Internal - External Vacancy Announcement: Advocacy Specialist, NOC (TA), New Delhi, South Asia Region (SAR), Post No. 110710 [This is a Temporary Appointment and the vacancy is open to India

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 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. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

And we never give up.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF: https://youtu.be/43aiG4w2q_M

For Every Child, a commitment:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, nutrition, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

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.

India Country Office has extensive experience in strengthening child protection systems, preventing child marriage and child labour. As a part of the country programme, the child protection programme is currently exploring strategic options for developing large-scale strategy and interventions to strengthen child protection systems and to prevent VAWC, in close cooperation with C4D and CAP sections.

Violence against children happens in every country at home, school, residential institutions, online and public spaces, among others. The UN Secretary General report on VAC (2006) demonstrated that violence remains a remarkably common experience in the lives of children globally and has long-lasting consequences on their health and wellbeing. Scientific research has firmly established the long-term, devastating impact of VAWC on the individual and given its scale on the socio-economic development of communities and nations. Its negative impact on children’s brain development as a result of toxic stress has been demonstrated by research; including impact on the child learning outcomes and on the behavioral and social functioning as children grow into adulthood.

In India, violence in all its forms is structurally embedded in age, gender, caste, religious, socio-economic, and other divisions, and it is widely used by power holders to enforce these divisions and related perceived entitlements. There is a high degree of acceptance of violence against children, women, and socio-economically disadvantaged groups. At the same time, violence largely remains a taboo subject. The silence surrounding violence assures impunity and acts as a block to perpetrators being held accountable for their violent actions.

Major duties and responsibilities:

1. Communication strategy - Ensure that the Country Office has a clear communication plan to support the Child Protection programme objectives, with a special focus on EVAWC and Child protection systems and get children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political commitment in support of the EVAC agenda.

•Maintain and update the country CP/EVAWC advocacy and communication plan. The plan to include: a mapping exercise; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities, and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.

•UNICEF’s rights and results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.

•Prepare communication, information, and campaign materials for CO program advocacy to promote awareness on prevention of VAWC and other protection issues

•Work in close collaboration with Child Protection, CAP and C4D staff and state office colleagues.

2. Public Advocacy - Work closely with the line ministries, CP and CAP sections in public advocacy campaigns and engagement to communicate the story of UNICEF's cooperation to a wider audience especially in the context of EVAWC and child protection issues.

•Work in collaboration with line ministries, CP and CAP sections to promote a better understanding of respect and support for EVAWC by carrying out media, information and education activities with various stakeholders including CSOs/NGO partners, faith-based organizations (FBOs) and corporate partners.

•Support to establish, document, review and refine process of communicating to identify, develop, distribute, and evaluate variety of public advocacy materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of communication materials, activities, processes, and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.

•Support the public advocacy campaign by working line ministries, CP and CAP sections to collaborate on multi-media initiatives.

•Write and edit human interest stories, social media material as applicable.

•Ensure all qualitative aspects of audio visual, print, digital material produced in coordination with design/AV/design/PR agencies meet UNICEF technical, ethical, and brand guidelines and are suited for digital and traditional media channels.

•Child Rights advocacy and to advance coalitions and partnerships

3. Networking and partnerships - Ensure that networks and partnerships are established to support in achieving the objectives of the EVAWC communication plan.

•Develop, maintain, and update partners contact list/database.

•Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.

•Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency, and appropriateness of advocacy and behavior change communication materials, activities, processes, and messages shared with partners.

•Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.

•Monitor, evaluate, and share results and findings with partners.

•Develop/input into donor proposals and reports on EVAWC

•Support national advocacy activities around EVAWC and child rights including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets and media kits).

4. National priorities and campaigns - Work closely with MWCD and CAP section on child protection especially EVAC local/national campaigns as well as integrating and acting on UNICEF’s global communications priorities and campaigns. Both disseminating these elements in a locally appropriate way, as well as providing/enabling coverage of the work in the country for global use

•Support UNICEF national and global EVAWC communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on global priorities and campaigns

•Child Rights advocacy related activities

5. Management - Ensure that human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management, and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.

•Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources. Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement and liquidation of funds. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of funds. Conduct various assurance activities including programme visits, spot checks and special audits as necessary under HACT guidelines.

•Identify, recruit, and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants as necessary. Conduct and implement effective performance planning, monitoring, performance development programme as required.

•Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency, and delivery as well as a rigorous and transparent approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation.

6. Monitoring and evaluation - Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the EVAWC communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy, approach, and activities; results and reports are prepared and shared on a timely basis.

•Provide technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance indicators identified and adjusted as necessary, and these communication indicators are incorporated or fed forwarded in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc.

• Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the communications objectives are met and the strategy is effective.

• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful communication experiences and share observations/findings so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

7. Capacity building and support - Ensure that the team is provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of communication as required; opportunities are identified and addressed for building communication capacity among partners on EVAWC.

• Advise UNICEF management, colleagues, and staff on EVAWC communication & advocacy plan and implications for action and policies proposed.

Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team. Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education

• An Advanced University degree in international development, human rights, sociology, communication, journalism, public relations or closely related fields or an University degree with seven years of relevant professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and/other related areas.

Work Experience

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in strategic communication, social development planning and management of child protection, advocacy and partnerships in an international organization is required.

Languages

• Fluency in English & Hindi (written and verbal) is required

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (I)
• Works Collaboratively with others (I)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (I)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (I)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (I)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (I)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (I)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

• This position is based in New Delhi (India).
• Selected applicant will be given a 06-month Temporary Appointment.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• 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/.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

For more information about UNICEF India, please refer to the link below: - http://unicef.in/