Consultancy: Social Policy Communications and Policy Advocacy, Social Policy Section, PD - NYHQ

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF´s Social Policy section, based in the Programme Division in UNICEF Headquarters helps to frame and co-ordinate a range of social policy work at HQ, Regional and Country Offices. The section focus is on child poverty, social protection, public finance for children (PF4C) and decentralization/local governance (Including urban). A central component is strengthening global commitment to the four areas, as well as enhancing and supporting UNICEF Regional and Country Offices’ capacity and resources to address child poverty.

As part of its’ support to UNICEF Offices and to strengthen the global messaging and advocacy around these four areas, the section seeks a consultant to increase visibility of UNICEF’s social policy work and children living in poverty through promotion of various communications, advocacy and policy design related initiatives with the overall aim to shape global discourse, strengthen policy and public advocacy, and support resource mobilization.

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the section in developing outreach approaches on child poverty and social protection, public finance for children and decentralization/local governance through a variety of communications, policy advocacy and knowledge management initiatives. This includes managing an active Social Policy twitter account and supporting other communications efforts, such as drafting blog posts, articles, press release and other communication materials on pertinent social policy issues; supporting advocacy and communication related initiatives of the Global Coalition on Child Poverty, Inclusive Recovery Agenda and proactive outreach with other sections for visibility and advocacy around social policy issues.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

The consultant will support the section with a range of communications and policy advocacy initiatives, ranging from strengthening communications partnerships around social policy, creating communication plans as well as guidance and develop social policy media content, as outlined below.

Scope of Work:

Partnerships:

• Maintain active and professional relationship with the relevant teams of UNICEF Division of Communications to develop and implement a communications/advocacy plan for representation of Social Policy Work in the external domain
• Work closely with global social policy network (regional, country offices, DAPM, OoR) to effectively, collectively communicate and advocate on social policy issues
• Active outreach to regional social policy and communications teams for coherent social policy communications and advocacy
• Active outreach to other programme groups, for cross fertilization of communications and advocacy
• Support communication opportunities with external partners eg: International Budget Partnership, UNDP, World Bank, ILO etc.
• Track and report progress on communication activities, including through social media and web analytics

Coordination, planning and guidance:

• Plan, conceptualize and organize communication events around UNICEF’s social policy agenda.
• Produce an advocacy plan for the social policy section, outlining key moments and activities
• Ensure Social Policy section is made aware of UNICEF’s global communications and advocacy agenda and opportunities and is able to contribute in a timely manner
• Develop and keep updated key messages on all four components of Social Policy agenda, and ensure these are shared with DoC and regional Communications leads
• Develop guidance on communicating Social Policy to be shared to regional and country office social policy and communications staff

Media and social policy content creation:

• Support DOC’s social policy media strategy
• Identify media visibility opportunities, in collaboration with UNICEF media team
• Maintain an active social policy twitter account, through curating, producing and posting contents
• Draft blog posts on key social policy issues
• Produce mini videos on key social policy issues
• Produce communication, advocacy and social media packs (tweets, media assets, FAQ, fact sheets, background notes etc.) for flagship publications and key events on social policy
• Support the production of human interest stories
• Produce infographics on key social policy related data
• Maintain and update social policy web pages on unicef.org
  • Any other tasks as needed in support of external social policy communication and advocacy

Child poverty support/Global Coalition to End Child Poverty:

• Support knowledge products for the Coalition, including producing bi-monthly child poverty newsletters
• Manage Coalition social media channel and website
• Update and maintain child poverty reports repository through active outreach to countries

) Education

• A Master’s degree in journalism, public relations, communications, development economics, public policy, or closely related field.

2) Work experience

• Knowledge of areas of work (child poverty/social protection/ public finance for children / local governance – urban issues)
• A minimum of 3 years work experience in communications

3) Competencies

• Exceptional drafting and communications skills (written and oral)
• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and drive for results
• Strong drafting and communication skills
• Knowledge and experience with SharePoint and/or other Web based KM platforms desirable
• Fluency in English, & another UN language preferred

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 (can be downloaded here: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html
  • 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 core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.