Consultants - COVID-19 Risk Communications, Social and Behaviour Change

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1. Purpose of the consultancy

This consultancy will support the WHO Western Pacific Regional Incident Management Support Team (IMST) for COVID-19, to gather and analyze social and behavioural insights to inform decision-making.

2. Background

As outlined in the Strategic Communications Framework for WHO in the Western Pacific Region, the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III), and the WHO Emergency Response Framework, strategic communications is an essential element of the response to health emergencies. This includes risk communication, leadership communication, as well as ongoing use of multi-source listening to capture intelligence on public perceptions, beliefs, knowledge and behaviours, to inform WHO’s and Member States’ disease outbreak response efforts. Strategic communications will remain crucial as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and more Member States transition from the acute pandemic response into sustained management of COVID‐19 over long term.

As part of the Strategic Communications Pillar under the regional COVID-19 Incident Management Support Team (IMST), the Listening and Evidence Sub-Pillar has the overarching objective of strengthening the use of multi-source listening, behavioural insights and science, as well as advancing measurement, evaluation and learning (MEL) to enable evidence-based communications and to inform the broader COVID-19 response at regional and country levels. The sub-pillar aims to maintain and advance the multi-source listening system which uses multiple sources of information to draw a comprehensive picture of what communities know, feel, and think as well as how they are behaving regarding COVID-19.

These ongoing needs require the support of a social and behaviour change consultant, preferably with experience of working in the Asia Pacific. This consultancy seeks to further strengthen strategic communication capacities in countries, so that they are better able to respond to COVID‐19 and future emergencies (including future pandemics). In line with the WHO’s For the Future, the vision for making the Western Pacific the safest and healthiest region, the consultant will support the advancement of the broader Communication for Health (C4H) regional strategy, embedding C4H principles in their work.

3. Work to be performed

Under the supervision of the Technical Officer, Risk Communication (WHE) and COVID-19 IMST Strategic Communications Pillar Lead, the consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

Output 1: Support the operationalization of the regional social listening system for COVID-19
Deliverable 1.1. Provide strategic direction for qualitative and quantitative regional social listening projects to address evolving data and evidence needs in the context of COVID-19, using a variety of online and offline sources and tools.
Deliverable 1.2. Lead the design and implementation of social listening research activities and tools in support of COVID-19 response in the Region
Deliverable 1.3. Act as the Listening and Evidence Sub-Pillar Lead under Strategic Communication Pillar of the COVID-19 IMST, including coordinating the work of the sub-pillar, delivering on priorities, monitoring progress, identifying gaps and documenting achievements
Output 2: Advise on the use of socio-anthropological data and other inputs to maximize the impact of COVID-19 related communications from the WHO Regional Office, country offices and Member States across the Region
Deliverable 2.1. Support the triangulation of social and behavioral insights with programmatic data, such as surveillance, and other sources to facilitate evidence-based decision making
Deliverable 2.2. Facilitate participatory engagement with various teams in unpacking research outcomes to inform decision-making and design of programme interventions in the Region and Member States
Deliverable 2.3. Pilot innovative solutions that build meaningful engagement of underserved communities
Deliverable 2.4. Support infodemic management by flagging rumours, misconceptions and misinformation and assist with addressing emerging issues
Output 3: Support monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) of COVID-19 communication activities
Deliverable 3.1. Support the design and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework to synergize findings from social data and outcomes of strategic communication activities.
Deliverable 3.2. Document and disseminate evidence generated from the MEL framework to target audiences including identifying best practices and providing recommendations.
Output 4: Support coordination, knowledge management and capacity development
Deliverable 4.1. Foster Member State’s social listening capacity to ensure high utilization of social and behavioral insights for decision-making.
Deliverable 4.2. Collaborate/consult with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, e.g. academia, research and implementing organizations, to identify and maintain partnerships on available research, studies, and documentation related to key priorities.
Deliverable 4.3. Carry out timely dissemination sessions with all relevant internal and external stakeholders to share information and evidence generated.
Deliverable 4.4. Support knowledge management on research findings and documentation of evidence of impact
4. Qualifications, experience, skills, language

Education:

Essential: An advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in one of the following fields: social and behaviour science, anthropology, sociology, psychology, education, communication, public health or another related field.

Experience:

Essential: Minimum 7 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas: anthropology, social research, public health programming, social and behaviour change communication, or another related area.

Desirable: Experience of working with the UN system. Experience of working in the Western Pacific Region is an advantage.

Skills and knowledge
Expert knowledge and skills in communications including social and behaviour change communication.

Language
Written and spoken fluency in English are essential. Other languages of the Region are an advantage.

• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.