Overview
The Communication and Advocacy Specialist will develop and implement a clear communication and advocacy strategy to support country programme objectives and enhance UNICEF's mission and credibility. The role involves managing media relations, partnerships, and global campaigns to promote children's rights and issues.
Tasks Summary
- Develop, maintain and update the country advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan.
- Promote understanding and support for children's and women's rights through media activities.
- Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
- Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts.
- Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to media, National Committees, NGOs, and other audiences.
- Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate a variety of media materials.
- Coordinate priority media productions and support sensitive communications.
- Conduct media monitoring and analysis.
- Advise management on sensitive communication issues and potential reputational risks.
- Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
- Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners.
- Ensure quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials shared with partners.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen partner capacity through training and information sharing.
- Develop, maintain and update celebrities contact list/database.
- Help establish, document, review and refine process of working with celebrities.
- Support UNICEF’s global communications objectives and strategies.
- Develop and deploy country office communication capacity to gather content for global use.
- Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
- Ensure coordination with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UN communication counterparts.
- Mobilize country office communication capacity to support fund-raising activities.
- Develop a coordinated visibility plan to respond to donor visibility requests.
- Develop a work plan for communication activities and monitor compliance.
- Plan and monitor the use of communication budgetary resources.
- Identify, recruit and supervise staff, technical resources and consultants.
- Ensure communication effectiveness, efficiency and delivery.
- Provide technical support to ensure communication performance indicators are identified and adjusted.
- Conduct timely and accurate monitoring and evaluation activities.
- Undertake lessons learned review of communication experiences and share observations/findings.
- Advise UNICEF management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications.
- Provide guidance and support to colleagues on sensitive communication matters and reputational risk management.
- Support communication activities through knowledge management and building capacity of the country communications team.
- Assist the Programme Communication Officer in the development of communication tools and/or strategies.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen partner capacity through appropriate advocacy and communication training.
Experience Requirements
- Minimum Five years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
- Background/familiarity with Emergency situations.
Qualification Requirements
• Advanced university degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations and other relevant disciplines
