ITC READY Salone Communications Consultant (National Consultant)

Result of ServiceAt the end of each month within the contract duration: • Published quality content on project, partner, corporate social media channels, tailoring and optimising posts to each platform’s requirements. • Prepared and published at three press releases, media advisories, human-centred stories and news articles and submitted suitably repurposed versions for publication in the UN RCO newsletter, project webpage, and ITC corporate website. This included securing quotes, personal details and relevant digital assets from stakeholders. • Updated project webpage on Ye! Community site; monitored and acted on Google Analytics data. • Managed the project’s WhatsApp account, providing timely, accurate and professional responses to client queries. • Filed multimedia assets (photos, videos, testimonials, b-roll) in Flickr Pro and ITC Media Library and shared them with relevant ITC colleagues. • Updated and finalised project assets (e.g. slide decks, Canva templates), storing them systematically in project folders and shared drives. At the end of November 2025: • Launched awareness-raising campaign in all project intervention districts, in collaboration with influencers, media outlets, and project partners. • Launched TikTok and WhatsApp accounts with official Government handles. • Managed the development of campaign assets and implemented campaign workplan for September–November 2025. • Established and maintained communication channels with Government and district focal persons. • Delivered final campaign monitoring and evaluation report. Work Locationhome-based in Sierra Leone Expected duration22.09.25 - 19.12.25 Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization based in Geneva. ITC’s mission is to enable small business export success in developing and transition- economy countries, by providing, with partners, sustainable and inclusive development solutions to the private sector, trade support institutions (TSIs) and policymakers. Having worked with SMEs for 60 years, ITC is familiar with the unique needs of SMEs, including youth and women-led enterprises, and has vast experience in improving their international competitiveness and connecting them with markets: • ITC’s Youth & Trade initiative takes a market-led approach to address gaps in skills and enhance the competitiveness of young entrepreneurs. The programme works with ecosystem actors to strengthen the business environment for youth-led companies and provide pathways to youth employment in key value chains. ITC manages a global community supporting young entrepreneurs – Ye! Community, which connects youth entrepreneurs and key ecosystem actors to provide access to resources, tools, opportunities, and networks, to enhance their entrepreneurial capacities. • ITC ecomConnect has developed a well-practiced methodology accompanies SMEs on their digital journey through its training programme, research, and facilitation of innovative solutions, collaborative structures, partnerships, and digital tools and technologies. In addition, the ecomConnect programme works closely with a wide range of local stakeholders and partner agencies, especially BSOs, and provides them with capacity building and knowledge on online trade and exports. • ITC’s Tech Sector Development team supports the internationalization of African tech start-ups. ITC has implemented projects in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Uganda focused on supporting local tech companies and digital freelancers, as well as the local innovation ecosystems. In 2019, ITC launched the #FastTrackTech initiative. FastTrackTech provides targeted coaching, matchmaking with potential clients and investors to digital entrepreneurs who aspire to international growth in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia. • ITC SheTrades Initiative aims to create an ecosystem of integrated solutions that empower women economically through greater integration in trade and investment. The Initiative ensures that the right capacities and conditions are present for women to trade and that they are supported by an ecosystem of market partners and effective support organizations. At the same time, SheTrades works to remove inequalities in the trade policy space that hinder women’s participation. • ITC Institutions and Ecosystems section is dedicated to support and enhance the performance of business support organizations (BSOs). The support to BSOs is structured in three key pillars: assess, improve, and connect organizations. The end goal of the support is to ensure that MSMEs and startups receive targeted and well-structured support from efficient and professional organizations. • ITC Strategies and Policy for Trade and Investment supports trade and investment policy formulation and implementation by working with policymakers to review and update policies and regulatory frameworks and informing and advising trade and investment negotiators. TPIF also assists chambers of commerce and other business support organizations (BSOs) to articulate MSMEs views effectively to ensure that policies, regulatory reforms, and negotiations all reflect a well-informed business perspective. Unemployment and underemployment are key drivers of poverty in Sierra Leone. At 10.1%, the youth unemployment rate is over double the national average, and 60-70% of the working population are classified as working poor. The digital economy provides opportunities for more and better paid jobs, and digitalization has the potential to drive SME competitiveness and growth. However, Sierra Leonean youth, especially young women, lack awareness of opportunities available in the digital economy as well as the relevant knowledge and skills to take advantage of them. Consequently, many youths are not employable in technology-related jobs. Youth entrepreneurship is key to reduce unemployment in Sierra Leone, yet most youth-led MSMEs, especially those led by young women, lack skills to adopt digital technologies in their businesses, maximize e-commerce opportunities, and secure financing. Young people and young entrepreneurs lack an effective and coordinated voice to influence policymaking processes related to the digital economy to ensure that their needs are met. At the business ecosystem level, entrepreneurship support provided by the government, development agencies, and NGOs rarely offer a combination of sector, digital, and entrepreneurship-oriented programmes. There is a lack of coordination among BSOs, tech service providers, and market partners. Business and digital support services are insufficient and not adapted to the needs of young people and young entrepreneurs. BSOs and tech hubs do not provide sufficient digital entrepreneurship support to youth-led MSMEs, and financial institutions have limited service offerings to support