P-4,
Lilongwe, Malawi, # 52249
Applynow Job no: 496075
Work type: Fixed Term Staff
Location: Malawi
Categories: Alliances and Resource Mobilization,
Communication / External Relations, Private Fundraising and Partnerships, P-4,
UN and Multilateral Affairs
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.
For 70 years, UNICEF
has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote
children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider
of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and
nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and
girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.
UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals,
businesses, foundations and governments.
Purpose of
the Position
Accountable for
developing, managing, coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an
advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on
on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting
awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights,
and support for UNICEF’s mission, priorities and programmes in the country
office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN
Country Team.
Key Expected
Results
Communication
strategy:
The Regional/Country Office or Media Hub has a clear communication strategy and
associated work plan to get children’s issues into the public domain,
strengthen political will in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, and
enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.
Communication
for Development:
with the C4D Specialist, ensure there is an effective C4D strategy and plan of
action in place, and the implementation is effectively managed, facilitated and
executed for social and behavioural change in support of efficient and
effective programme delivery.
Media
relations:
The Regional/Country Office or Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media –
print, TV, radio, web, photo etc. – and a successful process of communicating
and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to
communicate the story of UNICEF’s cooperation.
Networking
and partnerships: The
Regional/Country Office or Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora whose
support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication
objectives. Effective working relationships with the UN Country Team and UN
communication counterparts are developed, maintained and enhanced.
Celebrities
and special events:
The Regional/Country Office or Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of appropriate, nationally-known personalities who have
been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s effort and who actively
participate in special events and activities.
Global
priorities and campaigns: The
Regional/Country Office or Media Hub has an effective process in place for
integrating and taking action on UNICEF’s global communications priorities,
campaigns and partnerships, disseminating these elements in a
locally-appropriate way.
Resource
mobilization support; Global
and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy
and communication strategy and activities.
Management: Human resources (the
communication team) and financial resources (budget planning, management and
monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.
Monitoring
and evaluation: Communication
baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the
communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to
continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and
activities; results and reports are prepared and shared.
Capacity
building and support: The
Representative/Senior or Regional Communication Specialist and the country
programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all
aspects of external relations communication as required.
Key
Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks
1.
Communication Strategy:
Ensure that the
Regional/Country Office/Media Hub has a clear communication strategy and
associated work plan to support the country programme objectives and get
children’s issues into the public domain, strengthen political will in support
of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility
and brand.
Duties and Tasks:
- Develop,
maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and
associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and
stakeholder assessment; 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. - Maintain
close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ
Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
2.
Communication for Development
With the C4D
Specialist, ensure there is an effective C4D strategy and plan of action in
place, and the implementation is effectively managed, facilitated and executed
for social and behavioural change in support of efficient and effective
programme delivery.
Duties and Tasks:
- In
collaboration with the C4D Specialist team, ensure appropriate
consultation with decision makers and planners of government, donor
organizations and private sector, to facilitate the development and
implementation of communication policy, strategy and plans of action
aiming at general public and service providers through: (a) behavior
development/change at individual/household levels; (b) social mobilization
of civil society organizations; and (c) increased community participation
in development programmes for positive social change. - Works
with UNICEF programme sections to ensure strong support for C4D elements
in programmes, clarity of responsibilities and indicators and to ensure
joint ownership of results for C4D. - Supervises
the C4D Specialist to ensure good management for results, development of
sector strategies for C4D, capacity building of the sector with government
and good cross-sectoral working across the office.
3.
Media Relations
Ensure that the
Regional/Country Office/Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media –
print, TV, radio, web, new media etc. – and a successful process of
communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the
media to communicate the story of UNICEF’s cooperation to a wider audience.
Duties and Tasks:
- Promote
a better understanding of, respect and support for children’s and women’s
rights and issues by carrying out media, information and education
activities in support of UNICEF-assisted development programmes or
humanitarian efforts in the country. - 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. - Work
pro-actively with new media to ensure UNICEF’s presence. - Ensure
rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National
Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences. - Identify,
develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple,
appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of
country specific communication materials, activities, processes and
messages transmitted to the press, partners and public. - Collaborate
with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits,
facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based
and traditional media as appropriate. - Monitor
and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share
results and findings. - Maintain
close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ
Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
4.
