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 connected world.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, works globally to protect the rights of children and ensure their well-being. The Information and Communication Technology Division (ICTD) plays a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF's mission by leveraging digital innovation and technology to support and secure a better future for children around the world. ICTD focuses on bridging the digital divide, fostering innovation, and implementing resilient digital solutions, especially in crisis regions. Through partnerships and the responsible use of emerging technologies, ICTD ensures that every child benefits safely from digital advancements.

How can you make a difference?

To enhance the internal visibility and understanding of ICTD's work, we aim to develop and implement cutting-edge communication strategies. These strategies will promote the division’s initiatives, increase overall awareness, and foster stakeholder engagement, ensuring that their contributions to UNICEF’s mission are effectively recognized and shared.

Scope Of Work

The consultant will play a critical role in enhancing the internal and external communication of the ICTD division. Reporting to the UNICEF Communication Manager of ICTD, the consultant will collaborate closely with various teams in ICTD. This role demands excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong interpersonal abilities, and innovative thinking to ensure effective and timely communication activities that support information sharing and elevate the visibility of ICTD within UNICEF.

Content creation and management

• Help implement ICTD’s internal and external communication plan.
• Draft/create materials such as articles, key messages, reports, social media posts, video scripts, and presentations, including sourcing photographs/video footage on weshare in cooperation with sections, as well as global ICT functional colleagues, and keep Sharepoint, Viva, and other channels up to date.
• Ensure technical information is clear and easy to understand, following UNICEF Brand and Style guidelines to the extent possible.
  
  

Staff engagement and awareness

• Develop and deploy periodic campaigns to keep staff updated on ICTD tools, platforms, and projects.
• Develop and operationalize a communication plan/roadmap template to improve communication flow from management to staff.
• Organize and share important internal tech-related information and best practices, in coordination with sections.
  
  

Measuring impact and improvement

• Collect and analyze feedback to enhance future communication.
• Regularly report on progress and suggest improvements.
  
  

OVERALL DELIVERABLES

Create and publish 5-7 general and technical content per month, such as technical or general articles, key messages, reports, social media posts, video scripts, and presentations.

• Source at least 10 photographs or video footage in total on WeShare to accompany content.
• Develop and deploy quarterly cross-sectoral campaigns to keep staff updated on ICTD tools, platforms, and projects.
• Finalize 1 communication plan/roadmap template to improve communication flow from management to staff and across sections, in close collaboration with SCS, DCOE, TAO, SRG, and FO.
  
  

Deliverables

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Deadline Develop and implement an overarching internal communication template Work with sections, representing Comms, to develop an overarching internal communication plan, including a template/roadmap for individual sections to adopt to improve their internal communication (SCS, DCOE, TAO, SRG, FO), including monthly catch-ups with each section End of every month Draft and publish articles and posts Create and publish 5-7 general and technical content per month, such as technical or general articles, key messages, reports, social media posts, video scripts, and presentations. End of every month Source and/or create multimedia assets Source at least 10 photographs or video footage in total on WeShare to accompany content. End of every month Design and publish regular internal updates. In line with the internal comms roadmap, design and publish internal updates on projects, platforms, tools, and best practices ensuring staff are well informed and engaged, using a mix of internal channels such as email, Bits&Bytes newsletter, Sharepoint, Viva, etc. End of every month Contribute to divisional or section townhalls Contribute to the divisional or section townhalls with materials/assets. 3-5/year, + monthly follow-up Maintain and update the SCS SharePoint site Maintain and update the SCS SharePoint site to keep it fresh and relevant and help ensure other section pages are coherently designed and organized. Please note that depending on project/country readiness and project progress, month deliverables may change.

Reporting Structure

The Internal and External communication Consultant will report to the UNICEF Communication Manager of ICTD.

Duration of contract

12 months

Financial Proposal: Please indicate your ability, availability and your overall rate - or rate per deliverable (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a rate will not be considered.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in the following fields: Marketing, Communications, Non-profit or Business Management, or another relevant field.
• A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 of relevant professional experience in communication field.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Excellent communication skills interpersonal, verbal and written.
• Excellent writing, editing and proof-reading skills.
• PC literacy MS Office advanced.
• Innovative ideas.
• Planning from a mid-to long term viewpoint.
• Appropriate judgement.
• Perseverance.
• Prioritization and allocation of resources.
  
  

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.