Campaigns, Advocacy and Policy Expert (Consultancy Assignment) at UNICEF

Job Number: 528540
Location: Nigeria
Work Type: Consultancy
Section/Programme: ECW Secretariat
Duration of Contract: 6 months
Annual Work Plan reference
ECW Strategic Objectives 1 and 2
Section & unit: Communications and Advocacy team, ECW
Consultant Reporting to: Chief, Communications and Advocacy

Background & Rationale

• Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the first global movement and fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises. It was established in 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit by international humanitarian and development aid organisations, along with public and private donors, to help reposition education as a priority on the humanitarian agenda, usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground and mobilise additional funding to ensure that every crisis-affected child and young person is in school and learning.
• Based on the recognition that continuous access to quality learning is a key priority for children and families affected by conflicts and natural disasters, and that no programme nor organisation can do it alone, ECW comes as a ground-breaking initiative bringing together public and private partners eager to work together differently and to mobilise the funding required to deploy immediate and sustainable solutions.

As such, ECW’s mandate is articulated around five core functions:

• Inspire political commitment, so that education is viewed by both governments and funders as a top priority during crises;
• Plan and respond collaboratively, with emphasis on enabling humanitarian and development actors to work together on the basis of shared objectives;
• Generate and disburse additional funding to close the US$ 8.5 billion funding gap needed to reach up to 75 million children and youth;
• Strengthen capacity to respond to crises, nationally and globally, including the ability to coordinate emergency support; and
• Improve accountability by developing and sharing knowledge, including collection of more robust data to make better-informed investment decisions.
• Education Cannot Wait is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure.

Purpose

• In line with the ECW Advocacy and Communications Strategy, the Campaigns, Advocacy and Communications Expert is expected to design, develop and lead a global campaign about how ECW is trying to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change on education across the Global South, not only by helping national education systems to recover from natural hazards and disasters, but also by integrating emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction into all its programmes.
• Aimed at fostering an enabling environment for policy-makers as well as other key audiences to prioritise education in emergencies, the global campaign is meant to give voice to the overarching vision of ECW: a world where all children and youth affected by crisis can learn free of cost, in safety and without fear in order to grow and reach their full potential. As such, the campaign is intended to represent and amplify the voices of the children and youth we serve and compel greater attention and action by deepening our conversation with our constituents.
• As the lines between communication, fundraising and advocacy are blurring, the incumbent is expected to analyse the key channels on which to focus, balancing between offline and online communication and recognising that traditional outreach activities, such as securing speaking engagements, organising awareness-raising events and disseminating printed materials, still have a very important role to play. At the same time, the campaign will have to reflect and reinforce ECW’s broader efforts to generate greater political, operational and financial commitment to meet the educational needs of millions of children and young people affected by crisis.

Management and Coordination Assignment:

• S/he will be supervised by Chief, Communications and Advocacy and will work closely with other members of the Education Cannot Wait team.
• S/he will be hired on a fulltime basis on a UNICEF consultancy contract.
• The consultant may be home-based with frequent trips to the office for meetings.
• Occasional travel may be required, in consultation with the supervising unit, including to New York if the consultant is based in another country.

Main Tasks

• Partnership-building, networking and engagement: Identify opportunities for ECW funding in select multi-stakeholder platforms and initiatives on climate change, emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction. Manage ECW’s engagement in these initiatives to advance our advocacy, programmatic and partnership goals.
• Advocacy: Actively pursue advocacy and outreach opportunities and help position ECW as a key player on climate change and mobilize financial resources from climate change financing instruments. Help identify external champions and develop key financial asks.
• Planning and coordination: Coordinate preparations for ECW engagement in key global platforms related to climate change, emergency preparedness, and disaster risk reduction. Plan, organise and support engagement of ECW Director and other ECW staff in key initiatives. Coordinate the preparation of briefing notes, talking points and other information materials as needed.
• Communications: Support the development of key messages on climate change, emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction. Provide inputs and develop content/articles for internal and external audiences. Work with other members of the Advocacy and Communications team to develop strategies and messages for priority partners.

Expected Results:

• Successful rollout of a global campaign about how ECW is trying to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change on education across the Global South, which represents and amplifies the voices of the children and youth we serve, and which reflects and reinforces ECW’s broader efforts to generate greater political, operational and financial commitment to meet the educational needs of millions of children and young people affected by crisis.

Key Competences, Technical Background, and Experience Required
Education:

• An Advanced University Degree in International Development, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field
• Training or experience in developing and implementing communications strategies would be an asset

Experience:

• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in advocacy and communications
• Proven ability to design and roll out global campaigns that help fuel social engagement, shift public policy and mobilise private and public resources
• Excellent research and analytical skills, and demonstrated ability to produce cogent and compelling text that aligns with ECW’s broader advocacy objectives
• Experience of working in countries affected by crisis would be an asset

Language skills:

• Fluency in English, including outstanding writing skills
• Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is an asset

Core Competencies:

• Communication
• Working with People
• Drive for Results

Functional Competencies:

• Deciding and Initiating Action
• Relating and Networking
• Planning and organizing

Payment Plan:

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervising unit.

VISA Requirements:

• All Consultants and Individual Contractors and any family members, who are not United States citizens, regardless of their nationality, must qualify for and obtain a G-4 non-immigrant visa prior to their arrival in New York.