SBC National Consultant, (Health) for six months, Blue Nile, Sudan (open to Sudan nationals)

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, Hope

Sudan, surrounded by the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya and South Sudan, positioned next to East, West, South and North Africa, is surrounded by complex conflicts in an unpredictable, volatile and rapidly evolving region. Sudan is by size the third biggest country in Africa, with a diverse population of around 42 million people. Sudan’s children make up half of the total population, and the past two decades have seen their lives significantly improve: fewer girls and boys are dying before their fifth birthday, primary school attendance is increasing, immunization coverage is high and the country remains polio free. Still, millions of children continue to suffer from protracted conflict in Darfur, the Kordofans, and Blue Nile, from seasonal natural disasters, malnutrition and disease outbreaks, and from under-investment in basic social services. More than three million of Sudan’s school aged children are not in the classroom. UNICEF has been in Sudan since 1952 and continues with a presence in 12 of Sudan’s 18 states.

How can you make a difference? 

The objective of the consultancy is to provide necessary SBC technical support to the State and District level health promotion structures in areas of plan, implementing and monitoring and evaluating communication and social mobilization activities on vaccination campaigns and health emergencies in Sudan.

Scope of work:

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Field Office (Blue Nile state), and overall technical guidance from the Country Office Chief of Social and Behavior Change, the consultant will produce the deliverables below to facilitate quality implementation of, and reporting on, SBC interventions in the UNICEF Sudan crisis response plan and related strategic documents.

Specific objectives include:

• Provide tailored support to the SBC components of the Health emergency response plan, Routine immunization, disease outbreaks like polio, measles, cholera in Blue Nile state and raising awareness of key family practices and supporting in collecting community feedback
• Develop/update planning guidelines, immunization key messages training materials and documents including manuals and presentations related to routine immunization, Polio outbreak response and immunization campaigns
• Collaborate, coordinate and provide technical assistance to the State Ministry of health and other partners on routine immunization, health emergencies and campaigns
• Design, plan and implement SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioral evidence and strong engagement and participation mechanisms, with focus on social and behavior change communication (SBCC) and community engagement (CE) for the Essential Family Practices (EFPs)
• Develop/update State communication plan, micro plans and budget plans for Immunization, disease outbreak response campaigns
• Facilitate and participate in capacity building of state Ministry of Health and partners
• Monitor and evaluate SBC interventions and submit weekly reports for Immunization and sitreps for emergencies
• Conduct stakeholders mapping and provide the needed technical support on evidence generation activities and research
• Promote continuous learning, strengthening and scaling up of SBC in the crisis response through capacity building for UNICEF staff and partners. 

Work Assignments:

1. Provide technical assistance for the development of state level evidence-based communication micro-plans (Independent Monitoring, Lot Quality Assurance Survey, KAP studies, and social research).
2. SBC support to disease outbreak response planning, Polio,OCV and MR Introduction into routine.
3. Technical support to coordination of State Health Promotion and other stakeholders in planning and implementation of advocacy and social mobilization for campaigns and immunization also Provide technical assistance for effective monitoring of rumors and misinformation and devise strategies, to tackle them at state level.
4. Evidence generation for SBC interventions for Immunization, Polio and disease outbreak responses
5. Finalization of consultancy activities.

Expected Deliverables/Outputs:

• MR Campaign report
• Updated State Polio, Measles and Cholera outbreak response plan
• State level SBC micro plans for the polio, Measles and Cholera
• Updated key messages for Polio, Measles and Cholera
• Partners mapping
• SBCC and CE plans – monthly implementation report for other health section priorities
• Support to SBC components of quarter 1 polio/Measles/Cholera response plans
• PD implementation report
• Weekly immunization reports and emergency sitreps
• Detailed reports from SBC activities implemented in State from campaign that also includes challenges, lesson learnt and recommendations
• Monthly reports on progress and challenges related to SBC activities implementation for campaign and RI regular activities
• Weekly immunization reports and emergency sitreps
• M&E reports from FMoH on SBC interventions for Immunization and emergency
• Facilitate behavioral surveys
• Capacity building of Partners and MoH on M&E
• Weekly immunization reports and emergency sitreps
• Participation in weekly/bi-weekly meetings at State MoH related to EPI, Polio, Cholera other emergencies
• Weekly SBC SitRep of allocated states (EPI, Polio, MR, Cholera)
• PD implementation report, HAC/HPM dataset, compiled CFM dataset (collected on weekly basis)
• Final consultancy report

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

• Bachelor’s degree in social/behavioral/communication science other fields with relevant certified trainings in behavioral and social communication.
• Minimum three years of professional experience in SBC or related technical area programme planning and management at the national or international levels, preferably in a developing country.
• Experience working in emergency settings is required.
• Relevant experience in SBCC and Community Engagement for immunization and social cohesion in any UN system organization is considered an asset.
• Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
• Fluent English and Arabic required. Sudanese Arabic capability is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate in a multicultural environment.
• Computer literacy and strong familiarity with MS Office package required. Strong competency for MS Excel is considered an asset.
• completed training on bsafe.

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 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. All applications must be accompanied by detailed financial offer.

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 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.