International Consultant- Child Marriage Eradication Communications Campaign Lead, Pakistan (11.5 months)

Consultant Programme & Policy

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, Protection!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilizers, communities, and families, and of course, the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio, and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF’s work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will be under UNICEF direct supervision under the leadership of the Chief Child Protection, and in very close collaboration with the Communication and Social and Behavior sections in UNICEF.

The consultant will be responsible for:

• Strategic Communications: Developing a communications strategy and messaging framework, including key messages, target audiences, and delivery channels. The resulting campaign will target parents and caregivers of girls at risk of child marriage, community members, including influential leaders and elders, religious leaders and scholars, male family members, girls and boys and young women at risk of child marriage, and key stakeholders in the government and civil society.
• Content Creation and Dissemination: The consultant will provide support in planning and ideation of innovative content for communications assets such as web articles, explainers, and expert videos, including leveraging social listening insights, analysis of performance of previous content, and monitoring of social media to identify new opportunities to respond to needs, concerns and questions from online communities. He/she will be responsible for ensuring that messages are delivered through the appropriate channels which he/she will identify as part of the scope of work.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging with State and Religious actors, private sector actors and civil society partners, media professionals and influential commentators to create an enabling environment for the reduction of child marriage, including through policy and legal reform and the promotion of positive social norms. This will require identifying key actors, developing a plan for engagement, and building relationships over time.
• Community Level Activities: In concert with existing UNICEF partners, the communications strategy will include community engagement activities, such as community meetings, dialogue sessions, and community theater performances. The consultant will develop tools for community activities which will be tested in two districts - Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). The consultant will liaise and coordinate with UNICEF implementing partners to develop a roll-out plan of community activities to help increase knowledge amongst parents, girls, religious leaders, and other stakeholders on the harm caused to society by child marriage.

Throughout the project, the consultant will be responsible for developing a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the impact of the campaign on attitudes and behaviors related to child marriage. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring engagement, within this consultancy, of a suitable experienced and qualified Monitoring and Evaluation expert.

Major tasks, deliverables, and timelines:

Tasks: 1. Inception Planning Meeting & Desk research

1a. Inception Planning Meeting to define consultancy objective, and to develop a comprehensive workplan and timeline for completing tasks.

1b. Desk research on child marriage in Pakistan to identify existing attitudes and behaviors towards child marriage, as well as barriers and facilitators to change. This research will provide insights that will inform the campaign strategy.

Deliverable

• Inception Report/Workplan and Timeline: The inception plan will clearly define the objective of the campaign. This will include identifying target audiences, messaging, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success. It will also include details of content creation needs and a calendar of key events and key messages in agreed upon content
• A brief report providing a concise review of existing research and data on child marriage in Pakistan which will inform the development of the communication and campaign strategy. The report will act as a comprehensive situation analysis report on child marriage in Pakistan, including relevant laws, policies, cultural practices, and social norms.

Subsequent communication strategy and content creation will be based on this analysis.

Timeline: 7 days

Tasks: 2. Initial Scene-setting Op-Ed.

Three Op-Ed pieces (English and Urdu) will be written and published during the course of the consultancy (start, middle and end)

Deliverable

Two Op-Eds (one in Urdu and one in English) for publication in suitably recognized national Urdu and English language newspapers. This first Op-Ed will be an exposition of the issues around child marriage, including obstacles to change and the impact on individuals, communities and general society

Timeline: 5 days

Task: 3. Focused desk research to develop a robust target audience analysis, and media consumption analysis to identify key trends, previous activities and initiatives and target audience behavior. This desk research will provide insights that will inform the communications campaign strategy.

Deliverable

Research report: A report detailing the findings from the media research conducted, with a first draft of recommendations for communications tactical approach. The report will also identify key social media influencers and national celebrities who will be approached to support the campaign and its messages. These ambassadors will be drawn from a list to be provided by the consultant in consultation with UNICEF.

Timeline: 15 days

Task: 4. Creation of a communication strategy that outlines the tactics and channels to be used.

Deliverable

Based on the desk research from deliverable 3 (above), the consultant will create a detailed communications strategy that outlines the tactics and channels to be used, including social media, influencer marketing, digital, electronic and print media and community level events. The consultant will also share a detailed media and campaign monitoring strategy with metrics for all channels utilized for dissemination of media products

Timeline: 15 days

Tasks: 5. Content Co-creation & Conduct Pre-testing

5a. Content Co-creation: Development of creative concepts that align with the campaign objective and resonate with the target audience. These concepts will be presented to UNICEF for feedback and refinement. The consultant will be responsible for engaging a local creative agency, in consultation with UNICEF, to develop the concepts for approval. The consultant will be responsible for conducting all negotiations and establishing contractual relationships with the selected creative agency

5b. Conduct pre-testing of the communication materials in Pakistan to ensure their effectiveness and relevance amongst the final identified/agreed upon target audience. CP will assist the international consultant by providing suitable platforms and implementing partners who will test materials amongst target communities. Product testing will be overseen by the consultant.

