CONSULTANT (E) NATIONAL Recherche formative sur les normes sociales et les déterminants du mariage des enfants, 3 mois, Au bureau, UNICEF COMOROS/Social and Behavior Change section Ngazidja 596572
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them reach their full potential. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, striving to promote every child's rights as a vocation.
Job Purpose
The consultancy aims to conduct formative research on social norms and determinants of child marriage in Comoros. The study has seven specific objectives: 1. Establish normative diagnosis to determine if child marriage is a social norm or driven by other factors like poverty or lack of education. 2. Measure parental and adolescent social expectations regarding the age and conditions for girls' marriage. 3. Identify and weigh the influence of reference groups (parents, elders, religious leaders, peers) on marriage decisions. 4. Analyze anticipated social sanctions and rewards for marrying a daughter before 18 or delaying marriage. 5. Examine related norms such as virginity, family honor, and out-of-wedlock pregnancy. 6. Identify levers for change, including personal opinions versus perceived norms and positive deviants. 7. Translate findings into operational guidelines for prevention interventions and establish normative indicators for tracking progress.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be responsible for conducting formative research on social norms and determinants of child marriage in Comoros. This involves establishing a normative diagnosis to understand the drivers of child marriage, measuring social expectations of parents and adolescents, and identifying key reference groups influencing marriage decisions. The consultant will analyze social sanctions and rewards associated with early marriage and examine related norms such as family honor and pregnancy. A critical responsibility is to identify levers for change within the community and translate research findings into actionable operational guidelines for prevention interventions. This includes developing normative indicators to monitor changes in social norms over time. The consultant will also be responsible for the overall planning and execution of the research, including data collection methodologies (focus groups, individual interviews, community dialogues), data analysis, and reporting, ensuring ethical considerations and child protection are paramount throughout the process.
Work Experience
Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in behavioral and social research, qualitative data analysis software, social and behavior change, or community engagement. Demonstrated experience in conducting qualitative data collection and analysis (focus groups, interviews, community dialogues). Must be of Comorian nationality.
Skills
Qualitative research methodologies, Social norms science, Social and behavior change, Data collection techniques, Qualitative data analysis, Behavioral and social research, Community engagement, Child protection, Report writing, Project planning, Understanding of Comorian context, Interpersonal skills