Communication Consultant with UNICEF Albania office

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, Protection!

UNICEF office in Albania is looking for a consultant to work as a Communication specialist for the EU funded project “Enhancing Local Social Care Services partnerships with citizens and toward EU Standards”. This is an initiative between UNICEF Albania (UNICEF as the lead applicant) and World Vision in Albania (WVA) and intends to strengthen the local partnerships and capacities to plan, establish, extend, and deliver social care services in the 14 targeted municipalities (Gjirokaster, Vore, Cerrik, Librazhd, Kavaje, Kurbin, Kukes, Kruje, Pogradec, Korce, Kamez, Vlore, Elbasan, Durres) scaling up positive models of social service delivery supported by UNICEF&WVA in other municipalities that respond best to the local context and priorities defined in Local Social Plans of targeted municipalities.  The Project will contribute directly to achieving two specific objectives: (1) support to establish and/or extend existing social care services at the municipal level and (2) support to establish and/or extend specialized social care services focused on specific needs of municipalities.  

How can you make a difference? 

The Consultant will be responsible to develop and implement a detailed plan of communication and visibility in consultation with UNICEF country office, UNICEF Brussels and the EU Delegation. He/She will report directly to the Project Manager but will work closely and under the general guidance of the Deputy Representative and the UNICEF Communication Officer. The consultant will also support the Deputy Representative to maintain an active partnership database. 

The different professional, technical contributions will include: 

1. Development of a strong visual identity, communication narrative and Communication and Visibility Plan for the Project – jointly with the co-applicant and EUD – in line with UNICEF-EU visibility guidelines
2. Social Media Engagement Strategy: Develop a dynamic social media engagement strategy that includes interactive content to foster community building and engagement.
3. Digital Analytics and SEO: Ensure the use of digital analytics to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of online communication activities. Additionally, outline a strategy for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to enhance visibility and engagement.
4. Conception, development, implementation, monitoring of evidence-based communication tools, materials and products (both social media and traditional media), including frequent human-interest stories.
5. Assist in the designing and production of visibility materials on the program (e.g. photography, briefing notes, fact sheets, etc.) that meet the guidelines of EU-UNICEF Visibility
6. Feedback Mechanisms: Establish mechanisms to gather feedback from target audiences and stakeholders on the effectiveness of communication efforts.
7. Active communication with the respective governmental, non-governmental and civil society stakeholders, implementing partners involved in the Project to regularly inform on and ensure a mainstreamed conveyance and implementation of the communication and visibility plan.
8. Planning, organization and conduct of public events, launches and roundtables within the framework of the communication and visibility plan.
9. Develop a partnership database supporting the Deputy Representative and provide regular advice on relevant partnership development.
10. Gender transformative Communication: Ensure that gender aspects are mainstreamed into the program communication and visibility.
11. Ethical and Inclusive Communication: Ensure that communication strategies and materials are inclusive and accessible to diverse audiences, including those with disabilities. This might involve multi-language materials, sign language inclusion in videos, and accessible website design.

Copyrights

Ownership rights, including ownership of copyrights of all kinds of materials produced for the purposes of or under the present Consultancy, including printed, filmed or digital materials, unedited footage and final production materials, if any, will be considered property of UNICEF Albania. The Consultant shall not use any and/or all parts of the footage/material/design except upon receiving written permission from UNICEF Albania. The Consultant is liable for undertaking all necessary measures to prevent any copyright infringement by himself or third parties in light of the present Consultancy.

Specific deliverables and tasks for the assignment:

Deliverable 1: Detailed Plans (with monitoring tools) on Communication and visibility, social media engagement prepared and submitted to UNICEF.

Timeline for Deliverable 1 – within the first three months of the project start

Tasks:

• In close consultation with UNICEF Albania project team, EU delegation, and the relevant implementing partners develop a holistic, ethical and inclusive communication and visibility plan, Social media engagement strategy (including analytics) as well as communication tools for the Project conveying impactful messages and providing a strong visual identity for the Project.
• Engage on regular discussions and meeting with all project’s important stakeholders to generate ideas on the communication plan, activities, develop communication materials with the strategy and it’s branding, as well as the coherence between different messaging and visibility components across the Project as a whole.
• Creation and maintenance of strategic media partnerships in relation with the communication strategy

Deliverable 2: A set of visibility materials and other communication tools prepared and shared widely with all stakeholders and public media. 1st and regular tracking report produced.

Timeline for Deliverable 2 – Regular during the project implementation

Tasks:

• Support the production of high-quality communication materials within the framework of the communication strategies.
• Develop a tracking system for donor visibility.

Deliverable 3: All communication events designed and organized during the project; A closing event to be conceptualized and organized at the end of the project implementation; A package with evidence on all the project communication and visibility materials prepared and submitted to UNICEF.

Timeline for Deliverable 3 – regular during project implementation

Tasks:

• Lead the organization of events for program visibility.

Deliverable 4: Database developed and regularly updated.

Timeline for Deliverable 4 – By end of fourth month and monthly update

Tasks:

• Develop a partnership database.

The duration of the project will be for 35 months. The consultant will have a combined working modality and will work mainly from home but will also be required to work in the UNICEF office from time to time. 

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in journalism, Communication, Social Sciences, Development or Genders studies, Social/Public Policy, Social work, Psychology or any other relevant discipline.
• Minimum of three (3) years of practical experience in communication and P&R, preferably in the area of high visibility external communication or any similar domain.
• Proven successful records in developing and implementing communication plans and visibility campaigns for EU supported projects.
• Sensitivity towards ethics with regards to human and child rights issues, different cultures and gender rules is of essence.
• Ability to work closely with national and international actors with tight deadlines and to coordinate a communication action plan and campaign.
• Excellent analytical capacities: excellent ability to synthesize information and relate action to results.
• Fluency in both, spoken and written English and Albanian
• High level of interpersonal and computer 

What to submit:

• Letter of interest, summarizing the educational background, the working experience that is relevant to the assignment, and the specific role the candidate will play.
• Links or evidence on Communication Strategy and/or Communication products developed directly by the Consultant.
• Financial proposal – lumpsum in ALL inclusive of all taxes (The financial proposal shall be submitted in local currency (LEK) and must include the consultancy fee).

For any further question related to the deliverables and terms and conditions of the consultancy please contact Elvana Pernaska, HR in UNICEF Albania office at epernaska@unicef.org

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

 To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. 

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. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.