Communication for Partnerships Specialist

Details

Mission and objectives

La misión fundamental de UNICEF es promover los derechos de todos los niños y niñas, en todas partes, en todo lo que la organización hace en los programas, en la promoción y en las operaciones. La equidad, haciendo hincapié en los niños, las niñas, adolescentes y las familias más desfavorecidos y excluidos, traduce este compromiso con los derechos de los niños en acciones. Para UNICEF, la equidad significa que todos los niños y niñas tienen la oportunidad de sobrevivir, desarrollarse y alcanzar su máximo potencial, sin discriminación, prejuicios o favoritismo. En la medida en que cualquier niño o niña experimenta una desigualdad de oportunidades en su vida en las dimensiones sociales, políticas, económicas, cívicas y culturales, sus derechos son violados. Cada vez hay más pruebas de que invertir en la salud, la educación y la protección de los ciudadanos más desfavorecidos de una sociedad, abordando la inequidad, no sólo dará a todos los niños y niñas la oportunidad de desarrollar su potencial, sino que también conducirá al crecimiento sostenido y la estabilidad de los países. Es por eso que el enfoque en la equidad es tan vital. Acelera el progreso hacia la realización de los derechos humanos de todos los niños y niñas, que es el mandato universal del UNICEF, como se describe en la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño, al tiempo que apoya el desarrollo equitativo de las naciones.

Context

UNICEF develops and oversees an ambitious global partnership strategy that aims to leverage income, influence, innovation and expertise from companies and their foundations to help deliver UNICEF goals. We support and build capacity in markets to secure, renew and grow best-in-class influential partnerships with companies that achieve the greatest possible results for children. One way in which we can incentivize our donors and partners is through improved recognition and visibility for all types of contributions, including for core and flexible funding (global, regional, and thematic). Donor and partner recognition and visibility are intrinsically linked to the implementation of the international aid effectiveness agenda. Globally, there are more demands for public recognition and visibility, both from private and public donors and partners. Over the past few years, the number of partnerships with corporate sector have increased across Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 2017, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACRO) has successfully secured multiple regional corporate alliances with partners from several industry sectors, including FMCG, Airlines, Banking, Telecommunications amongst others, supporting regional and country office programmatic priorities. UNICEF LACRO currently manages several multi-country partnerships with corporations that have large presence in the region. How UNICEF and partners tell the story of our shared-value partnership and how resources are benefiting children is key to both reinforcing the joint communication and advocacy goals and highlighting the value of strategic partnerships for children. The Communication for Partnership Specialist will harness communication and advocacy opportunities with partners for the benefit of children in the LAC Region. S/he will do so by embedding communication throughout corporate partnership lifecycle and by leveraging partners’ influence and reach to better position UNICEF voice and brand values in new spaces. The Communication for Partnership Specialist position’s purpose is to deepen collaboration with key stakeholders and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource leveraging and mobilization, policy influence and pro-actively identifying communication and advocacy opportunities within the scope of assignment. S/He may also serve as focal point and resource for colleagues on specific thematic areas of strategic relevance for communication for partnership development. The key result is to ensure greater visibility for UNICEF and influence in support of its mission

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Chief of Communication and Advocacy in close coordination with the Corporate Alliance Specialist, Food Systems Specialist, and Programme Specialists, (predominantly Nutrition) the UNV will undertake the following tasks: • Implement the work plan for assigned area, in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s partnership strategy, digital and communication and advocacy strategies. • Scans and scouts external environment within designated partnership area for opportunities and risks and shares information in a timely fashion with relevant UNICEF staff. • Provide support to the regional Communications & Advocacy section and country offices work closely the Private Sector Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP), Survive and Thrive sections, and relevant programme teams to design, coordinate, implement and monitor advocacy and communication plans that aim to maximize the power of business for children, increase support for the cause of children, and tap into the potential of business sector’s influence, innovation and technical expertise for children in the LAC Region. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/Expected Outputs: Communication and advocacy support to the regional programmatic agenda’s: o In close collaboration with COs, PFP and programme teams, including Survive & Thrive Sections, design and roll-out advocacy and communication plans to raise awareness and advance regional advocacy priorities as well as the regional agenda on childhood overweight prevention. o Facilitate and coordinate the production of multimedia packages and compelling storytelling on partnership interventions for dissemination on UNICEF and partner digital platforms as well as on third-party channels (business sector, academia, civil society, UN, among others) to engage major stakeholders and further move the needle towards ensuring children’s rights in the LAC region. o Facilitate partner engagement through field visits, attendance of key events, meetings, and advocacy opportunities. Communication plans for corporate partnerships: o Build and implement communication plans that nurture corporate partnerships and contribute to UNICEF LACRO programmatic objectives, with emphasis in nutrition. Facilitate the development of communication products and materials as part of those regional/multi-country communication plans and provide strategic support to COs when needed. Partner/Donor Coordination and Harmonization: o Ensure that communication, visibility and recognition can contribute to a mechanism for coordinating efforts among multiple partners/donors. By sharing information about their contributions and activities, partners/donors can avoid duplication, identify gaps, and align their interventions to maximize impact. Increased visibility can foster coordination and cooperation among various actors in the international aid community. Media relations: o The Communication for Partnerships Specialist contributes to maintaining and updating contact database and relationships with journalists and media outlets – print, TV, radio, digital etc. – to share relevant information regarding UNICEF LACRO corporate partnerships and Child Rights and Business work across the region. Brand and mitigation measures: o By working in close collaboration with UNICEF staff, S/He will ensure in all partnership agreements that recognition and visibility efforts respect UNICEF policies in relation to brand, cultural sensitivities, protection of the privacy of individuals, and that an informed consent is obtained for any use of personal stories, photographs, or other sensitive information. o S/He will communicate concerns and limitations around communication, recognition and visibility of partnerships to UNICEF and the partner/donor that (potentially) put organization’s reputation in jeopardy. Knowledge Management, Monitoring and evaluation: o Contributes toward the development of knowledge management tools, systems and products including the facilitation of best practices, case studies, technical guidance and ensures effective sharing of partnership and partnership communication learning and materials internationally, through conferences, workshops and online channels. o Manage financial resources, including budget planning, monitoring, and reporting, for optimal impact. Regularly evaluate reach and impact of corporate partnership communication plans and report back to PFP, Communication and Advocacy and programme colleagues accordingly. • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.