Strategic Communications and Partnership Specialist

Contract

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Result of Service

1) Delivery and manage progress for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Community Action for Freshwater website development and completion of data dashboard, in coordination with Rotary International, UNEP-DHI, and EarthWatch. 2) Delivery of communication strategy, multimedia production plan, draft video scripts, and final Prospectus Video that supports the Global Fund for Coral Reefs replenishment strategy thereby artistically conveying what the Fund is, how it works (mechanism & approach), and what the replenishment needs and projected impacts are. Deliver other Marine and Freshwater communication assets (e.g. freshwater and Sport for Nature) as needed throughout the contract period, and provide event management and coordination support around identified key milestones and as necessary throughout the contract period. 3) Develop a Sport for Nature Guidance Note on best practices to be undertaken by Marine and Freshwater sports, conduct a baseline assessment of existing Sport for Nature Commitments and draft a recommendations report, and facilitate fundraising and resource mobilization activities under the Sport for Nature Framework.

Work Location

Nairobi

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UN Environment's mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UN Environment Programme's Ecosystems Division supports countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. UNEP’s new Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) requires the organization to prioritize and program its funding for maximum impact around three interrelated areas of work: combating nature and biodiversity loss, addressing climate change, and dealing with the causes and impacts of pollution, in achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Paris Agreement, other internationally agreed goals and targets of the United Nations, including United Nations Environment Assembly, and national and regional MEAs, including Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans (RSCAPs). The Freshwater Ecosystems Unit (FEU) works to meet the MTS and GBF through key partnerships with Rotary International, the World Water Quality Alliance (WWQA) and joint initiatives such as the Freshwater Challenge. In addition, the FEU has mandated tasks to monitor SDG indicator 6.6.1. and to implement UNEA resolutions including Resolution 4 of UNEA 5.2 – Sustainable Lake Management. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Marine and Freshwater Branch’s Strategic Communications and Global Engagement Expert, the Freshwater Team’s Programme Management Officer, and the Chief of Youth, Education, and Advocacy Unit, the consultant will perform the following duties: • Manage the UNEP-Rotary Partnership, by undertaking the following: o Liaise with Rotary and oversee Phase 2 and 3 in developing the Community Action for Fresh Water (CAFW) website, which includes coordinating the development of a data dashboard with UNEP-DHI. o Liaise with EarthWatch to ensure data integration is streamlined within the Community Action for Freshwater platform. o Coordinate various media and social media engagements between UNEP and Rotary International. o Build links for CAFW to programmes within UNEP including; Tide Turners, INC, WWQA, Lakes Resolution, Nutrients and Pollution, Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, Freshwater Challenge etc. o Develop an impact summary report estimating impact of partnership activities in Q3 and Q4 of 2024. • Coordinate the integration/linkage of UNEPs various marine and freshwater web-based assets to create a more unified communication package, by undertaking the following: o Draft, transform or repackage existing science to create evidence-based policy products such as briefing notes, policy briefs, position papers, bullets, aimed at decision-makers in policy processes. (Key milestones include, but not limited to, World Water Week, UNGA and the One Water Summit, Pre-UNOC, CBD COP16, Climate COP, UNOC). o Manage the integration and potential linkages of UNEP’s marine and freshwater web-based assets including, but not limited to the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Freshwater Page, Freshwater Ecosystem Explorer, Freshwater Challenge, WWQA Portal, GEMS Water SDG monitoring, UNEP-Rotary CAFW, Global Fund for Coral Reefs, and Sport for Nature into key milestone events and ancillary communication products. This entails liaising with UNEP Communications Division to create social media assets such as: social media cards, infographics, web stories, photo essays, etc. to promote these web assets and their linkages. o Support overall branch communication coherence, advocacy initiatives and outreach and engagement strategies, by undertaking the following: (1) Website refresh and maintenance, (2) Drafting of web stories related to water continuum narrative, (3) Scripting and production of multimedia products; factsheets, videos, social media posts, (4) Coordinating various unit outputs for Pollution Free Nutrients/ Nitrogen & Phosphorus and Marine Litter/Plastic Pollution. • Support and coordinate the Global Fund for Coral Reefs strategic communication and engagement project action track, by undertaking the following: o Develop a communication strategy and multimedia production plan, including drafting scripts for the various multimedia products that aim to support the Global Fund for Coral Reefs replenishment strategy. The multimedia products should artistically convey what the Fund is, how it works (mechanism & approach), and what the replenishment needs and projected impacts are. The communication strategy and scripting of the multimedia communication assets should showcase a pipeline of GFCR projects spanning 23 countries that are ready for further investment to grow and further develop over 400 reef-positive enterprises and financial mechanisms to achieve the 2030 targets.  The communication strategy and multimedia production plan should include talking points and narrative scripting for a 3-4-minute Prospectus video to support the Global Fund for Coral Reefs’ replenishment strategy: highlighting the early-stage programmatic successes of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. The Prospectus video is designed to be a “pitch” that directly supports the GFCR replenishment strategy, showcasing an alignment to the GFCR narrative. The communication strategy and multimedia production plan should also provide narrative scripting and potential interview questions for shorter videos that highlight the overall threats to coral reef, the Global Biodiversity Plan, and GFCR project-specific content for the Mexico and Colombia projects. o Provide event management and coordination support to GFCR in lead up to UNGA and the announcement of the replenishment strategy, in addition to other key milestones, including UNOC, World Environment Day, World Oceans Day, CBD COP, and Climate COP, among other events. o Execute on the #ForCoral Champions Strategy and support the development of the Group of Friends o Oversee broader UNEP communication deliverables in support of the GFCR, which includes liaising with UNEP Communications Division to create social media assets such as: social media cards, infographics, web stories, photo essays, etc. to promote GFCR web assets and their linkages to the GBF. • Assess Sport for Nature commitments and signatories and report on the recommended areas of improvements • Develop a Guidance Note for Marine and Freshwater sports based on current toolkits made available through the Sport for Nature Working Group. o The Guidance Note will be developed by undertaking a baseline assessment of best practices for marine and freshwater sports to engage in Sport for Nature activities. The Guidance Note should evaluate what marine and freshwater sports are currently doing in the nature and biodiversity space, what needs to be improved upon, and how the Sport for Nature Framework can assist these sports in meeting their needs and commitments. o Following the baseline assessment, the consultant will develop a short / sharp set of recommendations for such sports would be developed with the aim of producing a draft (undesigned) toolkit of guidance that can be adapted and taken forward for other sports to learn from. • Support resource mobilization and fundraising efforts for the Sport for Nature programme. o Develop a fundraising strategy that targets the North American sports market to secure financial commitments for the Sport for Nature programme in 2025. Reporting Lines: The consultant will perform duties under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer (Freshwater Ecosystems Unit), the Strategic Communications and Global Engagement Expert (Marine and Freshwater Branch), and the Chief of Youth, Education, and Advocacy Unit, all who work within the Ecosystems Division.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Studies, Urban regional planning or related field is required. At least 5 years of experience in environment related communication and outreach is required; Experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams, including local and expatriate technical experts is required; Experience in partnership building and maintenance is required Experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams, including local and expatriate technical experts is required Demonstrated experience in project development, implementation and management is desired

Languages

English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.