Communication Specialist

Under the supervision of the Chief of Communication, you are accountable for coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring public advocacy strategies and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences and non-financial supporters, including volunteer engagement, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF’s mission, geared towards achieving advocacy impact in alignment with programme outcomes and overall advocacy priorities in the country office, and in a coordinated manner with regional and global communication and advocacy priorities.  

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Public Advocacy strategy:  The Country Office has a clear public advocacy strategy and associated work plan to get children’s issues into the public domain, influence attitudes, perceptions and behaviours, as well as strengthen and expand supporter engagement in support of UNICEF’s mission and objectives, enhance the organization’s credibility and brand, and to support the achievement of UNICEF Malaysia advocacy and programmatic objectives set by the office.
• Media relations: The Country Office has a media strategy and engagement plan aligned with advocacy objectives, with success indicators and targets clearly defined in alignment with the public advocacy objectives and campaign to maximize partnership opportunities with national and international media.
• Networking and partnerships: The Country Office has a mapping and engagement plan for strategic partners key actors and stakeholders and invests in appropriate action. Proactive partnership with UN Country Communication team and the UN Country Team and counterparts keeping in view One UN-One Voice aspects of Public Advocacy.
• Celebrities and special events: The Country Office has a strong partnership with national ambassadors, celebrities, influencers, and other public figures in a systematic and strategic manner to jointly raise awareness of children’s rights, mobilize public advocacy support for children and strengthen UNICEF’s brand in Malaysia.
• Global priorities and campaigns: The Country Office has an effective process in place for integrating UNICEF’s regional and global communications priorities into the Country Office level initiatives and campaigns, and disseminating these in a locally appropriate way in alignment with the CO’s public advocacy initiatives.
• Resource mobilization support: Global and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.
• Management: Human resources (the public advocacy and communication team under the communication section) and financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.
• Monitoring and evaluation: Public advocacy and Communication baselines (including for non- financial supporter engagement) are established against which the achievement of objectives of the public advocacy 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 country programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of public advocacy and communication campaigns as needed.
• DRR and Humanitarian Advocacy: The Country Office has a communication and advocacy preparedness plan. In case of emergency, nature and extent of the emergency are assessed and immediate advocacy and communication response as well as long-term strategy and plan are established

Summary of duties and tasks:

Public Advocacy strategy:

• Ensure that the Country Office has a clear public advocacy 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.
• Develop, maintain and update the country public advocacy strategy/ies and associated action plan/s. Strategy and action plan include developing theory of change, defining objectives in alignment with office-wide advocacy priorities; audience assessment and insight gathering; messages/tactics; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy/ies.
• Maintain close collaboration with senior management, advocacy lead, programme sections, corporate engagement, and PSFR teams, for effective overall coordination and to ensure public advocacy strategy/ies contribute to office-wide advocacy objectives.
• Provide ongoing support to programme teams in a strategic manner in their public advocacy needs for achieving programmatic goals (e.g. addressing social norms and behaviours, social mobilization, demand generation through public engagement methods, etc).

Media relations:

• Ensure that the Country Office has a well maintained and continually developed contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, digital, etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the online and traditional media to communicate the story of UNICEF’s cooperation to a wider audience.
• Responsible for the development of media strategy and engagement plan aligned with communication and advocacy objectives.
• Oversee implementation of detailed workplan and the execution of the various elements of the media engagement plan.
• Assure alignment of media engagement success indicators and targets with the public advocacy objectives to maximize partnership opportunities with print and broadcast media.

Networking and partnerships:

• Ensure that the Country Office 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.
• The Country Office has a mapping and engagement strategy for strategic partners key actors and stakeholders and invests in appropriate action.
• Develop, maintain and update mapping and engagement plan for strategic partners, key actors and stakeholders in alignment with advocacy initiatives.
• Regular consultation and coordination with UN Country Communication team and the UN Country Team and counterparts keeping in view One UN-One Voice aspects of Public Advocacy.
• Overall monitoring and evaluation of impact that is documented; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the mapping and engagement action plans.

