UNICEF recrute un consultant national pour soutenir le développement et l’exécution d’une stratégie C4D et d’un plan de mise en œuvre pour l’enregistrement des naissances, Malawi
Job no : 539700
Contract type : Consultancy
Level : Consultancy
Location : Malawi
Categories : Health
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, good health!
Background :
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy, and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
The overall goal of the UNICEF Malawi Country Programme of Cooperation, 2019-2023, is to contribute to the Government of Malawi’s efforts to implement and decentralize policies related to children, focusing on the most disadvantaged and deprived, to have their rights progressively respected and fulfilled so they can survive, grow and develop to their full potential in an inclusive and protective society. The country program is aligned with country and UNICEF regional and global priorities and expected to contribute to the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) III, 2018-2022, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Co-operation Framework (UNSDCF), 2019-2023, while concurrently working toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Birth registration is key in securing the right to life, freedom, and protection as well as exercising basic rights, claiming entitlements, and accessing a range of governmental services. Strengthened identification and authentication can establish a basis for a more effective, inclusive, and accountable social protection system. However, there is an estimated over 8.4 million children under the age of 16 in Malawi that are not registered and much more that do not have a birth certificate. Birth registration is a key national priority for UNICEF’s country program and a key component under Goal Area 3 of UNICEF’s Global Strategic Plan.
UNICEF and UNDP have embarked on a joint project to “reduce the gap”. Closing this gap through the registration of children with a unique identifier presents an opportunity for Malawi not only to increase the birth registration coverage but also to improve service delivery and evidence-based policymaking and programming to realize children’s rights to survival, development, and protection. In addition, it offers great opportunities to strengthen services in health, nutrition, child protection, social protection, and education.
Justification :
Universal birth registration provides every child with a birth certificate, an essential legal document required to secure basic human rights to the name, identity, and nationality. A birth registration certificate is the first step in securing recognition of individuals before the law and safeguarding their human rights and access to basic social services.
Having a birth certificate has a number of benefits :
- As a legal document and proof of age, helps to prevent violations of rights of a child, including child marriage, trafficking, child labor, and the use of child soldiers, particularly among vulnerable and marginalized populations ;
- The birth certificate also facilitates access to school, health services, and social protection benefits, which reduces the vulnerability of children to poverty and the risk of exploitation.
A little over 30 percent of under-five children are registered and much less have a birth registration certificate which is a legal document and proof of age. Overall, about 8.4 million children under the age of 16 are not registered at birth which renders close to half of Malawi’s population unseen, uncounted, and excluded. This affects children’s ability to enjoy universal human rights.
The demand for registration services remains low because many people do not know the importance of civil registration for their children and families and the implications that this has for improving access to core government services. This is worsened by low notification rates in health facilities where 90 percent of births take place. In addition to this, there is low demand or collection of birth certificates by the community which means that the majority of those who registered do not have birth certificates.
UNICEF Malawi is therefore seeking to engage a Communications for Development (C4D), consultant, to provide technical support to the National Registration Burea (NRB) to lead in the development of an evidence-based and theory-driven behavioral and social change communication strategy and plan of action focusing on birth registration; and monitoring, evaluation and reporting tools for behavioral and social change/mobilization communication. The C4D consultant is an advocate for every child and provides technical and operational support to the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and Ministry of Health (MoH) to promote community engagement and participation, and measurable behavioral and social change/mobilization in child registration, requiring the application of technical and theoretical skills.
Purpose of the assignment :
The C4D consultant will support and assist NRB and partners in the designing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and documenting of evidence-based, theory-driven behavioral and social change communication strategy and plan of action in support of continuous and mass child registration programming to increase birth registration in Malawi towards universal birth registration.
How can you make a difference?
The C4D consultant shall perform the services under the overall guidance and direction of the Child Protection Specialist (Civil Registration and Vital Statistics) in UNICEF Malawi Health Section and technical support and oversight from the UNICEF Malawi Communication for Development Manager.
