strategic Global and Regional

Plans, SBC+ Vision for Nepal Country Office and other relevant frameworks, the consultant will:

1. Liaise with all stakeholders relevant for this consultancy, including (but not limited to) staff and

management, academic, research and implementing partners, donors and supportive partners, vendors and

participants, to ensure the full contextualization, Implementation, sustainability, and expansion of the SBC+

Regional Capacity Development Programme to remote and presential a hybrid modality.

2. Design a strategic plan to adapt, resource, implement, assess and sustain the SBC+ Regional Capacity

Development Programme to foster the common understanding and technical knowledge and impact of SBC+.

The plan should include both innovations and priority approaches and strategies such as Behavioural Sciences

for social change, Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Accountability to Affected

Populations, Faith Engagement for Positive Change, Digital SBC and Social and Gender Norms, among other

approaches and solutions, to advance children’s rights and development across Nepal and beyond.

3. Mobilize the resources to support the positioning, sustainability and expansion of the SBC+ Regional Capacity

Development Programme contextualized to Nepal and beyond by developing and contributing to business

cases and fund-raising proposals and boosting resource/fund support including in kind and cash

contributions, partnerships and collaborations, visibility and broad promotion in internal and external

communication platform.

4. Coordinate the adaptation, implementation and continuous improvement of the SBC+ Regional Capacity

Development Programme in a hybrid remote and presential modality, targeting both staff and partners

(including government, CSO, UN Family and others) with a series of outputs from thematic sessions, seminars

and especial events to a comprehensive SBC+ formal programme provided in collaboration with academic,

research and implementing partners with national and international scope.

5. Monitor, report and document on the progress, outcome and learnings of the programme and all its outputs

and activities in a regular basis, to support the resource mobilization and ensure the accountability around

the programme and contribute with evidence generation to advance the social transformation agenda in

favor of children right and wellbeing in Nepal beyond.

6. Advocate for SBC+ mainstreaming within the stakeholders of the programme encouraging/promoting

engagement and dialogue, inclusion, self-determination, and participation in mobilizing social, political,

behavioral and cultural change to achieve sustainable programme results on children and communities’

rights, equity and wellbeing.

Duration of Contract: 10 months with 107 working days, (Avg. 10.7 days x month).

Duty Station: The consultant will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal (Home Based).

Tasks:

1. Inception and foundational basis.

2. Strategic design of SBC+ Capacity Developmentpment Programme. including 

a) SBC+ approaches and solutions (e.g. e.g., B.Sc. AAP, RCCE);

b) thematic areas (e.g., faith, digital, social norms) and

c) special events (e.g., deep-dives, seminars) aimed at staff.

3. Implementation at the national and subnational levels.

4. Monitoring, knowledge Management & storytelling.

5. Outcome and final reporting.

Deliverables: 

1.1. Submission of an inception report of the scope of the work to carry out during the consultancy including main needs, opportunities, and challenges and a measurable work plan. Delivery deadline – 20/12/2024 

1. 2. Submission of an internal capacity development costed annual plan leveraging the UNICEFs’ SBC+ regional Capacity Development Programme Delivery deadline -10/01/2025 

2.1. Submission of an external capacity development costed annual plan for the Adaptation of the SBC+ Regional Capacity Development Programme, including SBC+ approaches and solutions, thematic areas and special events, to a hybrid remote and presential modality contextualized to Nepal, aimed at staff and partners. Delivery deadline – Estimated Budget – 30/01/2025

3.1. Roll-out of the SBC+ Capacity Development Programme: – 1st Phase of Internal thematic sessions (2.1) and External Programme (2.2.) including at least one national training in place, two provincial-level and six local level training in a selected province, in coordination with the UNICEF Field Offices and relevant academic partners and stakeholders. Delivery deadline -14/03/2025 Estimated Budget – 10%

3.2. Roll-out of the SBC+ Capacity Development Programme: 2nd Phase of Internal thematic sessions

(2.1) and External Programme

(2.2.) including at least four additional provincial-level and twelve local level training in a second and third selected provinces, in coordination with the UNICEF Field Offices and relevant academic partners and stakeholders. Delivery deadline – 13/06/2025 

3.3. Roll-out of the SBC+ Capacity Development Programme: 3rd Phase of Internal thematic sessions

(2.1) and External Programme

(2.2.) including at least two provincial-level and six local level training courses in a fourth province in coordination with the UNICEF Field Offices and relevant academic partners and stakeholders. Delivery deadline – 12/09/2025 

4.1. Contributing to business cases and fund-raising proposals and boosting resource/fund support on a regular and ad hock basis. -Delivery deadline -1 8/07/2024

4.2. Contribute to CSI, RAM, SitReps, SBC sectoral and cross-sectoral reports and other digital engagement, data collection or monitoring platform in regularand ad hock basis.

4.3. Support SBC team (NCO and FOs) to incorporate SBC+ capacity building costed components at the activity and output level in sectoral workplans of at least four sectors.

5.1. Support in the documentation and dissemination of at least four stories or case studies on the development, outcome, and impact of the whole programme. Delivery deadline – 26/09/2025 

5.2. Submission of a final illustrated report (document) and a summary (PPT) of the consultancy results with clear linkage to the main needs, opportunities, and challenges identified during the inception phase, quantitative and qualitative impact of the activities implemented and recommendations for the continuity and sustainability of the programme at the national and subnational levels. Delivery deadline – 26/09/2025 

To qualify as an advocate for every child the consultant will have… 

Academic Qualification:

• Advanced university (master’s) degree in one of the following fields is required: Communication Studies, Economics, Public Policy, Public Health, Social Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field. OR bachelor’s degree in any of the above disciplines with at least additional two years of professional experience in SBC programme planning and implementation on the ground and SBC specialized training in lieu of master’s degree.

Work Experience:

• minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is
• required: social development program planning, social and behavior change,
• communication for development, public advocacy, or another related area with relevant
• fieldwork experience.
• Technical knowledge in planning, advocacy, Social Behaviour and Change and emergency
• response.
• Experience in coordination planning, data analytics, facilitation, budgeting and resource
• mobilization for capacity development and training programmes.
• Excellent Nepali and English writing and verbal communication skills.
• Relevant national and regional experience with UN agencies will be an added advantage.

Other skills

• Capacity to work independently and take initiative.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results.
• Computer skills (including advanced Spreadsheet/Microsoft Excel)

Language Proficiency:

• Fluency in English and Nepali is required.

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 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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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: 

Request to submit financial proposal (Nepalese currency) based on the deliverables for this assignment. 

The consultancy is open for national and for international candidates who are already residing in Nepal as travel to and from home country to Nepal and back is not applicable.

Female candidates and candidates from the under-represented ethnic groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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. 

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