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For every child, the right to Health!
UNICEF Angola has provided technical support to the Government of Angola in developing the National Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy (Presidential Decree 107/ 2024). In 2022, as part of the policy discussion, the Social and Behaviour Change Strategy for ECD was approved by Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women (MASFAMU), and the National Council on Social Assistance (CNAS).
From a knowledge management perspective, this consultancy aims to build on UNICEF’s ongoing support by documenting existing caregiving practices for children under five in Angola—particularly during the first 1,000 days of life—through interviews and field observation. The consultancy will also support the development of cross-sectoral materials to promote positive parenting among caregivers, partners and other key stakeholders.
The consultant is expected to document existing caregiving practices in at least three provinces, and to produce the content for two practical and illustrated handbooks, based on the documented practices. The findings from the documented practices will be summarized on an atlas that described the practices, identifies the key behaviours associated with the practices and the barriers and entry points to promote positive parenting. Based on the findings, two handbooks will be developed: one for government stakeholders and partners, and the other for families. The guides will include social and behaviour change communication messages to promote the adoption of the recommended practices by caregivers.
For the “atlas”, key informants from the government, civil society and partners will be interviewed, according to a list to be defined by UNICEF and MASFAMU. The field observation will be done where UNICEF is already implementing interventions in health, nutrition, and child protection to support the provincial government - mothers and fathers already engaged will be reached.
The content produced will highlight caregivers’ decision-making practices and serve as a reference for developing training and communication materials—such as posters, leaflets, radio messages, and training modules—to support positive parenting in Angola, especially within projects and activities led by MASFAMU.
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the SBC Specialist, the consultant is expected to:
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Conduct in-depth interviews with key informants at the national level
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Develop a script and a list of key informants (government partners, civil society, stakeholders, programme staff) to be approved by UNICEF and MASFAMU, communicate with the selected informants and implement in-depth interviews (with individuals or groups, in person and/or remotely) on the caregivers’ practices on health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, security, and safety services, including sanitation and hygiene, as seen by the technical teams through their practice in Angola.
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Systematize the key findings in terms of the attitudes and behaviours attributed to caregivers towards children under five years old, especially in their first 1,000 days of life.
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Based on the interviews, propose the key behaviours that the consultant will prioritize and the field visits that will be conducted for observation and complementary interviews.
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Conduct complementary interviews and field visits at the provincial and municipal levels
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Develop a field visit and interview plan to observe the caregivers’ practices in at least three provinces, which will be recommended by those interviewed in the first stage.
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Conduct in-depth interviews in the field, with the support from the provincial and municipal governments. Collect data on the key attitudes, behaviours and values of caregivers of children under five years old relating to health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, security, and safety services (including sanitation and hygiene) through field observation and complementary interviews.
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Compare the recommended behaviours and attitudes in the interviews with those adopted by caregivers in the community and discuss entry points and barriers to alignment among them.
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Develop the content for a handbook based on the interviews and field visits, focusing on the content and design.
Propose a critical analysis of at least three relevant existing handbooks and/or guides focused on promoting early child development and/or classifying attitudes, behaviours and practices to promote their adoption, produced by UNICEF and/or other organizations, to extract references on content and format.
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Based on the analysis, propose a summary for the handbook that is structured around existing behaviours, attitudes and values adopted by caregivers in Angola, considering the interviews and field visits.
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Develop the content for each section. This includes identifying key behaviours, related attitudes and practices; developing recommendations that indicate barriers and entry points to promoting the adoption of positive practices at the household level; and drafting a proposal for practices to be adopted by caregivers and the practices recommended by the partners from the government and stakeholders. The proposal, along with the recommendations integrated to the handbook, must be approved by UNICEF and MASFAMU.
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Develop content and design a structure for two practical guides for stakeholders and caregivers based on the interviews and field visits: The guides for partners and stakeholders should serve as technical support to promote ECD policy and key definitions among the technical / program teams. The guides should also instruct how to integrate the ECD key notions and the recommended for caregivers into the decision-making process of the provincial and municipal governments regarding children under five years old, especially those in their first 1,000 days of life. Based on the content and structure design proposed, the visual component (graphic project, illustrations, layout) will be developed immediately after this consultancy is finalized.
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Co-design and pre-test (1) the guides proposed with government partners and caregivers, and (2) co-design and pre-test with caregivers’ key communication materials to promote the recommended ECD behaviours targeting mothers, fathers, and adults in charge at the community level: Posters, social media items, leaflets, and other materials will be used to promote the recommended ECD practices. The proposals for the guides’ content and structure designed must be approved by UNICEF and MASFAMU.
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A final report, which contains all items, files, contents and documents produced in digital and printed versions during the consultancy, should be shared with and approved by UNICEF.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
-Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in communication and social mobilization, social and behaviour change (SBC), community engagement, and advocacy.
-Demonstrated experience in project coordination, data collection, and development of evidence-based SBC strategies, including risk communication, social mobilization, and community engagement.
-Proven ability to design and implement SBC interventions in humanitarian and/or development contexts; experience with emergency preparedness and response or natural disasters is an advantage.
-Previous experience working with government institutions, the United Nations, civil society, and/or NGOs is highly desirable.
-Strong analytical, documentation, and knowledge management skills, including the development of training and communication materials (e.g., handbooks, toolkits, multimedia content).
-In-depth knowledge of African cultures and contexts, particularly in relation to child development and caregiving practices; direct experience working in African countries is required, with experience in Angola considered a strong asset.
-High ethical standards and sensitivity to issues related to children’s rights and protection.
-Fluency in spoken and written Portuguese and proficiency in English are required; knowledge of additional languages is an asset.
-Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and deliver high-quality outputs within tight deadlines and multicultural environments.
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
[add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role].
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.
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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.
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In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
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.
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