Risk Communication and Community Engagement Specialist

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. In all of its work, UNICEF takes a life-cycle based approach, recognizing the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF programmes focus on the most disadvantaged children, including those living in fragile contexts, those with disabilities, those who are affected by rapid urbanization and those affected by environmental degradation. UNICEF was created with a distinct purpose in mind: to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. We promote girls’ education – ensuring that they complete primary education as a minimum – because it benefits all children, both girls and boys. Girls who are educated grow up to become better thinkers, better citizens, and better parents to their own children. We act so that all children are immunized against common childhood diseases, and are well nourished: no child should suffer or die from a preventable illness. We work to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people because it is right to keep them from harm and enable them to protect others. We help children and families affected by HIV/AIDS to live their lives with dignity. We are UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is a key pillar of public health emergency preparedness and central to UNICEF’s support to the Government of Nepal. In the post-COVID-19 context, it remains critical for promoting protective behaviors, ensuring timely dissemination of accurate information, and addressing misinformation. During COVID-19, a UNICEF-supported Crisis Media Hub was established under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and later institutionalized within the National Health Education, Information and Communication Center (NHEICC). The Hub remained operational until 2024 but was discontinued in 2025. Recognizing the continued need, UNICEF is committed to supporting its reactivation, aligned with the SBC+ in Emergency Strategy, RCCE strategy, and the 2026 commitment letter. This support aims to strengthen coordinated RCCE systems by revitalizing the Media Hub and enhancing community and media engagement through capacity building, social listening, and strategic partnerships. It will also generate and leverage evidence to address eight priority behavioral challenges in Nepal, including harmful social norms, low uptake of essential services (immunization, nutrition, WASH), misinformation and mistrust, limited caregiver knowledge, exclusion of marginalized groups, weak community participation, unsafe environments, and resistance to climate-friendly behaviors. In this context, an RCCE Specialist seconded to NHEICC will support these efforts by strengthening social listening, coordination, and community engagement to ensure timely, evidence-based communication for both emergency preparedness and routine health programmes.

Under the direct supervision of the Director of NHEICC and technical guidance from UNICEF, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: A. Social Listening and Media Intelligence o Establish and operationalize a system for social listening, including monitoring social media, news media, and government call centers (1115) o Produce regular media narrative reports highlighting rumors, misinformation, and public concerns o Provide recommendations for timely communication responses B. Multimedia Content Development and dissemination o Lead the production and dissemination of multimedia communication materials including: Audio/video public service announcements Infographics and posters Animation and short-form digital content o Ensure content is accurate, audience-centered, and culturally appropriate o Support rapid content development during emergencies o Support the development, update and dissemination of RCCE resources from UN partners (e.g., digital one-to-one communication platforms such as U-Report polls and chatbots, web-based content on Internet of Good Things website, QR-Code accessible multimedia live-saving content, real-time feedback collection tools) C. RCCE Coordination and Governance o Support the organization of regular RCCE coordination meetings chaired by NHEICC o Maintain partner mapping (Who is doing What, Where) o Document and follow up on key action point D. Inter-Ministerial and Multi-Sectoral Coordination o Facilitate coordination across ministries and sectors for RCCE during health emergencies and disasters o Promote a whole-of-society approach involving civil society, youth groups, and community networks E. RCCE Strategy and Preparedness o Support the development and/or update of the national RCCE strategy o Support the update of the Health Promotion Strategy and others reflecting RCCE components o Contribute to hazard mapping, preparedness planning, and response frameworks o Integrate RCCE into routine health programs, particularly immunization F. Content Bank and Knowledge Management o Establish and maintain a centralized RCCE content repository o Ensure availability of pre-approved communication materials for rapid deployment G. Media Engagement o Develop and implement media engagement strategies o Strengthening relationships with national and local media o Support press briefings, media releases, and preparation of talking points H. Private Sector Engagement o Identify and engage private sector partners for dissemination of public health messages o Leverage private sector networks for communication outreach I. Community Engagement o Strengthen community engagement mechanisms through mobilization of FCHVs, youth groups, religious leaders, UN partners and local networks o Ensure inclusive communication reaching vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations J. Influencer Engagement o Map and engage social influencers, including religious leaders, celebrities, and community leaders o Develop SOPs for influencer engagement K. Capacity Building o Support training and orientation for health workers, journalists, and government officials on RCCE and risk communication Additional tasks: Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: - Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); - Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; - Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. - Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; - Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; - Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. o Monthly social listening and media narrative reports o Multimedia content packages for priority health issues o Functional Crisis Media Hub operational and results monitoring framework o RCCE coordination meeting reports and partner mapping o Updated or newly developed RCCE strategy and others as required o Centralized RCCE content repository o Media engagement strategy and documentation o Influencer engagement SOPs o Amplify the dissemination of UN partners RCEE resources