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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.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

Recognizing the importance of effective digital solutions in supporting early childhood development and parenting programs, UNICEF's Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) seeks to engage a Drupal CMS Consultant for the Bebbo parenting app. This role will support the Bebbo Central Team in maintaining the content management system and infrastructure, scaling up the architecture while ensuring consistent implementation across multiple countries and subsites that provide the backend for the mobile apps and websites.

The UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office has developed and launched a parenting application called Bebbo that supports a digital parenting support programme. The aim is to engage parents and caregivers in nurturing care, positive parenting, stimulation, and learning. This goal is achieved by improving the availability of information and supporting parents through innovation and behavior change initiatives. The app has been successfully launched in 15 countries and has already garnered more than 1.4 million downloads.

Bebbo is a free, easily accessible mobile parenting app available on iOS and Android platforms. It provides evidence-based guidance to support childcare and development, as well as parental well-being and mental health. In addition to early childhood development (ECD) content covering various domains such as health, nutrition, play, safety, responsive parenting, and parental well-being, the app offers functional features for monitoring and recording vaccinations, child growth and development. These features are customizable and tailored to a child's age, gender, and other parameters. The application is designed to be available in multiple languages, with centrally developed content well-organized and stored in a Drupal-based Content Management System (CMS). The CMS is based on a multi-site architecture that serves Bebbo and its sister mobile apps via APIs. It is also equipped to provide machine translations for content and sync content between subsites. In the near future, the rich content will be published on the respective websites as well.

As Bebbo continues to expand its reach across multiple countries, there is a growing need for coordinated and effective monitoring and evaluation strategies. Each country office (CO) requires support in developing and implementing tailored M&E frameworks, creating robust data collection tools, and ensuring consistent measurement and reporting across all platforms. Additionally, there is a need to increase the use of data-driven decision-making both within UNICEF and externally, as well as to systematically gather and analyze user feedback to inform future improvements and demonstrate the app's impact.

To support Bebbo's continued growth and ensure consistent content quality across implementations, UNICEF ECARO is seeking a Drupal CMS Consultant to work closely with the Bebbo Central Team. The consultant will be responsible for maintaining Bebbo’s multisite Drupal CMS infrastructure, ensuring its integration with mobile applications and websites, web view development for content, implementing enhancements and bug fixes, developing country-specific subsites, and leading DevOps and documentation efforts. This role will ensure that Bebbo’s content delivery ecosystem remains secure, performant, and responsive to growing cross-country implementation needs.

The consultant will work closely with the Bebbo Central Team, content managers, mobile developers, and external partners to ensure smooth operation of the CMS and support scale-up to new countries. This includes overseeing backend setup for new mobile and web deployments, enabling multilingual content workflows, implementing security protocols, and supporting analytics integration for content monitoring and improvement. The GitHub repository is available here for reference - https://github.com/UNICEFECAR/parenting-app-bebbo-CMS.

The consultant will all activities align with UNICEF's digital standards and guidelines, contributing to Bebbo's continued growth, enhanced user experience, and increased impact across implementing countries.

Scope of Work

Under the supervision of Innovation Manager, ECD, the consultant will be responsible for managing the content management ecosystem and hosting server to ensure effective knowledge management across all implementations. The consultant is expected to contribute to the following tasks:

1. CMS Maintenance, Upgrade and Security

• Drupal Core & Module Updates: Regularly check for updates and apply security patches to Drupal core and contributed modules to ensure the CMS platform remains secure and in line with UNICEF IT standards.
• Upgrade to Drupal 11: Plan and implement the migration of the Bebbo CMS from Drupal 10 to a stable version of Drupal 11, ensuring backwards compatibility and minimal disruption to existing country implementations.
• Multi-site Architecture maintenance: Maintain and improve the existing multi-site Drupal setup that powers Bebbo and its sister applications across countries.
• Performance Monitoring and Optimisation: Conduct site audits, implement caching and code-level optimisations, and address database or hosting-related performance bottlenecks.
• Server and Environment Management: Maintain development, staging, and production environments; ensure automated backups, restore processes, and disaster recovery plans are in place.
• Server Health Checks: Monitor server performance, uptime, and resource utilization, ensuring adequate storage and processing power (including New Relic implementation and maintenance).
• Error Logging & Resolution: Regularly review logs for errors, debug issues, and resolve conflicts between modules or configurations.
• Manage APIs: create and maintain API configurations and related integrations

2. Bug Fixes, Enhancements, and Support

• Bug Diagnosis and Resolution: Reproduce and troubleshoot bugs reported via Azure DevOps and internal logs; apply fixes across shared and country-specific subsites and environments.
• Enhancement Delivery: Implement incremental improvements to content workflows, dashboards, site navigation, taxonomy structures, and editorial controls.
• User Support and Guidance: Provide technical assistance to content managers and administrators across country teams and deliver knowledge transfer sessions when needed.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Coordinate with Bebbo Central Team to validate fixes before deployment.

