Consultant (Advocacy and Communications)

Contract

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**OVERVIEW** ------------ Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED) Duty Station: Kabul Job Family: Education Type of contract : Non Staff Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months Recruitment open to : External candidates Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 10-JUL-2021 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism **OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST** ----------------------------------------- Backgournd Since 2002, UNESCO has been supporting the Government of and people living in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan through interventions in areas of UNESCO’s mandate, namely education, culture, social and human sciences, as well as communication and information. Looking ahead, UNESCO is committed to deepening its engagement in Afghanistan over the course of 2022-2025 in support of the Government to build a peaceful and prosperous country through sustainable, equitable, and inclusive approaches to development that include and empower those left behind. In this connection, UNESCO Office in Kabul has developed its UNESCO Country Strategy for Afghanistan 2022-2025, highlighting its contributions to the sustainable development of Afghanistan in accordance with framework documents including the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework II 2021-2025 and the Afghanistan United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2025. To amplify the impact in Afghanistan, UNESCO Office in Kabul has identified five catalytic focus areas, namely supporting youth, advancing peace and security, advancing gender equality and empowerment of women, supporting innovation and leveraging information and communication technologies, and education for sustainable development and global citizenship education. Education is one of the major areas of work of UNESCO Office in Kabul. UNESCO supports the Ministry of Education and other government entities through multiple education programmes, which focus on policy and planning, data and information management, curriculum development, youth and adult literacy, TVET and higher education interventions. In addition, as co-lead of the Local Education Group (LEG) and the Development Partners’ Group (DPG) with the FCDO, UNESCO supports the Ministry of Education and education stakeholders to improve the coordination of technical and financial support and to promote inclusive sector dialogue. To ensure that the vision and work of UNESCO are communicated in an efficient and effective manner to stakeholders, UNESCO Office in Kabul is identifying an individual consultant to be responsible for the following. Under the overall authority of the Director and UNESCO Representative to Afghanistan, with direct supervision of the Director and the Head of Education, the consultant is responsible for strengthening the advocacy and communication of UNESCO Office in Kabul. This is done through the development of an Advocacy and Communication Strategy, the accompanying implementation plan and tools/guidelines for implementation, and through capacity development of office personnel in embedding advocacy and communications in the programmatic work. While the consultancy would focus on supporting the advocacy and communications in education, it should also need to link to the overall advocacy and communications efforts across different programme areas of the office, ensuring a harmonized office-wide approach. Specific functions include but are not limited to the following: Long Description ---------------- Functions Description 1- Conduct a desk review on the relevant documents including: UNESCO Country Strategy; project and programme documents, reports and evaluations; UNESCO reporting standards; agency-wide communication guidelines; and UNESCO and other agency tools and manuals developed in the areas of human rights, equity and education, access and quality of education, education and peacebuilding, education in emergency, etc. 2- Review the current mechanisms of advocacy and communications of the office and provide technical advice on the areas and means of improvement. 3- Conduct a rapid market research based on initial information about targeted audiences, channels/platforms, as well as key actions and results to expect for effective advocacy and communications. 4- Draft a complete Advocacy and Communication Strategy , outlining clear objectives, target activities and approaches, guiding principles, allies, deliverables, suggested means of advocacy and communications, indicators and means of verification for monitoring and evaluation, as well as an implementation plan aligned to the UNESCO Country Strategy and advice on cost implication for such work Long Description ---------------- 5- Engage relevant stakeholders on the development of the Advocacy and Communication Strategy and the accompanying documents such as , its implementation plan and tools/guidelines for implementation through virtual meetings, interviews, focus group discussions, etc. 6- Present draft Advocacy and Communication Strategy and the accompanying documents at the validation workshop to be held virtually with key personnel of UNESCO Office in Kabul. 7- Finalize the Advocacy and Communication Strategy and the accompanying documents, incorporating feedback received from UNESCO and relevant stakeholders. 8- Produce model communication and advocacy products, in line with the Advocacy and Communication Strategy and in agreement with UNESCO Office in Kabul. 9- Facilitate capacity development sessions to personnel of UNESCO Office in Kabul on implementation of the Advocacy and Communication Strategy including the review of communication and advocacy products developed and the use of specific tools/guidelines for implementation. Long Description ---------------- Deliverables All deliverables should be submitted in editable formats such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint files. 1- A timeframe and work-plan of completing the assignments (By Week 2); 2- Review report, with technical advice on the areas and means of improvement on the current mechanisms of advocacy and communications of the office (By Week 5); 3- Draft Advocacy and Communication Strategy (By Week 10); 4- Draft implementation plan and tools/guidelines for implementation (By Week 12); 5- Presentation of the Draft Advocacy and Communication Strategy and Draft implementation plan and tools/guidelines for implementation (By Week 13); 6- Finalized Advocacy and Communication Strategy and Draft implementation plan and tools/guidelines for implementation (By Week 16); 7- Draft model communication and advocacy products (By Week 20); 8- Finalized model communication and advocacy products (By Week 24); and 9- Outline and training materials of capacity development sessions to personnel of UNESCO Office in Kabul (By Week 24). Work Modality No travel is anticipated for this consultancy, and the tasks are to be completed remotely. Feasibility Note: Owing to the COVID-19 and security situation in Afghanistan, a degree of flexibility is needed to allow for amendment of the contract deliverables and requisite payment. It should be noted if a particular activity and/or output cannot be delivered, a substitute activity/output may be negotiated and agreed in its place. If this is not possible, the level of payment may need to be adjusted accordingly. **COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)** ------------------------------------ Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) Professionalism (C) **-** ----- For detailed information, please consult the [UNESCO Competency Framework](https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/competency_framework_e.pdf). **REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS** --------------------------- Education Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in education, communication studies, journalism, public relations or a related field. Work experience \- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in communications in the development sector; and \- At least two years of relevant professional experience at the international level in public relations, communications or advocacy. Skills and competencies \- Excellent understanding of expectations and trends in the education sector and the relevant areas of work UNESCO is undertaking; \- Strong sensitivity and adaptability in crisis-affected countries and diversity (culture, gender, religion, race and nationality); \- Integrity, reliability and sense of commitment in the execution of duties; \- Excellent coordination and organizational skills; \- Good analytical and problem-solving skills; \- Good creative thinking skills; \- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to draft clearly and concisely; \- Ability to work effectively in a team and to maintain effective working relationships in a multicultural environment; \- Ability to work under pressure, to manage heavy workloads and to meet tight deadlines, paying close attention to detail and quality of work; and \- Strong IT skills including good knowledge of standard office software, online collaboration tools, online content management and graphic and video editing software. Language \- Excellent knowledge of English (both written and spoken). **DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS** ---------------------------- Work experience \- Previous work experience in developing countries or crisis-affected contexts. Languages \- Working knowledge of the national language(s) of Afghanistan (Pashto and/or Dari). **APPLICATION PROCESS** ----------------------- Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted. Candidates are invited to submit an Employment History Form during online application. It is required to provide the information below: \- Details of work experience, including prior experience of similar and relevant work can be put in the Employment History Form. \- Insert the following at the end of the Employment History form, as it is not possible to upload multiple documents in the system: A brief statement (not more than 1 page) indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment. You can insert a hyperlink to any works or reference to works online. A brief proposal (1-2 pages) discussing the approach/methodology to undertake the assignment, key deliverables with a timeframe and proposed fees. **SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS** ------------------------------------- Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the [UNESCO careers website.](https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl) No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. **Footer** ---------- UNESCO applies a zero tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States [(last update here)](https://en.unesco.org/careers/geographicaldistribution) are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.