Long Term Agreements (LTA) for digital communication consultants, UNICEF Romania

UNICEF in Romania is seeking to engage the services of digital communication consultants with significant knowledge and experience in communication on social media and online platforms to contribute to maximizing the usage of communication materials and digital fundraising campaigns for UNICEF in Romania’s activities.

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, a voice

How can you make a difference? 

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. In Romania, UNICEF works with the Government, the Parliament, the local authorities, the civil society, the private sector, national and international partners, and the mass media, to ensure access of all children to good quality early education and school; to protect teenagers and monitor the rights of the child; for social welfare and with a view to mobilizing resources for the benefit of children. UNICEF’s financial support comes fully from voluntary contributions of private individuals, corporations, foundations, and governments.

In 2023, UNICEF started a new five-year country partnership with Romania. The overall aim of the partnership is to continue to accelerate the universal realization of child rights and improve the situation of vulnerable children, including refugee children. This is accompanied by promoting a culture of rights, social norms and alliances that will benefit all children and enhance equity and solidarity in the country.

Also, UNICEF in Romania continues to be the ‘voice’ for children and adolescents, ensuring and supporting their participation in UNICEF’s work, advocating, and communicating around key national policies, social issues, mindsets, and attitudes.  In the current Country Programme, UNICEF in Romania continues to raise funds locally, both for national projects and for other countries. More details about the work of UNICEF in Romania for children are available at www.unicef.org/romania/ro and https://www.facebook.com/UNICEFRomania. 

The impact of digital communication is very important from the perspective of the audiences reached as well as the speed at which messages are conveyed. Over the last years, digital media has constantly grown.

It is key for UNICEF to raise awareness on child rights and on its activities online and raise funds through an integrated, consistent, and coherent digital identity, promoting its global and national objectives: to be the leading voice for children, to reach and engage people to defend child rights and raise funds for vulnerable children in Romania and beyond.

2. PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT

In this context, UNICEF in Romania would like to engage the services of digital communication consultants  with significant knowledge and experience in communication on social media and online platforms to contribute to maximizing the usage of communication materials and digital fundraising campaigns for UNICEF in Romania’s activities. 

3. OBJECTIVE(S)

The overall objective is to set up one or several Long-Term Agreement(s) to facilitate and expedite the process by which UNICEF in Romania will hire Digital Communication consultants as required for specific projects to develop and share on social media communication and fundraising materials.

3. MAJOR TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED

The Digital Communication consultants will support the development and the production of communication and fundraising materials to tell UNICEF’s story in a tailored manner for a wide range of online audiences (from children and parents to key decision-makers, corporate and private individual donors, journalists etc.) and post them using different platforms, technologies and tools. Specifically, they will be expected to:

• Contribute to the implementation of UNICEF in Romania’s digital communications strategy and support content production efforts that will bring children and women-related issues into the public domain via digital platforms and raise awareness on the organization’s work.
• Contribute to UNICEF’s digital channels’ editorial plan.  
• Develop high-impact, high-quality social media and online content – including text, graphics, videos and other multimedia formats – that effectively informs and engages external audiences and supports media and advocacy campaigns.
• Draft and publish content on the UNICEF in Romania website, based on information given by team members in charge with the specific topics.
• Support communication for fundraising activities.
• Research and propose topics and approaches for specific communication issues and campaigns.
• Monitor and provide result-based reports for digital communication activities upon request. Offer analysis of the information, share key learnings and propose optimizations.
• Offer support during events organized by UNICEF.

Responsibilities of the Consultant:

• The consultant will use their own equipment; laptops, microphones, software and other accessories that may be required for this task.
• The consultant will not give the content/material or any part thereof, to any third party without the written permission of UNICEF. All components will be the property of UNICEF, and the consultant will not share the same with anyone else.
• The consultant will not put their own name or logo/emblem on the content / final product. The only organization branding will be UNICEF, if required.

Responsibilities of UNICEF:

• UNICEF will provide all details pertaining to the activity and the requirements.
• UNICEF will orient the consultant on UNICEF’s branding guidelines.

7. DUTY STATION: 

Home-based.

8. OFFICIAL TRAVEL INVOLVED: (ITINERARY AND DURATION)

No travel is foreseen. However, consultant might be required to travel outside their duty station for specific events (e.g. if in-person training or documentation missions or meetings are required by UNICEF, government or partners) in which case payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging, etc. should be agreed upon, between the supervisor and the consultant prior to travel and will be reimbursed on actuals.  

9. ESTIMATED DURATION OF LTA

The Long-Term Agreement will be for a duration of three years. The initial period would be for two years with an option for renewal for a subsequent year on the same rates, terms and conditions, subject to satisfactory performance evaluation and continuing need for the service.

10. QUALIFICATIONS / SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE/ COMPETENCIES

• At least 3 years of experience in communication or journalism, including experience in documenting social issues in Romania in a responsible and ethical manner, respecting child rights and with proven results in terms of reach and engagement.
• Fluency in spoken and written Romanian and English is required.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Credentials are required that attest to both professional qualities and ethical behaviour. Please provide examples of storytelling materials with documented results.
• Flexibility in responding to the needs of UNICEF.
• Experience with international organizations, UN Agencies is an asset.

11. PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The LTA to be signed will have a fixed fee rate for three years. UNICEF Romania will engage the LTA holders for assignments based on forthcoming needs, and payments will be made on a deliverable basis.

12. CONTRACTS CREATED AGAINST THE LTA

Whenever services are required, details of the requirement/deliverables including quantities and deadlines will be presented to the LTA holder.

Upon receipt of confirmation of availability and interest in the assignment, a contract will be issued with the prices/fees agreed in the LTA. The consultant must sign the contract prior commencement of work.

Payment will be made after completion of deliverables and submission of invoices for the actual work completed, subject to satisfactory performance.

13. HOW TO APPLY

Applications are to be submitted through the online portal and should contain four separate attachments:

• A Cover letter explaining suitability for position (to be uploaded online under “Cover Letter” tab) in English
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online under “Resume” tab) in English
• Credentials (examples of digital communication materials with proven results both in English and Romanian);
• Financial offer in RON as per the template attached (w/o VAT) for developing digital communication materials and instruments (per drafting 1 social media post (in English/Romanian), per editing 1 key visual for social media, per drafting 1 weekly/monthly social media editorial plan, per drafting other digital communication materials of  250/500/1,000 words in English/Romanian, per 1 working day, per ½ working day).  Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving (to be uploaded online under the “Financial Proposal” tab). LTA Financial Proposal Template.doc Important Note: Please do not indicate financials anywhere else in the online application form, please mark “n/a or 00”, under the fee-related questions in the online application form.

Without all the above 4 documents, your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

Please note that: 

• Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
• Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
• Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply.

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.