Generic Vacancy Announcement for Consultancy Roster: Polio Outbreak Response Social and Behaviour Change Communication Consultant

This generic vacancy announcement is published to fill the Global Polio Outbreak Response Consultancy Roster – Please see context and background below

* This generic vacancy announcement is published to fill the Global Polio Outbreak Response Consultancy Roster – Please see context and background below*

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, Health

Context & Background – UNICEF Global Polio Outbreak Response Roster

Polio eradication is a UNICEF Corporate priority. Although there are only two endemic countries with wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1), the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is currently facing multiple distinct polio outbreaks (30 countries have active outbreaks in 2024) across many UNICEF regions.

UNICEF and WHO work closely together within different fora and at different levels to ensure a well-coordinated outbreak response and synchronized approach with Regional and Country offices in alignment with the outbreak SOPs. Faced with an outbreak of polio, country offices must quickly identify and recruit Social Behavior Change (SBC), Vaccine Management (VM), Cold Chain Logistics (CCL), Coordination, Human Resources (HR), Operations, and other specialized personnel needed to respond adequately.

With a mounting number of Polio outbreaks and the need to rapidly implement responses in multiple geographies, we developed a roster of experts, the UNICEF Global Polio Outbreak Roster, which consolidates existing HQ and RO rosters into one easily accessible, updated database for Polio teams globally. This efficient talent management system has been designed to facilitate country-level outbreak response activities. 

With this generic vacancy announcement, we are looking for talented professionals that are interested to be part of our Polio Outbreak Response Social and Behaviour Change Communication Consultant Roster.

How can you make a difference? 

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, public relations, or another relevant technical field. At least two years of additional relevant work experience in the same field may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development program planning, communication for development, public advocacy, or another related area.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Experience working in a public health emergency context, particularly polio outbreak response, is an asset.
• Fluency in one of the following languages is required: English, French, Arabic, or Portuguese. Fluency in any other UN language is an asset.

PERSONAL SKILLS AND QUALITIES

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

• Strong self-awareness and ability to self-manage and operate safely and securely in rapidly changing emergency contexts.
• Drive to achieve impactful results.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team to achieve goals.
• Ability to develop new and nurture existing internal and external networks, partnerships, and relationships that deliver results.
• Ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and persuasively, orally and in writing.
• Ability to analyze information, solve problems, and make decisions in complex, challenging, and rapidly evolving environments.
• Ability to think and act strategically.
• The highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to adhering to required standards of conduct and behavior.
• A willingness and commitment to serve the children and their communities affected by disasters in the face of potential hardship and personal sacrifice.

PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Working in an emergency is challenging and can sometimes be done on short notice. Therefore, applicants must consider their personal circumstances before registering an interest in this assignment. This includes:

• Consider whether any aspect of your personal circumstances (e.g., a new baby or a sick relative) could make it difficult for you to deploy at short notice. Discussing the possibility of emergency deployments with your family is recommended so their views can be considered.
• Realistically assessing your mental and physical health to ensure you are fit and well. This includes ensuring you have had the essential vaccinations recommended by UNMD (UNMD recommendations).
• Ensuring you have up-to-date and valid travel documents, including your passport.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. 

Remarks:  

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. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.