UN Women: National Communication and Outreach, Tirane, Albania, Consultancy Retainer

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women Albania is currently implementing its Strategic Note (SN) 2022-2026 which aims to ensure that “All Women and girls enjoy and exercise their human rights in a gender equal society and meaningfully contribute to Albania’s sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration”. To achieve such result, UN Women will focus on three outcomes, which mirror verbatim the areas of focus of the United Nations Albania1:

1. Increased and more equitable investment in people to remove barriers and create opportunities for those at risk of exclusion.
2. Innovative and integrated policy solutions that accelerate sustainable, productive and inclusive development.
3. Gender-responsive governance that strengthens equality and non-discrimination.

Across its interventions, UN Women Albania will address key thematic areas of focus in line with the Global Strategic Plan 2022-2025:2 ending violence against women; women’s economic empowerment; gender-responsive budgeting; gender responsive governance; as well as promoting cross-cutting principles including the principle of Leaving No One Behind, and engagement of new and emerging partners such as the private sector to advance gender equality in the country. This approach aims to support the Government of Albania to implement its commitments on human rights and gender equality, in line with its National Strategy on gender Equality (NSGE) 2021-2030, and the EU Acquis Communautaire. All interventions undertaken by the Country Office aim to address structural causes of gender inequality, addressing discriminatory practices and reach women and girls who are at greatest risk of being left behind.

UN Women Country Office for Albania is implementing its Communication Strategy 2024–2026 to guide communications under the Strategic Note 2022–2026. The strategy aims to increase public awareness and engagement around gender equality issues in Albania to promote social norm transformation, and to strengthen the visibility of UN Women Albania by highlighting its contributions to women’s economic empowerment, participation in public life, and efforts to end gender-based violence.

Among the various programmes and projects undertaken by UN Women Albania, the Country Office is currently leading the implementation of the following initiatives, which will particularly benefit from strengthened outreach and communication support, as outlined below but not limited to:

• The project “Empower Women for Rural Development in Northern Albania,” funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS Tirana);
• The project “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress towards Gender Equality in Albania,” supported by the Government of the United Kingdom and implemented by UN Women Albania together with UNDP and UNFPA;
• The project “Empowering Women in Politics and Decision-making in Albania” in the frame of the Strategic Partnership Framework between UN Women and SIDA, in its Phase 3 (SPF3 2022-2025);
• The UN Women project “Engendering the Consumption and Offer of Tourism Services in Albania”;
• The EU for Gender Equality Phase II – Gender Equality Facility in Albania project, funded by the European Union;

Within this framework, UN Women Albania is seeking to engage National Communication and Outreach Consultants (Retainer) to provide timely and demand-based technical support for the design, development, and implementation of strategic communication and outreach products and initiatives. The purpose of this consultancy is to enhance UN Women Albania’s strategic communication and outreach capacities to ensure high-impact visibility of its programmes and results, and to mobilize public and institutional support for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Consultants will support the development, execution, and monitoring of communication, visibility, and advocacy initiatives, with a particular focus on awareness-raising campaigns and community engagement and outreach. The Consultant will contribute to enhancing the visibility of UN Women’s programmes and results, ensuring clear, consistent, and proactive communication of key messages and achievements in support of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in Albania.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Head of Programmes and in direct coordination with respective Project Managers, the National Communication and Outreach Consultants (Retainer) will closely collaborate with the Communication Officer, and undertake assignments that may include, but are not limited to, the following tasks. During the scope of the assignments, some of the tasks may require collaboration with other UN Women consultants and key personnel of Responsible Partners:

I. Strategic communication and campaign support:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of communication campaigns focused on the women’s rights and economic empowerment of rural women, ensuring alignment with project objectives and coordinating with relevant stakeholders and UN Women. Explore innovative engagement approaches and provide recommendations for campaign strategies.
• Identify and engage influencers, journalists and public figures to advocate for gender equality across various thematic areas facilitating their participation in campaign activities and events. Utilize analytics tools to assess the reach, engagement, and impact of communication campaigns.
• Support the planning and organization of awareness-raising events and online thematic campaigns (e.g. International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism, International Day of Rural Women, International Day of Tourism, Global Entrepreneurship Week, etc.), including promotional content, social media rollouts, and media outreach, in alignment with UN Women’s corporate guidelines for specific campaigns.
• Contribute to media outreach to showcase UN Women-supported initiatives and programmes.

II. Content creation and production:

• Create compelling digital content, including Prepare at least five (5) articles and human-interest stories showcasing UN Women’s programs achievements and positive impact on beneficiaries and communities.
• Prepare engaging social media content to drive conversations and increase visibility on programmatic activities and results
• Conceptualize and oversee the production of short videos featuring influencers and celebrities and videos highlighting program results, beneficiary testimonials, and success stories.

IV. Monitoring, reporting, and coordination:

• Align communication efforts with the projects’ Communication Plans and for consistency and effectiveness.
• Monitor media coverage, social media metrics and campaign engagement. Analyze results and provide recommendations to strengthen future communications efforts, through dedicated reports.
• Monitor and report on the number and type of media articles or communication products generated following each event. Conduct outreach analysis, including sex-disaggregated data, to assess the reach and engagement of social media content, including posts by influencers and other content developed.
• Provide additional communication support and input as needed according to the work plan and evolving projects’ requirements.
• Prepare a knowledge transfer note or organize a handover session to ensure that UN Women staff and partners benefit from the consultant’s work conducted under this assignment.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. The assignment will include travel to target municipalities in Albania, as required and agreed with UN Women. As this is a retainer contract, the consultant will be paid at the end of each assignment.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrates expertise in designing and implementing comprehensive communication and outreach strategies to convey key messages and achieve strategic objectives.
• Strong writing and editing skills in both Albanian and English, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and compelling content for diverse audiences, including articles, video scripts, infographics, and social media materials.
• Proficient in developing engaging digital content and managing social media platforms to drive visibility, foster community engagement, and support advocacy efforts.
• Effectively establishes and maintains partnerships with media outlets, influencers, and other stakeholders to amplify messages and increase the visibility of programmes’ impact and results.
• Demonstrates strong ethical standards in communication by ensuring responsible storytelling practices, obtaining informed consent for the use of images and personal data, and upholding safeguarding principles to protect vulnerable groups
• Demonstrates strong organizational and coordination skills in planning and delivering outreach events and communication campaigns, ensuring timely and high-quality outputs.
• Integrates human rights and gender equality principles into all communication and outreach activities, promoting inclusive and equitable messaging.
• Works effectively both independently and collaboratively in a multicultural environment, demonstrating flexibility, initiative, and strong time management skills.

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in journalism, media communications, public relations, or relevant social sciences fields required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Additional training and certification in communication and related areas is a strong advantage.

Experience:

• At least 13 years of progressively responsible work experience in media, communication, journalism, or public information at the national or international level.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and executing awareness-raising campaigns, including planning and coordinating outreach events, digital campaigns, and media strategies to effectively engage target audiences and promote key messages.
• Proven experience in the conceptualization of multimedia content, including video spots, commercials, documentaries, short films, and other digital formats for impactful communication. Samples of previous work (including links to products) must be submitted along with the application.
• Proven track record in working with media and influencers, including successfully engaging with and designing and implementing campaigns with influencers, journalists, media outlets, and public figures to amplify messages and enhance visibility.
• Proven experience in editing and copywriting, with a track record of producing high-quality content such as articles, reports, newsletters, social media posts, and press releases.
• Previous experience with projects focused on gender issues is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Albanian is required

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

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