Vacancy Announcement Details

Organisation:                UNHCR

Title:                               Communications Consultant

Location:                       Home based

Duration:                       May 2020 – October 2020

Contract Type:              Individual consultancy

Closing date:                 09 April 2020

BACKGROUND

UNHCR is committed to the importance of evaluation and its role in supporting organisational accountability, learning and the continual improvement of UNHCR’s performance in addressing the protection, assistance and solutions needs of refugees, stateless persons, IDPs and other persons of concern. 

The UNHCR Evaluation Service, based at Headquarters in Geneva, is responsible for the implementation of the organisational 2016 Evaluation Policy which provides for a strengthened evaluation function, as elaborated in the Evaluation Strategy 2018-2020. The evaluation function provides UNHCR with a structured approach to (a) impartially reflect on and analyse performance and results for accountability purposes; and (b) recommend ways to improve and build on strengths, address weaknesses and identify lessons for learning and knowledge generation purposes. Evaluation in UNHCR is founded on the fundamental principles of independence, impartiality, credibility and utility and aligns to established UN evaluation norms and standards. The UNHCR Evaluation Service both commissions and manages evaluations, and provides quality assurance for both centralised and decentralised evaluation processes and deliverables.

Strategy

The Evaluation Service has as one of its priority objectives the promotion of an evaluative culture within the organisation, as stipulated in the Evaluation Strategy. An important pillar of the strategy is strengthening the utilization of the evaluation results, including through improved dissemination of evaluation findings to internal- and external stakeholders through a range of communication approaches.

In order to develop an internal-, and external communication strategy- and products, the Evaluation Service is seeking to recruit a Senior Communications Consultant to work under the overall management of the Head of the Evaluation Service, and working closely with the Evaluation Service team based in HQ and in Regional Offices, as well as relevant functions in the organisation. The consultant is expected to:

• Develop a strategy to better communicate the results of evaluations to specific audiences within, and outside of, the organization;
  • The strategy is supported by tailored communication, and outreach, to specific audiences;
  • The strategy sets out a framework for enhancing awareness, learning and accountability in relation to evaluations.
• Develop a wide range of purpose-, and audience specific templates, including but not limited to: newsletters, web-based information platforms, multi-media presentations, Power Point Presentation templates etc, to assist the dissemination of specific evaluations as well as the overall strategy of the Service.
• Provide editing, and lay-out support to reports, syntheses-, and summaries.
• Prepare blogs-, newsletters, and multi-media presentations on evaluation results, and the work of the Evaluation Service, as required.
• Advise the Head of Service on innovative methods and techniques to disseminate the service’s goals and objectives within the organization.

• Advise the Head of Service on ways to deliver learning messages to pertinent stakeholders in the organization.

Essential Qualifications

• Relevant post-graduate degree (equivalent of a Master’s) in Social Science, International Development, Media, Communications, Public Information, and a minimum of 9 years relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in developing internal communication deliverables, hard copy as well as digital formats, including website design.
• Experience using digital asset management systems.
• Experience with digital analytics and performance reporting.
• Experience developing and implementing communication strategies.
• Demonstrable institutional knowledge of the UN, and in particular of UNHCR’s protection mandate and operational role.
• Fluency in English.

Guidelines for submission of proposals

UNHCR is seeking individual applications for the position of Senior Communication Consultant with the composition of skills and experience as outlined in the ‘Essential Skills and Experience’ below. Applicants are requested to submit a motivation letter.

Interested applicants are required to submit a completed UNHCR PHP Form and motivation letter (maximum 2 pages), which includes but is not necessarily limited to:

• Details of how they meet the ‘Essential Skills and Experience’, including description of past professional experience and evidence of their capacity meet the objectives of this consultancy.
• At least two recent samples (within the last 12 months) of written work.
• Contact details for three references.

UNHCR’s Evaluation Service will contact referees for feedback on services provided by the consultants. Consultants may be asked to provide additional information during the assessment and selection process.

Duration

This is a 6-month full time individual consultancy, with the possibility of extension. Payment will be lump sum based on deliverables and guided by UNHCR’s Policy on Individual Consultancies.

Awarding the contract and payment

Proposals will be assessed on the quality and relevance of consultant qualifications. Short-listed applicants may be requested to participate in a telephone interview, a written exercise, or supply additional references and/or samples of work.

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit their, completed UNHCR PHP Form and motivation letter with the subject “Last, First Name, Communication Consultant” to the UNHCR Evaluation Service email address hqevaser@unhcr.org

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is Midnight Geneva time Thursday 09 April 2020.