Background

1. Organizational Context

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.

The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) was established in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2014. The UN Women ECARO acts as a thought and action leader on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region and supports UN Women field offices in Europe and Central Asia region with the same goal. Communications initiatives that provide and use information with a clearly defined objective are pivotal in this regard. In order to communicate convincingly, UN Women ECARO aims to show the results and impact of its work, as well as the work of field offices, on communities’ and women’s lives.

In order to enhance awareness of UN Women’s mandate and increase visibility of successful UN Women initiatives in the region, communications work of the ECARO is channeled through the media, active regional social media channels and the ECARO website. UN Women ECARO has successfully positioned itself as an authority and key advocate for women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality in the region. The successful positioning of women’s empowerment and gender equality as a prerequisite to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals provides a unique opportunity to further advance UN Women’s mandate and ECARO will continue its advocacy and outreach in this regard.

Reporting to the Regional Director, Communications and Advocacy Specialist will collaborate closely with the Headquarters, Regional, Multi-Country Office and Country Offices’ (RO/MCO/CO) colleagues to ensure communications strategies, media relations and organizational outreach efforts are aligned with corporate communications policies and initiatives. The Communications Specialist also collaborates with RO/MCO and CO colleagues to support outreach campaigns, resource mobilization and donor relations initiatives; The Communication Specialist mobilizes support in conjunction with intergovernmental processes, and support the activities and special events organized for UN Women.

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Functions

Under the supervision of the Regional Director, the Communications Consultant will carry out the following tasks, working from the Istanbul Regional Office:

a. Lead the development and implementation of communication and outreach/advocacy strategies and plans, with a specific focus on media

• Conduct communication needs assessments for RO, including projects, programmes and corporate change initiatives;
• Design, develop, and implement communication and outreach/advocacy strategies, including media strategies; ensure gender perspective;
• Integrate communication, advocacy and outreach strategies into proposals for project/programmes and other initiatives;
• Monitor and analyze print and social media and prepare reports;
• Launch in-country UN Women/ UN system corporate and local/regional campaigns and special events;
• Provide advice and guidance to and coordinate with COs in the region.

b. Lead the development and dissemination of advocacy materials in the region

• Develop and produce communication and advocacy instruments and materials, including briefing materials, press releases, and articles and coordinate its dissemination through effective channels;
• Identify and launch information opportunities, activities, approaches and platforms and partners;
• Provide advice on advocacy materials and coordinate launching flagship initiatives and publications in the region;
• Lead the engagement and supervision of video producers and other communication specialists to produce audio/ visual material on UN Women’s work;
• Develop brochures, factsheets, stories from the field to inform media and general public at the regional level;
• Follow guidelines from and report to HQ.

c. Lead media relations for the RO

• Lead relationship building with press; maintain and update database of relevant press;
• Respond timely and clearly to media inquiries and to a variety of inquiries and information requests; prepare related correspondence; identify topics, background information, news-related development and coverage of interest;
• Organize roundtable discussions, press conferences, and briefing sessions with press;
• Facilitate interviews with senior managers; connect media with UN Women subject experts;
• Finalize talking points.

d. Build and maintain partnerships and maintain relations with donors

• Identify and develop new communication partnerships and alliances to enhance visibility; manage and nurture existing partnerships;
• Liaise with advocacy partners and undertake outreach to civil society organizations, governments, and other groups to ensure that newsworthy information reaches the public and donors;
• Guide and collaborate closely with communication colleagues in other offices to ensure consistency with corporate policies, messaging and initiatives;
• Submit packages for programme initiatives for donor review.

e. Be responsible for the RO’s website and online presence

• Oversee and maintain the regional website, including developing design and content;
• Coordinate COs’ web-presence in the line with corporate web policy;
• Lead the management of (regional) social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy together with the relevant team members at the RO.

3. Expected Deliverables and Payment Schedule

The following table summarizes main activities and expected deliverables against targeted delivery deadlines and indicative working days to be invested by the Consultant.

The Consultant shall be paid upon successful completion of the deliverables in monthly installments as per the above table. Payment shall be affected only if all the agreed functions  in this workplan are submitted to UN Women ECA RO within the timeframes stipulated in the TOR and they are approved by the respective supervisor. Without submission and approval of the deliverables, Consultants shall not receive any payment even if they invest time for this assignment.

This consultancy will require the consultant to be based in Istanbul and support he Regional Director and regional office onsite.  Any additional travel as part of this TOR will be covered by the ECARO and be in addition to the monthly payment.

4. Key Performance Indicators

• Timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.
• Adherence to UN Women standards and rules.

Competencies

5. Competencies

Core values:

Integrity - Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism - Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity - Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

Ethics and Values - Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.

Organizational Awareness - Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Development and Innovation - Take charge of self-development and take initiative.

Work in teams - Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Communicating and Information Sharing - Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.

Self-management and Emotional Intelligence - Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.

Conflict Management - Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing - Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.

Functional Competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues and familiarity with UN Women;
• Proven experience in Communications and Advocacy;
• Excellent communications skills. Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies;
• Demonstrates very good understanding of and experience in communications and outreach/advocacy;
• Proven networking skills, and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate;
• Strong initiative-taker;
• Very effective at multi-tasking;
• Focuses on impact and results for client;
• Interacts effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior management;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Identifies opportunities and builds strong relationships with client and external actors;

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:   http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

UN Women does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks

Required Skills and Experience

6. Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in communications, public relations, journalism or relevant field is required.

A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Skills and Experience:

At least 5 years of professional work experience at national or international level in public relations, communications or advocacy, including in media relations;

Experience in the use of social media;

Experience in gender and women’s rights fields is an asset;

Experience working for the UN is an asset;

Experience in media relations is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English (written and oral).

7. Application Procedure

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application:

• Cover letter to include a brief overview about which of your previous experiences makes you the most suitable candidate for the advertised position.
• Signed UN Women Personal History (P11) Form including past experience in similar assignments which can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment
• Financial Proposal:  Specify a monthly amount (daily rate, personnel costs, travel expenses to join in duty station, living allowance, etc. should be included in the Offer) for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference and considering 20 days for every month expected as working days;

When applying; the Cover Letter, CV and the signed P11 Form should be merged into one (1) single PDF document since the system will allow only to upload maximum one document. Therefore, please combine these forms and documents into one (1) single PDF document and upload them to the system.

8. Evaluation of Applicants

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer receives the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation will be considered for financial evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. A suggested formula is as follows:

p = 30 (µ/z)

Using the following values:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

An interview/written test may be used for the selection of best candidates.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided?on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (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.)