young women entrepreneurs to contribute to the digital economy. Implemented over a four-year period from June 2024 to 2028, the ‘Sierra Leone: Empowering youth through digital technologies’ project has the overall objective of contributing to economic growth and job creation in Sierra Leone by enhancing the participation of youth in the digital economy. To achieve this, the project will: • Increase the capacity of youth to use digital technologies for work, entrepreneurship and social inclusion; • Enhance the competitiveness of young entrepreneurs through the adoption of digital technologies; • Improve youth-specific service offerings of business support organizations and tech hubs; • Strengthen the inclusive national strategies and policies related to the digital economy. The consultant is expected to support the READY-Salone Project on its day-to-day communications as well as the upcoming awareness-raising campaign. Description of Duties/Responsibilities The Consultant will work for ITC’s Women, Youth and Vulnerable Communications Section, under the overall supervision of the Head of Youth and Trade, READY-Salone Project Manager, and SheTrades Head of Communications, as well as in collaboration with the Geneva- and Sierra Leone-based project team. The role focuses on day-to-day communications and an awareness-raising campaign targeting youth in Sierra Leone. Key responsibilities include: • Content creation and storytelling: o Draft and publish human-centred stories, news updates, press releases, and web articles related to project activities and strategic priorities. o Conduct interviews with participants and other stakeholders, securing quotes, testimonials, and digital assets; ensure systematic storage for future use. o Share approved content with project partners, including relevant ministries, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Sierra Leone, and influencers. • Social media and digital engagement o Launch and manage TikTok and WhatsApp accounts with official government handles, as well as other project social media channels. o Create, schedule, and post engaging content on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X, in line with ITC’s Social Media Policy. o Manage the project’s WhatsApp account, ensuring timely, accurate, and professional responses to client queries. o Identify and coordinate with influencers and digital collaborators; implement and monitor content partnerships. o Track and report on social media performance; prepare a 1–2 page quarterly insights report with recommendations. o Maintain a database of social media handles for all relevant platforms on Trello, Microsoft Teams, or similar tools. • Media relations o Coordinate outreach to radio, television, print, and other multimedia outlets in support of the awareness-raising campaign and other project activities. o Prepare, review, and adapt media advisories, press kits, and other materials in consultation with the project team, government partners, and donor representatives. • Web content and analytics o Draft and regularly update content for the READY-Salone webpage on the Ye! Community website, ensuring alignment with SEO best practices. o Use Google Analytics to monitor, report, and take measures to grow webpage traffic. • Stakeholder communication o Develop and regularly update a database of project stakeholders and their emails, ensuring accuracy of information and compliance with data protection guidelines. o Prepare and send email campaigns or newsletters to project clients, partners, and donor. o Establish and maintain active communication channels with government and district focal persons, including regional authorities. • Event and asset management o Regularly update a calendar of project events and activities using the assigned Event Planning Form o Regularly update and ensure successful and timely completion of all project communications assignments using Microsoft Teams o Provide communications support before, during, and after events, including social media mobilisation, media coverage, photography, videography, and printed materials. o Develop event-related assets (e.g. backdrops, photography, panel scripts) and manage logistics in coordination with relevant partners. o Capture video testimonials and b-roll footage with a smartphone for use in campaign and social media assets. o Identify new multimedia assets to be developed; source and coordinate with service providers in Sierra Leone to ensure quality and timely delivery. o Regularly update project assets (e.g. slide decks, Canva templates) o Ensure that all project photos and videos are stored in Flickr Pro and ITC Media Library, and share new assets with relevant ITC colleagues. In doing so, the Consultant is to ensure consistent naming conventions. • Campaign monitoring and reporting o Develop, in collaboration with the project team, a detailed workplan for the awareness-raising campaign (September–November 2025) with clear timelines, outputs, and responsibilities. o Create and implement tools to measure and track campaign results. o Monitor campaign implementation and prepare regular progress updates. • Coordination o Lead weekly communications meetings with the project team; circulate action summaries. o Represent the project at weekly ITC Communications and Events (CE) editorial meetings to ensure needs and updates are conveyed accurately. o Coordinate with CE and other partners on joint communications initiatives. o Provide other communications-related technical support, advisory services, and coordination as needed to meet project targets. The consultant is obliged to provide full access to ITC external and internal auditors to documents and information. In addition, the consultant shall comply with any audit undertaken in line with the financial regulations and rules of the United Nations. Copyright The Consultant has to ensure that s/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the Consultant shall request the prior written permission from ITC. S/he has further to ensure to obtain accreditation to event(s), if required. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind Qualifications/special skills• Bachelor’s degree in digital communications or a closely related field • Extensive relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree. • At least 3 years of professional experience in communications or a related field • Proficiency in Canva and Adobe Suite applications is desirable • Proficiency in photo and video editing is desirable Skills • Attention to detail • Ability to work reliably and independently with minimum supervision • Proficiency in TikTok marketing • Ability to use design software for photo and video editing Languages• Full proficiency in English, both spoken and written • Knowledge of Krio, both spoken and written, is desirable Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.