Home-based: Communications Consultant to Develop Concept for National Communication Campaign for Promoting Quality ECEC in Portugal (Portuguese Speaking/40 working days) – ECARO

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to quality early childhood education and care.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The purpose of this activity/assignment is to develop the concept for a national communication strategy aimed at increasing the understanding of what quality ECEC is in Portugal.

In consultation with the project team, develop the concept for a national communication campaign that will bring the general public closer to what quality ECEC is, targeting parents, children, institution representatives and ECEC professionals. The concept should complement all other activities within the project.

In order to inform the development of the campaign concept, the consultant is also expected to analyze previous similar campaigns and communication materials and consider if any elements of these previous or on-going campaigns could be built upon within the activities planned in the new communication strategy and plan.

When developing the concept, the consultant should gain a deep understanding of ECEC in Portugal to determine the most appropriate target audience for this campaign and the key messages, and they must also consider the most effective form of marketing and communication to reach and encourage a change in behavior of this audience.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the lead ECARO ECD TSI coordinator, the selected candidate will provide support to the Portuguese TSI project by developing the concept for a communication campaign to translate into easily understandable concepts the idea of quality ECEC.

Within the scope of the work and under the supervision of the lead ECARO TSI consultant, the key expected output should be a well-documented communication campaign concept. The process of development will include:

1. Gaining understanding of project purpose and aim, key project decisions and strategy direction from project advisory and working group members.
2. Analysis of communication campaigns that were previously developed by the Ministries and identify resources and assets that have already been developed, and elements of previous and/or ongoing campaigns that can be built upon within TSI project campaign concept.
3. Identification of target demographic(s) and audience(s) to be reached by campaign.
4. Identification of key partners who will inform and share guidance to ensure proper and long-term implementation of communication plan (i.e., local communications and media agencies, facilitators from rural and urban communities, social media influencers, etc.).
5. Use of evidence and resources (i.e., as-is analysis of ECEC sector in Portugal, European good practice report, interim recommendations report) generated within the project to draft communication campaign concept.
6. Presentation of communication campaign concept to project advisory group and relevant project participants and gather and apply feedback to improve developed concept, assets, and implementation plan prior to finalization of materials.

Work Assignment Overview

Estimated Duration of the Contract

40 working days between March and June 2026.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultants will be home-based. (Portuguese time zone or similar)

If based in or around Portugal, travel to participate in working group meetings might be requested of consultant. 

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please indicate for which consultancy you are applying and  submit a professional fee (in USD) based on the corresponding number of days to undertake this assignment.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in communication, marketing, public relations, mass communication or a relevant social science is required. Master’s degree in one of these fields is an asset. 
• At least 5 years of proven professional experience developing advocacy and communication strategies and related tools and assets.
• Ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively within a larger team, and take direction from a supervisor is essential
• Excellent command (fluent level) of Portuguese and English is required.

Desirables:

• Experience developing advocacy and communication strategies at the national level considered an advantage. Experience working on ECD, education, and/or workforce campaigns is an asset;
• Knowledge of ECEC provision in Portugal an asset;
• Experience working with ministerial/governmental, EU, or UN campaigns is preferable;

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

Please submit a full CV and a financial proposal (in USD) in your application. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.