Social & Behavior Change Officer

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among other things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves. 

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives  being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Specialist assigned to the EPI Programme and under the overall guidance of the Senior Immunization Manager & Chief of the SBC Section. S/he will work in close collaboration with SBC, EPI technical specialists and government counterparts such as the Federal Directorate of Immunization and Provincial Expanded Programme on Immunization. The incumbent will be responsible/contribute to the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of evidence-based, inclusive and innovative SBC strategies aimed at generating demand for immunization in the country.

To make a difference, the incumbent shall be responsible for following key strategic functions, accountabilities and related duties/ tasks;

Generate and utilize research, data, and evidence to inform the design, measurement, and monitoring of EPI demand generation interventions and outcomes for routine immunization, vaccine introduction campaigns and outbreak response:

• Participate in designing and conduction of situational analyses and formative researches focused on understanding the social and behavioral drivers affecting immunization uptake.
• Apply tools, methodologies, and frameworks for qualitative and quantitative research initiatives, including behavioral analysis, to inform targeted strategies for increasing demand for vaccines .
• Track and monitor EPI uptake data, synthesizing findings to inform evidence-based demand generation strategies.

Design, plan and implement SBC activities that are backed by social and behavioural evidence and strong engagement and participation mechanisms:

• Collaborate with and provide technical assistance to EPI technical specialists and relevant stakeholders to design, develop and monitor evidence-based demand generation strategies and plans tailored to drive demand for routine immunization.
• In collaboration/consultation with UNICEF sectoral and cross-sectoral colleagues and implementing partners, select appropriate SBC activities and platforms for engagement, ensuring quality and integration of the latest evidence and science-backed approaches. In this process, oversee coordination with SBC stakeholders and partners to align plans and activities.
• Identify/propose action-oriented evidence-based strategy recommendations from current data, evidence and trends for priority social and behavioral issues and ensure the integration of latest innovative approaches and technology in SBC in programme approaches and advocate for their adoption among internal and external stakeholders.

Community Engagement Systems and Platforms: Enhancing Governance, Collaborative Decision-Making, and Service improvements for Improved Demand Generation :

• Foster a collaborative approach with caregivers, community members and other stakeholders, leveraging their insights and experiences to co-create and refine strategies for promoting vaccine uptake.
• Identify and strengthen existing community structures and platforms, such as health/village committees, community resource persons or mothers’/father support groups, to serve as a key governance platform aimed at improving demand and service delivery at local level.
• Assist in establishment of new platforms, if necessary, to facilitate dialogue and engagement between communities and health service providers, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
• Collaborate with religious leaders, community elders, and other influential figures to garner support and advocacy for vaccination efforts within their respective communities.
• Facilitate process of engagement with community leaders and members in the design and planning of vaccination services, soliciting their input to ensure services are tailored to meet their specific needs and preferences.

Advocate for operationalizing Social & Behavior change activities aimed at creating demand for vaccines, mobilizing resources, coordinating across stakeholders, sectors, and teams, and building alliances and partnerships:

• Contribute to donor proposals, concept notes, reports, and other materials to support resources mobilization.
• Contribute to mobilizing human resources for SBC, including staff, consultants, and external vendors to support SBC and EPI teams at provincial level.
• Contribute to financial planning, budget planning and tracking and financial management for SBC.
• Advocate internally and externally for mainstreaming Community Engagement and SBC into national health communication systems and mechanisms, with special focus on micro plans for demand generation.
• Integrate innovative approaches and technologies into EPI demand generation strategies, advocating for their adoption and implementation to increase vaccine demand.

Promote continuous learning, strengthening, and scaling up of demand generation activities through capacity building for UNICEF staff, partners, and implementers:

• Identify, design, and/or organize SBC training materials and opportunities for EPI staff and partners, including on new approaches such as behavioural analysis, behavioural insights, human-cantered design, social listening, and social accountability mechanisms.
• Use and adapt existing UNICEF learning resources, guidelines, and training materials to build SBC capacity among staff, implementing partners and relevant government and non-government counterparts.
• Contribute to the development and institutionalization of best practices, facilitate the exchange of expériences, and provide technical assistance for the uptake of new SBC methods and knowledge internally and externally.
• Coordinate and provide inputs into SBC capacity assessments.

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

• A university degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in a social and behavioral science, including sociology, anthropology, communication studies development communication, health communication, community development, psychology and/or related social sciences is required.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development programme planning, social and behaviour change, public advocacy or another related area.
• Relevant experience in UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a local languages will be added advantage.

Source:  https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/570624