RITD/ATPC - Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist

Result of Service Objective/Result of the consultancy:

1. Increase awareness and understanding of international trade issues including on the AfCFTA among AU member States, enhancing opportunities for ratification, implementation and domestication of the AfCFTA; 2. Enhance the visibility of ATPC and ECA in general; 3. Ensure that key stakeholders, in particular Governments, Regional Economic Communities, private sector, civil society, women, youth and media have adequate information base and knowledge of the benefits and challenges of the AfCFTA for successful implementation; 4. Establish a strong and effective mechanism for communication, advocacy and outreach to reach governments, intergovernmental agencies, the international community, CSOs, the private sector, academia and researchers; 5. Establish a strong knowledge management system to capture, create, translate and disseminate the knowledge products of ATPC in an effective and efficient way.

Work Location Addis Ababa

Expected duration The duration of the contract will be for a period of 6 months upon signing of the contract.

Duties and Responsibilities Background

The African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), established in June 2003 with the financial support of the Canadian Government, is a specialized unit within the United Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). It has since evolved to become a leading Africa-based center of excellence and a continental hub that provides and coordinates technical support for the development of trade policies in Africa.

The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) signed in Kigali, Rwanda, on 21 March 2018 is a key milestone in Africa’s integration Agenda. The AfCFTA will create the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 AU member countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion.

Under its current phase IV programme spanning from March 2021 to December 2026 titled “Implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to Boost Intra-African Trade”, ATPC will contribute to increased, inclusive and environmentally friendly intra-African trade flows in goods and services via the implementation of the AfCFTA. Gender dimensions will be central to the issue of inclusivity, while the entire project of AfCFTA implementation will seek to form an important plank of Africa’s economic recovery from the impacts of COVID-19. Through the provision of technical assistance and knowledge transfer to African Union (AU) member states, training of key stakeholders and advocacy work through stakeholder engagement, this project will assist African countries in their efforts to move the AfCFTA from ratification to implementation. The project also to support policymakers in the AfCFTA signatory countries to integrate gender equality considerations into trade policy reforms, lifting the often-insurmountable barriers to African women’s full and equal participation in the benefits of trade.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the Coordinator of the ATPC and the direct supervision of the focal person of Communications of the project, the consultant will be responsible for the following duties:

A. Communication

I. Communication - Implement ATPC’s advocacy, communication and dissemination strategy that includes media outreach and social media content creation. - Work with key internal role-players to brainstorm content ideas, in line with the ATPC/ECA’s strategy; - Results-based programming approach is appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products; - Maintain close collaboration with ECA Communication Team that includes HQ Communication Officers and Sub-regional Communication Officers for effective overall coordination; - Support and evaluate results of communication campaigns with the team.

II. Media relations: - Promote a better understanding of AfCFTA and ATPC’s contribution towards increased, inclusive and environmentally friendly intra-African trade flows through the implementation of the AfCFTA; - Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database; - Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc; - Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media and other appropriate audiences; - Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate a variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats. Ensure the quality and appropriateness of communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and the public; - Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings; - Build and maintain relationships with journalists and key external role-players.

III. Content Development: - Develop simple and informative multimedia materials (incl. press releases, media packs and briefings, video clips, social media posts and internal newsletters) to increase awareness amongst specific target audiences; - Use appropriate tools and channels to convey clear, targeted and focused messages to different target audiences; - Handle communications/outreach/advocacy activities around key conferences, seminars, and meetings related to the AfCFTA project, including press briefings/conferences, interviews etc. - Update regularly ATPC’s website. - Acquire and maintain a detailed knowledge of ECA’s policies, principles, and strategies, and keep up-to-date with relevant developments.

B. Knowledge Management

- Develop a KM strategy for ATPC in line with the overall ECA Knowledge management strategy and ensure that mechanisms for implementation of the Strategy are in place, well understood and properly applied by all programme staff; - Drive the identification of existing knowledge gaps and prioritizing of actions to close them; - Follow the internal ECA quality assurance processes in the development of research, studies and surveys; - Capture, organize, archive, and share knowledge in a systematic and easily accessible manner; - Develop, in collaboration with programme staff, analytical summaries, syntheses, fact sheets, and briefs, based on completed reports for use by a broad range of stakeholders; - Collate existing knowledge and research products to provide regular updates to all stakeholders on regional integration and trade; - Identify and support innovative ways and platforms to best serve ATPC’s data and broader knowledge needs through sharing of existing knowledge, including through sharing experiences across communities of practice and networks; - Support in knowledge generation capacity building; - Contribute to the recording of lessons learned, good practices and innovative approaches to support the achievement of results, and dissemination via multiple channels, to inform programme improvements; - Liaise with knowledge institutions/organizations on the latest research and studies on regional integration and trade and ensure that reports/products are broadly disseminated; - Maintain a roster of experts (individuals and institutions), evaluators and researchers who are associated with ATPC's work; - Establish, in consultation with ECA Knowledge Management Services Section (KMSS) and IT colleagues, alternatives for easy access to knowledge products for internal and external stakeholders; - Work closely with ECA KMSS team and promote inter-divisional collaboration and coordination around knowledge management functions.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications:

Advanced university degree in communications, journalism, public relations or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree requirement.

Experience:

A minimum of Seven (7) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in the field of communications and knowledge management is required.

Language:

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, excellent written and spoken communication skills in English is required. Knowledge of French is highly desirable.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.