New Consultancy Recruitment & Non-Staff Workflow

UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) is seeking the services of committed professional Writers/Editors (Home based) to render their services to WCARO at short notice. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) regularly produces documents of significance, such as: reports, strategies, plans, advocacy briefs, position papers, guidelines, case studies, communications materials, etc. UNICEF publications and documents must meet a high-quality standard with respect to their content, style and quality of writing both in English and French. In order to meet these standards, WCARO will intends to set up a stand-by arrangement through the present recruitment, comprising at least 2 individual consultant English writers/editors and 2 individual consultant French writers/editors.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Hope

How can you make a difference?

Background

UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) is seeking the services of committed professional Writers/Editors (Home based) to render their services to WCARO at short notice.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) regularly produces documents of significance, such as:  reports, strategies, plans, advocacy briefs, position papers, guidelines, case studies, communications materials, etc.

UNICEF publications and documents must meet a high-quality standard with respect to their content, style and quality of writing both in English and French.

In order to meet these standards, WCARO will intends to set up a stand-by arrangement through the present recruitment, comprising at least 2 individual consultant English writers/editors and 2 individual consultant French writers/editors.

Scope of work

The contract will specifically include the following services:

• Copy editing and copy writing of technical documents;
• Writing of documents based on reports, studies and notes provided by UNICEF
• Proof-reading, writing and editing original copy and content on UNICEF-related activities and programme, such as:

• Reports and publications, including annual corporate reports, brochures, meeting reports etc.
• Strategies, plans, guidelines and case studies
• Key messages, briefs, position papers
• Others as required

Deliverables and Schedules

The assignment will involve writing, editing and formatting of documents for review and final clearance by the supervisor of the consultancy. This includes compliance with the UNICEF style and branding guidelines, grammatical accuracy, factual accuracy and coherence.

The specific scope, quality criteria, and estimated number of days and/or half-days required for each assignment requested of the consultant under the consultancy contract will be discussed and agreed in writing before the assignment is initiated.

Work will be assigned to the consultants on an as needed basis.

Timing

This consultancy is expected to be for a duration of 11.5 months starting from 01 November 2018 and continuing until to 15 October 2019. The consultants must render themselves available to begin work on assignments within 24 hours of the sending of a description of the assignment in writing (via email) by UNICEF.

Total working days: 44 days (non-consecutive).

Payment will be made for actual number of days worked.

Payment will be done after completion of each assignment and following submission of approval invoice.

Reporting Requirements

The consultants will be paid for number of days and/or half-days of work, following submission of deliverables for each assignment, and following review of the deliverables against agreed quality criteria and acceptance by the supervisor. Following receipt of a deliverable, WCARO may send comments to the consultant for adjustments and improvement of the deliverable, and in such case the consultant will be required to resubmit the deliverable addressing UNICEF’s comments to its satisfaction prior to payment of the fee.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Completion of an advanced university degree, in social sciences, law, humanities, public health, social work, public administration, or a related field.
• Excellent written and spoken English (for English consultancy) or French (for French consultancy).
• At least 3 years’ experience writing/editing professional and/or academic documents related to the above fields of advanced university study.
• Demonstrated experience with and/or knowledge of UNICEF and the United Nations, as well as the West and Central Africa region.

Administrative Issues

The Consultant will be supervised by the Programme and Planning Manager, (PM&E section).   

The consultancy will be home-based.

Communication with UNICEF and the consultant will be done remotely via email, telephone, Skype, etc.

In her/his application, the candidate should specify whether s/he is applying for the English or French consultancy (s/he may not apply for both consultancies).

The application should include the following:

1. Curriculum vitae with at least 3 references who must be current or former supervisors
2. Cover letter explaining the candidate’s reasons for applying
3. 3 examples of written assignments written exclusively or primarily by the candidate, either from a professional or academic context (preferably a mixture of both). For each assignment, the contact information of the supervisor (academic or professional) to whom the assignment was submitted should be provided.
4. A signed statement disclosing any other ongoing and/or expected employment and/or consulting services for which the candidate is currently and/or is expected to be under contract, and committing to disclose any other employment and/or consulting contracts entered into during the prospective consultancy assignment with UNICEF WCARO. In this statement, the candidate should explain how s/he will manage competing priorities from different contractual obligations to ensure that timely and quality services are rendered to UNICEF WCARO.

For every Child, you demonstrate …

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objective of the United Nations, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.  All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.