Consultancy: C4D Expert for Measles and Rubella Immunization Global Consultancy Pool - Health Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 507022

Communication for Measles and Rubella immunization is a core component of UNICEF’s intensified efforts to scale up its communication for immunization activities through a range of approaches and advocacies for strategic focus and investments in: • The production and delivery of communication resources, guidance, and tools, including frontline workers’ capacity building in Inter Personal Communication (IPC) and managing Adverse Effects Following Immunization (AEFI). • Enhanced support to mobilizing and informing communication planning for the introduction of the rubella vaccine and the second dose measles vaccine and establishing 2YL immunization platform in targeted countries. - Communication resources and capacity to respond to measles vaccine related events - Communication approaches, website updates and resources to measles transition. - Catalyzing strategic partnerships for technical and financial support to improving equity through strategic communications.

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

UNICEF is a core member of the global partnership for ensuring that no child dies from measles and that no child is born with the congenital rubella syndrome. UNICEF’s strategy for helping to eliminate measles and rubella (MR) globally is designed and delivered in the context of the Measles Global Strategic Plan from 2012-2020, the Global Vaccine Action Plan, and UNICEF’s Immunization Roadmap.

Within this framework and in coordination with partners of the Measles and Rubella Initiative (MRI), UNICEF is committed to providing both technical and financial support to governments and communities conducting vaccination campaigns, improving routine measles vaccination, introducing the rubella vaccination, introducing measles second dose vaccination, establishing disease surveillance, and providing communication support to Measles/Rubella immunization campaigns at international, regional, and country levels. 

The communication programming at international level entails championing the global advocacy for measles and rubella elimination through routine and new forms of vaccination along with global partners, global level communication coordination, guiding regions and countries with communication tools, guidelines and templates for managing their communication programming, enhancing the communication capacity for UNICEF and partners’ staff at headquarters, regions and countries, establishing baseline communication data through formative research, and providing downstream technical support to communication planning, implementation, evaluation and the scaling up of best lessons and practices across regions and countries.

The communication work at regional level involves adapting global communication tools and resources to suit regional cultural, political, and social contexts, providing supervision support and oversight over the implementation of Measles and Rubella (MR) communication response to countries, and liaising between countries and headquarters to close the feedback loops on MR immunization risks and rewards.

The behavior and social change programming at country level requires providing inputs into regional and global communication plans, packages, tools, resources, guidelines, etc. for MR immunization, direct implementation of communication support to MR immunization campaigns in countries, coordinating communication efforts with other partners at country level, and managing public communication and feedbacks on MR immunization risks and rewards. 

To enhance the range of communication technical assistance, the UNICEF Headquarters Immunization unit is seeking to establish a global roster of C4D consultants to be readily available for final selection to support behavior and social programming for Measles and Rubella (M&R) immunization program and the introduction of its new Rubella Vaccine and Second Dose Measles (SDM) vaccine through the planning, execution and the monitoring of communication activities in priority countries and at regional and global levels.

Purpose

Communication for Measles and Rubella immunization is a core component of UNICEF’s intensified efforts to scale up its communication for immunization activities through a range of approaches and advocacies for strategic focus and investments in:

• The production and delivery of communication resources, guidance, and tools, including frontline workers’ capacity building in Inter Personal Communication (IPC) and managing Adverse Effects Following Immunization (AEFI).
• Enhanced support to mobilizing and informing communication planning for the introduction of the rubella vaccine and the second dose measles vaccine and establishing 2YL immunization platform in targeted countries. 
• Communication resources and capacity to respond to measles vaccine related events
• Communication approaches, website updates and resources to measles transition.
• Catalyzing strategic partnerships for technical and financial support to improving equity through strategic communications.

EXPECTED RESULTS: (MEASURABLE RESULTS)

The detailed roles and responsibilities of the consultants may vary from country to country depending on the specific needs of the country and these would be defined at the start of the engagement.

In general, the consultant will:

• Provide quality communication support to countries managing the measles and rubella immunization risks and burdens in their communication strategies and operations.
• Contribute for the development and implementation of costed social mobilization, community engagement, and communication plans for measles, rubella campaigns, introduction of Measles 2nd dose and new Rubella vaccines, establishing 2YL immunization platform, and for improving community demand and participation for routine immunization. This will also include monitoring the implementation and documentation of the lessons learned and best practices.
• Provide technical support in conducting situation analysis, planning and setting priorities to improve and monitor routine immunization activities including reaching the unreached; introduction of new and under-used vaccines and designing best strategies for reaching children in remote areas.
• Provide technical support to countries scaling up and documenting best practices and lessons in planning, organizing and implementing high quality communication support to Measles and Rubella immunization efforts.

 Specifically, the consultant will work with the relevant staff members to focus on the following programming areas: 

1. Research and Evidence: Formative research/analysis including conducting FGDs and KIP interviews, audience and channel analysis and community mapping etc.
2. Strategies and action plan: Designing of Measles and Rubella (MR) communication strategies, action plans, tools and resource drafting, pretest and communication coordination.
3. Capacity building: Development/adaptation of IPC training plans/materials for Health Workers and support to training execution.   
4. Monitoring and evaluation: Track and monitor planning and implementation communication activities.
5. Best practices, lessons learned and documentation: Documentation of communication case studies/progress on outcomes achieved and lessons learned.  MR knowledge space establishment, management and sharing.

Applicants are advised to indicate in which above technical areas they are applying for. They can select all areas or can opt only a few depending on their expertise. Note that based on country needs, the consultant should be able to provide appropriate technical support in the areas they have applied with their relevant experience and expertise without deviating from the scope of this Terms of Reference.

Duty Station

The consultants will be in a global pool, travelling and/or remotely working with one or more of UNICEF’s six regions in order to provide regional and in-country communication support to UNICEF’s Measles and Rubella immunization program. After the initial preparation, Global C4D Measles Consultants should anticipate and agree to be available for a minimum of one month, preferably more, to provide communication support to a region or country in its measles elimination activities. The time may be spread out over the year, to fit the implementation schedule.

Timeframe 

The candidates of this pool will receive a non-binding contract with a duration of 12 month-period under which specific binding service orders will be placed by hiring UNICEF Office with the consultant.

The duration of contract (start and end dates) will vary according to each consultancy based on specific regional/country needs and coordinated by UNICEF Regional Offices and Country offices. We are expecting this work to be initiated in the 3rd quarter of 2017, and anticipated that for each country consultant will need 40 to 120 days of work as needed.

 Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline 

• Advanced university degree (Medicine, Communication and Public Health)
• At least 8 - 10 years of relevant communication for development experience (Mid/Senior Level) of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in management, monitoring and evaluation on Measles, Rubella, Meningitis, Yellow Fever, other vaccines preventable diseases, and or on routine immunization. Experience in humanitarian and/or complex emergencies will be an advantage.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills, including scientific publications and presentations on vaccine-preventable diseases.

• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills; working knowledge of French, Arabic or Portuguese an asset.
• Understanding of United Nations systems and international organizations in general; field/country experience an asset
• Ample evidence of cross cultural awareness.

• Ability to deploy for missions with 2-4 weeks’ notice. 

Samples of communication strategies/action plans/training plan and material/monitoring framework/documentation developed arising from similar previous work to accompany the application will be required. 

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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.