Consultancy: Education Advocacy and Communications Consultant – Education Section, PD, NYHQ/Home based – Req # 539916

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, hope.

 

Consultancy Title: Education Advocacy and Communications Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Section, Programme Division, New York

Duration: 185 days over a period of 11.5 months

 

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

Guided by the vision in the UNICEF Strategic Plan (2018-2030), Goal 2 “Every child learns”, the Education Section leads global efforts for development of evidence-based policy guidance, standard setting and programme approaches to education. Under its Education Strategy (2019-2030), UNICEF has identified early childhood education (ECE) and learning at primary level among its priority areas and strategic shifts to address the global learning crisis at its roots.

As part of these efforts, the Education Section is leading on a Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) project to scale up an innovative approach and global toolkit to in-country capacity development for enhancing ECE analysis, planning and implementation (called the “BELDS approach”). This project aims to support the effective and strategic integration of ECE within Education Sector Planning processes in Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Lesotho and Kyrgyzstan, while generating and mobilizing global knowledge on ECE policy and practice through the refinement of the ECE Accelerator Toolkit. UNICEF leads on this project, with its partners World Bank and Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN).

Building on UNICEF’s successes in 2019 and 2020, with the launch of its first-ever global report on pre-primary education A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education and the launch of the ECE Accelerator Toolkit, there is an opportunity to mobilize internal and external efforts and bring visibility to ECE globally as well as influence decision-makers and partners to invest in ECE. In the ever-growing global momentum around ECE, and with sustained effort, ECE global advocacy can be a winning agenda for UNICEF that drives real change for children by helping to address the learning crisis and get children’s learning back on track after COVID-19.

The Education Section is also implementing a Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) strategy which aims to increase the number of children mastering foundational literacy and numeracy skill by 54 million by 2030.  The FLN programme aims to recommit and focus UNICEF’s efforts on improving FLN skills for every child. This laser-sharp focus on FLN is anchored in four key elements: leaders who lead; teachers who teach; learners who learn; and parents who prioritize. As part of the FLN program, UNICEF will work alongside a coalition of partners to help expedite achievement of improvements in literacy and numeracy (the Accelerator Program). Under the Accelerator Program, UNICEF will work with the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in five target countries (Kenya; Niger; Mozambique; Rwanda; Nigeria – Edo State).  As part of this partnership, UNICEF’s focus will be on (i) strengthening advocacy for FLN; (ii) providing technical and advisory support; and (iii) enhancing development partner alignment and mutual accountability around FLN.

Purpose

UNICEF is seeking an advocacy and communications consultant to help shape and implement a global advocacy strategy for UNICEF’s early childhood education work. This includes supporting the roll-out and further dissemination of the BELDS approach and ECE Accelerator Toolkit.

The consultant will support the Accelerator Program country teams with developing comprehensive advocacy and communication strategies and plans aimed at galvanizing political commitment as well as public awareness and demand for improved FLN outcomes. This will require working closely with the UNICEF regional and country-level advocacy and communications teams, as well as the global Advocacy Section in the Division of Communication which co-leads with PD Education on the four-year advocacy strategy under Global Advocacy Priority 1, on learning.

This consultancy may also require close collaboration with UNICEF’s Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP)/Public Partnerships Division (PPD)/UNICEF National Committees to engage partners in education-related initiatives towards progress on SDG4.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Working with the Education Specialists, the KIX project team and the Division of Communications, the consultant will provide technical expertise and support to design, implement and amplify UNICEF’s global ECE and FLN advocacy agendas. More specifically, the consultant will:

1. Develop, manage and support the implementation of an advocacy and communication strategy or roadmap for UNICEF’s global work on ECE. This includes, for example:
   • Research and identification of prospective high-level events, meetings and other opportunities for ECE advocacy (including dissemination of the ECE Accelerator Toolkit), and lead on the preparations for attendance at such events as necessary (ex. drafting concept notes, talking points; engagement with partners, run of show, social media messages, etc.);
   • Working with the Regional and Country Offices to map out and coordinate opportunities, events for ECE advocacy, and support with such regional and country-level events/meetings;
   • Developing and supporting the implementation of a plan for developing and launching other ECE publications and assets (such as case studies, advocacy briefs, research papers, technical notes, etc.);
   • Work with the DoC and PD Education co-leads of the strategy under Global Advocacy Priority 1 to ensure alignment with this four-year cross-organizational priority, and help embed ECE messaging, asks and moments in this strategy;
   • Explore other areas where there are entry points for elevating ECE messages and asks (ex. climate change).

The strategy and work plan would draw upon the experiences, outcomes and assets generated by the ECE programme, including the KIX project, and ideally include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; key messages; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.

2. Support the development of advocacy and communication strategies/plans for the Accelerator Program countries (Kenya; Niger; Mozambique; Rwanda; Nigeria – Edo State), working with the Education Specialist (Primary Education), the UNICEF country-level advocacy and communications teams and the Advocacy Section:
   • Develop guidelines for the development of the FLN advocacy and communication strategies including modifying existing UNICEF guides to strengthen stakeholder analysis;
   • Support Accelerator Program countries to develop detailed mapping of stakeholders involved in foundational learning, assessment of roles and responsibilities as they relate to targets and implementation, incentives and accountabilities; and
   • Contribute to the preparation of the five country-level strategies and provide feedback to completed draft strategies.
3. Support with engagement with partners (including global partners, private partners, etc.) around UNICEF’s strategic vision for ECE, communicating well what UNICEF’s approach is and bringing partners together around a common vision. This includes, for example:
   • Mapping of all global and regional partnerships and engagements relating to early childhood education;
   • Coordinating the strategic engagement with key partners around ECE (including UNESCO’s Global Partnership Strategy for Early Childhood Care and Education, ECDAN, communities of practice);
   • Contributing to substantive dialogue and plans with partners for joint communications activities and advocacy;
   • Strengthen overcall coherence in UNICEF’s advocacy for ECE across RO and HQ and alignment with UNICEF’s Global Advocacy Priorities;
   • Developing any additional pitch materials to support the dissemination of the ECE Accelerator Toolkit and associated materials jointly with partners.

Qualifications

1) Education

• Advanced degree in one of the following fields: public and/or private sector partnerships, education, communications, marketing, public relations, business administration and management, technology, or social sciences.  Knowledge and experience in early childhood education is a plus.

2) Work experience

• At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, advocacy, broadcast, prospecting, developing and managing partnerships with the private sector and other actors. Exposure to advocacy and partnerships management in the United Nations preferred.

3) Competencies

• Demonstrated experience of working on developing innovative solutions, partnerships and initiatives
• Familiarity with education and the international humanitarian and development landscape, preferably including experience in developing country contexts with the UNICEF, UN and international organizations, Foundations or NGOs
• Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills.  Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong leadership skills; capacity to prioritize and manage a diverse range of partners, projects and activities
• Demonstrated planning, communication and writing skills.  Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize and work to tight deadlines
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Fluency in English. Competency in another UN language preferred.

 Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (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 is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.