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. 

In line with its mandate, UN Women in Kosovo focuses on two thematic areas, namely Ending Violence Against Women and Women Peace and Security. 
The Caucus of Women Members of Parliament, a long-time UN Women partner in advancing gender equality in Kosovo, in 2019 with UN Women support has developed a new three-year strategic action plan that seeks to increase the number of young women involved in leadership, peacebuilding, and politics.

The 2019-2021 Strategy and Action Plan aims to advance the gender equality legislative framework; hold high-level discussions on women’s issues; and advocate for women’s rights in Parliament and within their political parties.
It is a guiding document for the upcoming years, to promote more inter- and intra-generational dialogue among women in order to foster collective action that will increase the representation of women, particularly young women, in decision-making and peacebuilding.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Head of Office and in continual communication with the Chairperson of the Women’s Caucus, the Communications Consultant will be responsible for supporting and coordinating advocacy, visibility and outreach efforts and managing media relations in order to increase the visibility, standing and awareness of the office and work of the Women’s Caucus with the media and the public..

Under the overall guidance of UN Women Office in Kosovo, and in full accordance with applicable safety measures and protocols on COVID-19 prevention and control, issued by the Ministry of Health, WHO and the Kosovo Public Health Institute,  the local consultant will conduct the following activities and submit respective deliverables as per the following terms of reference.

Functions 

1.  Promote the work and mission of the Women’s Caucus

• Assist and advise Women’s Caucus on the best ways to promote its work;
• Assist in fostering a spirit of cooperation between the Women’s Caucus and civil society organizations, based in the Workplan;
   

2.  Plan, design and monitor communications and outreach/advocacy strategies and plans:

• Assist in the implementation of the communication strategy;
• Develop, coordinate, implement and monitor the implementation of the communications and advocacy strategies and plans;
• Monitor and analyse print and social media and draft reports;

3. Coordinate and contribute substantively to the development and dissemination of communications, advocacy and knowledge products:

• Participate in the regular meetings of the Women’s Caucus, and advise on how to disseminate information that is in the public interest;
• Assist the Women’s Caucus in strengthening a unique brand of all its promotional materials;
• Develop and produce communications materials, including brochures, publications, briefing materials, press releases, and articles, and coordinate their dissemination.

4. Coordinate media relations for the Women’s Caucus:

• Coordinate relationships with the media; maintain and update a media database;
• Organize interview opportunities, roundtable discussions, press conferences, and briefing sessions for the media, as required;
• Send Media invitations and press releases as needed;
• Draft talking points.

5. Maintain the Women’s Caucus’s online presence:

• Activate the Women’s Caucus’s social media accounts on all social media platforms in line with corporate social media policy;
• Assist in populating social media accounts with the Women’s Caucus’s activities;

Proposed Timeline 

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Office in Kosovo and in communication with the Women’s Caucus, the local consultant will conduct the following activities and submit respective deliverables within the stipulated timeframes: 

Evaluation Process:
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 would be considered for financial evaluation.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

Core Competencies: 

• Awareness and Sensitivity 
• Accountability 
• Creative Problem Solving 
• Effective Communication 
• Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies - https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

   

Functional Competencies

• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies
• Knowledge of social media platforms and experience in social media outreach
• Knowledge of local media landscape
• Communication, networking and advocacy skills

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely monitoring of current events and trends;
• Quality and relevant advocacy materials and content;
• Timely updating of website and social media;
• Regular interactions with mass media, as shown by coverage.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• University Degree (BA) in marketing, PR, media and communications, social science or a field relevant to the requirements of the TOR.

Experience:

• At least 3 years of professional experience in the public sector, civil society or with an international organization in the field of PR, communications and advocacy;
• Proven experience in drafting articles, action plans or policy documents, and social media content;
• Proven experience in analysis on issues related to strengthening the institutional image;
• Experience in managing media relations and experience in social media reporting/ analysis.                  
• Experience in use of MS Office applications and general computer use.
• Professional experience in working on social media platforms and applications

Language:

• Fluency in Albanian, Serbian and English is required

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

• Cover letter, to include: (i) a brief overview about which of your previous experiences makes you the most suitable candidate for the advertised position; and (ii) a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work.
• Financial Proposal: (Specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference). The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (daily rate and number of anticipated working days) ;
• P11: including past experience in similar assignments; can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment

Payment Schedule:
Payment to be released on monthly basis upon the receipt and approval of all deliverables by the UN Women Head of Office.

Application Instructions:

• Click on the "Apply now" button;
• Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation; You can type in, or paste your short Resume into the last box;
• Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. On the next page, you will be asked to upload your Resume;
• System will only allow one attachment. All docs (CV; P11; financial offer; list of similar profiles should be included as one attachment).
• Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.