Community Engagement Associate , Temporary Appointment (9 months ) , GS6, Athens, Greece
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Job no: 539264
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Level: G-6
Location: Greece
Categories: Communication for Development (C4D)
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, results
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. The response centered on a two-track approach covering direct service delivery as well as national capacity building through critical partnerships with governmental bodies, ministries, local authorities, civil society and NGOs and focused primarily on three main strategic sectors – child protection, education and child rights monitoring.
Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize UNICEF’s presence in the country under the form of a Greece Country Office. This office falls under the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 21 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of an expanded mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are moving towards an even greater collaboration and partnership in order to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.
How can you make a difference?
The incumbent will be required to complete the following expected key tasks:
Community Engagement
• Supports the design and implementation of community engagement activities to support GCO programme implementation, including in refugee, migrant and in Roma settings, as well as in the framework of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.
• Supports the design, implementation and monitoring of community engagement platforms and initiatives on GCO thematic priorities.
• Develops and enhances strong partnerships with community groups, leaders and other partners in the community, as well as with civil society organisations to orient them on country programme goals and to solicit their involvement in the implementation of the country programme.
• Promotes and influences behaviour change at individual and household levels, social mobilization of civil society organizations and increased community participation in GCO programmes.
Child/Youth Participation
• Develops modalities for strengthening meaningful and representative child and youth engagement through training, networking, and consultations.
• Provides technical advice to country team and partners on how to ensure that the voices and agency of children, adolescents and youth are systematically taken into consideration in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of plans and activities at national and local level, including under the Child Friendly Cities Initiative.
• Supports relevant child/youth engagement platforms, such as U-Report, Youth Councils, Youth Volunteers, etc. with the aim of getting children and young people to connect with each other to share experiences and ideas and take meaningful action.
• Supports the development of human interest stories and other relevant child and youth-friendly communication and advocacy materials on GCO priorities.
Communication for Development
• Provides technical support and assistance in the research, development, pre-testing, and production of culturally and age appropriate relevant communication materials to ensure effective and efficient programme delivery.
• Supports the UNICEF GCO communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and ensures the quality, consistency and appropriateness of communication materials that are developed, produced, and disseminated to local communities, government officials, other partners and the press.
• Collaborates with internal global/regional communication partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging to enhance C4D outreach and contribution to programmatic and communication outcomes.
• Recommends directions and supports the effective design and application of C4D initiatives, tools and methodologies for strengthening programme outcomes, and advocacy.
• Makes recommendations and carries out operational strategies, approach, plans and procedures in the areas of participatory communication, social mobilization and behaviour change and on appropriate materials and media to reach target audiences in collaboration with UNICEF colleagues and UNICEF partners.
• Supports GCO efforts to identify and disseminate new knowledge and good practice in the field of C4D, with special attention to scaling-up social change processes, as well as cross-cutting issues to gender equality, human-rights and child/adolescent participation.
Community-Based Child Protection Mechanisms
• Supports the design and implementation of community-based child protection mechanisms including building the capacity of UNICEF partners on the integration of a community-based approach.
• Supports the UNICEF Greece Country Office in the integration of accountability to affected populations (AAP) throughout programming, including building the capacity of partners on AAP, and participatory program approaches.
• Prepares reports, briefing papers and other related documentation on child protection as necessary for decision making and information purposes for UNICEF management, donors, partners and allies.
• Ensures strong inter-agency interaction at the planning and operational level and/or participate in relevant protection, child protection, GBV and AAP coordination structures.
Monitoring and Reporting of Programme Results
• Supports the establishment of a monitoring plan based on UNICEF’s standards, and the development of indicators for all initiatives, in collaboration with the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and other relevant teams.
• Prepares and maintains records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation and produces monthly reports on initiatives.
• Undertakes regular visits to project sites (on mainland and islands), to assess local conditions and monitor and evaluate partner progress and implementation.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the field of work. University degree in social work, international relations, humanitarian affairs, law, child psychology, education, or another relevant field preferred
- Minimum of 6 years related work experience in the areas of child rights and programme monitoring, child protection, community engagement, and other relevant fields preferably with UNICEF and / or other relevant actors.
- Knowledge of and ability to implement community-based interventions.
- Knowledge and experience working on integrated child protection programming.
• Knowledge and experience with digital community engagement platforms, social media and other communication tools.
• Experience working with UN and/or NGOs to establish Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and community based protection mechanisms.
• Experience in the adaptation and application of communication planning processes to specific programmes.
• An understanding of UNICEF’s core commitments to children in humanitarian action, humanitarian principles, coordination mechanisms, and gender and diversity aspects of humanitarian work.
• Fluency in English and Greek (verbal and written).
Personal Skills and Qualities
Applicants must be able to demonstrate:
• Strong levels of self-awareness and ability to self-manage and operate safely and securely in rapidly changing emergency contexts.
• Personal drive for results.
• Ability to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team to achieve goals.
• Ability to develop new and nurture existing internal and external networks, partnerships and relationships which deliver results.
• Ability to communicate clearly, confidently and persuasively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to analyse information, solve problems and make decisions in complex, challenging and rapidly evolving environments.
• Strategic thinking
• The highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to adhering to required standards of conduct and behaviour.
• A willingness and commitment to serve the children and their communities.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
Core Values
- Care
- Respect
- Integrity
- Trust
- Accountability
Core Competencies
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
- Works Collaboratively with others (1)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, 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 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:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Advertised: GTB Daylight Time
Deadline: GTB Daylight Time
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