Adolescent Education for Health and Well-being Community and Engagement Consultant
JOB DETAILS
Type of contract: Consultant Contract
Level: Level 2 – Middle
Hiring Unit: Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Harare
Work location: Remote
Duration of contract: 11 months
Hiring open to: External candidates
Application deadline (Midnight UTC+2 Time): 06/03/2026
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
OVERVIEW
UNESCO is implementing the Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) and O3 PLUS programmes at the basic and higher level of education in 35 countries to promote health and well-being among adolescents and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. While the O3 programme focuses on schools, O3 PLUS takes it a step further by equipping students in higher and tertiary education institutions (HTEIs) across East and Southern Africa with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
Overall, both the O3 and O3 PLUS programme support adolescents and young people to achieve positive health, education, and gender equality outcomes, by providing them with information to achieve sustained reductions in new HIV infections, unintended pregnancy and sexual and gender-based violence. As such, UNESCO’s interventions are not only targeted at learners but also at teachers and educators through activities designed to strengthen the capacity development of teachers, curriculum development, innovative digital platforms, and evidence generation.
Against this background, UNESCO manages “Connect and Learn”, an East and Southern Africa (ESA) Regional Community of Practice (CoP). It connects teachers to explore emerging adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) and gender-related themes, share experiences, access useful resources, and receive peer support.
While primarily targeting teachers and teacher educators from primary and secondary school levels in the region, the CoP is open to anyone, including policymakers, NGOs/CSOs, youth‑led organizations, researchers, religious leaders, media personnel, and others. Members can join monthly webinars, participate in WhatsApp group discussions, receive newsletters, and access online courses.
Successful CoPs require dedicated community management that includes establishing a clear purpose, proactive outreach, fostering belonging, and adapting approaches throughout the community life cycle.
In line with this introduction, the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) is seeking an ASRH Community and Engagement Manager to oversee the CoP’s operations.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Community Management & Life Cycle
- Understand the purpose, structure, and function of the current CoP.
- Review previous CoP reports to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
- Engage with the Regional Team and NPOs to understand needs, gaps, and opportunities.
- Develop and implement strategies aligned with the CoP’s purpose, adapting them across inception, establishment, maturity, and mitosis.
- Build and grow membership through targeted outreach while supporting the EHW M&E officer to manage and digitalize the teacher database.
- Organize events such as monthly webinars, virtual meetups, and live streams.
- Manage content creation and scheduling, including ASRHR-focused posts, videos, articles, infographics, and e-books.
- Analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics to prepare reports and inform improvements.
2. Engagement & Trust
- Facilitate interactions, welcome new members, spark discussions, and respond to queries.
- Foster a sense of belonging through autonomy, competence, and relatedness mechanisms.
- Build trust via responsive support and rich communication channels.
- Provide user assistance, including technical support for platforms and managing enrolment data.
3. Knowledge Sharing & Impact Tracking
- Facilitate post-webinar discussions in WhatsApp groups and explore alternative digital platforms.
- Curate and share ASRHR resources through newsletters and resource libraries.
- Encourage enrolment in online ASRHR courses.
- Develop and implement an M&E plan under guidance from the EHW.
- Establish a teacher cohort with the EHW M&E officer to track progress.
- Showcase achievements and lessons learned in global or regional platforms.
4. Community Moderation & Safeguarding
- Maintain a safe and inclusive CoP by enforcing guidelines and handling sensitive inquiries.
- Address challenges associated with ASRHR, including cultural sensitivities and resistance.
5. Country-Contextualization & Support
- Update country teams on CoP activities and facilitate reflection meetings.
- Support country-level CPD for teachers, including coaching and mentoring components.
6. Partnerships & Strategic Collaboration
- Explore and expand partnerships with other organizations.
- Collaborate with IICBA to incorporate MHPSS into the CoP.
CONTRACT DURATION
The contract will run from March to December 2026.
DELIVERABLES
The deliverables remain unchanged; they have been formatted below for clarity.
Inception Report
- Detailed inception report
- Timeline: 4 days after the signing of the contract
CoP Operations
- Updated CoP database
- Timeline: Upon commencement
Monthly Knowledge‑Sharing Events
- Webinar reports and invite fliers
- Timeline: 3 weeks after commencement
WhatsApp Group Management
- Guidelines, facilitation guide, and discussion reports
- Timeline: Upon commencement
Content Creation & Scheduling
- Approved communications materials and calendar
- Timeline: 4 times per month
Quarterly Newsletter
- Quarterly newsletter
Course Promotion
- Promotion package
- Timeline: Upon commencement
Subscription Management
- Monthly subscription management records
CoP Metrics Analysis
- Monthly analytical reports
Teacher Cohort Establishment
- Contributions to cohort monitoring framework
Country Team Updates & Support
- Quarterly email updates and meeting records
Country-Level CPD Support
- Documented CPD support activities
Support to NPOs and CCs
- Documented records of on‑demand support
Joint Initiative with IICBA
- Initiative plan and implementation framework
- Timeline: 1 month after commencement
Final Report
- Comprehensive final report
- End of contract
COMPETENCIES – Core (C) & Managerial (M)
- Communication (C)
- Accountability (C)
- Innovation (C)
- Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
- Planning and organizing (C)
- Results focus (C)
- Teamwork (C)
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in public health, education, communications, social sciences, or a related field.
Work Experience
- At least 5 years of experience with a focus on ASRHR, health, gender, education, or related areas.
- 3 years’ experience in managing online communities.
- Demonstrated experience in digital community management supported by at least three examples.
- Strong digital skills for moderation, content curation, event hosting, and data analysis.
Skills and Competencies
- Strategic thinking for community life cycle management.
- Empathy and conflict resolution.
- Analytical skills for metrics-driven decision-making.
- Adaptability to evolving digital trends and ASRHR landscapes.
Languages
- Excellent communication and fluency in English.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with CMS tools and analytics platforms (two examples required).
- Fluency in regional languages (e.g., Swahili, French, Portuguese).
- Previous experience in Sub-Saharan Africa.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The consultancy is open to all qualified consultants. Submission should include:
- An up-to-date CV
- A two-page statement outlining:
- Proposed approach
- Relevant skills and experience
- Financial proposal (USD)
- Proof of work (e.g., report, publication, product)
All CVs should be uploaded in the system. Technical and financial proposals and proof of work should be emailed to [email protected] with the subject:
Adolescent Education for Health and Well-being Community and Engagement Consultant