International Consultancy - Social & Behavior Change Specialist, Digital Social listening, Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office at UNICEF

Scope of Work

Goal and objective:

Under the supervision of the ESARO SBC Specialist and in close coordination with other team members and sections, the consultant will provide technical assistance in aspects of online and social media monitoring, digital insight analysis and development of programmatic recommendations on different priority areas, including the climate crisis, education, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and violence against children, nutrition, vaccine demand and maternal and child health.

Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered: Social listening insights are required to better understand and engage with priority groups in the region (including caregivers, adolescents and young people) on key issues including the climate crisis, education, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and violence against children, nutrition, vaccine demand and maternal and child health.

Activities and Tasks:

Expand and implement the UNICEF ESARO Social Media Monitoring and Rumour Management Strategy to reflect programmatic priorities under the C4C.

• Update the social listening strategy and related action plan for 2023-2025, taking into consideration all initiatives undertaken by UNICEF and partners in the region.
• Review and update COVID-19 social listening monitoring tools (e.g., monitoring topics, dashboards, automatic alerts and reporting) and make decisions regarding which tools to keep, update or pause based on regional and country level feedback.
• Conduct ongoing monitoring activities around key priority topics to identify key concerns, questions, rumours and mis/disinformation and notify relevant sections and country offices and provide support and recommendations for further action as needed.
• In collaboration with the sections, identify regional social media influencers in order to engage in dissemination of accurate information, misinformation prevention or response activities as needed.
• Provide updates with analysis of digital insights related to key emergencies in the region, immunization and impact of public health outbreaks and emergencies on priority issues such as sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV, education, and violence against children (VAC) and gender-based violence, highlighting key issues and concerns raised, and providing recommendations for better engagement.
• Provide updates with analysis of digital insights and recommendations on key C4C priority areas: 1) climate crisis, 2) learning/education, 3) SRH, HIV and VAC and 4) maternal and child health and nutrition.
• Conduct longitudinal analysis of digital data on online conversations in triangulation with other data sources, such as community feedback and surveys, to capture key trends and re-emerging subtopics and misinformation.
• Participate in and contribute to the community feedback sub working group of the regional RCCE coordination mechanism by providing monthly inputs on key trends in digital social listening.
• Represent UNICEF ESARO in the Africa Infodemic Response Alliance and provide technical contributions to the monthly joint reporting. 
• Document the lessons learnt and best practices in social listening undertaken in ESAR countries to respond to key programmatic needs.

Technical support to UNICEF ESAR Country Offices (COs)

• Provide technical assistance to design and implement high quality digital social listening plans around key priorities as identified by country offices requesting support.
• Support COs to establish appropriate strategies and mechanisms to manage rumours and effectively respond to misinformation and disinformation.
• Undertake a daily review of the regional tracking tools to identify trends and liaise with respective country offices to address them.
• Consolidate and integrate data from countries in a systematic and regular manner into the regional monitoring.
• Identify country-specific online influencers for potential engagement to amplify correct information around key topics.
• Keep an updated mapping of digital social listening tools available to support country offices.
• Support the preparation of fundraising proposals; identify/follow up on the country specific resource mobilization needs.

Capacity strengthening

• Organize webinars to reinforce the capacity of SBC COs colleagues on digital monitoring and engagement.
• Organize webinars and online training for the UNICEF SBC ESARO partners.
• Support COs with ad hoc remote capacity building sessions on social listening tools, insight generation and content development.
• Support COs with ad hoc remote capacity building sessions on how to employ social listening interventions as part of risk communication crisis response.

Knowledge Management and Documentation

• Produce a “Key lessons learnt, and good practices report for ESAR” describing digital social listening and engagement initiatives implemented by UNICEF and partners, including recommendations to reinforce social listening and digital engagement in ESA region.
• Produce a final consultancy report and 15 slides max PPT on key achievement.

Work relationships: The consultant will be supporting the whole ESARO SBC team and will be in regular contact with ESAR COs SBC focal points. In addition, collaboration with WHO AIRA staff will be required in a regular basis.  

Outputs/Deliverables:

The consultant will be required to produce the outputs for the assignment as will be communicated by the supervisor.

Payment Schedule

Outline the payment schedule to be followed. The payment schedule should include the deadlines for the completion of tasks/activities (deliverables). The information may also be incorporated into the above sample table, as applicable.

Indicate whether interim payments are linked to deliverables or whether payment is a lump sum on completion of deliverables. Indicate that payment is upon satisfactory completion of deliverables.

Desired Competencies, technical background and experience

1. Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in Digital Communications, Digital Marketing, Data Science, Behavioral Science or related field.
2. *A first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with seven years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
3. At least 5 years of proven experience in social media and digital monitoring, social media management, or digital data analysis.
4. Solid experience in the design and implementation of interventions on misinformation management and prevention.
5. Excellent writing skills, planning and coordination skills, with proven ability to work independently. 
6. Previous work with UNICEF (HQ or ROs) is an added advantage.
7. Must exhibit the UNICEF Core Values of:
   1. Care
   2. Respect
   3. Integrity
   4. Trust
   5. Accountability
   6. Sustainability