Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children's Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
Context
The UN Volunteer will be accountable for assisting the chief of section in developing, managing, co-ordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for children’s and women’s rights, and support for UNICEF's mission, priorities and programmes in the country office/regional office/media hub, and at a global level and those of the UN Country Team.
Task description
1. Communication work plan
Ensure that the 2026 communication work plan is implemented to support the country programme objectives, raise awareness of children’s issues in the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.
• In close consultation and under the guidance of the chief of section, deliver the communication work plan developed by the section in 2026.
2. Media relations
Ensure the Country Office/Media Hub maintains and continually develops a comprehensive contact list of journalists and media outlets across all platforms; print, TV, radio, web, etc., and establish successful processes for regular communication and close collaboration with the media to share UNICEF's cooperation story with a wider audience.
• Promote better understanding of respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by conducting media, information, and education activities supporting UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
• Develop, maintain, and update the media relations contact list/database.
• Assist in communicating with media contacts, including organizing press conferences and events, and issuing media materials.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the field, and other appropriate audiences.
• Develop, distribute, and evaluate a variety of media materials in multiple appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality and relevance of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes, and messages transmitted to the press, partners, and public.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage, and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and Headquarters (HQ ) Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
3. Networking and partnerships
Ensure that the Country Office maintains and continually develops a contact list of individuals, groups, organizations, and forums (including Government, United Nations (UN), and bilateral counterparts)whose support is essential to achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy.
• Work closely with the chief of section, especially regarding relationships with mass media.
• Develop, maintain, and update partners contact list/database.
• Help establish, document, review, and refine processes for collaborative work with partners, including meetings, joint projects, and information sharing.
• Monitor, evaluate, and share results and findings with partners.
4. Celebrities, digital influencers, content creators and special events
Identify and continually develop a contact list of appropriate nationally known personalities who can support UNICEF’s advocacy and resource mobilization efforts and actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals.
• Develop, maintain, and update celebrities contact list/database.
• Help establish, develop, identify, review, and refine processes of working with celebrities, digital influencers, content creators, including special events, media opportunities, and field trips.
• Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members, etc., including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets, and media kits)and necessary logistical arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and Headquarters (HQ ) Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
5. Global priorities and campaigns
In addition to local and national campaigns, ensure the Country Office supports UNICEF’s global communications priorities and campaigns by disseminating these elements locally in an appropriate manner, as well as providing coverage of country work for global use.
• Support UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country-specific and local community materials and activities. The work plan should include efforts on global priorities and campaigns.
• Develop and deploy Country Office communication capacity to gather and facilitate content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use opportunities to identify and highlight effective programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
6. Resource mobilization support
Ensure that global and country-level fundraising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategies and activities.
• Mobilize Country Office communication capacity to support and facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use opportunities to identify and highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fundraising.
• Mobilize resources for fundraising support through regular communication and coordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
Ensure that the 2026 communication work plan is implemented to support the country programme objectives, raise awareness of children’s issues in the public domain, strengthen political will in support of UNICEF's mission and objectives, and enhance the organization’s credibility and brand.
• In close consultation and under the guidance of the chief of section, deliver the communication work plan developed by the section in 2026.
2. Media relations
Ensure the Country Office/Media Hub maintains and continually develops a comprehensive contact list of journalists and media outlets across all platforms; print, TV, radio, web, etc., and establish successful processes for regular communication and close collaboration with the media to share UNICEF's cooperation story with a wider audience.
• Promote better understanding of respect and support for children's and women's rights and issues by conducting media, information, and education activities supporting UNICEF-assisted development programmes or humanitarian efforts in the country.
• Develop, maintain, and update the media relations contact list/database.
• Assist in communicating with media contacts, including organizing press conferences and events, and issuing media materials.
• Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the field, and other appropriate audiences.
• Develop, distribute, and evaluate a variety of media materials in multiple appropriate formats. Ensure or enhance the quality and relevance of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes, and messages transmitted to the press, partners, and public.
• Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage, and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
• Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and Headquarters (HQ ) Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
3. Networking and partnerships
Ensure that the Country Office maintains and continually develops a contact list of individuals, groups, organizations, and forums (including Government, United Nations (UN), and bilateral counterparts)whose support is essential to achieving the advocacy and communication objectives of the communication strategy.
• Work closely with the chief of section, especially regarding relationships with mass media.
• Develop, maintain, and update partners contact list/database.
• Help establish, document, review, and refine processes for collaborative work with partners, including meetings, joint projects, and information sharing.
• Monitor, evaluate, and share results and findings with partners.
4. Celebrities, digital influencers, content creators and special events
Identify and continually develop a contact list of appropriate nationally known personalities who can support UNICEF’s advocacy and resource mobilization efforts and actively participate in special events and activities that support country programme goals.
• Develop, maintain, and update celebrities contact list/database.
• Help establish, develop, identify, review, and refine processes of working with celebrities, digital influencers, content creators, including special events, media opportunities, and field trips.
• Participate in global advocacy activities by planning visits of Goodwill Ambassadors, National Committee representatives, Executive Board members, etc., including preparing information materials (e.g., press releases, programme summaries, country fact sheets, and media kits)and necessary logistical arrangements. Highlight the achievements of the country programme.
• Maintain close collaboration with Regional Communication Advisers and Headquarters (HQ ) Communication Officers for effective overall coordination.
5. Global priorities and campaigns
In addition to local and national campaigns, ensure the Country Office supports UNICEF’s global communications priorities and campaigns by disseminating these elements locally in an appropriate manner, as well as providing coverage of country work for global use.
• Support UNICEF global communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country-specific and local community materials and activities. The work plan should include efforts on global priorities and campaigns.
• Develop and deploy Country Office communication capacity to gather and facilitate content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use opportunities to identify and highlight effective programme activities and results.
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
6. Resource mobilization support
Ensure that global and country-level fundraising activities are supported by effective advocacy and communication strategies and activities.
• Mobilize Country Office communication capacity to support and facilitate the gathering of content and coverage of relevant country efforts. Use opportunities to identify and highlight effective programme activities and results in support of fundraising.
• Mobilize resources for fundraising support through regular communication and coordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and headquarters divisions.
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