Junior Individual contractor: Internet of Good Things (IoGT) UNICEF Country Office Focal Point in Rwanda, 11.5 month (For Rwandan Only): (Deadline 27 August 2021)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

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, Innovation

How can you make a difference?

Background

Internet of Good Things (IoGT) recently launched in Rwanda is a mobile-ready website that enables access educational and lifesaving information. IoGT is available for free, without data charges, for the Airtel subscribes in Rwanda at https://rw.goodinternet.org/.

IoGT’s users include frontline workers, educators, parents, caregivers, youths, and adolescents. IoGT site is managed by UNICEF Country Office and contain localized content in English and Kinyarwanda. This includes content on maternal health, hygiene, emergency information on diseases, HIV and sexual health advice for adolescents, and internet safety. In response to COVID-19, IoGT content now includes information on how to prevent and identify symptoms of COVID-19, clinical guidelines for frontline health workers, and support for mitigating the secondary impacts of COVID-19 including GBV resources, anti-stigma messaging, and positive parenting strategies.

By connecting to Internet of Good Things, children, adolescents, mothers, fathers, other family members, health trainers, caregivers and communities can gain access to localized, updated, quality content at their point of care and directly on their mobile phone at any time.

In addition, IoGT offers the following features:

Provision of Professional Resources: IoGT can be used to enable free access to digital versions of training materials, clinical guidelines, education benchmarks and curriculum tools for teachers, health care workers, faith leaders, traditional leaders, and community agents of behaviour change. This can include streaming video and PDF downloads.

Job Aides hosted on IoGT can assist frontline workers, teachers and other stakeholders with quick references to guide both their work and to refer patients, students and the public to resources and services.

Polls and Surveys available on IoGT can be used to capture knowledge and attitudes among frontline workers and teachers, community members and public at large to better inform content development and training.

Justification:

Leveraging IoGT as a meaningful two-way platform of communication with partners and communities requires a dedicated capacity for coordination with the programme sectors and national partners, as well as regular update of the content.

Objectives:
The contractor will support maintenance and regular update of the content of IoGT in Rwanda.

The consultancy will also develop and recommend innovative approaches of how IoGT can be scaled-up as a resource for UNICEF programmes, national and implementing partners to continuously maintain a two-way communication with various stakeholders and community members.

In addition, the consultancy will contribute to further strengthening regular evidence generation on behavioural drivers in support of various programme areas.

Work Assignment/Scope of Work

Adaptation of IoGT to the country context

• Liase with country programme teams to ensure IoGT’s purpose and application is embedded within programme objectives.
• Learn the IoGT content management system and build the capacity of relevant colleagues to support with implementation.
• Adapt the IoGT monitoring and evaluation plan to local objectives and Country Operational Plan.
• Work closely with IoGT Global Team to localize content/coordinate the localization of content (language/translation from English to Kinyarwanda).
• With support from IoGT Global Team, liaise with Mobile Network Operators/Facebook Free Basics to ensure effective management of required mobile services.
• Adopt Principles of Digital Design and Human-Centered Design whenever possible.

Maintenance of IoGT

• Develop a one-year IoGT work-plan to maintain and scale-up IoGT among various stakeholders with clear key performance indicators proposed.
• Work closely with CO colleagues to coordinate the set-up of CO IoGT Content Calendar and User Engagement Calendar.
• In collaboration with relevant colleagues set-up IoGT M&E plan.
• Work with programme sections to run regular promotional campaigns, regular engagement activities with the influencers and regularly update IoGT/RCO social medias in alignment with IoGT work-plan.
• Attend trainings/webinars by IoGT Global Team on CMS, Google Analytics etc.
• Report regularly to Head of SBCC on the IoGT progress.
• Establish and maintain clear documentation on IoGT implementation and operations in the country using corporate KM tools (ECM, SharePoint, Yammer etc.) including leading on the documentation of IoGT achievements through blogs and articles on UNICEF/partners/national/international press websites.
• Monitor and evaluate usage of IoGT and understand incentives and constraints involved between high-level users and low-level users.
• Establish system to ensure that information collected via IoGT is available to programme staff.

Deliverables:

• A one-year IoGT work-plan is developed and approved by supervisor (September 2021).
• Monthly plans and reports presented and approved by supervisor (September 2021 – August 2022).
• M&E plan is presented, approved and results are updated monthly (September 2021 – August 2022).
• Weekly updates of IoGT platform provided to Head of SBCC (September 2021 – August 2022).
• Initiatives, projects, processes and tools, are documented for the purpose of knowledge sharing (September 2021 – August 2022).
• At least 8 blogs/articles on IoGT development and scale-up are written and endorsed by supervisor (by August 2022).

Evaluation Criteria

The Technical proposal is weighted at 70% and 30% for the Financial proposal. Only candidates passing the technical evaluation will be invited to submit a financial proposal.

Applicants will be assessed on the following areas:

• A University degree in a relevant field such as ICT, communications, international relations, sociology, or a similar field.
• At least two years’ experience in the areas of development, IT or communications.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as to transfer knowledge and skills.
• Previous experience of managing organizational social media accounts is an asset.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Kinyarwanda.

Please note that the final remuneration will be negotiated by HR.

Payment Schedule

Monthly payment against the monthly report detailing the progress of deliverables specified in the monthly plan

General Conditions: Procedures & Logistics: 

The contractor will work from home or the office based on the UNICEF RCO guidelines applicable during the consultancy. The contractor will use her/his own computer. The contractor will be supervised by the UNICEF SBCC Specialist (Head of SBCC) and will work closely with UNICEF programme sectors and key national partners.  If the contractor needs to undertake field trips at the request of the SBCC Specialist, UNICEF Rwanda will provide support in organizing the in-country travel and payment of the Daily Subsistence Allowance for the specific location as promulgated by International Civil Service Commission (ICSC).

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

• A Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field such as ICT, communications, international relations, sociology, or a similar field.
  • At least two years of experience in the areas of international development, IT or communications.
  • Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as to transfer knowledge and skills.
  • Fluency in written and spoken English and Kinyarwanda.
  • Experience with a high-level communications campaign across multiple mediums, with national brand recognition is an asset.
  • Experience gathering and giving end-user feedback to the development of software applications is an asset.
  • Understanding of community-based channels of influence, community-based communication and development, human-centered design methods is an asset.
  • Experience working with community-based organizations is an asset.
  • Experience engaging with political structures, civil society pressure groups, and other channels of national influence is an asset.

How to Apply

UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should send their complete a CV/resume or Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded form (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc), as well as a cover letter explaining what makes them suitable for this consultancy. The application package should be submitted to UNICEF’s online recruitment system.

Qualified and experienced candidates are requested to submit a letter of interest. In their letter of interest, candidates should highlight their previous work experience relevant to the assignment and the attributes that make them suitable for the assignment.

Only successful candidates from the technical evaluation exercise will be contacted for the interview and might subsequently be requested to submit their most competitive Financial Proposal.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.