Long-Term Agreement (LTA) for Individual Consultant for Social and Behavioral Change in Emergencies (SBCiE) and Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for Public Health Emergencies , SBC, GPD, Remote based, Req # 593879

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Background and Rationale

With the recurrent humanitarian crisis, SBCiE/RCCE is fundamental to build trust and empowering affected communities. By engaging with communities, it helps to reduce misinformation and stigma, encourages community-led solutions, and ensures interventions are tailored to actual needs, making emergency responses more effective, efficient, and adaptable to diverse populations and evolving crises.

Given the reduced number of UNICEF SBC in Emergency specialists, and the number of assets in this field, there is an increased need of establishing a pool of vetted SBCiE/RCCE professionals, namely to support coordination, reinforce SBC capacity in data generation and feedback mechanisms, knowledge management and capacity development, as well as provide direct technical assistance to country offices as/when required.

This Long-Term Agreement for Services (LTAS) will provide UNICEF with a pool of individual consultants who can support SBC in Emergency initiatives, across the different levels of the organization and across continents. The agreement will enable teams to request training, workshops, data and feedback generation and analysis, tailored strategies and guidance. It also creates a mechanism to maintain shared learning through communities of practice, case studies, knowledge products, and routine communication channels.

By securing this specialised expertise, UNICEF SBC teams can integrate SBCiE/RCCE approaches more consistently across programmes for both emergency response and preparedness, improving partners coordination, evidence and feedback-based emergency interventions, strengthen the organisation’s quality emergency response and accountability to affected populations. This includes a strong commitment to Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), ensuring communities are informed, engaged, and able to provide feedback that shapes programmes, with a focus on inclusion and closing feedback loops.

Selected consultants will be eligible for a long-term agreement to provide on-demand technical support to UNICEF Centers of Excellence (CoE) and Country Offices (COs) and to other UN agencies for a period of three years. LTAS are non-binding agreements that do not constitute a commitment to acquire a consultant’s services.

Purpose

The purpose of this Terms of Reference (ToR) is to establish LTAS with multiple individual consultants that give UNICEF reliable access to specialised support in SBCiE/RCCE. The arrangement ensures that CoE and CO teams can draw on consistent expertise to support SBCiE/RCCE partnerships, collaboration, and coordination, revision or development of guidelines, standards, tools and resources, evidence generation and analysis, capacity building and knowledge management initiatives. The arrangement will ensure that SBCiE/RCCE interventions are aligned with AAP principles, including participation, transparency, feedback and complaints mechanisms, and responsiveness to community inputs.

Scope of Work

The individual consultants are required to apply their knowledge, international standards, best practices, and previous experiences, supplemented by relevant data and studies, to the task. In collaboration with UNICEF teams, the consultants will provide support as requested. The consultants will carry out the following activities as well as any other activities deemed necessary to successfully complete the task:

1. Partnerships, collaboration, and coordination:

Consultants will support the organization of global/regional networking mechanisms, including the consolidation of presentations from different partners, maintaining of 4/5 Ws dashboards, drafting of minutes and action points from meetings, among other tasks. This will also include supporting coordination of regional SBCiE/RCCE inter-agency collaborations for technical cross sectoral support, knowledge management, and development of tools and methods. Consultants will coordinate UNICEF contributions to regional partner initiatives. Consultants will ensure that AAP approaches are systematically integrated into coordination mechanisms, including harmonization of community feedback systems and promotion of inter-agency accountability standards.

2. Technical advocacy, standards, and support:

Consultants revise or develop guidelines, standards, tools and resources for behaviourally informed planning, research, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SBC dimensions of UNICEF’s humanitarian actions across sectors, ensuring that these are people-centred.

3. Research, analysis, and evidence generation

Consultants will support the coordination of global research studies and reviews in the area of SBC in emergency and transition contexts, enhancing the emergency-development-peacebuilding nexus. This support can also include the establishment of mechanisms and platforms for the collection and use of social, behavioural and community-sourced data in emergency initiatives at country level, including community feedback mechanisms ensuring systematic analysis of feedback and its use in decision-making, as well as communication back to communities. Consultants will also conduct analyses of country level SBC dimensions of humanitarian actions of UNICEF and partners to identify, assess, and report on outcomes, innovations, lessons learned and good practices.

