CONSULTANCY FOR PHILIPPINE NATIONALS ONLY: Communications Consultant for BARMM Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO), 11.5 months, Cotabato City

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. UNICEF Philippines is looking for a Communications Professional who would provide continuing risk communications and community engagement work in the Region.

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, a fair chance

UNICEF has been an active partner of the Government of the Philippines and civil society in realizing the rights of every Filipino child, in line with priorities to achieve the SDGs. UNICEF efforts have been focused on the most vulnerable regions identified by the Government of the Philippines Development Plan, particularly in the regions of Visayas and Mindanao. To ensure that interventions are sustainable and scaled up, UNICEF will support both the national and local government units (LGUs) as the main instruments of delivering services and building systems. The level of engagement with government institutions will consider capacities, economies of scale and sector issues.

UNICEF Philippines has two offices. One office is based in Manila and a field office in Cotabato City, the second largest city in Mindanao, Southern Philippines, with some 300,000 population. The city is the regional administrative centre of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and over 80 percent of the population is Muslim. Mindanao is both conflict-affected and prone to frequent earthquakes and typhoons. 

Visit this link for more information on Philippine Country Office: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/

How can you make a difference?

Background:

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the poorest region in the country with 63.1% of families living below the basic needs poverty, has consistently been one of the regions in the Philippines with lowest indicators for education, immunization, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and protection. The COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine measures have worsened the BARMM’s situation, increasing the risks of death and illness, child malnutrition, resurgence of vaccine preventable diseases, increased school dropouts, violence and abuse, all disproportionately affecting the poorest and further exacerbating disparities.

UNICEF works with the Bangsamoro Government to strengthen capacities in risk communications and community engagement, especially the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO). Although the BIO already has strong technical capacities for conducting various media activities (both offline and online), the Office still needs technical assistance in developing proactive communications plans, messaging strategy and press releases that achieve media results, and support the different BARMM ministries’ advocacy goals. 

Building on the previous partnership and moving forward, UNICEF is looking for a competent consultant for the BIO to provide technical assistance in continuing risk communications and community engagement work in the Region.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will provide technical assistance in continuing risk communications and community engagement in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through the Bangsamoro Information Office, contributing to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and supporting the COVID-19 response in BARMM. The engagement will be for 11.5 months (June 2021 to May 2022).

The incumbent will have the following Tasks, Responsibilities and Deliverables:

Tasks and Responsibilities

1. Assist Bangsamoro Information Office in developing proactive communications plans, messaging strategy and press releases. This includes technical advice on BIO’s communication plan, production of at least three human-interest stories, one video, at least three social media materials, and other IEC materials on COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine safety and efficacy, and, debunking COVID-19 vaccination myths and misinformation.
2. Support BIO and MOH to ensure that priority groups, adolescents and youths, families, and the general public in BARMM with information on COVID-19 prevention and vaccination.
3. Monitoring and Reporting

Deliverables

1) Report on the Strategic Communications Planning Workshop

2) TOR for the BARMM Demand Generation Task Force (draft and endorsed to BIO)

3) Draft Strategic communications plan for BARMM for all issues affecting children (health, nutrition, education, protection, social services, and WASH; endorsed to BIO)

4) How-to/Guide on social media listening, and, social media analytics (endorsed and accepted by BIO)

5) Monthly Progress Reports on Participation to the COVID-19 Communication Vaccination Campaigns in coordination with MoH BARMM and the SSA C4D deployed in MoH

6) Report on the inputs to the Safe Return to School strategy campaign in coordination with MBHTE and the SSA deployed in the said ministry

7) Copies of scripts, storyboards, public service announcements spiels to be aired and disseminated of at least three Sermons/Khutbahs on immunization, and child’s rights in Islam led by BDI

8) Monthly reports on progress and challenges in implementation of the BIO communications action plan for June 2021 to May 2022.

9) Production of:

• • at least three human-interest stories
  • one video
  • at least three social media materials, and
  • other IEC materials on COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine safety and efficacy, and, debunking COVID-19 vaccination myths and misinformation.

10) Copies of scripts, storyboards, public service announcements spiels to be aired and disseminated, including plans for airing of core COVID-19 messages (prevention and vaccination) in local radio stations across BARMM

11) Designs, plans and reports of 4 media fora in Bangsamoro on the following topics:

• COVID-19 Vaccination Program in BARMM
• Debunking Myths and Misconceptions on the COVID-19 Vaccines
• Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines’ Safety and Efficacy
• Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines’ Side Effects

12) Draft (endorsed to BIO) technical inputs/ reports on establishing and activating feedback mechanisms through social media and other platforms

13) Monthly monitoring reports / updates of population reached per channel for each message as inputs for UNICEF progress reporting against relevant Risk Communications Indicators with target 4.3 million reached (total: 11 reports)

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

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in journalism, development communications, communications, or related field.
• Minimum of 4-7 years or more of relevant experience in journalism, media relations, and/or development communications.
• Excellent news writing and editing skills required, preferably involving child-based reporting and public policy, with an emphasis on children’s issues
• A good track record in working with the government.
• Ability to work in a low to medium security threat environment. Work flexibly and independently with limited supervision in a multicultural team environment and deliver quality results against tight deadlines; and handle multiple tasks and deliver quality outputs even under pressure, is required.
• Strong organizational and project management skills essential.
• Strong relationships with major local, regional and national reporters and bloggers are a plus.
• Proven record of securing placements with traditional and digital media.
• Strong social media skills/understanding.
• Thorough knowledge of social media tools, including Twitter and Facebook.
• Local language skills are a plus.
• Strong computer skill (word, excel, power point, outlook) is required.
• Proactive coordination and networking skills required.
• Supported by strong references is an advantage.

How to apply

Qualified candidates are requested to complete an online candidate profile in http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/ by  18 June 2021. Only applications sent through the e-recruitment portal will be considered.

All candidates are requested to submit a COVER LETTER, and the duly filled P 11 form which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc indicating three (3) previous supervisors. Please indicate your area of assignment, ability, availability and daily/monthly rate to undertake the terms of reference above.  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

By applying through our Talent Management System (TMS) you agree to our privacy statement which is in line with the Philippines’ Data Privacy Act. You are strongly advised to read carefully through the privacy statement before submitting your application.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Builds and maintains partnerships (Level 1)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (Level 1)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (Level 1)
• Innovates and embraces change (Level 1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (Level 1)
• Thinks and acts strategically (Level 1)
• Works collaboratively with others (Level 1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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 has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.