National Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Consultant (For Sierra Leone nationals only)

UNICEF Sierra Leone Country Office is seeking the assistance of a national consultant who will help in the coordination, design, implementation, monitoring and supervision of the COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization SBC and RCCE activities.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future.

Please access UNICEF Sierra Leone information here and  here

How can you make a difference?

Provide technical and operational assistance to Health Education Division (HED) and Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) teams of Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) for the coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring and supervision of SBC/Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization activities.

Scope of Work:

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sierra Leone has enforced a series of measures and protocols to reduce and prevent the risk of transmission and maintain a low COVID-19 prevalence. The COVID-19 vaccination campaign began in March 2021 with an initial aim to vaccinate at least 20 per cent of the eligible population (18 years and above) in the first phase of deployment. Although the initial uptake was slow – with only 3 per cent of the population fully vaccinated by November 2021, with the recent increase of COVID-19 vaccine accessibility, the country is now significantly accelerating the vaccination efforts to ensure equitable access to all eligible population across the country. The efforts include the increase of COVID-19 vaccination sites and implementation of periodic surge vaccination exercises. The eligible population has also been expanded to cover all population over 12 years old. At the end of April 2022, 26 per cent of the eligible population (over 12-year-old) were fully vaccinated.

Along with the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, Sierra Leone also conducted a series of nationwide mass vaccination campaigns in 2021 to interrupt transmission of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type2. The polio outbreak, and the subsequent measles outbreak, brought to light the need to re-prioritize routine immunization and increase population immunity and resilience to vaccine-preventable diseases in the context of the COVID pandemic.

The boosting of vaccine confidence and uptake has therefore been a central component of the vaccination efforts. The Health Education Division (HED) and the Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) have implemented Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) activities to promote COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization confidence and uptake and to help address rumours and misinformation and the resultant community and caregivers’ vaccine hesitancies. Despite significant progress, multiple challenges remain. These include low second dose uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, prevailing rumours and misinformation on vaccination, relative vaccine hesitancy and refusals by communities, suboptimal outreach coverage to hard-to-reach, hesitant and special groups and communities, and disruption of routine immunization services.

UNICEF has been working with MoHS in the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization activities, including technical and financial support for the coordination, planning, implementation, and monitoring of evidence-based RCCE for promoting vaccine confidence. Among priority interventions, UNICEF has assisted HED and EPI teams with the generation of evidence on social and behavioural drivers of vaccination acceptance and uptake; the production and dissemination of key messages through mass media; the deployment of the Community-Led Action (CLA) model and mobilizers in districts; and the piloting of a rumours and misinformation tracking system/platform, all of which need to be further consolidated in 2022.

UNICEF Sierra Leone Country Office is seeking the assistance of a national consultant who will help in the coordination, design, implementation, monitoring and supervision of the COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization SBC and RCCE activities.

Under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, and in coordination with the UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Emergency Specialist, the Consultant will support the HED and EPI teams of the MoHS in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of SBC/RCCE strategies, plans and activities, with a specific focus on COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization, including HPV vaccine introduction.

• Provide technical support to the HED and EPI teams of MoHS for the coordination and planning of evidence-based SBC/RCCE activities. 
• Support community engagement activities
• Assist capacity building: 
• Support material development, pre-testing and roll-out as needed
• Support media engagement
• Support data generation and analysis for monitoring and reporting of COVID-19 and routine immunization SBC/RCCE activities:
• Any other SBC or emergent need required by MOHS/District Health Management Team (DHMT) during the term of support

Work assignment

• Costed SBC/RCCE plan/strategies developed and implemented for the promotion of COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization
• Costed social mobilization and communication plan developed and implemented for HPV introduction.
• Strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccine and routine immunization in hard-to-reach and high-risk areas, special populations and “hesitant” communities and groups – including specific strategies for urban population and male involvement.
• Key messages are produced, contextualized and disseminated accordingly through mixed media channels.
• SBC/RCCE-supported activities and indicators are monitored and measured, with data collected, compiled, and analysed.
• MoHS HED team is supported in the management and scale-up of listening mechanisms, with a focus on the use of the rumours and misinformation tracking system/platform.
• National and district partners are supported in the organization, conduct and assessment of training of districts and community stakeholders (DHMT teams, health workers, CHWs, Community mobilizers and leaders) on related SBC issues related to immunization (inter-personal communication, community engagement…)
• At least 100 national, district and health facility staff trained on SBC related approaches/plans for the promotion C-19 vaccination, routine immunization, and HPV introduction
• Monthly technical reports on completed assignments submitted.

Please see attached ToR for detailed information.  ToR - SBC Consultant.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• University degree in Communication Studies, Social and behaviour sciences and other related area
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in Social and Behaviour Change Communication, health promotion, programme management or another related field at the national and/or sub-national level.
• Relevant experience in outbreak response, immunization programmes/campaigns, and/or community engagement project management is an asset.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
• Computer literacy
• Experience working with UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF.

• Application to include an all-inclusive financial proposal that will detail your daily/monthly rate (in SLL). 
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).