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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, Hope

Purpose of Activity/Assignment
UNICEF recognizes the critical importance of safely managed sanitation in improving public health, enhancing dignity, and fostering sustainable development. Despite progress in recent years, millions of people worldwide still lack access to basic sanitation services. Safely managed sanitation remains a challenge in many communities, particularly in low-resource settings. UNICEF launched its Sanitation Game Plan in 2022 with the goal of supporting 1 billion people gain access to safely managed sanitation (SMS) by 2030. The game plan outlines a shift in UNICEF’s ambition, mindset and programming approach. Aligned to the SDG 6 Accelerator Framework, it promotes greater systems strengthening within UNICEF programs, aiming to create a sanitation enabling environment for rapid progress. It promotes government-led approaches and interventions, such as strengthening policy, improving sector coordination, securing appropriate sector finance, developing capacity at all levels and generating timely data for decision making. It encourages UNICEF to coordinate sector partnerships in the support of government priorities, seeking collaboration and alliances with a wide range of partners, such as development agencies, academics, youth groups and private sector organizations. The overarching objective is to fulfil UNICEF’s mandate to protect children’s rights and to help meet their basic needs.

WCARO has implemented a regional face-to-face workshop to build a strong understanding of SMS, so countries have the capacity to facilitate sector dialogue on SMS in their respective countries. The hope is that this sector dialogue leads to a plan of action, such as the need to update policies, strategies, plans and public data systems so they align to the achievement of SMS. This needs to be supported through regional advocacy for safely managed sanitation in WCAR.


How can you make a difference?
Scope of Work
The primary objective of this consultancy is to advocate for the adoption and promotion of safely managed sanitation practices through creative storytelling and video production in West and Central Africa. The consultant will be tasked with raising awareness, influencing behavior change, and garnering support for improved sanitation practices, particularly targeting vulnerable communities and key stakeholders.

The advocacy consultant will be responsible for:
• Conducting a comprehensive review of existing sanitation practices, challenges, and opportunities, with a focus on safely managed sanitation in West and Central Africa through desk review.
• Developing an advocacy strategy and action plan for promoting safely managed sanitation through creative storytelling, social media and video production.
• Collaborating with UNICEF sanitation experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment with programmatic goals and messaging.
• Creating compelling narratives, stories, and video content that highlight the importance of safely managed sanitation, addressing key issues such as hygiene promotion, menstrual hygiene management, and waste management.
• Preparing content to be utilized through a variety of creative mediums, including short films, animations, social media campaigns, and interactive storytelling techniques, to engage diverse audiences and maximize impact.
• Develop a toolbox for outreach activities to disseminate advocacy messages and mobilize support for improved sanitation practices targeting West and Central African audiences.
• Develop a framework for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of proposed advocacy interventions, using qualitative and quantitative methods to assess reach, engagement, and behavior change outcomes.
• Providing regular progress reports and updates to UNICEF focal points, documenting successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Delivery deadline
• Developing an advocacy strategy and action plan for promoting safely managed sanitation through creative storytelling, social media and video production. Advocacy strategy and action plan for promoting safely managed sanitation. 01.06.2024
• Creating compelling narratives, stories, and video content that highlight the importance of safely managed sanitation, addressing key issues such as hygiene promotion, menstrual hygiene management, and waste management.
• Preparing content to be utilized through a variety of creative mediums, including short films, animations, social media campaigns, and interactive storytelling techniques, to engage diverse audiences and maximize impact. Creative storytelling and video content, including scripts, storyboards, and finalized productions. 30.07.2024
• Develop a toolbox for outreach activities to disseminate advocacy messages and mobilize support for improved sanitation practices. Toolbox for outreach activities on safely managed sanitation advocacy 30.09.2024
• Develop a framework for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of proposed advocacy interventions, using qualitative and quantitative methods to assess reach, engagement, and behavior change outcomes. M&E framework for advocacy on safely managed sanitation through creative media 30.09.2024


To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
• An Advanced (Master) University Degree in Public Health, Engineering, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Communications Sciences, International Relations, or related fields.
• A University degree with 8 years of relevant work experience in lieu of a Master degree is acceptable
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in the communication, advocacy or WASH sector, related to developing countries.
• Extensive experience in advocacy, communications, or related fields, with a focus on public health, sanitation, or development issues.
• Proven expertise in creative storytelling, video production, and multimedia content development.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into compelling narratives and messaging.
• Familiarity with the socio-economic, cultural, and political context of West and Central Africa
• Fluency in English and French, with proficiency in both languages preferred


Other Requirements
Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system /Resume
Academic credentials/certificates
• Consultancy proposal
Financial proposal that will include:
• Costs for each deliverable and total all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the whole assignment
• Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per ToR
• Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable
• Previously relevant consultancy products & final evaluations (if available)
• Indicate your availability
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit? here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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.
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.

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.