Agencies-Gaza post
UNRWA: CONSULTANCY – TERMS OF REFERENCE
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees.
Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight.
UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff.
UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
Palestine refugees in Syria are a key vulnerable population, lagging behind the host population in key development indicators, and has also been affected severely due to the long standing conflict in the country.
The community has high rates of poverty, poor food consumption score, and high levels of mental stress. Many have been displaced within Syria, while thousands of others have fled to neighboring countries, including Lebanon and Jordan. but despite the many challenges, UNRWA is continuing its emergency relief, health care, protection, sanitation, microfinance, and education in Syria.
UNRWA prioritizes the importance of communicating the experiences and situation of the Palestine refugees and its work to support them. This is currently done with support of a Public Information Office, working closely with the Programme Support Office and the Senior Management team.
There is a need for additional capacity support for undertaking effective communication and an Independent Service Provider is necessary for the purpose, and working remotely.
The ISP role will manage the strategic communications deliverables related to the ongoing Emergency in Syria and work under the guidance of the Director of UNRWA Affairs, Syria (DUA), engaging with the Head of Public Information Office (PIO) and Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs, Programmes (DDUA-P).
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, HOME BASED DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Working under the supervision of the DDUA-P, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks.
1. Collaborate closely with the Head of PIO, DUA, and DDUA-P to develop specific and innovative written communication materials to capture various programmes and successes in SFO, and that can be disseminated with external audience such as other UN agencies and donors.
Examples of these materials are- photo essays for online publications, human interest stories, programme learning reports, fact sheets etc.
2. Development of infographics and posters capturing programmatic successes and that can be shared with the refugee communities. These materials will need to be prepared in Arabic.
3. Engaging with the different programmes to capture experiences, case studies and innovative innovations. Discuss on issues of specific groups within the refugees (e.g., older persons, persons with disability, youth, children, women headed households etc.).
4. Lead in preparation of a publication that captures the work of the agency in Syria for the year 2022 and that brings together narrative and visual content and compelling infographics.
5. Support the DUA and DDUA-P in various external engagements as necessary, including
preparing multi-media presentations for donor briefings.
6. Development of specific communications materials and, where necessary, editing and
proofreading specific communication materials as developed by the PIO and Programme Support office (PSO) (e.g., press releases, case studies, human interest stories, Social Media stories etc.)
7. Supporting visibility requirement by donors, in coordination with PSO and PIO, when
necessary.
8. Organise at least two online training for programme team members.
9. Any other duties assigned by the supervisor
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
• A university degree from an accredited educational institution in journalism, communications, humanities or related field.
• At least six years of experience, working with a media outlet, a UN Organization, international NGO or similar organization, including working in international development/ humanitarian contexts, of which at least two years of relevant international experience outside of one own home country, a country of which the candidate has citizenship or maintaining permanent residence.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and ability to write original and stimulating content based on remote discussions with the staff at the Syria Field Office.
• Ability to work with multisectoral and remote teams and staying engaged
• Demonstrable experience in preparation of various communication materials for programmes,
both printed and online (samples will be required)
• Demonstrable experience in narrative documentation of different programme sectors
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
• Knowledge of Arabic a distinct advantage
• Knowledge of and interest in the issues of Palestine refugees
• Knowledge of the UN system and its communication aspects (eg. branding and
communication guidelines etc)
COMPETENCIES
• Outstanding command of written and spoken English is required; Excellent writing and editing/reviewing skills
• Demonstrate strong written communication, research and analytical and ability to rapidly
integrate information from various sources
• Technical skills in production, editing, and ability to write quickly, clearly and concisely in
English
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
• The duration of the consultancy which is home-based, is initially for five months, with the possibility of renewal, and an expected start date of 01 October 2022;
• Remuneration will be monthly fees of $6,490/month
Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form demonstrating clearly the knowledge and experience required to meet the consultancy requirements via [email protected] indicating the title of this consultancy “Communication Consultant” in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 07 September 2022.
UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified women.