4. Capacity building and knowledge management:

Consultants will support and facilitate mechanisms and resources for systemic knowledge generation such as case studies, acquisition, dissemination and sharing of experiences among UNICEF staff and partners on SBC evidence-based strategies, tools, lessons learned and behaviourally informed innovations to prevent and mitigate the impact of emergencies. Consultants will also support capacity strengthening initiatives focusing on SBCiE/RCCE and its principals to external and internal stakeholders.

Deliverables

Travel

Consultants may need to travel to UNICEF offices for on-site or in-country support. Consultants will need to make their travel arrangements and will be reimbursed for travel costs and subsistence allowance in line with and limited to those payable by UNICEF. Travel requirements will be explicitly mentioned in the specific contracts established through the LTAS mechanism. The payment of travel costs shall be limited to economy class air travel, regardless of the length of travel. Airfare and terminal expenses will be paid upon completion of each duty travel against the invoices.

Estimated duration of LTA

The Long-Term Agreement will be for a duration of three years. The initial period would be for two years with an option for renewal for a subsequent year on the same rates, terms and conditions, subject to satisfactory performance evaluation and continuing need for the service. The services of the individual consultants selected under the LTAS would also be made available to other UN agencies, UNICEF Regional and Country offices.

Payment Schedule

The LTA to be signed will have a fixed fee rate reflecting deliverables and including daily fee. However, UNICEF does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the LTA as this will depend on forthcoming requests.

The consultant is expected to provide a quotation for the services he/she will provide as part of the application.

Financial Proposal Template
LTA Financial Proposal Template

Contracts Created Against The LTA

Whenever consultancy services are required, details of the services will be presented according to the availability of the LTA holder.

Upon receipt of confirmation of availability and interest in the assignment, a contract will be issued with the prices/fees agreed in the LTA. The consultant must sign the contract prior to commencement of work.

Payment will be made after the completion of deliverables and submission of invoices for the actual work completed, subject to satisfactory performance.

Application Process/How to Apply:

The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain four separate attachments

1. A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be uploaded online).
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing responsibilities relevant to this assignment under each applicable role with indication of language skills (to be uploaded online).
3. A financial proposal indicating professional fee per day. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents).
4. Copy of educational qualifications (to be uploaded online)

Without all the above 4 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

• Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
• Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
• Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
• Female candidates meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply.
• 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 the visa (applicable) and 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.
• UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.

Note: Courses will be required for the successful LTA holders: Certificates of mandatory courses (Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF; Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority & Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) consolidated in one single pdf. For LTAs which include travel assignments, BSAFE will be a mandatory course requirement to be added to the list of certificates to be uploaded.

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

• Education:
  • Advanced university degree in social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, public relations or another relevant technical field.
  • Work Experience:
    • At least 8 years of professional work experience at national and international levels in Social and Behavior Change / Community Engagement for humanitarian response and Public Health Emergencies. Preferred experience in emergency preparedness and response at field level.
    • Required Knowledge/Skills/Expertise:
      • Strong ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, government agencies, and community organizations.
      • Ability to establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including healthcare providers, NGOs, and international health organizations.
      • Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret qualitative and quantitative data and translate findings into practical recommendations for programmes.
      • Experience designing and delivering capacity building activities such as trainings, workshops, simulations, or webinars for technical and non-technical audiences.
      • Demonstrated ability to produce high quality written outputs including analytical reports, dashboards, strategies, and case studies.
      • Ability to manage multiple workstreams, coordinate with diverse stakeholders, and deliver outputs under tight timelines.
      • Language Requirements: For every Child, you demonstrate... UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values The UNICEF competencies required for this post are… (1) Builds and maintains partnerships
        (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
        (3) Drive to achieve results for impact
        (4) Innovates and embraces change
        (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
        (6) Thinks and acts strategically
        (7) Works collaboratively with others
        Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels. UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status. UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance. UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially. UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled. Remarks: As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information. Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities. All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates. Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
        • Fluency in English required; knowledge of additional languages, namely French, Arabic, and Portuguese is an advantage.