Deliverable

• Portfolio of Creative concepts: A series of creative concepts, including ten video concepts for the campaign, including mock-ups/visuals and messaging elements. Suitable narratives based on creative agency/content creator’s input and research will be included with rationale for each narrative and creative treatment
• Data driven findings and analysis with recommendations from content creator/consultant for further action

Timeline: 40 days

Tasks: 6. Video Production:

6a. The consultant will be responsible for engaging local production house (or with the input of the contracted creative agency) to develop the final video products for approval. The consultant will be responsible for conducting all negotiations and establishing contractual relationships with the production house. Consultant will oversee production and approve final videos before presenting to UNICEF for comments.

6b. The consultant will be responsible for engaging local production house (or with the input of the contracted creative agency) to develop the final video products for approval. The consultant will be responsible for conducting all negotiations and establishing contractual relationships with the production house. Consultant will oversee production and approve final videos before presenting to UNICEF for comments

Deliverable

• Portfolio of Creative concepts: A series of creative concepts, including ten video concepts for the campaign, including mock-ups/visuals and messaging elements. Suitable narratives based on creative agency/content creator’s input and research will be included with rationale for each narrative and creative treatment
• Data driven findings and analysis with recommendations from content creator/consultant for further action
• Five completed videos based on Child Marriage Campaign Narrative for approval by UNICEF team
• Five completed videos based on Child Marriage Campaign Narrative for approval by UNICEF team

Timeline: 40 days

Task: 7.Engage local M&E expertise to develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure the impact of the communications campaign in Pakistan. M&E framework to include indicators, targets, and data collection methods, tailored to the Pakistani context

Deliverable

Detailed M&E plan to monitor impact of media activity, including audience reach, engagement and opinion

Timeline: 20 days

Task: 8. Social Media Packs

Deliverable

Creation of digital assets and materials to help promote the campaign brand and key messages on social media.

The pack will include a range of elements, including images, graphics, videos, captions, and hashtags that are optimized for specific social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.

Timeline: 15 days

Tasks 9a. Op-Ed 2 & 9b. Op-Ed 3

Deliverable

Four Op-Eds (One in Urdu and one in English).

Timeline: 7 days

Task:

10. Stakeholder engagement Plan: Engaging with key stakeholders, including policymakers, lawmakers, civil society organizations, and community members, to understand their perspectives and gather feedback.

Deliverable

Stakeholder Engagement Plan: A plan outlining the strategies to engage stakeholders, including lawmakers, policymakers, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. The plan will outline how to leverage various channels to reach and engage these stakeholders, including social media, email, and in-person meetings.

Timeline: 10 days

Task: 11. Develop engagement tools to be used by UNICEF implementing partners in community engagement activities. The consultant, with support of UNICEF implementing partners, will test these tools in 2 districts: one in Sindh Province and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province.

Deliverable

• Engagement tools including visuals and training topics/worksheets for use by implementing partners during campaign aligned community engagement activities.
• Consultant will work closely with implementing partners to develop a roll-out plan of community activities

Timeline: 15 days

Task: 12. With support of UNICEF implementing partners, facilitate a series of workshops with key stakeholders (government, service providers, community-based organizations, etc) to prepare for the national level event. Workshop findings to inform main thrust of national level event on tackling child marriage at community and policy level.

Deliverable

3 regional workshops in:

• Sindh
• KPK
• outh Punjab

Timeline: 20 days

Task:13. Lead the planning and implementation of one high-level national event in partnership with the Government of Pakistan, major donors, development agencies and others.

Deliverable

• Event Plan, including, concept note, agenda, and plan of engagement with invitees/speakers/guests
• Press Release for all major news outlets
• 1 National Conference held at a suitable location in Islamabad. The agenda of the event will be designed to engage and inspire a diverse range of stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, youth leaders, media, and donors.
• Real-time videos of event for UNICEF Website and wider media consumption

Timeline: 30 days

Task: 14. Final detailed campaign report

Deliverable

A final report summarizing the project's achievements, challenges, and recommendations for future initiatives. The report should include a detailed evaluation of the communications successes and any lessons learned, including where any course-correction was required and the impacts on target audiences of key messages.

Timeline: 8 days

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, Social Work, Public Policy or Law. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 08 of relevant professional experience in developing and implementing communications campaigns on social issues in South Asia, and preferably in Pakistan.
• Demonstrated experience in engaging with State and Religious actors on sensitive social issues, preferably in Pakistan.
• Familiarity with child rights, gender issues, and human rights in the Pakistani context.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with experience in developing high-quality communications materials in both English and Urdu languages.
• Strong facilitation and training skills, with experience in conducting trainings on sensitive social issues in Pakistan.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating social communications campaigns in Pakistan.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

• Estimated Duration: 11.5 months (247 working days) (Estimated start date is July 2023)
• The consultancy is equivalent to the P4 level. The International consultant will be based in Pakistan and will be required to travel within the country as necessary.
• Applicants must submit a financial quotation indicating a monthly fee as part of the application against each deliverable.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

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Added 10 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: unicef.org