Historique

The Office of National Security (ONS) has established the Integrated Election Security Planning Committee (IESPC), which comprises representatives from security sector institutions and other stakeholders involved in the electoral processes. The IESPC has established three (3) Sub-Committees that coordinate security sector responses in relation to the Election Security Strategy, Communication, and Training. The main objectives are to produce a comprehensive Election Security Strategy, Election Training Manual, and a Communication Strategy to ensure that a safe and secure environment is created for the conduct of peaceful elections in Sierra Leone in March 2018. The Communication Strategy will outline how the IESPC will deliver high quality communications to promote IESPC activities and create platforms to engage with the public on election security related issues.

For a safe and secure environment during the elections, the public must embody the values that underpin democracy such as respect in the rule of law, belief in political tolerance and confidence in the political system.  The population must also have knowledge about the institutions, practices and basic rules which are the foundation of democracy. The overall Communication Strategy will develop linkages between the media, safety and security and the electoral education campaign for citizens. The IESPC and its constituents have an exciting opportunity to communicate with, and connect people, around the country through traditional media outlets and social media.

The content of what is communicated during this period will be developed creatively by the IESPC Communication Sub-Committee with the Office of National Security, The National Security Council (NSC), the National Security Council Coordinating Group (NSCCG) the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and the Provincial/District/Chiefdom Security Committees, National Electoral Commission (NEC), Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), National Commission for Democracy (NCD) and Civil Society. The Communication strategy will be aimed at projecting or creating a strong image of the security sector to the public, to reduce fear among the citizenry and build trust and confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the security forces in the electoral processes.

Under the UNDP Conflict Prevention and Mitigation during the 2018 electoral cycle in Sierra Leone Project, a National Communication Consultant will support the IESPC Communication Sub-Committee to develop a holistic Election Security Communication Strategy. The National Communication Consultant will also provide mentorship to the committee and work in close collaboration with partners to ensure key messages are complementary and where all security sector institutions are seen to speaking with ‘one voice.’ Human Rights and Gender considerations will be incorporated throughout to ensure a Human Rights and Gender Balanced approach to election security outreach.

As the electoral calendar progresses, technical support for the Communication Sub-Committee has become an urgent and critical requirement. To complement the efforts of the IESPC in this drive, the UNDP Conflict Prevention and Mitigation during the 2018 electoral cycle in Sierra Leone Project will support the committee with a technical Election Security Adviser to provide input and support.

Against this backdrop and on request by the Office of National Security (ONS), UNDP seeks to engage a National Consultant to support the IESPC Communication Sub-Committee to develop a holistic communication strategy, working in close collaboration with partners.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Two main objectives will be achieved within the timeframe of this consultancy:

• Support the IESPC Communications Sub-Committee, by provision of mentorship and technical support, in close collaboration with partners, to develop a holistic Election Security Communication Strategy, ensuring key messages and activities are complementary, maintaining a gender and human rights sensitive lens.
• Support the IESPC Communications Sub-Committee, by provision of mentorship and technical support, in close collaboration with partners, to develop a budgeted activity plan to operationalize the Election Security Communication Strategy, ensuring messages and activities are tailored to relevant beneficiaries at each stage of the electoral process, maintaining a gender and human rights sensitive lens.

Scope of work and expected deliverables/ outputs:

The exercise will be sequenced as follows:

1. Conduct a desk review to identify and review election related communication strategies produced by relevant partner agencies, including the early draft produced by the IESPC Communications Sub-Committee. The review will include Communication Strategies used during the 2012 elections, identifying good practice and lessons learnt.
2. Hold consultation meetings with key stakeholders and relevant partners, as well as relevant national and international development partners working in the sector, to have their insights on the whole exercise; 
3. Support the IESPC Communications Sub-Committee to develop a holistic Election Security Communication Strategy identifying key messages and beneficiaries, tailoring messages for relevant targets at different stages of the electoral processes such as communities, civil society actors, electoral stakeholders, political parties, women, youth and persons with disability. The messaging will be done within a rights based framework, with a gender and human rights sensitive lens.
4. Support the IESPC Communications Sub-Committee to develop a detailed outreach activity plan and budget for the operationalization of the strategy, to include all 16 districts and be aligned to the threat and risk assessment and electoral calendar.
5. Provide technical services and support to the design and development of the following:
6. Broadcast materials and programmes for radio and televisions
7. Public service advert materials such as jingles, statements, announcements, key messages for various target groups, pamphlets, contact lists etc.
8. Production of other materials such as posters, public bill boards stickers, banners, etc.
9. Outreach material including posters, leaflets, banners and jingles 

Compétences

• Highly motivated, with drive and commitment; 
• Professionalism and integrity;
• Promotes knowledge sharing and learning;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Builds strong relationships with partners, focus on impact and results for the partner and responds positively to feedback;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Ability to work with recipient counterparts in building individual and institutional capacity.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:  Bachelor's degree in Communication, Mass Communication, Public Information or any other relevant discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience as a communication, media or public information practitioner or as a lecturer/professor in a relevant discipline,
• At least 5-7 years of prior work experience in the provision of public information
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in developing communication strategies
• Extensive knowledge of the concept of public information and communication and relevant regional and international experience will be an added advantage;
• Conversant with the Sierra Leone Security Architecture

Language Requirements: Excellent writing, editing and oral communication skills in English.

Application procedure:

All candidates applying for this position must visit http://procurement-notices.undp.org/ item No. 40575 for detailed information. Incomplete applications without Technical and financial proposals will not be considered. If these cannot be uploaded in the job site, they should be submitted through procure.sle@undp.org given in the UNDP procurement Notices.