Consultancy: Web platform training and support (11.5 months)/remote-based, DSS, DOC - NYHQ

Contract

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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.

For every child, hope

The Division of Communication (DOC) is responsible for helping to shape UNICEF’s external image among global stakeholders. It plays a key role in communicating UNICEF’s stance on policy issues, ensuring that the rights of children and women remain a development priority. The Division is responsible for developing and implementing global advocacy, brand and communication strategies and campaigns, as well as normative communication guidance for the organization.

This position resides within the Digital Strategy Section, as part of the Division of Communications, and reports directly to the Field Support and Web Build Lead. The Digital Strategy Section manages all global digital channels and digital communications for UNICEF, including unicef.org in 5 UN languages, global social media channels, and digital multimedia content creation.

The Section is also responsible for the build, management and maintenance of global website properties, training and technical support for users of those website properties, and digital governance and capacity building

How can you make a difference?

The Digital Strategy Section seeks a full-time consultant to help provide the highest quality technical support and training to 700+ internal users of UNICEF’s Drupal-based web platform and Content Management System (CMS).

Under the guidance of the Field Support and Web Build Lead, the Training and Support Consultant will develop and implement a robust and comprehensive training program for users of the unicef.org Drupal web platform and CMS. The successful candidate will become a “super user” on UNICEF’s Drupal unicef.org web platform, providing technical support - via a ‘support desk’ - to internal users of our 100+ websites. They will also be required ad hoc to assist with web content production and perform testing of new features on the web platform. This work cannot currently be done internally due to a lack of staff capacity.

This candidate should be prepared to adhere to, and advise users on, the highest standards of content production including accessibility, page layout, proper implementation of the functionality available on the platform, best practice on-page SEO techniques, and implementing UNICEF’s digital content strategy as it relates to our web properties in terms of both content and technical production.

In addition, candidates should be aware that this role will be part of a team residing in New York. Remote based candidates will be considered, but the ability to work within East Coast USA office hours is required.

Expected results:

Design and deliver a training program for new and existing users of the unicef.org Drupal CMS (40%)

• Design and deliver a training program to address the training needs of key user groups, including but not limited to new users and advanced/super users;
• Utilize a variety of tools and formats to deliver training, taking into consideration geographic distance, languages, and the nature of key user groups’ relationship to, and use of the platform;
• Assess and report on the effectiveness of training curriculum; adapt training products based on platform developments and in response to user feedback, satisfaction and success;
• Feed into unicef.org Drupal web platform roadmap; identify training and/or usability issues that could be ameliorated with platform improvements/enhancements.

Support all activities of the technical support function, and communication between DOC and user base in relation to the Drupal CMS (30%):

• Provide level 1 technical platform support to internal users via the Digital Support Helpdesk, responding quickly and with a high level of accuracy and adherence to UNICEF’s web standards and other industry best practices;
• Track, respond to and escalate support issues as required in line with established support workflow;

• Guide users on best practices in web content production; assist users in selecting best methods of utilising platform functionality to achieve their objectives.

  Increase user understanding and adoption of platform features and functionality, and web production best practices in relation to using the Drupal CMS (15%)

• Develop and maintain resources and initiatives to improve use of the platform’s features and functionality, including managing and maintaining the internal Drupal user knowledge base;

• Improve user base knowledge and adoption of the features and functionality available on the platform, and understanding of what to use when;

• Gather, document and disseminate guidance garnered from subject matter experts on using the platform to meet current best practices in, and UNICEF’s approach to, web content production.

  Other responsibilities (15%):

• Ensure user base is informed of important platform-related developments and maintenance announcements;

• Communicate with Drupal user base in relation to deployments, CMS downtime and upcoming features/functionality to support effective and smooth introduction of new platform features;
• Make very high-quality production updates to unicef.org content as required, including formatting text, placing video, optimizing images and other media; work in line with UNICEF’s style guide and maintaining brand standards;
• Perform testing on new platform features as required;
• Perform quality assurance checks on websites and highly visible campaign pages around campaign and site launches, and alongside the introduction of new platform features.

Deliverables

Duration (estimated # of days)

Deadline

Design and deliver a training program for new and existing users of the unicef.org Drupal CMS

Ongoing

End of contract

Increase user understanding and adoption of platform features and functionality, and web production best practices in relation to using the Drupal CMS

Ongoing

End of contract

Support all activities of the technical support function, and communication between doc and user base in relation to the Drupal CMS

Ongoing

End of contract

As an advocate for every child, you will have…

Education:

Required skills and experience:

• Undergraduate university degree in communication, digital communications, international communications and/or other closely related area; an additional 3 years of technically relevant working experience will be accepted in lieu of an undergraduate degree
• A minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible work in digital communications or another relevant professional field, with at least 1 year of experience providing training or capacity building in a digital communications environment; prior experience providing training and/or technical support using content management systems is highly regarded
• A minimum of 2 years of web content management experience and advanced skills in web content production are essential
• Excellent communications skills, online, written and in person
• Advanced knowledge of web content standards (SEO, accessibility) and best practices in producing and publishing web content
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of another UN language is highly regarded

The following skills and experience are preferred and highly regarded:

• Advanced knowledge of the following technical areas: enterprise level content management systems (Drupal based preferred), working knowledge of HTML/CSS and front-end content production
• Experience and familiarity with group and individual training methodologies and delivery, including producing e-courses and planning and delivering face to face and/or live online training sessions
• Experience with using support ticketing or tracking systems or processes
• Knowledge of United Nations or other international aid or NGOs is desirable

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies as outlined in UNICEF’s Competency Framework. View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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:

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

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

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. At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage for the duration of the contract.

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.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/.