Consultant: Social and Behaviour Change and Community Engagement (Health/Immunisation) needed at UNICEF

How can you make a difference? 

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

• Under the supervision of the SBC Manager, and the Chief of Health and Nutrition, the consultant will provide technical support on community engagement and social and behaviour change strategies and approaches to the National Department of Health, 
• Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provincial Departments of Health, and selected district health teams, to strengthen the EPI programme, and develop tailored strategies to reach zero dose and under immunised children. This will entail working in close consultation with UNICEF, national, provincial and district health staff, and relevant partners.

The objectives of the support to national, provincial and district DoH are to:

• Strengthen capacity to advocate for immunization as an entry point for integrated primary care.
• Support DoH to mobilise and equip community and faith leaders to champion immunisation, and integrated child health services.
• Strengthen and assess capacity of health promotion/ outreach teams to develop tailored strategies to reach zero dose children.
• Strengthen collaboration and information sharing and improve communication materials to promote immunisation.
• Monitor, evaluate and document.

The Assignment activities fall under Output 1.2, and 8.8 of the Annual Workplan, relating to strengthening the health system’s capacity to delivery integrated MNCH services and SBC interventions.

SCOPE OF WORK

Support national and provincial DoH in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to advocate for immunization as an entry point for integrated primary care.

• Develop an advocacy strategy and plan, aligned with the national zero dose plan, to demonstrate the benefit of using the immunisation programme as a point of entry for integrated child health services, and mobilise leadership support.
• Develop an advocacy briefing pack with relevant background and calls to action, including a short presentation.
• Support convening an advocacy event to champion routine immunization and strengthen support for all elements of the EPI programme, including health promotion and community engagement.

Support provincial and district DoH in City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Ethekwini to mobilize and equip community and faith leaders to champion immunization, and integrated child health services.

• Support district teams to convene and engage faith-based and community leaders around the urgent need for plans to reach zero dose and under-immunized children with immunization and essential services, and to address any questions or concerns.
• Support the development of district faith and community leader action plans, with clear objectives and calls to action.
• Develop and/or collate and adapt existing materials into a resource pack for community and faith-based leaders, to sustain support and equip them to build trust in and promote the benefits of immunization and child health services.

Strengthen and assess capacity of health promotion/ outreach teams in City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and eThekwini to develop tailored strategies to reach zero dose children.

• Support District teams to report on tailored strategies and activities implemented, and identify challenges and needs, e.g. in engaging un-reached communities.
• Support development of a social and community listening strategy for immunization and vaccine hesitancy, and implementing tools, e.g., to collect community feedback, to strengthen systematic monitoring of community conversations and rumors, and use of insights to guide planning.
• Provide continuing education e.g., through updates on new social and behavioural data, on district/sub district health promotion and outreach teams role in Risk Communication and Community Engagement during outbreak responses, and tools to applying the Journey to Health framework.
• Support UNICEF’s role in the National RCCE TWG, to facilitate up to date communication on outbreaks such as mpox, and strengthening of outbreak responses, including community engagement, accountability social listening and community feedback.
• Develop and administer short capacity assessment tool to gauge effectiveness of UNICEF support.

Strengthen collaboration and information sharing between Districts and Sub-Districts, and improve communication materials to promote immunization.

• Review existing mechanisms for information sharing across district, provincial and national teams to identify gaps and needs.
• Strengthen/ establish a cross cutting online platform for collaboration (e.g., Internet of Good Things) to serve as a repository of relevant information and capacity building tools and forum for interaction.
• Compile repository and review existing communication materials on routine immunization, un and under vaccinated children.
• Identify gaps and requirements and develop a brief on new materials required to be co-created and produced (audience, format, language etc.) to address barriers and encourage uptake.

Monitor, evaluate and document.

• Attend inception and regular UNICEF project meetings; provide workplan, update reports – including on any RCCE TWG activities, and recommendations on implementation at National, Provincial and District levels.
• Identify report human interest stories (anecdotal evidence that can illustrate change), and secure permission for these to be documented by UNICEF’s communication team.

Tasks and deliverables

Support national and provincial DoH in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to advocate for and raise the profile of immunization as an entry point for integrated primary care – deadline 30 November 2024 (payment 20% of the total fee)

• National immunisation advocacy strategy and plan.
• Immunisation advocacy briefing pack.
• National/provincial immunisation advocacy event and report.

Support provincial and district DoH in City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and eThekwini to mobilize and equip community and faith leaders to champion immunization, and integrated child health services – deadline 31 March 2025 (payment 20% of the total fee)

• Four district community and faith leader advocacy meetings and report.
• Four district Community/ faith leader action plans with messages and calls to actions.
• Community/faith leader resource pack.

Strengthen and assess capacity of health promotion/ outreach teams in City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and eThekwini to develop tailored strategies to reach zero dose children – deadline 30 April 2025 (payment 25% of the total fee)

• UNICEF District Reporting template timeously completed by four districts.
• Social and Community Listening Strategy and tools for immunisation developed.
• Two educational presentations compiled and presented.
• Capacity assessment tool developed and administered.
• Report on support to UNICEF’s role in RCCE TWG provided, including meetings, liaising with ESAR RCCE, and technical support provided.

Strengthen collaboration and information sharing between Districts and Sub-Districts and improve communication materials to promote immunization – deadline 30 November 2024 (payment 15% of the total fee)

• Report on existing mechanisms of communication and collaboration.
• Online platform and repository for collaboration established/strengthened.
• Review of existing communication materials to promote immunisation and gaps.
• Brief on new SBCC materials required.

Monitor, evaluate and document – Bi-weekly (as agreed) and final by 31 May 2025 (payment 20% of the total fee)

• Inception meeting report, with workplan and timeline, within 2 weeks of signature/meeting.
• Summary minutes and action points of bi-weekly (tbc) project meetings recorded, including feedback from mentoring, lessons learned, human interest stories, and RCCE activities.
• Final project report providing overview of activities, compendium of tools etc developed, photos, agenda, registers, and other evidence of meetings convened, as well as recommendations to sustain system of developing tailored strategies to reach vulnerable populations with essential child health services.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social and behavioural science, sociology, public health, anthropology, psychology, communication, development, education, or another relevant technical field
• A minimum of 10 years of proven experience and expertise in providing technical support for community engagement and social and behaviour change interventions in South Africa
• Previous experience in supporting the National Department of Health’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation is an advantage
• Previous experience with Journey to Health framework, human-centred design processes, or Behavioural and Social Drivers (BeSD) model is an advantage, as well as experience with emergency response to disease outbreak
• References of previous similar work done are required
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset
• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of another local language is an asset

Specialized skills and/or training if needed:

• Facilitation
• Participatory processes
• Capacity building