SBC Social Cohesion Consultant - Remote support

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to HOPE

Sudan remains engulfed in the world’s largest displacement and humanitarian crisis, with 33.7 million people requiring assistance and 9.6 million internally displaced as of late 2025, reflecting massive social upheaval and widespread erosion of community stability. UNHCR similarly documents 15.3 million forcibly displaced or returned individuals spread across Sudan and neighboring countries, underscoring the scale of disruption experienced by families, communities, and local governance structures.

In regions such as Kordofan, Blue Nile, and the Darfur, decades of marginalization, intermittent conflict, and political exclusion have intersected with the current war to worsen intercommunal tensions, weaken traditional mediation structures, and intensify struggles over scarce resources such as grazing lands, water sources, and farmland. A Social Assessment study confirms that host communities and displaced populations in these areas live in a fragile coexistence marked by extreme service gaps, ongoing insecurity, widespread protection risks, and deep social fractures.

Despite these challenges, communities in these regions have demonstrated resilience and a strong willingness to engage in constructive social transformation. Between June and December 2025, UNICEF Sudan supported a significant community strengthening initiative in different state, establishing community platforms, training platform members, capacitating religious and community leaders, activating community champions, and equipping SBC taskforce members, among other achievements. UNICEF also invested in youth engagement, participatory drama, and community feedback mechanisms, helping lay the social infrastructure needed for larger scale cohesion interventions.

Building on this solid foundation, there is now a clear need to consolidate learning, experiences, and insights into a formal Social Cohesion Community Engagement Strategy for Sudan, accompanied by two practical Training Manuals that translate conceptual frameworks into field ready tools. These documents will guide UNICEF Sudan, its partners, and community actors in implementing cohesive, structured, context sensitive social cohesion programming rooted in local realities, community leadership, and UNICEF’s integrated community engagement approach.

To achieve this, UNICEF Sudan seeks to recruit a National Consultant with strong expertise in social cohesion, peacebuilding, behavior change, and community engagement.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Assignment:

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop:

1. A comprehensive, Sudan-specific Community Engagement Strategy for Social Cohesion, grounded in existing evidence, community structures, the Social Assessment, and UNICEF’s conceptual approach.

2. Two complementary Training Manuals on Social Cohesion:

• a conceptual manual explaining core principles, conflict dynamics, and cohesion frameworks.

• a practical manual offering tools, techniques, exercises, and facilitation guidance for community-level implementation.

3. A Training-of-Trainers (ToT) package based on the manuals.

4. Delivery of ToT workshops across five states, enabling state-level implementers and partners to roll out social cohesion programming using the new tools. The five states will be selected by UNICEF Sudan from among priority regions depending on access and programmatic priorities.

Together, these products will equip UNICEF, government partners, local organizations, and trained community platforms with the frameworks and tools needed to facilitate community dialogue, strengthen social bonds, promote peaceful co-existence, and support communities to cocreate solutions that address tensions and shared challenges.

Objectives:

The consultant is expected to produce high-quality, context-sensitive strategy and training materials that:

• Build upon the Social Assessment findings from Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

• Leverage the existing community platforms, champions, leaders, drama groups, and taskforces established by UNICEF and partners.

• Reflect the current humanitarian and displacement landscape documented by UN actors

• Provide practical guidance on community dialogue, participatory planning, mediation, and conflict-sensitive engagement.

• Strengthen the capacity of local structures to lead inclusive, community-driven cohesion processes.

• Designing and delivering a standardized ToT curriculum aligned with the manuals.

• Conducting five ToT workshops (one per state), targeting state-level UNICEF staff, government personnel, local organizations, and community facilitators.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks over a three-month period:

a) Inception and Evidence Review

The consultant will begin by conducting a review of all relevant documents, including the Social Assessment, 2025 SBC/peacebuilding activity reports, community feedback data, conflict analyses, and UNICEF’s conceptual social cohesion framework. This will culminate in an Inception Report that articulates the consultant’s methodology, analytical approach, workplan, and proposed structure for the strategy and training manuals.

b) Stakeholder Consultations and Field Engagement

Where security and access allow, the consultant will engage local partners, community platforms, community champions, SBC taskforces, local authorities, , women’s groups, youth networks, religious leaders, and trained peacebuilding facilitators. The purpose is to ensure the strategy and manuals reflect local priorities, conflict dynamics, capabilities, and cultural expectations.

c) Development of the Community Engagement Strategy

Using evidence from the Social Assessment and stakeholder consultations, the consultant will draft a Sudan-specific operational strategy. The strategy will outline processes for community dialogue, participatory planning, strengthening social connectors, leveraging existing community structures, enhancing accountability, and building momentum for community-led peacebuilding. It will provide step-by-step guidance on developing social contracts, integral community plans, and mechanisms to support peaceful co-existence.

d) Development of Two Training Manuals

The consultant will produce two coherent, accessible manuals:

1. Training Manual I – Conceptual Foundations: This manual will explain the definition, dimensions, and drivers of social cohesion; Sudan’s unique conflict dynamics; the role of community engagement; and key social norms considerations.

2. Training Manual II – Practical Tools & Facilitation Techniques: This manual will include facilitation guides, dialogue tools, conflict-mapping exercises, mediation guides, participatory media methods, social norms transformation tools, case studies, and monitoring templates.

e) Development of ToT Curriculum and Toolkit

The consultant will develop a full ToT package including:

• Training agenda (3–5 days)

• PowerPoint decks

• Facilitator notes

• Group exercises

• Contingency modules for low-literacy contexts

• Adaptation guidelines

• Monitoring and assessment tools

f) Delivery of ToT Workshops in Five States

The consultant will lead five in-person or hybrid ToT workshops, one per state. Each workshop will train approximately 25–30 participants, including:

• UNICEF field staff

• Line ministry representatives

• Local NGO partners

• Community platform focal points

• Youth/women facilitators

• Community champions and SBC taskforces Where access is limited, remote/cluster-based ToTs may be organized.

g) Validation Workshops

The consultant will facilitate validation sessions—either in person or remotely—with UNICEF staff, partners, and community representatives to ensure accuracy, usability, and cultural relevance.

h) Finalization of Deliverables

Based on feedback, the consultant will produce refined final versions of all documents, accompanied by a slide deck and a summary brief for wider dissemination.

• The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Sudan Social & Behavior Change (SBC specialist), with regular inputs from relevant programme sections. Weekly check-ins will ensure progress and alignment. Deliverables will be reviewed and cleared up by UNICEF before approval.
• Payments will be tied to the satisfactory submission of deliverables.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Master’s degree in Peacebuilding, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Social and Behavior Change (SBC), or a related field.

• A minimum of 7–10 years of progressive professional experience in social cohesion, peacebuilding, community engagement, SBC programming, or conflict‑sensitive approaches in Sudan or similar contexts.

• Alternatively: 15 years of relevant professional experience in lieu of a master’s degree.

Work Experience:

• Proven track record of delivering high‑quality work, including demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and reporting on peacebuilding, social cohesion, or SBC initiatives. conducting qualitative research and facilitating participatory processes with conflict affected communities.

• Proven track record in developing strategies, manuals, or training materials.

• Deep familiarity with the social, political, and conflict realities of South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur and demonstrated access to the areas

• Strong analytical and writing skills.

• Fluency in Arabic and working proficiency in English is a requirement.

Ethical Considerations: The consultant must adhere to UNICEF’s standards on ethical research, child safeguarding, data protection, conflict sensitivity, and Do No Harm principles. All community engagements must prioritize respect, neutrality, and the safety of participants.

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.

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.