The C4D consultant is expected to provide technical guidance, operational and coordination support to NRB by administering, implementing, monitoring, and/or evaluating a variety of C4D initiatives and activities for continuous and mass child registration. This is to facilitate the management and delivery of results through the NRB and in collaboration with birth registration stakeholders to achieve measurable behavioral and social change resulting in the improvement of children’s birth registration.
The C4D consultant is an advocate for every child and provides technical and operational support to NRB and its partners including the Ministries of Health (MoH), Information, Civic Education and National Unity, and Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW) and Ministry of Local Government by administering, executing and implementing a variety of tasks to promote community engagement and participation, and measurable behavioral and social change/mobilization in child registration, requiring the application of technical and theoretical skills.
The C4D consultant will provide strategic information to support MCO’s engagement in strategic advocacy with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST), and other ministries to identify incentives for birth registration and birth certificates.
Reporting requirements :
To whom will the consultant report (supervisory and any other reporting/communication lines) : The consultant shall report to the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist (CRVS) and the C4D Manager and shall share a copy of each completed deliverables with the National Registration Bureau (NRB).
What type of reporting will be expected from the consultant and in what format/style will the submissions of reports/outputs be done : The consultant shall report as per the agreed work plan and deliverables for the assignment which are in the form of reports and other indicated products. Any changes or modifications to the reporting requirements deemed necessary shall be communicated by the Child Protection Specialist in collaboration with the C4D Manager.
How will the consultant consult and deliver work and when will reporting be done : The consultant will work with the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and its partners who will support the review of deliverables while reports and other products shall be submitted to the Child Protection Specialist (CRVS) and the C4D Manager as per the assignment deliverables and submission timelines indicated in the expected deliverables section.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- A Master’s Degree in the social/behavioral sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Health Education, Health Communication or relevant area) with emphasis on evidence-based strategic communication planning for behavior development, social mobilization, participatory communication, and research, is required ;
- Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience in C4D program/project design, strategy planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration, with a focus on child protection and child registration is required ;
- Demonstrated experience in supporting Government and its stakeholders and capacity building is essential ;
- Familiarity with UN systems and UNICEF is considered an asset ;
- Hands-on experience in the application of C4D/SBCC theories, practices, models, and messages, with a special focus on an integrated approach to C4D programming in addressing social norms and practices, including gender ;
- Demonstrated experience working national Government structures and ability to foster and maintain strong professional relationships at national and district levels ;
- Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders (e.g. Government, UN, NGOs, etc) and building capacity is essential ;
- Hands-on experience in the application of C4D/SBCC theories, practices, models, and messages, with a special focus on an integrated approach to C4D programming in addressing social norms and practices, including gender ;
- Excellent knowledge of current developments in the fields of communication theory, motivational psychology, adult learning theory, indigenous media, community organization and participation, strategic communication planning, behavior analysis, formative research, and evaluation of communication interventions ;
- Good understanding of assessment, provision of technical guidance, facilitation of various knowledge delivery platforms to improve integrated C4D programming in the context of child protection and birth registration ;
- Knowledge of global developments in child protection, particularly in the area of birth registration, including the application of the equity lens and human rights perspectives to programming ;
- Strong knowledge and experience in community engagement and empowerment, in support of integrated programming for child protection and birth registration ;
- Technical support to the monitoring and assessment activities: qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis and interpretation, program quality assurance and control, financial management ;
- Knowledge of and experience in the application of innovation for SBCC ;
- Excellent knowledge and experience in the methods of communication to clearly and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form and to listen to and acknowledge others’ perspectives and views ;
- Computer knowledge, skills, and practical experience, including internet navigation, network, telecommunications, and various office applications ;
- Excellent report writing and documentation skills ;
- Fluency in English and the local language in Malawi is required.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.
For further information regarding the assignment, refer to the attached TORs : TORs for CRVS C4D Consultant.pdf
Use this template to submit your financial proposal : Template for Financial Proposal.xlsx
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.
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.
Deadline : 30 Apr 2021 South Africa Standard Time.
Apply here