Networking and Partnerships
Ensure that the
Regional/Country Office/Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora
(including Government, UN, and bilateral counterparts), whose support is
essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives
of the communication strategy.
Duties and Tasks:
- Develop,
maintain and update partners contact list/database. - 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
country-specific 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.
5.
Celebrities and Special Events
Ensure that the
Regional/Country Office/Media Hub has a well maintained and continually
developed contact list of appropriate, nationally-known personalities who have
been identified, engaged and support UNICEF’s effort and who actively
participate in special events and activities that support country programme
goals.
Duties and Tasks:
- Develop,
maintain and update celebrities contact list/database. - Establish,
document, review and refine process of working with celebrities, including
special events, media opportunities, field trips etc. - Participate
in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors,
National Committee representatives, Executive Board members etc.,
including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme
summaries, country fact sheets and media kits), and necessary logistic
arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme.
Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and HQ
Communication Officers for effective overall coordination
6.
Global Priorities and Campaigns
In addition to
local/national campaigns, ensure that the Regional/Country Office/Media Hub has
an effective process in place for integrating and taking action 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.
Duties and Tasks:
- Support
the UNICEF global 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. - Develop
and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the
content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the opportunity to
identify/highlight effective programme activities and results. - Ensure
regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal
points in regional offices and headquarters divisions. - Involve
children and young people in national campaigns and advocacy for child
rights.
7. Resource
Mobilization Support
Ensure that
global and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective
advocacy and communication strategy and activities.
Duties and Tasks:
- Mobilize
country office communication capacity to support and gather/facilitate the
gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use the
opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and
results in support of fund-raising. - Mobilize
resources for fund-raising support by regular communication and
co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices
and headquarters divisions.
8.
Management
Ensure that
human resources (the communication team) and financial resources (budget
planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally
used.
Duties and Tasks:
- Develop
a work plan for communication activities, monitor compliance and provide
support and guidance to ensure objectives are met. - 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. - 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.
9.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Ensure that
communication baselines are established against which the achievement of
objectives of the 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.
Duties and Tasks:
- Provide
technical support to ensure that a set of communication performance
indicators is 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 with country, regional and HQ
communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s
communication work.
10. Capacity
Building and Support
Ensure that the
Representative/Senior or Regional Communication Officer and the country
programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all
aspects of external relations communication as required; opportunities are identified
and addressed for building communication capacity among country communication
team, media and other relevant partners.
Duties and Tasks:
- Advise
UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy 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. - Assist
the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication
tools and/or strategies. - Identify
opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate
advocacy and communication training.
Qualifications
of Successful Candidate
- An
advanced university degree (Master’s) in Communication, Journalism, Public
Relations. - Minimum
eight (8) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional
work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and new media. - Exposure
to Communication for Development is an asset. - Demonstrated
experience in partnerships, private sector collaboration, public advocacy
is an asset. - Demonstrated
experience in fostering child and youth participation for advocacy is an
asset. - International
and national work experience (for International Professionals). Field work
experience (for National Officers). - Background/familiarity
with Emergency situations. - Excellent
fluency in English (written & verbal) is required. Knowledge of an
additional UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is
considered an asset.
Competencies
of Successful Candidate
Core
Values
- Commitment
- Diversity
and Inclusion - Integrity
Core
competencies
- Communication
– Level III - Working
with People – Level II - Drive
for Results – Level II
Functional
Competencies
- Leading
and Supervising – Level II - Relating
and Networking – Level II - Applying
Technical Expertise – Level II - Formulating
Strategies and Concepts – Level II - Persuading
and Influencing – Level II - Entrepreneurial
Thinking – Level II
To view our
competency framework, please click here.
UNICEF is committed
to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified
female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds,
including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our
organisation.
Advertised: 16
Jun 2016 Egypt Standard Time
Applications close: 08
Jul 2016 Egypt Standard Time