Social & Behavior Change Specialist (Conflict), P-3, Polio Eradication Programme, New York, #97716

Job no: 564717

Position type: Fixed Term Appointment

Location: United States Division/Equivalent: Programme

School/Unit: Programme Group

Department/Office: Health Section, UNICEF NYHQ

Categories: 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, Health

Social and Behaviour Change in UNICEF is a cross-cutting programme strategy that addresses the cognitive, social and structural determinants of social change in both development and humanitarian contexts. SBC is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate, with corporate results across sectors revolving around social and behavioral practices like immunization, breastfeeding, hygiene, and positive discipline.

Polio eradication remains one of UNICEF’s highest organizational priorities, declared a Level 3-like emergency by the Executive Director in 2014. UNICEF works in partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and is the lead agency for Social and Behaviour Change. Since its inception in 1988, GPEI has made significant progress, reducing the global incidence of polio cases by over 99%. As a core partner in GPEI, UNICEF plays a crucial role in providing vaccines, mobilizing communities, and implementing innovative social and behaviour change strategies to reach every child with life-saving vaccines.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Social and Behaviour Change Manager, the Social and Behaviour Change Specialist works within the Polio SBC work stream in NYHQ, and in close collaboration with staff in other HQ polio units, the Polio Hub for Endemics in Amman, Geneva Outbreak Team, RO/COs, partner agencies, and government officials, subject matter experts, and supports successful SBC strategy implementation in polio endemic and outbreak countries with a focus on security compromised contexts.

How can you make a difference?

The Social and Behaviour Change Specialist provides technical and operational support for developing a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategy and process for SBC as an integral part of programme development, planning and implementation with a focus on security compromised contexts in the polio endemic and outbreak countries. The Social and Behavioral Change Specialist (Conflict) is driven by the need to apply social and behavioral change expertise with a conflict lens. This need has been identified through experience gained from both endemic countries and other consequential geographies. The rationale behind creating this position is based on several factors, including the growing number of missed children living in conflict-affected areas, distinct mindset and dynamic in conflict-affected regions, including access and security challenges. There is an urgent need for specialized knowledge of conflict mitigation strategies and a deep understanding of the ‘conflict mindset’. The proposed position of Social and Behavioral Change Specialist (Conflict) is essential for devising strategies for accessing missed children in access and security compromised contexts.

Key functions and responsibilities include the following:

1. Generate and utilize research, data, and evidence to inform the design, measurement, and monitoring of SBC programs and outcomes in emergency and security compromised contexts in polio endemic and outbreak countries and to build the evidence base for SBC:

•  In collaboration with sectoral and cross-sectoral specialists, relevant government officers and other UN/NGO partners, design and conduct SBC situation analyses and formative research that identify social and behavioral drivers; initiate, commission, manage and/or utilize qualitative and quantitative research on social and behavioral drivers that include behavioral analysis, human centered design, social listening, behavioral insights, participatory research and/or RCT.
•  Establish community feedback mechanisms and use feedback to inform community engagement and SBC actions for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience. Generate and use SBC evidence, data, and assessments for disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience.
•  Develop terms of reference, research tools, frameworks, and protocols for generating evidence to inform SBC initiatives and apply tools, methodologies and frameworks for data collection, tracking, monitoring, and reporting and disseminating SBC results.
•  Conduct and/or participate in country programme monitoring and evaluation exercises and make recommendations on workplan revisions based on the results.
•  Develop and manage relationships with external partners, vendors and consultants for research and evidence generation and support of SBC.

2. Design, plan and implement SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioural evidence and strong engagement and participation mechanisms particularly in humanitarian and security compromised contexts:

•  In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral specialists, relevant government officers and other UN/NGO partners, develop, implement, and monitor evidence-based SBC strategies and activities, in line with global standards and UNICEF priorities and approaches.
•  In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral colleagues and implementing partners, select appropriate SBC activities and platforms for engagement, ensuring quality and integration of the latest evidence and science-backed approaches. In this process, oversee coordination with SBC stakeholders and partners to align plans and activities.
•  Identify, propose, and implement evidence-based programme/strategy recommendations from current data, evidence and trends for priority social and behavioral issues and ensure the integration of latest innovative approaches and technology in SBC in programme approaches and advocate for their adoption among internal and external stakeholders.
•  Apply the above skills of designing, planning, implementing, and monitoring of community engagement and SBC interventions in particular in the security compromised contexts.
•  Make viable recommendations on inclusion of effective community engagement and social and behavioural approaches in security compromised contexts of the endemic and outbreak countries’ work plans and strategies.

