Local home-based consultant: Youth Engagement/Communication and Advocacy Consultant, Palermo, Italy ( until 31 December 2021)

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.

For every child, results

Since the beginning of the migrant and refugee influx, UNICEF is responding to the unique needs of adolescents who are seeking asylum in Europe, on the move, stranded or pushed back. In Italy, The UNICEF Migrant and Refugee Response is divided into 1.Youth & Adolescent Development, 2- Child Protection and 3. Gender-Based Violence programmes for a comprehensive response to the protection and social inclusion needs for Unaccompanied minors and young migrants and refugees. Since 2020 and as a consequence of COVID 19 impact on children and adolescents in Italy, UNICEF has expanded interventions in the areas of health risks communication and in general adapted its work to address child poverty and social exclusion.

Youth engagement, communication and advocacy are central pillars for all 3 programme areas of the Migrant & Refugee response and are implemented through both online and offline actions involving both young migrants and refugees and Italian adolescents. Online a number of channels have been set up for this purpose, including U report on the Move (https://onthemove.ureport.in/), U-blog (https://www.ublogger.org/iblogger) and U-pod as well as mass media and social media platforms. This online approach is strengthened and broadened with more substantive offline engagement of youth rights-holders, including their participation in key international and national fora and in UNICEF’s Activate Talks (https://www.activatetalksitalia.com/) and an active citizenship pilot in Palermo, Sicily.

With the onset of the COVID-19 emergency, the scope of youth engagement, communication and advocacy interventions has expanded to include Risk Communication and Community engagement interventions, as well as the Youth led campaigns, such as the Future we want , implemented jointly by UNICEF ECARO and the UNICEF National Committee.

The impact of COVID -19 on children in Italy and the expansion of areas of work described above has led to the need to scale up public communication about needed reforms for children covering all sectors of engagement and with a focus on mental health issues, education, discrimination and exclusion, violence against children and poverty.

How can you make a difference?

The Consultancy will specifically focus on engaging UASC and young migrants and refugees in the UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Response in Italy, through innovative communication and advocacy approaches . It covers one of the regional priority areas of work as reflected in the Regional Flagship on Equipping adolescents with the opportunities, skills, needs and competencies required to realize their full potential and to participate as active citizens, as it concerns refugees, migrants and other vulnerable adolescents. The Consultant contributes towards UNICEF's engagement towards realizing the rights of children and adolescents in the Europe and Central Asia Region and UNICEF emergency response to the refugee and migrant and COVID-19 emergencies in Europe, and informs the global agenda for the second decade and Generation Unlimited.

Under the guidance of the YAD Specialist, the Youth Engagement/Communication and Advocacy Consultant will contribute to building UNICEF, Government of Italy, NGOs and partners capacity to plan, develop, monitor and evaluate youth-led engagement, communications and advocacy in support to the protection and social inclusion of migrants and refugees in Italy. In addition, the consultant is expected to provide support for the development and implementation of the UNICEF’s response advocacy and communication plan in coordination with the National Committee and the ECARO programme team with a focus on the COVID-19 impact on children and adolescents and with a focus on mental health, violence against children, inclusive education and child poverty and exclusion. The following results will be achieved:

Specifically, the following results will be achieved:

• A overall communication strategy and associated work plan for the overall Italy workplan is developed, and implemented
• Ensure that the Italy communication plan has integrated UNICEF’s global and regional communications priorities and campaigns, especially as COVID 19 is concerned in coordination with the National Committee
• Youth-led communication material is produced and disseminated via online and offline international, national and local platforms.
• A public advocacy strategy on issues related to Unaccompanied minors and young migrants and refugees is defined and promoted and implemented with the active engagement of concerned youth and Italian adolescents via online and offline channels.
• Migrant, refugee and Italian youth active citizenship pilot is communicated and advocated.
• Partnerships and awareness raising on the impact of COVID 19 on children and adolescents with key stakeholders (e.g. Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents; media; National Committee, UNICEF Office of Research, Ministries, UN agencies, Implementing Partners, influencers, media) to scale up youth engagement and amplifiy youth led communication and advocacy and to disseminate UNICEF’s work in Italy are established and/or strengthened.

Deliverables and Timeline

Contractual arrangements:

• DURATION: The contract is full time until the end of 31 December 2021.
• TERMS OF PAYMENT: The Consultant will produce and submit a monthly report to the Supervisor which will include activities completed, results achieved, any bottlenecks encountered and planned activities for the following month. The payment will be done on a monthly basis upon submission of timely and satisfactory deliverables.
• TAXES: Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF.
• NATURE OF PENALTY CLAUSE IN CONTRACT:
  • If the final reports and documents are not submitted according to the deliverables stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld.
  • UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission: 20 days - 10%; 1 month -20%; 2 months -30%; more 2 months – payment withhold). All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.
• DUTY STATION: The Consultant will be home-based in Palermo with travel to the field for 5 days once a month , depending on COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. All travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount allocated for travel will be EUR 4,000
• TRAVEL:
  • All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.
  • All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
  • The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
  • Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission, upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
  • The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSafe certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

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

Required

• An Advanced University Degree is required in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field;
• A minimum of eight years of practical professional work experience in communication, print and broadcast media, or interactive digital media;
• Training or experience in developing and implementing communications strategies and plans;
• Knowledge of community-based channels of influence, community-based communication and development communication youth engagement strategies and approaches;
• Able to work independently, has sound judgment and strong organizational skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships;
• Fluency in written and verbal English and Italian is required. French is desirable.

Desired:

• Demonstrated knowledge of programme areas pertinent for refugee, migrant, asylum seeker and internally displaced groups;
• Experience working with a web based platforms, managing websites;
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications;

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

TO APPLY:

Applicants are invited to:

• Complete their UNICEF profile;
• Attach P11, CV and Cover Letter;
• Indicate a daily fee, bearing in mind that the maximum monthly fee allowed for this consultancy is USD 4,895 or EUR 4000, travel not included. Applications without fees will not be accepted.

Remarks:

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.