Research Consultant (Digital Youth Engagement)

Project Title: Enabling safe online programming on psychosocial support for adolescent girls and boys in displacement settings

Organisation: UNHCR

Job Title: Research Consultant (Digital Youth Engagement)

Duty Station: Home Based

Duration: 15 October to 31 December 2021

Contract Type: Consultancy

General Background of Project or Assignment:

UNHCR is working towards the digital inclusion of displaced communities believing that all individuals have a right to meaningfully participate in the digital revolution. This brings a very wide range of opportunities and risks as displaced communities further interact in online platforms and humanitarian programming is delivered online. There is a need to assess these opportunities and risks in collaboration with, and from the perspective of communities, particularly adolescents and youth, to understand how they and potential solutions are viewed and experienced by them.

As part of this work, UNHCR is exploring how online programming can be done safely to contribute towards psychosocial support (PSS) for adolescent girls and boys in displacement settings, particularly in the Asia and the Pacific region. This will include how online and offline approaches to PSS are linked, and what challenges in the offline world need to be addressed to enable safe and comfortable online participation in gender and age appropriate ways. Key challenges have already been identified and include difficult access to connectivity, devices, private spaces, risk of re-traumatization, managing group interactions, social and cultural norms impacting participation and limited digital literacy including on staying safe online. However, others could also be identified or nuanced by further research; for example, specific challenges or considerations could be identified for the engagement of survivors of GBV and other types of abuses or specific regional considerations.

The Innovation Service is looking to engage a research consultant to undertake an initial desk review to explore how to safely engage adolescents online as part of broader programming. The research will complement past work by looking at the risks and implications of group engagement for adolescents and what group, online and offline dynamics need to be considered to incorporate online programming as a part of broader support. This review will be the first phase in a broader research programme where the findings will be used to inform primary research in an operational context within Asia and the Pacific, including its methodology, and contribute to identifying tools and guidance to be developed. The first phase will provide practical recommendations and identify research questions for the primary research that will build evidence on safe digital youth engagement.

The overarching research question will be: How can UNHCR/Partners safely and effectively incorporate online programming as part of psychosocial support for adolescent girls and boys in forced displacement settings?

In collaboration with the Innovation Service and other colleagues in UNHCR, sub-questions for the research and approaches will be discussed with the selected consultant.

Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The consultant will be responsible for undertaking desk-based research to produce a report with key findings to the research questions and recommendations for moving forward. They will collaborate with UNHCR staff and incorporate any feedback or discussions into the final report. The consultant will be responsible for making operational and action-oriented recommendations, including on the development of needed tools.

UNHCR may support in the provision of documents for review, make staff available for interviews or other contributions depending on suggestions, however it is expected that the review will not focus on UNHCR specific documents and practices. As mentioned, due to the broad scope, the research will focus on programming in the Asia and the Pacific region when not looking at global policies, approaches and documents.

The consultant will:

• conduct the research into how to enable safe online programming to deliver psychosocial support for adolescent girls and boys in displacement settings, building off existing academic theory, literature and practices across humanitarian organisations
• as part of this undertake a comprehensive desk review of existing policy, guidance, approaches and other areas identified by the researcher to the use of online programming as a part of psychosocial support for adolescents in both displacement settings. Given the broad scope, this review will focus on Asia & the Pacific. The research questions and priority areas for primary research will be refined after the desk review.
• cross-reference with existing practices in non-displacement settings and best practices in the field of psychosocial support and safe online programming
• frequently interact with UNHCR Innovation Service´s colleagues working under the Digital Access, Inclusion and Participation initiative based at the Regional Bureaux in Nairobi, Panama and Bangkok and Protection staff at the Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau
• Work with Innovation Service design and communications staff throughout the research and on the final products.

Deliverables:

• Research report on Online PSS programming for Adolescents based on desk research and literature review, focussing on the specificities of displacement contexts and linkages with offline activities
• Suggested research methodology for primary research to be undertaken by UNHCR across specific country context(s) (contexts to be determined separately)
• Blog post on the issue for the UNHCR Innovation Service website

Required level, qualifications and work experience:

Education:

• Bachelors Degree in a relevant field required

Job Experience:

• At least 7 years experience working in an INGO or UN environment in relevant fields, including child protection, Psychosocial Support and youth engagement through various formats, including through digital channels
• Proven track record of evaluation or research projects focusing on children and adolescents, particularly in displacement settings, experience with adolescent friendly research methods is an asset.
• Experience with and up-to-date technical literacy on the use and risks of digital technologies desired, specifically safeguarding, data protection, cyber-harassment and bullying, online grooming etc.
• Experience working with technology-enabled programmes in humanitarian or development organizations
• Proven experience in data analysis and interpretation
• Track record of producing engaging reports and presenting analysis or recommendations in accessible formats

Language(s):

• Working proficiency in English; additional languages are an asset

Competencies:

• Excellent writing and documentation skills, demonstrating high levels of attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including across cultural contexts and with different age groups.
• Works well in a multicultural team and has a strong work ethic: strives to deliver high-quality, error-free deliverables.
• Flexibility in working hours to accommodate the different countries in the Asia & Pacific region.