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Consultancy: C4D Zika Response Consultancy - Writer/Editor - C4D, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 504659

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location:
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Communication and Public Information
    • Translations and Languages
    • Communication for Development (C4D)
  • Closing Date: Closed

As part of the global preparedness and response to Zika outbreak, UNICEF is tasked to coordinate and provide technical leadership, with partners, through the Communication for Development teams in the area of Risk Communication and Community Engagement in high-priority countries in LAC and use these lessons to prepare other regions that are most at risk for possible Zika outbreaks.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

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.

Background & Rationale

On 3 March 2014, Chile notified PAHO/WHO that it had confirmed a case of indigenous transmission of Zika virus on Easter Island, where the virus continued to be detected until June 2014.  In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed the transmission of Zika virus in the northeast of the country. On 1 February 2016, the WHO Director General announced Zika as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, following the recommendation of the meeting of experts of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations, 2005.

To date, 75 countries across all regions have reported mosquito borne Zika virus transmission. Fifty eight countries and territories have confirmed local, vector-borne transmission of Zika virus disease from 2015 onwards, of which 48 are in the Region of the Americas. Twenty nine countries or territories have reported microcephaly and/or CNS malformations potentially associated with Zika virus.

Based on the evolving nature of the outbreak, in November 2016 WHO declared that Zika virus is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. However, the global health community has reiterated that the Zika virus and its associated consequences remain significant and will need to be addressed as part of routine programming. This will require programming around vector control measures, addressing sexual and reproductive issues to address sexual transmission and protecting children during pregnancy and finally addressing care and support needs of children with microcephaly or other malformations

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The same mosquito also transmits 3 other vector-borne diseases -- dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, usually causing mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and muscle pain. There is no vaccine or specific drug for this virus, treatment is symptomatic. Prevention is through personal protection from mosquito bites and reducing vector density as well as by avoiding sexual transmission from an infected person to their partner by using a barrier method of contraception. There is scientific consensus that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Links to other neurological complications are also being investigated.

The WHO-led Zika Strategic Response Framework (2016- 2017) for the global community outlines four areas of focus – Surveillance, Response, Research and Care and Support. Stemming from this, and cognisant of the organisation’s expertise and comparative advance, UNICEF’s response, globally and specifically in LAC is around prevention and control of Zika and in mitigating impact of Zika on children and families.

Since early 2016 and into 2017, UNICEF is responding in the LAC region to support the ministries of health, other relevant line ministries particularly education and child protection as well as civil society organization and other stakeholders through advocacy, risk communication and community engagement for vector control and promoting personal protective behaviours as well as in health monitoring, surveillance and research. With epidemic established in LAC, UNICEF is also supporting the government to address non-clinical care and support needs of families who have children that are born with microcephaly or other congenital malformations. While UNICEF support is across all of LAC, specific leadership and technical support is provided to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Dominican Republic by working closely with government and international and local NGO partners. UNICEF is also responding to the Zika outbreak in West and Central Africa region, especially in Cabo Verde and Guinea-Bissau  and in East Asia and The Pacific, especially the Mekong-sub-region where case of Zika and microcephaly have been confirmed. And in other regions, UNICEF is gearing up its support to government in being prepared to address Zika.

Purpose

As part of the global preparedness and response to Zika outbreak, UNICEF is tasked to coordinate and provide technical leadership, with partners, through the Communication for Development teams in the area of Risk Communication and Community Engagement in high-priority countries in LAC and use these lessons to prepare other regions that are most at risk for possible Zika outbreaks.

A key task of providing technical and coordination support is to document on-going lessons learned from the response and to use them to fine-tune long-term C4D response strategies and enhance local capacities on risk communication and community engagement. To this effect, UNICEF New York is seeking services from an experienced Communication for Development (C4D) consultant/institution to carry out the following tasks:

  1. A short compendium of case examples from 4 countries in LAC related to Zika virus prevention and control and care and support related communication for development interventions
  2. Prepare a book proposal with (UNICEF as co-author) based on the Zika communication/C4D experience from 2016/2017 and identify papers to be submitted for publication and assist in the editorial process.

Expected results: (measurable results)

  1. 4 case studies of C4D and Zika response written and disseminated.  
  2. Develop proposal for an edited book project and provide editorial support in identifying authors and chapters for the book

Duty Station

New York based with travel to priority countries in LAC and other regions as required.

Timeframe

Start date:   15 June 2017                     

End date: 30 November 2017       

Deliverables

Duration

(Estimated # of Days)

Deadline

  1. Compendium of 4 (four) Zika C4D case studies from LAC

35

30 September 2017

  1. Project management and editorial support for a book on Communication to Manage Infectious Diseases, including Zika.

15

30 November 2017

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

  • Academic qualification: Doctoral degree specializing in communication studies, specialization in health or risk communication.
  • Specialized training in health communication or risk communication in the context of public health emergencies/outbreaks.
  • Experience: in publishing papers and/or book chapters, developing training materials for government/INGO staff is required. Past experience of consulting with UN agencies especially UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA or UNAIDS is an asset. Experience in providing technical advice around health communication to large scale interventions in the context of vector control or sexual reproductive health initiatives in Latin America is preferred.  
  • Length of relevant work experience – More than 8 years in international health settings.
  • Languages needed: fluent in Spanish and English; some fluency in Portuguese preferred and other UN languages are an advantage

To view our competency framework, please click here

Please indicate your ability, availability and lump sum rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above.  Applications submitted without a lump sum rate will not be considered.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

This vacancy is now closed.
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