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National Consultant - Health Communications and Community Engagement (6 months)

Islamabad

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Islamabad
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Public Health and Health Service
    • Social Affairs
    • Communication and Public Information
    • Civil Society and Local governance
  • Closing Date: Closed

Join UNICEF Islamabad Office for an exciting role to support Health Section in developing integrated communication strategy.

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, Health

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves. 

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

  • Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
  • Every child learns.
  • Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
  • Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will work with the Ministry and its attached departments in close collaboration with relevant sector communication specialists from UN, development and private sector partners. The framework will guide the provincial chapters with their communication strategies. The strategy/framework will include a strong Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component to highlight the role of advocacy, health education, social mobilization, behaviour change communication and capacity building initiatives under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Package in Pakistan. The framework will also ensure better coordination between the attached/subordinate departments and programmes as well as technical consistency, clarity and transparency between the different partners, including CSOs in Pakistan.

Scope of Work:

The development of this strategy/framework is a full-time task and requires a dedicated consultant to liaise with MoNHSR&C and its line departments as well as other technical partner organizations and donors. The consultant will work closely with the Ministry staff and partners. The consultant will work under the supervision of the MoNHSR&C’s Programme Support Unit, Health Manager - UNICEF and C4D Specialist-Health.

The tasks include:

1.Support in notification of a Communication Committee with all relevant stakeholders to provide strategic guidance and technical oversight in development of an integrated health communications/community engagement strategy/framework linked to the UHC Package and UHC Investment Case.

2.Mapping and analysis of existing communication strategies for each line department and the community engagement component of the UHC Package.

3.Map existing communication and community engagement landscape using social data and a rapid assessment that comprehensively addresses social and behaviour change communication to create demand for UHC services with a focus on RMNCH.

4.Identification, mapping and analysis of target audiences and channels/platforms for two-way communication.

5.Clearly define goals, objectives, outputs/outcomes, monitoring indicators and detailed framework to assess the impact of proposed interventions.

Development of a national integrated health communications/community engagement strategy/framework linked to the UHC Package that encompasses the broader work of all attached departments/programmes, especially around Reproductive, Maternal Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (RMNCHN).

Work Assignment Overview:

  • Support in notification of a Communication Committee with all relevant stakeholders to provide strategic guidance and technical oversight in development of an integrated health communications/community engagement strategy/framework linked to the UHC Package.
  • Mapping and analysis of existing communication strategies for each line department and the community engagement component of the UHC Package.
  • Map existing communication/community engagement landscape using social data and a rapid assessment to identify current interventions and gaps in social and behaviour change communication to create demand for health services and UHC package.
  • Identification, mapping and analysis of target audiences and channels/platforms for two-way communication.
  • Development of a national integrated health communications/community engagement strategy using human centric design approaches linked to the UHC Package that encompasses the broader work of all attached departments/programmes, especially around Reproductive, Maternal Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition (RMNCHN). The framework should clearly define goals, objectives, outputs/outcomes, monitoring indicators/ framework to assess the impact of proposed interventions.

Deliverables:

  • Submission of approved TORs and notification of Communication Committee.
  • Submission of inception report with a clear plan for development of integrated communication framework.
  • Analysis Report/Matrix with details of existing strategies/interventions and relevant documents available in a folder that can be accessed online. 
  • SWOT analysis/BNA/Matrix and other reference documents with details on available social data and gaps in information to implement social and behaviour change communication/human centred design interventions for health available in a folder that can be accessed online.
  • Matrix with details on target audiences, their sub-categorization for specific activities and information on all two-way communication channels/platforms available in the country. 
  • Share draft National Integrated Health Communications Strategy/ Framework linked to UHC Package for review.
  • Submission of final Strategy/Framework after incorporating feedback from key stakeholders.

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

  • An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Communication for development or the social/behavioral sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, Health Education), with an emphasis on participatory communication, communication planning, social mobilization, participatory research.
  • *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.
  • A minimum of 8 years’ work experience in strategic communication development, planning and management of social development programs/health communications, experience of working with the UN, INGOs, senior government officials/departments and donors.
  • Knowledge of current developments in the fields of communication for development, adult learning, media, community organization and participation.
  • Working knowledge and understanding of use/application of all communication channels and tools including, mass/traditional media, social/digital media and other community engagement platforms.
  • Knowledge of the social, political, and economic environment as well as public health landscape in Pakistan.
  • Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work well in a diverse team of local and international actors, Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
  • Recognized abilities to organize and implement planning workshops in strategic communications, participatory approaches, and evaluation of communication interventions.
  • Fluency in written and verbal English and Urdu are essential.
  • Proven ability to interact diplomatically with government officials, as well as experience working directly with community-level partners.
  • Ability to interact with people from different disciplines, and with varying degrees of technical experience. Ability to tailor technical language to people with different backgrounds.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

  • UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and core competencies in: Communication, Builds and maintains partnerships, Drive to achieve results for impact, Innovates and embraces change, Manages ambiguity and complexity, Thinks and acts strategically, Works collaboratively with others
    View our competency framework at: Here
  • UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
  • 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

NOTE:

  • Estimated Duration: 6 months, estimate starting date: 1st May 2021
  • The consultant will be based in Islamabad 
  • The level of consultancy is equivalent to NOD. 
  • Applicants are requested to submit a financial quotation indicating monthly fee as part of the application against each deliverable.
  • HEC Attested and verified degrees are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF. Candidates will be required to present attested and verified degrees.
  • At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

Remarks:

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.

This vacancy is now closed.
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