Celebrities and special events:

• Ensure that the Country Office 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.
• Overseeing the development of a celebrity and influencer engagement strategy with an annual workplan in support of programme results, public advocacy initiatives, SBC, brand- building, and fundraising.
• Accountable for initiating, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with celebrities and influencers.
• Oversee the development and implementation of SOPs for celebrity engagement, including pre- partnership and ongoing risk assessment and mitigation measures.
• Monitor, document, and evaluate all areas of support received from celebrities and influencers, as well as analyse impact on UNICEF’s work and children’s rights.

Global priorities and campaigns:

• In addition to local/national campaigns, ensure that the /Country Office has an effective process in place for integrating and acting 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.
• Support UNICEF Malaysia’s programmatic and advocacy objectives and strategies through development of country-level campaigns, materials and activities, and where appropriate, in alignment with regional and global priorities. Public advocacy planning and implementation, where possible, should align with global and regional priorities and campaigns.
• Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts in support of global/regional initiatives. 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, especially around key advocacy initiatives that are related to the global advocacy priorities.

Resource mobilization support:

• Ensure that global and country level fund-raising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategy and activities.
• Mobilize country office communication capacity to support/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.

Management:

• Ensure that human resources and financial resources (budget planning, management and monitoring) are both effectively managed and optimally used.
• Develop a work plan for the public advocacy and media engagement team members, monitor compliance and provide support and guidance to ensure objectives are met
• 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.

Monitoring and evaluation:

• Ensure that communication baselines are established against which the 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. Leverage digital communication tools and methodologies (such as social media and online monitoring, web analytics, or other digital measurement tools) and lead research efforts that identify and map project stakeholders or intended audiences, and develop and analyse digital communications performance indicators.
• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of public advocacy and engagement performance indicators are identified and adjusted as necessary, and are incorporated in the Annual Management Plan, Annual Work Plan, etc as appropriate.
• Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure public advocacy and engagement objectives are met and the strategy is effective.
• Undertake lessons learned review of successful and unsuccessful public advocacy and engagement experiences and share observations/findings with country, regional and HQ communication colleagues so that best practices benefit UNICEF’s communication work.

Capacity building and support:

• Ensure that the Representative, Chief of Communication and Advocacy and the country programme team are provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations as required; opportunities are identified and addressed for building communication capacity among country communication team, media and other relevant partners.
• Advise UNICEF management and programme colleagues on public advocacy and engagement planning and implementation.
• Provide ongoing support to the communication team members, under the supervision of the Chief of Advocacy and Communication, to ensure all UNICEF platforms and partnerships (e.g. digital platforms, media partnerships, celebrity engagement, are maximized and utilized effectively towards achieving the Country Office’s advocacy goals).
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of public advocacy partners through appropriate trainings.
• 10. DRR and Humanitarian Advocacy:
• Ensure that the Country Office complies with requirements for advocacy and communication preparedness in emergency and other crisis situations.
• Oversee the development of a communication and advocacy preparedness plan.
• Assess risks, nature and extent of emergency and plan immediate advocacy and communication response.
• Monitor response plan and evaluate needs for establishment of long-term strategy and plan.

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

• Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or social science (Or an undergraduate degree plus at least 7 years of demonstrated professional experience in the field of journalism, communications, external relations, public affairs, public relations, marketing, advocacy or corporate communications.)
• At least 5 years’ increasingly senior level experience working particularly in public advocacy, partnership preferably in the social development area.
• Proven track record in developing practical strategy and compelling and innovative approaches to advocacy. In-depth knowledge and understanding of advocacy environment, what works and how. Seasoned and recognized professional with team management and leadership experience in his or her field of expertise – public advocacy.
• Strong network and ability to reach out to key actors and influencers to build communication alliance for UNICEF. Thorough understanding of creative and advance level use of traditional and new media for advancing public advocacy agenda.
• Experience in developing baseline, scientifically monitoring and measuring communication and advocacy interventions.
• Previous UNICEF, UN and/or INGO experience in a similar role is an asset.
• General knowledge of Advocacy management. Knowledge of theories and practices in advocacy planning and strategy as well as action plan development and implementation.
• Media engagement knowledge including knowledge of audience segmentation in a non-profit context, insight development.
• Knowledge of United Nations or other international organizations.
• Global human rights issues, specifically relating to children and women.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English is essential. Fluency in Bahasa is an asset. Fluency in another a locally relevant language is an asset.

Source:  https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/570650