Consultant – Media Relations, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), 11 Months, REMOTE, Req#569780

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, Clean Water

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global partnership of over 400 national governments, donors, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other development partners working together to increase political will and strengthen resource allocations for water supply and sanitation. Strengthening resource allocations will require improved mobilization and better targeting of resources by both donors and national governments. The goal of SWA is sanitation and water for all.

UNICEF hosts the Secretariat of SWA. The communications of SWA are managed and coordinated by the Communications Team (CT), composed of a Communications Specialist and a Digital Communications Officer, both based in the SWA Geneva office. The CT also works with a wider network of suppliers, from designers to copywriters, from video producers to translators. More information on SWA’s website.

To support the Communications Team in its efforts to give visibility to SWA’s work, we are looking for an expert in media relations that would support in particular, with the placement of SWA-related content in key mainstream media, through our high-level representatives (e.g., CEO, Global Leadership Council).

How can you make a difference? 

PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The Media Relations Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Communications Specialist and in close collaboration with the rest of the Communications Team.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

The consultant will undertake media relations on behalf of SWA and develop high-quality content for SWA’s communications channels. This consultant will be primarily responsible for leading media and public relations work to support SWA’s programmatic, policy and campaigning priorities, as well as the partnership’s activities globally, regionally, and nationally, as appropriate. The consultant will also ensure the regular development of stories that focus on the work of SWA partners and promote SWA’s approach to water, sanitation, and hygiene. As needed, the consultant will also support in broader tasks of the Communications Team and of the Secretariat.

Deliverable	Description	Estimated number of days	Deadline/timeline
Deliverable 1: Support media work for the FMM LAC 2024	Deliver the media work track around the LAC FMM in April 2024, including one press release approval and distribution, relationships with attending journalist, accompanying SWA spokespeople to interviews. In-person support in Washington DC.	50	Feb-May 2024
Deliverable 2: draft articles on behalf of SWA’s leadership (E.g., CEO, Global Leadership Council members)	Place at least 12 SWA articles in key media during 6 celebratory days (TBD), e.g., International Women’s Day, Youth Day, World Water Day	40	Feb-Dec 2024
Deliverable 3: develop stories for SWA Country Engagement Team	Develop along with the Secretariat’s Country Engagement Team 12 stories around the Head of State Initiatives	15	Feb-Dec 2024
Deliverable 4: develop content for SWA website	Draft 12 thought-pieces for the SWA website	30	Feb-Dec 2024
Deliverable 5: provide recommendations to SWA leadership on media opportunities	Make recommendations to CEO and SWA leadership on occasional media opportunities (around 1-2 per month) and make recommendation on individual requests from journalists	15	Feb-Dec 2024
Deliverable 6: develop reports on media coverage	Monitor media coverage and make one monthly reports to Comms lead	5	Feb-Dec 2024
Deliverable 7: support SWA’s media strategy development	Deliver 1 media strategy and plan for each of the 3 planned high-level events of 2024	30	Feb-Dec 2024
TOTAL ESTIMATED WORKING DAYS		185 days

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

• An advanced (Master’s) university degree in communications, journalism, advertising, public relations, marketing, or related areas.
  A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in media relations, mainstream journalism/ communications, or communications coordination is required;
  *A first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with an additional two years of relevant professional experience above the minimum experience required may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Proven ability to achieve coverage in main-stream media of development-related issues is required;
• Track record of consulting on complex tasks which require technical knowledge and experience, and submitting high quality and timely outputs.
• Knowledge of the UN and SWA as well as knowledge of water, sanitation, and hygiene topics is an asset;
• Strong conceptual and research/analytical skills with the ability to think strategically and rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources into conclusions and recommendations.
• Strong client focus with flexible and creative approach to problem solving.
• Proven ability in delivering on self-managed work.
• Proven spoken, written, and oral fluency in English is required (mother tongue or equivalent). French and Spanish knowledge is an asset.

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.