UNV SBC Specialist – Innovations and SBC+

UNV SBC Specialist – Innovations and SBC+

Assignment country: Nepal

Expected start date: 13/01/2025

Sustainable Development Goal: 11. Sustainable cities and communities

Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity: UNICEF

Type: Onsite

Duration: 12 months
(with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: Kathmandu

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

In all of its work, UNICEF takes a life-cycle based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation.

UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future.

We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished: no child should suffer or die from a preventable illness. We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity.

We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Context

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) stands out in the Nepal Country Programme Action Plan 2023-27 with a critical role as a Change Strategy to catalyse the Cross-Sectorial integration to contribute to a Structural and integrated Social Change by supporting the Nepal Country Program (CPD/CPAP 2023-2027) goals on Nutrition, Health, Education, Child Protection, WASH and Social Protection and SDGs 2,3,4,5,6,10,11 & 16.

The vision of UNICEF Nepal Country Office is to build SBC+ Sectoral systems to accelerating Social Change. As a cross-sectoral area, SBC+ comprises Social and Behaviour Change, Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP). The overarching direction for SBC+ in the current Country Program points to:

•  Support SBC in all provinces with cost-effective solutions.
• Focus on demonstration on a small scale and on the most underserved populations.
•  Engagement of children and adolescents as agents of social change.
•  Internal and external co-creation and partnership for cost and resource efficiency.
•  Internal and external capacity development reaching sub-national level. SBC+ aims as facilitate the programme integration, building the effective bridge between knowledge, behaviours, and impacts (including cost of inaction) to effectively contribute to the structural and social transformation agenda in Nepal, impacting public policies and institutional services, community-led structures, and individual behaviours. Thus, a sectoral SBC+ systematic multi-stakeholder collaboration, at the provincial and local levels, will become the big changer for children’s and communities’ lives. In 2024 UNICEF Nepal Country Office (NCO) is working hard on building the capabilities to fully implement the SBC+ Vision. Dynamic and specialized support is being recruited by NCO to support diverse strategic areas, such as Innovations, Knowledge Management and Communications, applied to Social and Behaviour Change and related areas.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Chief SBC Nepal Country Office or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV SBC Associate – Innovations and SBC+ will:

•  Support SBC team to identify and implement innovative approaches, such as social innovation, digital SBC, Artificial Intelligence, etc. to engage with communities and contribute to SBC+ interventions and strategies with emphasis in Youth Engagement and Climate Action.
• Work with the sectoral focal points to apply innovations to capture community needs and translate them into supporting visually appealing and user-friendly SBC+ tools and resources (including augmented reality and artificial intelligence multi-language outputs).
•  Document and disseminate good practices on climate change, youth empowerment, emergency preparation and response and resilience building, and produce engaging and transformative content across various platforms, including UNICEF’s internal channels (and external facing (such as website and social media), newsletters, and more to ensure visibility of SBC’s work in the country and the regional and global levels, and maintaining consistency across different platforms.
• Support SBC team in creating visually appealing and effective creative SBC+ and communication assets linked to the SDGS and the Development and Climate Agendas, such as publications, project brochures, infographics, factsheets, human-interest stories, short videos, podcasts in character and others for multiple audiences.
•  Support as need to reach programming, information sharing and communication goals.
•  Provide regular updates on the creative assets performance and make necessary adjustments to improve its effectiveness. Assist in creating multi-language guidelines, templates, and training materials based on SBC+ vision and approaches in Nepal and beyond, in collaboration with the UNICEF Regional SBC team for South Asia.
•  Collaborate with SBC team in the ideation, conceptualization, design, and improvement of Risk Communication, Community Engagement, Accountability and Communication deliverables tailored for various UNICEF and SBC internal and external platforms and audiences, ensuring maximum visibility, functionality, and impact.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 – 80

Nationality: Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

3 years of experience in one or more of the following areas is required:

•  Social Innovation, new technologies, data analytics and digital approaches applied to social development, program planning, Social and Behaviour Change, Community Engagement, communication for development, public advocacy, or another related area with relevant fieldwork experience.
•  Programme planning, implementation, and reporting applied to Social and Behaviour Change and emergency response.
•  Excellent Nepali and English writing and verbal communication skills applied to technical documents. Oher languages spoken in Nepal will be an added advantage.
•  Relevant national experience with UN agencies and in the ground will be an added advantage.
•  Advanced Computer skills (including new technologies, multimedia, content management tools and Microsoft suite).  Proficiency in creating engaging content with a strong command of grammar, style, and tone varying audiences.
•  An eye for clean, simple, and compelling visual design.
•  Excellent with Microsoft Package and good IT skills, especially with design and photo and video editing apps and software.
• Familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.
•  Computer science multimedia and content development are assets.
•  Knowledge of and interest in South Asia cultural and social issues.
•  Creative, enthusiastic, solutions orientated.
•  Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.
•  Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to take initiative and work with tight deadlines with a commitment to learning and growth within the assigned area of work.
• Affinity with or interest in child rights, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Area(s) of expertise

Communication, Economics and finance, Social work

Driving license
–

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required
Nepalese, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Master degree or equivalent in Communication Studies, Economics, Public Policy, Public Health, Social Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Competencies and values

Accountability

•  Adaptability and flexibility
•  Creativity
•  Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

The security situation in all locations is normal and have both road and air access. Moreover, all basic services/facilities are also available in the assigned duty stations. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.
https://www.unv.org/

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers 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 recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments 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 appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers 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 contracts.

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