National Communications Consultant

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

By placing the rights of women at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments to gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into actions around the world. It provides strong and consistent leadership in support of member states' priorities and efforts, by establishing effective partnerships with civil society and other stakeholders.

UN Women Burundi's Strategic Note 2019-2023 aligns with UN Women's Global Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the National Development Plan 2018-2027, the National Gender Policy (PNG) and UNSC Resolution 1325 action plans for 2017-2021, UNDAF (2019-2023) and the United Nations Resilience Framework. It captures the triple mandate of UN WOMEN (Normative, Coordination and Programmatic) aimed at supporting government and partners to achieve lasting results for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, building on its comparative advantages.

The strategic note prioritizes three outcomes: i) Women peace mediators and other gender equality advocates participate in conflict prevention and resolution and influence decision-making and intervention processes in a favorable environment; ii) Women, including those living in refugee and internally displaced persons camps and others in vulnerable situations, benefit from increased security and protection, physical and mental health and their fundamental rights respected under ratified regional and international instruments; iii) Women and girls participate in and benefit from socio-economic recovery activities in the context of peace and resilience building.

Objectives of the assignment:

Support in the formulation and implementation of the communications and advocacy strategies to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media and the public.
Produce articles and other information tools on the activities of UN-WOMEN
Contribute to the production of reports based on information collected in the field
Report on success stories and good practices of UN WOMEN in Burundi

Scope of Work:

The Communications will perform the following duties within UN Women Burundi Country Office, in close collaboration with the Communication Team from the UN Women East and Southern Africa Regional Office and HQ, as well as within Burundi UN Country Team.

Hence, UN Women Burundi is structured in three main components: (1) Women Leadership, Peace and Security, and Humanitarian Action (WLPS/HA); (2) Ending Violence Against Women and Girls/Human Rights and (3) Women Economic Empowerment (WEE).

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Representative, the Communications Consultant supports the implementation of communications and advocacy strategies to improve UN Women's positioning with and collaboration with its partners, the media and the public, as well as the visibility of its actions in the field. The Communications Consultant promotes a client-oriented approach within UN Women

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide coordination support in the development of a coherent Country Office communications and advocacy strategy

Provide inputs and background information for the development of the Country Office’s communication strategy;
Provide support to advocacy efforts and campaigns by organizing roundtable discussions, press conferences, and other publicity events and providing inputs to briefing materials and press releases;
Provide support to programme and other Country Office’s staff on UN Women corporate communications guidelines and printing norms;
Track and monitor print and social media and report relevant information to senior staff to inform strategy development.

2. Provide coordination support to the development of Country Office’s advocacy materials

Identify storylines and achievements within the Country Office’s for online and print publications;
Draft press releases, articles, key messages and other advocacy materials;
Coordinate the translation, adaptation, or rewriting of information received for the local context; disseminate materials to appropriate stakeholders;
Coordinate the publication of materials for final approval; maintain relationships with printers/ publishers;
Maintain library/ database of reference materials, photos, and digital assets;
Follow guidelines from RO/HQ.

3. Provide support in the management of the Country Office’s social media presence and website

Identify stories, and provide input to the development of content for the Country Office website hosted at the Regional Office and social media channels;
Update the website and social media channels, ensure consistency in branding;
Research, compile and produce reports on web statistics on a regular basis and electronic surveys, as required;
Maintain files, databases, and systems relevant to the Country Office’s digital presence.

4. Provide media relations support to the Country Office head of office

Serve as a focal point on UN Women activities open to the press, as necessary;
Maintain and update database of relevant press in country;
Respond to request for information and arrange interviews, as delegated;
Provide substantive inputs to talking points.

5. Facilitate knowledge management and sharing

Contribute to the identification of best practices and lessons learned;
Organize trainings and workshops on communication practices;
Provide/ exchange information with HQ and Regional Office MCO, and Country Offices.

6. Other

Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor;
Provide support on special web/digital/media projects undertaken by the Country Office

Deliverables

Articles, tweets, photos, brochures, briefing notes, communication materials (banners, flyers, etc.) covering activities and events organized by UNWOMEN are produced and shared with the appropriate people
The retro 2022 newsletter, which is the office's communication report, is produced ;
Report on success stories and good practices on UN-WOMEN's work in Burundi, in collaboration with the Program Units.

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example

Functional Competencies

Ability to create, edit and present information in clear and presentable formats, using appropriate IT functionality
Strong event planning skills
Strong knowledge of social media and communication strategies and methods
Ability to identify relevant events and stories and communicate them to a mass audience
Strong multimedia skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations or Journalism.

Experience:

At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in providing support to the formulation and implementation of internal and external communications and advocacy strategies and related plans;
Experience in the use of social media and digital communications
Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) as well as web-based management systems;
Experience in UN Systems would be an asset

Language Requirements:

Fluency in French and English is required;
Working Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.