Consultancy (Project Manager - Gender and Innovation)

UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant to provide regional project management services and technical support to the ‘Development of a Localized Mobile Phone Period Tracker and SRH Support App for Adolescent Girls Prototype’. The consultant will coordinate the initiative among participating stakeholders and manage the development of the simple phone solution (Inception, Consultative Design Development, RapidPro Prototype Development; Testing and Finalization), and help develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) for soliciting vendor interest in development of the smart phone solution.

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.

Purpose of assignment:

UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan 2018-2021 specifies how UNICEF will promote gender equality across the organization’s work, in alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018-2021. The GAP programmatic framework defines a twin track for the integration of gender equality outcomes across all programme areas, and specifies five ‘targeted gender priorities’ focused on empowering adolescent girls.

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is specified as one of the five targeted priority, as it covers issues beyond health, including schooling and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). The ability for adolescent girls to safely manage their monthly menstrual cycle in privacy and with dignity is fundamental to their health, psychosocial welling and mobility. Delivering quality MHM resources and information is important for building the confidence and freedom of girls during adolescence.

In the East Asia Pacific (EAP) region women and girls continue to face multiple challenges in managing their menstrual hygiene, due to social norms and taboos; lack of accurate information; poor access to sanitary products and inadequate WASH facilities. For example, in Lao PDR 97% of girls had little or no knowledge about MHM prior to menarche and in Indonesia 45% of girls reported the same. Myths and misinformation are common throughout the region and often include dietary taboos, exclusion from activities, and restrictions on bathing and hygiene management. The consequences for girls can include can include negative impacts to their education, and on their rights to equality, health and dignity.

At the same time, there has been a remarkable uptake of mobile phone technology in Asia and the Pacific. In the Philippines, a 2015 survey found 60% of children (8-18) had a mobile phone with the average age for first ownership being 10; for Indonesia, in 2012, 67% of children had a phone with average age of first ownership being 12.

UNICEF EAPRO, in collaboration with the global teams WASH, Innovation, and Gender, is now embarking on an initiative to develop a localized mobile phone period tracker application, for both simple phones and smart phones, to support adolescent girls with reminders and information on how to track their menstruation; and with an opportunity to access evidence-based information about how to manage hygiene, fertility and diet; to connect with peer groups; and to access information and counselling services related to menstruation and reproductive health.

This is a multi-country initiative in the East Asia Pacific region, with planned co-creation and piloting of the prototype in three (or more) countries (tentative Indonesia, PNG, and Mongolia). This initiative will be led and coordinated by the Innovation and Gender Section in the East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) with a view to roll-out/adaptation of the application in other interested countries around the globe.

Work Assignment:

Activities and Tasks: Under the supervision of the Innovations Team based in EAPRO and the Regional Gender Advisor, the consultant will coordinate the initiative among participating stakeholders and manage the regional support phase of the project.

Project management tasks include:

• Overall coordination of the initiative.
• Development of workplan.
• Consult with the Gender and Innovation focal persons in participating pilot Country Offices (COs).
• Liaison with HQ Innovation, WASH, Adolescent, and Gender Sections.
• Periodic updates on progress and challenges.
• Comprehensive documentation.
• Support the development of easy-to-use pocket guides (MHM 101) based on the localized content of the simple phone and smart phone applications.
• Development of materials for presentations.

Specific technical tasks include:

(1) Simple Phone Solution (based on RapidPro)

• Develop first draft of specifications for simple phone MHM tracker upon initial input from pilot countries.
• Support in-country consultations with adolescent girls on specifications and requirements.
• Build on experiences with SMS and automated voice messaging systems applied in other sectoral programmes (Immunization; IYCF; etc.) and/or Mozambique CO pilot which links SMS/U-report with SRH adolescent girls peer support groups, as well as existing SRH advice and counseling systems with local partners established under U-report initiatives.
• Revise specifications and map additional /optional elements (e.g. peer chatroom, MHM games, linkages to local SRH counseling and service providers, links to local MHM/SRH websites, etc.) for each pilot country. For PNG, for example, there may be an opportunity to include a linkage to weekly ‘talk back’ radio show programme on MHM (possibly in cooperation with DoE) and could involve training of Radio Jockeys or health officials to engage in MHM discussions.
• Support liaison with MHM/SRH partners at regional and local level.
• Develop technical prototype.
• Guide the contextualizing of content and optional elements (local language, messaging, and linkages).
• Lead the testing & ironing out of bugs to finalize the technical prototype.
• Support the dissemination of the MHM tracker and the in-country marketing through various channels & networks.
• Facilitate real-time monitoring and impact assessment during piloting phase (by Innocenti or other service provider).
• Develop roll-out plan for other countries interested in introducing the simple phone MHM tracker application.

(2) Smart Phone Solution:

• Conduct assessment of existing smart phone MHM tracker apps that are available / used in the region.
• Consult with partner agencies (e.g. IPPF) and experiences with their smart phone MHM tracker apps.
• Develop first draft of specifications for smart phone MHM tracker upon initial input from pilot countries.
• Support in-country consultations with adolescent girls on specifications and requirements.
• Develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be published for vendor bidding.
• Coordinate the bid assessment and selection of a vendor for technical prototype development, hosting & maintenance.
• Serve as a counterpart to the vendor and provide interface with participating pilot countries during app development, testing, adjustments, etc.
• Facilitate real-time monitoring and impact assessment (by Innocenti or other service provider).

End Product(s): The consultant will prepare monthly reports on activities undertaken and completed against work assignments.

Estimated Duration of Contract:  8 months from start date, preferably from 15 September 2017.

Official Travel:  The consultancy will work at UNICEF EAPRO, Bangkok, and travel to participating pilot countries as needed.

Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required:

• At least five years of experience in supporting and coordinating project activities across a large organization and with other international partner organizations.
• Progressively responsible professional work experience in communication, technology fields, youth participation and gender, some of which should be in an international setting.
• Experience in managing projects with strong technology components.
• Technical skills and track record using RapidPro, and Apps development processes.
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications.
• A strong understanding of UNICEF programmes, communication, technology, user-centered design, youth participation and partnership goals.
• Proven ability to manage relationships with UNICEF partners, including adolescent girls networks and youth coalitions.
• Proven skills in communication, networking, strategic thinking, advocacy, negotiation, and ability to relate this to new media and young people.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas.
• Proven capacity to work with and lead collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills.
• Language: Fluency in written and English is a must; competence in local languages in East Asia Pacific is an asset.

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV or P-11, full contact information of minimum 2 references, availability, proposed monthly professional fee and all-inclusive travel costs to/from Bangkok in USD by 10 August 2017. Please note the air tickets under UNICEF contract shall be re-routable, refundable type (economy class and most direct route). The consultant will be responsible for own travel insurance, visa fee and terminal expenses.

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Only short listed candidates will be notified.