Background and Justification
Within the framework of the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2014–2017 and in line with the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Managing for Results initiative, the ESA Regional Management Team has identified the following five programmatic priorities to focus cross-country action and learning and to reinforce joint accountability: (1) enabling children to survive and thrive; (2) reducing stunting to provide opportunities for children to realize their full potential; (3) improving education quality and learning outcomes to prepare children for the future; (4) achieving results for adolescents (R4A) that help them manage risks and realize their full potential and; (5) scaling up social protection interventions to reduce child poverty and other vulnerabilities that impede the full realization of child rights.
Within these programmatic priorities, child protection has joint responsibility for delivering on birth registration (BR) result under Priority 1, and results relating to violence against children (VAV) and child marriage (CM) under Priority 4. In addition, the child protection section has accountability for addressing child protection issues in emergency, which is a global, cooperate priority. These priorities require a range of programmatic strategies and approaches such as advocacy and leveraging as outlined in the deliverables and activities of the regional 2015-2016 workplans of both child protection and communication sections.
ESARO’s successful partnership and advocacy efforts have helped create unprecedented opportunities for UNICEF to support African governments to deliver on these issues. However, ESARO will need additional technical capacity for the development of advocacy tools and media materials to sustain and further enhance relevant partnership initiatives, events and for the delivery of global and regional public goods.
The purpose of this assignment is to increase the capacity of the ESARO Child Protection and Communications sections by providing expert technical support to the child protection programme to develop advocacy tools and media materials focusing on the following distinct brand-defining thematic areas or issues: birth registration as part of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), child marriage, violence against children and children affected by conflict. While some of these tools and materials will be developed as stand-alone UNICEF products, others may require joint collaboration with global and regional partners such as the African Union Commission (AUC), UNECA, UNHCR, UNFPA, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision, among others.
Scope of Work
Under the supervision of the Regional Adviser Child Protection and in collaboration with the Chief of Communications, and the Child Protection Specialists responsible for Birth Registration, Violence against Children and Child Protection in Emergency in ESARO, the consultant will provide overall coherence to communication activities at the regional level, engaging audiences in Africa and globally. Specially, the consultancy will generate communication tools and media material to be disseminated through both traditional and new social media to:
- Facilitate political dialogue and commitment from governments, donor community and developmental partners to further invest in the four issues;
- Raise visibility on results achieved through partnership and grants from donors, demonstrating value for money and the impact of their investments on the lives and welfare of children in Africa;
- Develop key advocacy messages and statements for UNICEF on the four issues for related events, conferences and meetings within the assigned period;
- Develop guidelines and key advocacy statements for country offices engaged in key events around the four issues.
Outputs/Deliverables
In consultation with ESARO Child Protection and Communication Sectors, develop, coordinate and disseminate UNICEF communication materials and activities between May and December 2015.
DeliverablesDuration Timeline/Deadline Schedule of payment 1.Monthly reports of activities undertaken for ESARO and deliverables produced.
First month report will include a draft workplan for submission of deliverables in consultation with ESARO and targeted project countries.
Final monthly report will include a summary and link of all final deliverables. 8 months Throughout contract period Monthly 2.Talking Points/Fact Sheets and Advocacy Briefs on identified CP issues based on desk review and in consultations with ESARO and targeted project countries.
Talking points and Fact Sheets will form the basis for conceptualizing other communication and advocacy material and may support resource mobilization strategies of countries/ESARO. 4 months May - August Monthly 3.At least 1 human interest story covering model country work on each of the identified CP issues.
This will involve travel to select countries. Timeframe allows for flexibility to coordinate field missions and accommodate special events planned. 5 months June – October Monthly 4.Media package, including Press Releases and OpEds pitched to broad global, African, Canadian and European Press.
Development of media packs will be prioritized based on specific timelines for special regional events:
May:
- AUC Open Session on Children Affected by Armed Conflict (Ethiopia)
July:
- Launch of Global Financing Facility as part of the Reproductive, Maternal, Child Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Adolescent and Child Health (RMNACH) Initiative (Ethiopia)
September:
- Launch of VAC Study
November:
- Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the ACRWC (Ethiopia) 7 months June - December Monthly
Payment Schedule
Payment is made upon receipt of the following:
§ Monthly, based on Consultants report of activities undertaken and draft and final communication material generated, and
§ Deliverables that meet UNICEF’s quality standard.
Duration: Tentative start date is May and ending in December 2015.
Desired competencies, technical background and experience
§ Advanced university degree in Communication, or a related field;
§ At least 10 years of professional work experience in Communication, or a related field;
§ Up-to-date knowledge of the latest developments in the fields of communication, including media, social media, C4D, innovation, etc.;
§ Excellent project management, analytical and writing skills;
§ Good knowledge of development issues, especially child rights and UNICEF’s work;
§ Must be reliable, creative and be able to work with little supervision.
§ Willingness to travel to locations with limited facilitates and a degree of insecurity *
Administrative issues
The consultant is expected work remotely and travel to country offices. The consultant is expected to work using his/her own equipment. Any cost incurred to enable the consultant successfully carry out the assignment, such as phone and the Internet, will be covered entirely by the consultant.
Conditions
UNICEF will cover the cost of flights and DSA. Travel will be by the most economical fare and reimbursement as per UNICEF policy.
As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
Risks
A lack of coordinated approach in communication may lead to a waste of resources and weaken UNICEF’s image as an authoritative voice for children.
UNICEF and the EU and DFAT-D have the obligation to demonstrate value for money to their respective.
Poor communication will hider that ability and may even result in loss of trust and funding.
Ethical Considerations
All products and data developed or collected for this agreement are the intellectual property of UNICEF. The consultant may not publish or disseminate the final report or any other documents produced from this work without the express permission of and acknowledgement of UNICEF.
HOW TO APPLY:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV, and signed P11 form (which can be downloaded at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc) quoting the indicative fee range (Applications submitted without a fee/rate will not be considered) with subject line “ESARO/SSA/CP/2015-015” and the consultancy title to:
Email address: The Human Resources Manager
UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Email address: kenhrvacanciesE@unicef.org
UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Email address: kenhrvacanciesE@unicef.org
All applications should be sent by 18 May 2015
“QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY”
