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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

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For every child, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Communication Consultant (Content Development)

Section /Division/Duty Station: Health Section – PG – NYHQ

Duration: 1 May 2024 – 30 April 2025

Home/ office Based: REMOTE

About UNICEF

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. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Policy, Strategy and Innovation Unit of the HIV section, Health Programme Group at UNICEF NYHQ is looking for a consultant to develop communication assets and critical knowledge products related to the Global Alliance Community Champions engagement and advocacy.

Scope of Work:

Under the guidance of the Global Lead for Advocacy and Partnerships, and Sr. Adviser HIV (Policy, Strategy and Innovation), the Communication Consultant (Content Development) will focus on achieving the following communication objectives:

1. Explore innovative communication approaches to advance the Global Alliance objectives, amplifying the voices the Champions to highlight children-related issues on global platforms.
2. Advise on the communication engagement efforts of the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Global Alliance Community Champions project, ensuring alignment with the Global Alliance Communication Strategy. This includes supporting the workplan of the Alliance Community Champions to execute advocacy activities effectively and maintain high quality standards.
3. Collaborate with Alliance Community and Pillar 4 members to produce quality knowledge products. This involves crafting 12 best practices stories (3 pages each) and compiling five cases studies on structural barriers to access and stigma.
4. Collaborate with focal points across Alliance pillar 4 and the Global Alliance Communication and Advocacy working group to assist in policy advocacy activities. This includes crafting briefing materials, key messages, and other assets for the Breakthrough/Global Alliance, including the policy advocacy dashboard. Additionally, the consultant will draft 3 policy advocacy briefs (2-4 pages) on HIV and stigma and discrimination.
5. Provide UNICEF HQ and RO members support for implementing public advocacy initiatives and coordinating policy advocacy meetings among stakeholders in countries.
6. Copyedit all the work developed by the Alliance Community Champions to ensure consistency and quality.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Deliverable 1: 12 best practice stories developed and disseminated – By 30 June 2024 (4 stories), By 30 Nov 2024 (4 stories), by 31 March 2025 (4 stories)

Deliverable 2: 5 case studies developed and disseminated – By 30 June 2024 (2 case studies), 30 Sept (3 case studies)

Deliverable 3: By 31 Oct 2024 (10 blog posts), by 30 April 2025 (5 blog posts)

• Technical inputs provided to finalise the 15 annual workplans of the Champions.
• 15 communication/advocacy assets (e.g. blog posts/campaign assets) edited and disseminated.

Deliverable 4: 4 south-south exchanges are administratively supported including materials preparation. – By 30 Nov 2024

Deliverable 5: 3 policy briefs on treatment gap, HIV stigma and discrimination & community engagement, and case finding (2-4 pages). Website text for the policy dashboard developed. – By 17 July 2024 (1 brief), By 15 Nov 2024 (2 briefs)

Deliverable 6: 1 Web copy is developed for unicef.org/hiv and website updated 4 times a year. -By 30 Nov 2024

Deliverable 7: 2 concept notes developed, detailing the engagement of Champions and

4 communication assets developed. – By 30 Nov 2024

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree in journalism, Communications or related degree.

Work experience:

• At least five years professional experience in researching, covering, and profiling public health, gender, children and adolescent issues in written documents.
• Prior work experience with communication asset development with globally recognized media, communication agency or the UN.
• Demonstrated experience developing and disseminating/sharing knowledge products.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Ability to work independently and in consultation with UNICEF staff.
• Ability to collate information and use good judgement incorporating feedback from various team members and partners.
• Rapid turnaround of work and ability to multi-task.
• A native command of the English language is preferred, with excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect:
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability.
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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: 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.