3. Sub-sites Setup and Maintenance

• Requirement Gathering: Define the purpose, content structure, and technical specifications for new subsites.
• Sub-site Deployment: Create new Drupal subsites for incoming countries/regions (e.g., Zimbabwe), including domain configuration, database setup, module configuration, user roles, and content structuring.
• Synchronicity and Maintenance: Ensure subsites inherit shared configurations while allowing localisation; propagate bug fixes and enhancements across all active subsites. Ensure required branding, shared functionality, and consistent data across all subsites.
• Testing & Launch: Coordinate pre-launch testing and deploy with minimal downtime.
• Sister App Integration: Ensure backend readiness to support country-specific mobile apps and coordinate API updates accordingly.

4. Web Interface development and maintenance

• Public Web Portal Build: Lead the design and implementation of a user-facing web interface that displays Bebbo content for parents and professionals, adapted from the CMS. Create and maintain custom pages, filters, and search functions to display articles, activities, videos, and parenting tools dynamically on the website.
• Content Display Improvements: Develop custom views and filters for published content based on editorial needs within the CMS. Implement UI improvements aligned with design requirements.
• Performance Optimization: Improve page load speed through lazy loading, asset minification, and database indexing.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure consistent experience across different screen sizes and devices.
• Accessibility Compliance: Test and improve accessibility (WCAG standards) for a more inclusive user experience.

5. Security Assessment and Compliance

• Security Audits and Risk Mitigation: Conduct regular vulnerability scans and server security reviews, with documented mitigation plans.
• Access Management: Ensure user roles and permissions are appropriately configured and audited; enforce password and session security policies.
• Encryption and HTTPS: Maintain SSL certificates, enforce HTTPS across all instances, and apply secure coding practices in all custom modules. Enforce secure cookies, and encrypt sensitive user data.
• Security Monitoring and Policy Updates: Set up monitoring tools to detect and mitigate security threats in real-time. Implement and document security recommendations and best practices, including but not limited to CSP configurations, password policies and session expiration rules.

6. Source Code Management, Technical Documentation and Capacity Building

• Version Control & Repository Management: Regularly update the GitHub repository with versioned releases and detailed commit messages.
• Code Reviews & Best Practices: Conduct peer reviews to ensure clean, maintainable, and secure code.
• Conduct CMS trainings with country offices
• Power BI Dashboard Support: Provide backend technical support for maintaining and updating Power BI dashboards.
• Technical Documentation Updates: Maintain updated documentation for API integrations instructions, configurations, user manuals, deployment guides, module specs, and module changes.
• Developer Onboarding Guides: Provide structured documentation and setup guides for open source community to contribute.

The consultant will need to maintain flexibility and adaptability as the Bebbo platform continues to evolve and expand, balancing multiple priorities while ensuring quality, sustainability, and impact across all areas of responsibility.

Work Assignment Overview

Estimated Duration of the Contract

160 working days between May 2025 and March 2026.

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be home-based with no travels foreseen.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 160 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

• Academic qualifications: A graduate degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field. Having a master’s degree in the above fields would be an advantage. Having a Drupal certification would also be an added advantage.
• Professional Experience: A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in the development, maintenance, and administration of Drupal-based content management systems.
  • Experience in managing and deploying Drupal multi-site architecture across multiple country implementations is required.
  • Proven track record of supporting secure, multilingual, open-source CMS platforms.
  • Previous work with UNICEF, the UN system, or Digital Public Goods initiatives is considered an asset.
  • Experience in building or maintaining CMS-backed web portals for public use, ideally related to early childhood development, health, or parenting, is desirable.
• Technical Expertise: Proven ability to deliver stable, secure, and scalable Drupal-based systems with user-friendly content workflows.
  • Familiarity with Git, GitHub, RESTful APIs, and server-side administration (incl. New Relic monitoring).
  • Experience with Drupal 9/10 and planning/executing upgrades to Drupal 11.
  • Strong knowledge of performance optimisation, caching strategies, and accessibility standards (WCAG).
  • Ability to support backend data preparation for Power BI dashboards is an advantage.
  • Working knowledge of automated testing frameworks and multi-environment DevOps pipelines is desirable.
• Coordination and Communication Skills: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams of designers, developers, researchers, and country-level partners.
  • Strong coordination and task management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities in a remote, multicultural work environment.
  • Fluency in English is a minimum requirement. Fluency in languages of the UNICEF ECA region would be an advantage.
• Understanding of UNICEF’s Operating Context: Previous experience/knowledge of the environment in which UNICEF operates, and understanding the constraints of working in a developing-world environment is desirable.
  • Ability to align technical goals with UNICEF strategic goals — that always will mean UNICEF's mission over any particular technology.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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:

Please include a full CV, a Cover Letter with clear indication of your specific role and responsibilities within the project team for the relevant projects mentioned in the CV, and links to the App Store and GitHub repositories for relevant projects you have contributed to (where applicable) in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

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.