International Consultancy

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

TERMS OF REFERENCE
Purpose of Activity/Assignment
As demand for real-time community insights grows, the
I Hear U Social & Community Listening (SCL) platform
has become an essential tool for UNICEF and partners to systematically monitor mis and dis-information, perceptions, concerns, and emerging issues across multiple languages and contexts. Initially developed by UNICEF ROSA SBC team and expanded to become a global good in late 2025 as per the FFI transition, the
I Hear U Social & Community Listening (SCL) Platform
will undergo a consolidation of SBC ROs assets, to ultimately be managed by the Global Programme Division (GPD). Country Offices (COs) are subscribing to the platform to inform programming in various thematic areas, from immunization to health emergencies, child protection, social cohesion, to gender programming to Accountability to Affected populations (AAP).

This includes enabling effective use of the IHU platform by supporting onboarding CO teams, query design, troubleshooting, and integration of insights into programming. The consultant will also facilitate coordination across teams to ensure timely delivery of analytical products, such as reports and dashboards, and contribute to system improvements by documenting user feedback and technical needs. In collaboration with technical vendors, the consultant will help ensure that enhancements reflect operational priorities.

Scope of Work
The Purpose Of This Assignment Is To Strengthen The Effective Use Of The I Hear U Platform By HQ/Global Programme Practices, Country And Regional Offices Through Targeted Technical Support. The Consultant Will

• Support platform subscriptions and provide tailored assistance to subscribing offices, helping them with onboarding and deploying I Hear You, solve technical issues, and integrate SCL into programming.
• Ensure quality assurance and timely delivery of analytical products, including reports and dashboards that translate listening data into actionable recommendations.
• Build internal capacity by developing training materials, facilitating webinars, and offering follow-up support to help teams apply social and community listening insights.
• Contribute to ongoing system improvements by documenting technical needs and user feedback and coordinating with technical vendors to ensure enhancements reflect operational needs.
• Promote the platform's use as a scalable solution for evidence generation, community engagement, and accountability, through documentation of use cases and support to knowledge-sharing efforts.

Output/Deliverables and Payment Schedule
Deliverables/ Outputs
Delivery deadline
Payment Schedule
Operational Workplan Document
: Approved 3-month workplan outlining coordination, technical support, and capacity building priorities, validated by SBC HQ.

19 January 2026

5% of the contract value

Subscription Pipeline Tracker:
Excel-based tracker with CO subscription status, liaison contacts, and setup notes.

19 January 2026

10% of the contract value

User Support Starter Kit:
Foundational package developed to support onboarding and effective use of the I Hear U platform. It will include FAQs, onboarding outlines, outreach templates, guidance on query design and interpretation, and a curated set of example queries.

19 January 2026

5% of the contract value

Helpdesk Support Log:
Monthly log of helpdesk tickets, resolutions, and user feedback.

Ongoing

30 March 2026

5% of the contract value

First Subscription Status Reports:
Report summarizing subscription renewals, new sign-ups, and coordination efforts.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Second Subscription Status Reports:
Report summarizing subscription renewals, new sign-ups, and coordination efforts.

30 March 2026

5% of the contract value

Analytics Report – Round 1
First report analyzing platform usage, subscription trends, and user engagement.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Analytics Report – Round 2:
Updated report with comparative insights and recommendations.

30 March 2026

5% of the contract value

Progress Report
Consolidated report summarizing achievements, challenges, and recommendations

30 March 2026

5% of the contract value

Regional Training Package – Round 1:
Training materials, recordings, and feedback summary for first regional webinar.

19 January 2026

5% of the contract value

Demo Session Summary – Round 1:
Session materials, attendance list, and promotion tracker for non-subscribing countries.

19 January 2026

5% of the contract value

Regional Training Package – Round 2:
Materials and recordings for second regional webinar, with feedback summary.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Demo Session Summary – Round 2:
Updated promotion tracker and session documentation.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Vendor Assessment Report:
Matrix of vendor capabilities, needs assessment, and recommendations.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Report:
Draft an introductory package for priority vendor engagements.

19 February 2026

5% of the contract value

Vendor Engagement Logs (x3):
Documenting system improvements and additional technical needs based on users' feedback.

30 Month 2026

5% of the contract value

System Enhancement Tracker:
Documented list of user-requested features and implementation status.

30 March 2026

5% of the contract value

Handover Package: D
ocumentation package to support the continued use and institutionalization of the I Hear U platform. It will include a curated database of queries and insights, finalized training materials, key contact lists, and documented use cases that demonstrate how the platform has supported evidence of generation, community engagement, and accountability. The package will also contain recommendations and transition notes to guide future technical support and knowledge-sharing efforts.

30 March 2026

10% of the contract value

Minimum Requirements
*Education:*

• Master's degree in social and behavioral sciences, communication, public health, sociology, anthropology, psychology, international Development, journalism or media Studies.

Work Experience

• At least 5 years of proven general experience in social and behavior change (SBC), SCL, social media management, digital monitoring, or digital data analysis.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in the design and implementation of social listening and digital community engagement, and the management of misinformation and disinformation in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in the analysis of digital sentiment, misinformation trends, and community feedback, with the ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations for programmatic or communication strategies. This includes demonstrated proficiency in using social listening platforms such as Talkwalker, Meltwater, Brandwatch, or Sprinklr

Skills

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the capacity to synthesize complex data, identify emerging patterns, and inform decision-making processes across SBC and digital engagement initiatives.
• Excellent communication and report writing skills
• Strong IT skills, including use of dashboards, infographics, and reporting tools.
• Experience working in development or humanitarian settings, preferably with intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), UN agencies, or international NGOs

Language Requirements

• Oral and written proficiency in English is required. Working knowledge of Arabic, French and/or Urdu is an advantage.

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 found in our competency framework…
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

Remarks
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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.