Consultancy - Knowledge Management/Communications Consultant, Data and Analytics (D&A) Section, DAPM NYHQ (remote based)

Contract

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Consultancy Title: Knowledge Management/Communications Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Data & Analytics (D&A) Section, DAPM, NYHQ

Duration: 09 May 2022 to 22 April 2023

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

Background

UNICEF is the lead agency in monitoring the wellbeing of children, with a mandate to support countries in collecting reliable data on children, as well as to track progress against internationally agreed targets including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Child Protection and Development (CPD) team within the Data Analysis and Innovation Unit covers a range of topics, including child marriage and children with disabilities. For both topics there has been new and exciting entities established.

The Child Marriage Monitoring Mechanism (CMMM) partnership was launched in June 2021. It brings together advocates, practitioners, and data experts to end this harmful practice. The purpose of the CMMM is to call attention to the issue of child marriage and galvanize action at the global and national levels by increasing the use of data to strengthen accountability for the elimination of child marriage. UNICEF, as the secretariat of the Child Marriage Monitoring Mechanism is mandated to lead and support some key activities including the development and curation of knowledge and communication activates and materials.

UNICEF’s Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities was launched in 2021. The Centre will help fill data gaps and meet the growing need for coordination, quality oversight and technical expertise in the field. The mission of the Centre is to enhance the ability of stakeholders to make timely and data-driven decisions affecting children with disabilities. To achieve this mission, it will engage in a wide variety of activities, drawing on the principles of partnership, innovation and inclusivity.

The CPD team requires a knowledge management/communications expert to support these two initiatives as well as other areas within child protection.

Terms of Reference

The purpose of this consultancy is to support CPD’s work on the development, curation and implementation of knowledge assets and communication materials/outreach for the Child Marriage Monitoring Mechanism and the Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities primarily and support the other areas within child protection sector.

The consultant will be supervised by the Senior Adviser, Statistics and Monitoring, Child Protection and under the guidance of the Data Communications team within the Data and Analytics Section.

Under the overall direction of the Senior Adviser, the consultant will be responsible for the development, implementation and curation of knowledge assets and communication/outreach materials designed to increase the information and engagement of stakeholders of the initiatives outlined above.

Specific Tasks

1. Develop a knowledge management/communications plan for the CMMM identifying key activities and timelines in consultation with the Senior Adviser and the Communications Team. These should include identification of easy access to knowledge products, innovative ways and platforms for sharing knowledge, including establishing communities of practice and sharing experiences across communities of practice and networks. The plan should also include methods to monitor/evaluate the various activities
2. Develop a knowledge management/communications plan for the Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities identifying key activities and timelines in consultation with the Senior Adviser and the Communications Team. These should include identification of easy access to knowledge products, innovative ways and platforms for sharing knowledge, including establishing communities of practice and sharing experiences across communities of practice and networks. The plan should also include methods to monitor/evaluate the various activities
3. Research information and activities related to child marriage and children with disabilities that are being undertaken within UNICEF and by partners, research institutions, government etc., identifying knowledge gaps and prioritizing KM actions to close them.
4. Based on the research and in collaboration with key stakeholder write case studies, document lessons learned, and best practices.
5. Write and disseminate key communication materials such as e-newsletters, blogs, tweets using multimedia.
6. Provide communication and administrative support to capacity development activities.
7. Provide regular updates on progress against the approved plan as well as the results of the monitoring and evaluation component of the activities.

Deliverables

1. Knowledge management/communications plan developed for the CMMM and for the Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities identifying key activities, timelines and milestones.
2. Provide communications and administrative support for capacity development initiatives. This includes: dissemination of the initiative pre, during and post activity; gathering and uploading materials to UNICEF learning platform (AGORA) prior to, during and post training; participating in the training sessions to support any KM/communications aspects. Tweeting and developing a blog about the training sessions.
3. Develop template for a quarterly e-newsletter and populate the quarterly e-newsletter for CMMM – including drafting and finalizing case studies, lessons learned etc.
4. Draft and finalize blogs, twitter messages and other social media products for CMMM.
5. Draft and finalize blogs, twitter messages and other social media products for the Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities.
6. Create and host a community of practice for the CMMM.
7. Create and host a community of practice for the Centre of Excellence on Data for Children with Disabilities
8. Support KM and communications efforts on other related topics.

Note: This is a product-based consultancy, and payment will be made upon successful completion of the deliverables.

Qualifications:

1) Education

An advanced degree in communication, development studies or a related field.

2) Work experience

• Three to five years of experience in knowledge management and communications.
• Experience in conducting research, writing blogs including multimedia components, using social media (tweeting, etc).
• Experience with establishing/building and managing an online community of practice and/or leading any type of community or network.
• Experience working with AGORA or similar web platforms is a plus.

3) Competencies

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills in interacting with colleagues at all levels.
• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills.
• Attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, ability to work well with others.
• Ability to work with virtual teams.
• Exposure to international professional contexts and/or multicultural environments within the United Nations Systems, preferably in UNICEF.
• Takes ownership and initiative and can work both independently and effectively in a team environment.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.
• Fluency in English. A second language (French or Spanish) would be an asset.

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.