3. Support operationalization of SBC by advocating for SBC, resources mobilization effort through the RMFC team, coordinating across stakeholders, sectors and teams, and partnership building:

•  Represent UNICEF’s interests in partnerships and manage development of and progress against joint project agreements with relevant partners; represent the UNICEF HQ Polio SBC work stream in national and international level fora and among partners as relevant and necessary.
•  Collaborate with national, regional and/or global partners to link and coordinate SBC approaches.
•  Cultivate resource mobilization opportunities in coordination with the RMFC team and contribute to development of proposals, reports, and other materials to support resources mobilization. Contribute to mobilizing human resources for SBC, including staff, consultants, and external vendors.
•  Identify, recruit, and supervise consultants, vendors, and other technical expertise to support delivery of SBC activities. Plan, use and track the use of resources and verify compliance with organizational guidelines and standards.
•  Contribute to financial planning, budget planning and tracking and financial management for SBC.
•  Identify, disseminate, and adopt best practices and innovative approaches and technology in SBC, integrate them in programme approaches and support SBC and sectoral teams in implementing them.
•  Advocate internally and externally for integration of SBC in national systems, in the country programme, and in sectoral plans.
•  Coordinate with stakeholders and partners for the implementation of community engagement and SBC in security compromised contexts.

4. Promote continuous learning, strengthening, innovation and scaling up in SBC for security compromised contexts through capacity building for UNICEF staff and partners:

•  Identify, design, and organize SBC training materials and opportunities for staff and partners, including on new approaches such as behavioural analysis, behavioural insights, human-cantered design, social listening, and social accountability mechanisms. Develop and/or use and adapt existing UNICEF learning resources, guidelines, and training materials to build SBC capacity among staff, implementing partners and relevant government and non-government counterparts.
•  Develop and institutionalize best practices, facilitate the exchange of experiences, and provide technical assistance for the uptake of new SBC methods and knowledge internally and externally with a focus on SBC in security compromised contexts
•  Plan and implement SBC capacity assessments within the CO.
•  Identify and mobilize resources to support capacity development internally and externally and provide SBC technical support and capacity building to government counterparts.
•  Initiate and manage partnerships with academia and learning institutions for the delivery of SBC capacity development activities.
•  Identify and develop mechanisms to strengthen systems for community engagement in humanitarian contexts.
•  Develop and/or adapt capacity development tools and activities for humanitarian programming with a focus on preparedness, response, and recovery.

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

•  An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following fields: social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, public relations, or another relevant technical field.
•  A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following areas: social development programme planning, social and behavior change, communication for development, public advocacy or another related area.
•  Experience of working in a developing country and expertise of working in fragile and conflict affected settings, is considered an advantage.
•  An understanding of conflict-sensitive programming is considered an asset.
•  Experience of social research, social data collection and analysis is considered a plus.
•  Experience of working with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and alliance building with local institutions, considered an asset.
•  Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
•  Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework 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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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

Advertised: Aug 07 2023 Eastern Daylight Time

Application close: Aug 20 2023 Eastern Daylight Time

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•  Closes Aug 20 2023Social & Behavior Change Specialist (Conflict), P-3, Polio Eradication Programme, New York, #97716 in United States

  Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Social and Behaviour Change Manager, the Social and Behaviour Change Specialist works within the Polio SBC work stream in NYHQ, and in close collaboration with staff in other HQ polio units, the Polio Hub for Endemics in Amman, Geneva Outbreak Team, RO/COs, partner agencies, and government officials, subject matter experts, and supports successful SBC strategy implementation in polio endemic and outbreak countries with a focus on security compromised contexts.

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