Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Officer

UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.

Zambia is among the countries facing the negative effects of the climate crisis and recurrent disease outbreaks, with multiple determinants driving public health emergencies and humanitarian situations. The ongoing crises poses significant risks to the adoption of promotive behaviours and the uptake of essential services. UNICEF is accountable for supporting the Government in the areas of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), in collaboration with partners. The RCCE Officer will operate within the Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) section working closely with programme sections (Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition, Child Protection, Education and Social Policy, as well as relevant teams in cross-cutting units such as Communication, Advocacy and Public Engagement (CAPE), Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) and Operations).

In addition to duty station specific vaccine requirements, appointments 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 appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers 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 contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers 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 recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Under the direct supervision of the Social and Behavioural Change Manager, the RCCE Officer will perform the following tasks:

• RCCE Evidence generation: Provide technical assistance in the conduct of rapid assessments, data collection, and analysis to inform RCCE strategies and activities, using relevant methods including Rapid Qualitative Assessments (RQA) in districts targeted for drought and Public Health Emergency (PHE) response. Extract insights and translate recommendations to inform RCCE planning and the design of interventions and messages. Support the development of reporting tools and the collection, compilation, and analysis of data and insights;

• Planning, Design, and Coordination: Assist the Ministry of Health (MOH), Health Promotion Unit, Provincial Health Directors (PHDs), District Health Directors (DHDs), and partners in the development of costed RCCE strategies and plans, including facilitating the design of coordinated and tailored interventions for hard to reach, hesitant, and vulnerable groups and communities. Support the MOH in the rollout of strategic guidance, including the multi hazard plan and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);

• Capacity Building: Support capacity building activities on RCCE and Community Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), jointly with the MOH, PHDs/DHDs, and key partners. Provide mentoring on the use of CFM tools and multimedia tools;

• Community Engagement: Support the MOH and partners in the implementation and monitoring of integrated community engagement and multimedia activities. Support PHDs/DHDs in identifying ways to strengthen engagement with community structures, including women’s and youth associations, digital mobilizers, CSO and faith-based organizations;

• Message and Material Development: Support the development and adaptation of evidence based, culturally sensitive, and disability inclusive multimedia RCCE materials. Participate in all stages of key message and material development, from assessment to co design, pretesting, planning for material distribution, and monitoring of outcomes;

• Social Listening and Community Feedback: Support the MOH, PHDs, and DHDs in social listening and community feedback mechanisms, generate evidence, and ensure its use to improve RCCE interventions. Engage with digital mobilizers and support provinces to strengthen media capacity to communicate RCCE messages, and to monitor and measure reach and engagement.