Mission and objectivesThe fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does โ in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to childrenโs rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life โ in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions โ her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a societyโs most disadvantaged citizens โ addressing inequity โ not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations. UNICEF Uttar Pradesh Field Office partners with the Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) and key stakeholders to strengthen policy, programmes, partnerships, commitment and capacity for ensuring better results for children, especially the most marginalized, in line with national and state policies, the CRC and Sustainable Development Goals.
ContextThe Communication, Advocacy & Partnership (CAP) section at the UNICEF Uttar Pradesh Field Office has been working with the amim of expanding UNICEFโs leadership as a trusted voice for children and has engaged with stakeholders (including the government, civil society, faith leaders, legislators, private sector, media, academia, children, adolescents, and youth), to put childrenโs rights and well-being at the centre of political, social and economic agenda. The CAP section is seen as a critical driver for upstream advocacy, through strategic partnerships and communication, which contributes to building an enabling environment for accelerating policy shifts, public support, resources and action for achievement of children's rights and SDGs. Key results and priorities for UNICEF include: Ensuring every child including adolescents survives, thrives, has access to nutrition, primary healthcare, safe water, sanitation and sustainable environment, learning and skills; is protected from violence, abuse, neglect and has access to inclusive social protection. Climate Action, Mental Health, Digital equity and safety are emerging priorities. UNICEF has its own national and global advocacy and communication priorities and campaigns - with a focus on child rights. This is sometimes over-arching and convergent in nature viz. Early childhood development (ECD), Adolescent Development and Empowerment (ADE), and mainstreaming gendertransformative approach, Disability inclusion and Risk informed programming in terms of disaster risk resilience and emergencies. Much of CAP's work focuses on enhancing visiblity and awareness about UNICXEF's mission and mandate, brand positioning and building strategic partnerships, positive media discourse, policy and public actions for children through UNICEF and governments flagship programmes, campaigns and initiatives, aligned to global, regional, national and state priorities for children. To have a stragegic approach towards policy and public advocacy, strengthen UNICEF's voice and brand, and thereby, win support for the cause of children in Uttar Pradesh, the CAP section requires a seasoned National UNV officer who can support with knowledge management including development of strategic advocacy. communication initiatives, partnerships and resources with key influencers and networks as well as develop high-quality content for communicating and advocating with government, key influencers, networks and public at large. The high-quality, evidence-based and customized communication assets and packages will include advocacy/communication toolkits, human interest stories, photo-essays, podcasts, short films, analytical reports, programme reports, social media content and related documents (in print, audio-visual/multi-media and digital formats) in English and Hindi as per UNICEF standards, guidelines and manuals. In the above context, it is imperative to engage a National UNV with expertise and experience in communication and advocacy on children's issues, to enable building strong media discourse, social media and influencer engagement, strategic partnerships and knowledge management to help the state programme clusters achieve results for children as outlined in their Rolling Work Plans and overall Country Programme Document of UNICEF India.
Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of Communication Specialist or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the NUNV Knowledge Management Officer (Communication) will: โข Assist in developing communication plan as per advocacy /communication strategies and campaigns on key programme priorities on child rights (including emergency, humanitarian contexts as and when necessary) โข Support with knowledge management related to existing CAP partnerships and engagement with key influencers including policymakers, faith-leaders, private sector, media, local celebrities/icons and adolescents and youth. This would include developing concept notes, proposals, content creation and knowledge-management coordination โข Support with coordination and documentation of GoUP-UNICEF advocacy communication initiatives including workshops, events, trainings, content missions at state level and in select districts in Uttar Pradesh โข Support with coordinating and documenting communication campaigns (including social media campaigns) as per UNICEF national/global priorities at state level and in select districts in Uttar Pradesh โข Assist in developing and disseminating advocacy and communication products on child rights/key programme priorities as per UNICEF standards and guidelines in (print, audio-visual and digital in English and Hindi) in coordination with sectors and key stakeholders o These may include a range of communication assets viz: Key messages, backgrounders, concept notes, creative briefs, pitch notes, policy briefs, factsheets, info-graphs, human interest stories, field-based stories, case-studies, good practices, A/V and multi-media stories, testimonials, scripts, media articles, social media posts, blogs, TORs, proposals, PPT, minutes, monitoring formats and event documentation and others as per need. โข Support with building capacity of partners, consultants, youth and adolescent groups on content creation, documentation and knowledge management as per UNICEF brand guidelines through orientations and hand-holding โข Support with knowledge management for effective communication on child rights: o Develop month-wise advocacy and communications events calendar, key message matrix (incl. social media content plans) o Participate in meetings/workshops and WhatsApp groups conversations to identify and generate content as well as share/disseminate appropriate content o Support with customising/ editing/ translating/packaging/fact-checking available communication assets/ documents from sectors/ partners ( includes basic layout and designing and app-based editing) o Facilitate dissemination among partners/key influencers through emailers/ UNICEF/other social media /networks using digital tools and platforms o Collate and compile communication related minutes, reports with reach-engagement data and analytics from partners/agencies as per RAM /donor/ other reporting requirements. o Upload approved content and reports on UNICEF Uttar Pradesh state microsite, UNICEF internal platforms (ECM, ICON, Delhi digital team) and support with disseminating through govt/partner channels o Develop and maintain database and repositories of communication assets /materials /photo/videos with thematic categorization proper referencing. โข Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: โข 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); โข Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; โข Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. โข Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; โข Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; โข 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: โข As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Strengthened advocacy on key advocacy priorities through well-planned communication initiatives, campaigns and partnerships o Enhanced and sustained support of key influencers/networks for child rights o High-quality communication tools, resources, reports and evidence available for advocacy campaigns and partnerships with Government of Uttar Pradesh, civil society and key influencers o Strengthened capacity of partners /consultants and adolescents-youth groups in communication and documentation o Enhanced visibility and voice of UNICEF in policy and public discourse; positioning UNICEF as a knowledge leader and amplify its brand โข Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment โข A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed
Competencies and values โข Professionalism: technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work in dependently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; โข Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organizationโs interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; โข Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; โข Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. โข Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; โข Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; โข Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEFโs mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Living conditions and remarksLucknow, Uttar Pradesh is a safe and family duty station. There are no security threats. Uttar Pradesh's climate falls under subtropical monsoon, mild and dry winter, and hot summer. Living conditions are similar to other developing states. Capital city Lucknow is well-connected by air, rail and road. The state has electricity, water and healthcare. education, good communications network, banking services, and shopping facilities. The state has rich heritage and glorious past. Although one of the least developed states in the country, the state is marching ahead with development strides in all areas. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Lucknow. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions. The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator . โข Monthly Voluntary Living Allowance (VLA): INR 64,961.50 โข Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 400 (equivalent in INR) โข Relocation costs: $200 at beginning and end of assignment if duty station is outside of commuting distance (as determined by UNV) โข Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): INR 5,413.46 for each month served, paid on completion of contract โข Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for health, life and malicious acts โข Annual leave: 2.5 days per month โข Learning: Access to UNV's learning and career development resources For more information on entitlements, please read the Conditions of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos).