Adolescent Education for Health and Well-being Community and Engagement Consultant (Harare, Zimbabwe) contract

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

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 to hear from experts, connect with peers, and view past recordings; participate in post-webinar discussions via dedicated WhatsApp groups for further knowledge exchange; receive regular newsletters with webinar highlights, innovative practices, and resources; and access online courses on ASRHR.

Successful CoPs require dedicated community management that goes beyond simple moderation. Key strategies include establishing a clear community purpose, proactive outreach, fostering a sense of belonging, and adapting management approaches as the community evolves through inception, establishment, maturity, and potential division (mitosis).

In line with this introduction, the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSA) is seeking an ASRHR Community and Engagement Manager to oversee the CoP’s operations, ensuring alignment with adolescent ASRHR goals, fostering inclusive participation, and driving impactful knowledge exchange to support regional educators and stakeholders in advancing ASRHR education and practices.

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 National Programme Officers (NPOs) to understand their needs, gaps, and opportunities, and use these insights to plan and manage the Connect and Learn initiative effectively.
• Develop and implement strategies aligned with the CoP’s purpose, including mapping members’ needs, setting growth ambitions, and adapting approaches across inception (initial setup), establishment (building momentum), maturity (sustaining engagement), and mitosis (scaling or subdividing groups), while staying informed on ASRHR trends, emerging platforms, and regional developments to refine strategies.
• Build and grow membership through targeted outreach to teachers, educators, policymakers, NGOs/CSOs, youth-led organizations, researchers, religious leaders, and media personnel, mainly in ESA, while supporting the Education for Health and Well-being (EHW) monitoring and evaluation (M&E) officer to manage and digitalize the teacher database.
• Organize events like monthly webinars, virtual meetups, and live streams; collaborate with internal teams for consistent ASRHR messaging.
• Manage content creation and scheduling, such as curating ASRHR-focused posts, videos, articles, infographics, and e-books; maintain a calendar for webinars, newsletters, and online courses.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics (e.g., membership growth, members’ willingness to engage and contribute to the CoP, their confidence and competence to deliver CSE) to prepare reports, identify trends, and inform data-driven improvements.

2. Engagement & Trust

• Facilitate interactions by welcoming new members, sparking discussions, addressing challenges, and responding promptly to queries and feedback, while promoting engagement through rich multimedia channels and social support networks.
• Foster a sense of belonging through mechanisms supporting autonomy (e.g., member-led topics and co-facilitation of discussions), competence (e.g., skill-building resources), and relatedness (e.g., peer networking and peer mentoring).
• Build cognitive and affective trust via responsive support, rich communication channels (e.g., WhatsApp groups, webinars), and social encouragement to enhance participation and ASRHR knowledge adoption.
• Provide user assistance, including technical support for platforms (e.g., webinars, online courses, WhatsApp), managing enrolment data, and liaising with software suppliers.

3. Knowledge Sharing & Impact Tracking

• Facilitate post-webinar discussions in a regional WhatsApp group for ongoing knowledge exchanges and peer support, while exploring other digital platforms (e.g., WhatsApp Channel) for alternative or additional engagement.
• Curate and share ASRHR resources, including webinar highlights, and innovative practices, through producing and disseminating E-Newsletters on a bimonthly basis and managing a resource library, to foster knowledge exchange and community motivation.
• Encourage members to enrol in relevant online courses on ASRHR to strengthen their basic knowledge in ASRHR and gender.
• Develop and implement an M&E plan under the guidance of the EHW, including defining indicators, data collection methods, reporting mechanisms, and qualitative outcome measures.
• Work with the EHW M&E officer to establish a cohort of teachers from selected countries whose progress will be measured at immediate levels (e.g., knowledge), intermediate levels (e.g., confidence and capacity), and long-term levels (e.g., impacts on learners).
• Showcase achievements and lessons learned in global or regional platforms (e.g., professional conferences).

4. Community Moderation & Safeguarding

• Maintain a safe and inclusive CoP community by enforcing guidelines, handling sensitive inquiries, crises, and bridging with support teams.
• Address unique challenges associated with ASRHR such as cultural sensitivities and resistance to ASRHR, while preventing harm and promoting respectful dialogue.

5. Country- Contextualization & Support

• Regularly update UNESCO country teams on CoP activities via email and facilitate meetings with them to reflect on progress and exchange learnings.
• Support country teams in implementing country-level continuous professional development (CPD) for trained teachers, including coaching and mentoring components.

6. Partnerships & Strategic Collaboration

• Explore and expand partnerships with other organizations to enrich the CoP. For instance, collaborate with UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) to explore ways to incorporate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into CoP activities.

The contract will run from March to December 2026.

• Communication (C)
• Accountability (C)
• Innovation (C)
• Knowlegde sharing and continuous improvement (C)
• Planning and organizing (C)
• Results focus (C)
• Teamwork (C)

For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.

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; proven track record convening discussions on ASRHR issues, including sensitive topics like reproductive rights, gender equity, and HIV prevention.
• 3 years’ experience in managing online communities.
• Demonstrated experience in digital community management, including proficiency in platforms like WhatsApp, webinar tools (e.g., Zoom) supported by at least three (3) examples/references
• Strong digital skills for online moderation, content curation, event hosting, and data analysis; familiarity with multimedia tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Photoshop), email marketing tools (e.g., Constant Contact, Mailchimp), and other digital platforms supported by at least three (3) examples/references.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strategic thinking for community life cycle management.
• Empathy and conflict resolution for trust-building in ASRHR discussions.
• Analytical skills for metrics-driven decision-making.
• Adaptability to evolving digital trends and ASRHR landscapes.

LANGUAGES

• Excellent communication and fluency in English.

• Demonstrated experience in content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal) and analytics software (e.g., Google Analytics, social media insights) supported by at least two (2) examples/references.
• Fluency in additional regional languages (e.g., Swahili, French, Portuguese).
• Previous experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The consultancy is open to all qualified consultant/s. The submission should include:  

1. An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV);
2. A two-page statement outlining:

1. proposed approach to the work,
2. key relevant skills and experience, and
3. financial proposal (in USD) for the full consultancy

3. Proof of work (a product demonstrating their work, e.g., a report, publication, or product).

All CVs should be uploaded in the system, while the technical and financial proposals, including proof of work, should be sent to vacanices.harare@unesco.org. When sending the email, the subject line should read:  Adolescent Education for Health and Well-being Community and Engagement Consultant.

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information, by the above deadline.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO Careers website. No modifications can be made to the application once submitted. 

The process may include pre-recorded video interviews and/or written assessments, interviews with a Panel, as well as reference checks. In addition, candidates may be requested to provide additional information which may be pertinent to the position’s qualifications.  

Please note that all candidates, whether selected or not, will be informed of the outcome of their application in due course. 

Short-listed candidates may also be added to Talent Pools; subject to their consent (i.e. Data Privacy Statement).

• UNESCO recalls that paramount consideration in the appointment of personnel shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, technical competence and integrity.
• UNESCO applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment.
• lndividuals from minority groups and indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
• All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
• The statutory retirement age at UNESCO is 65 years.
• UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the hiring process.