The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

Headquartered in New York City, the status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultancy on Communication Specialist

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Additional Category: Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Post Level: National Consultant
Starting Date: 02-Aug-2020
Duration of Initial Contract: 90 Days
Expected Duration of Assignment: 90 Days

Background

• The Policy Framework (PF) and National Action Plan (NAP) offers government’s response on preventing and countering violent extremism (PVE) in Nigeria.
• The PF puts together a plan that involves all stakeholders, building partnerships, capacity, knowledge and leadership that ensure safer, secure and resilient communities in the face of violent extremism:
  • The core objectives of this Policy Framework and National Action Plan are to:
  • Institutionalise, mainstream and coordinate PCVE programmes at national, state and local levels;
  • Strengthen accessible justice system and respect for human rights and rule of law.
  • Enhance the capacity of individuals/communities to prevent and counter violent extremism and recover from violent extremism
  • Institutionalise, mainstream and integrate strategic communication in PCVE programmes at all levels
• One of the components of the NAP is to ensure that strategic communication is institutionalised and main-streamed in PCVE programmes at National, State and Local levels. This is because at the centre of violent extremism is the use of propaganda as tool for recruitment and incitement. For example, insurgents seek to radicalise vulnerable people using online video propaganda materials.  Hence, the National Action Plan advocates for the provision of platforms which will aggregate and enhance capacity to provide counter narratives, particularly, at the grassroots level to counter narratives from violent extremist groups.
• Hinged on the ‘whole of government and whole of society’ frame, the PF and NAP aims to work with teachers, religious leaders, traditional and cultural leaders, parents, victims and repentant violent extremist offenders to amplify positive narratives on radio, television, internet, community centres and other communication channels to fill the communication space with positive messaging.
• The PF and NAP recognises that to achieve success in these areas; it will require robust planning, ability to measure success and ensure cost effectiveness. Also, research and intelligence gathering, are required to saturate the media with the correct information that counter the extremists’ propaganda.
• The PF and NAP took into consideration ongoing efforts in handling of persons associated with VE, such as Operations SAFE CORRIDOR, the Nigeria Prison De-radicalisation Programme, collaboration with Civil Society in community engagement and resilience building, strategic communication, and effective prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of VE offenders.
• The approach marked a point of departure from the hitherto traditional kinetic and reactionary approaches. It also aims to ensure that PCVE is institutionalised and mainstreamed into mandates of ministries, departments and agencies of government, including at state and local level . Part of the goals of the PF and NAP is to partner for safer and resilient communities that are less vulnerable to VE and to recover from the consequences of violence.
• The PF and NAP has a multi-layer approach covering the national, state and local governments to ensure context-specific PCVE relevant and PCVE specific interventions.  It builds networks of peace to create safer and resilient communities across the country with strict adherence to rule of law and respect to human rights while combating VE.
• Building on some of the key recommendations of a UNDP/ONSA PVE 2018/2019 survey in selected states to deepen the body of knowledge on PVE at the grassroots level; which is contextualised within the PF and NAP (2017); the PRVE project goals support national coordination, building community-based bonding, trust and confidence-building activities amongst community security providers and stakeholders including community-based organizations, vulnerable groups and the entire community members in targeted states/communities to enhance community security and peaceful co-existence.
• To this end, the Strategic Communication Inter-Agency Policy Committee (SC-IPC)  established under the National Security Strategy 2019 and as constituted by ONSA, serves as a messaging hub for content development and dissemination in support of the PVRE project goals, as well as, coordination, synchronisation and measurement of communication effectiveness across implementation platforms, aligning communication strategies with national strategic objectives.
• It is based on the foregoing that UNDP Governance, Peace & Security Unit, in partnership with Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), seeks the services of experienced Communications specialist adept with mainstream, and new media, with ability to moderate and facilitate a capacity-building workshop.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The main objective of the activity is to institutionalise, mainstream and integrate strategic communication in PCVE programmes at all levels of government, as well as, establish a sustainable strategic communication function at PCVE Secretariat.

Specific Objectives Are:

• Engage with ONSA to prioritize PCVE strategic communication in government MDAs, sectors and programmes at all levels.
• Create a sustainable strategic communication function at PCVE Secretariat to support PCVE national efforts to develop and disseminate counter-narrative messaging on VE.
• Produce VE counter-messaging and translate into the major local languages in Nigeria.
• Build and strengthen capacities of strategic communication inter-agency committee and support MDAs mainstreaming of VE counter-narratives into their projects and programmes.
• Produce training manual on PCVE strategic communication for use of MDAs and training of SC Liaison Officers.
• Organize a two-day capacity building workshop on strategic communication for SC-LOs
• Design and mainstream PCVE strategic communication into P/ CVE Secretariat work plan.

Scope of the Consultancy:

• During the period of the consultancy, the consultant will be actively involved in diligent planning, implementation and measuring of success.
• Also, the consultant shall participate in research, and synthesis of information required to be able to produce an applied training manual on strategic communication.
• The consultant shall also liaise with SA Strategic Communication of ONSA in the selection of pioneer trainees/trainers, organization and training of SC LOs on SC.

Specific Tasks.
The consults shall carry out the following specific tasks:

• Produce an inception report with a work plan and clear timeline in consultation with designated ONSA focal points and the PVE National Expert.
• Support establishment of PCVE strategic communication function in ONSA through policy advisory and formulation of role description;
• Develop/strengthen PCVE communication plan
• Develop and disseminate VE counter-narrative messages and translate into major local languages;
• Develop a training manual on PCVE strategic communication;
• Liaise with ONSA and MDAs to identify pioneer trainees/trainers;
• Organize and conduct capacity building training for SC- IPC;
• The first day will be for review of training manual; and review/strengthen or develop communication strategy in the absence of PCVE relevant and specific communication strategy. And the second day will be for capacity building using the new training manual
• The capacity-building workshop will avail opportunities to review training manual produced by the consultant; review, strengthen/ develop communication strategy; and enhance SC – LOs skills. Since all LOs are based in FCT, the workshop will be non-residential:
  • Prepare and administer pre and post training questionnaires to gauge the impact of the training on the participants;
  • Prepare pre and post training survey report and annexed to the main report; and,
  • Prepare a detailed consultancy report including lessons learned and recommendations to enhance PCVE SC at the national, state and communities’ levels.

Condition of Service and Terms of Payment:

• The consultancy is deliverable-based, and the fees shall be paid in two installments and contingent upon the deliverables specified against each installment. The milestones shall be paid upon satisfactory acceptance of the deliverables by UNDP in consultation with ONSA. Upon acceptance of the deliverables, UNDP shall issue a certificate of satisfactory performance to the consultant which shall form the basis for the payment of the due milestone.
  • 1st Installment (20%): Upon submission of inception report/work plan
  • 2nd Installment (80%): Upon submission of satisfactory final report of the assignment.

Reporting:

• The consultant shall work with Special Adviser on Strategic Communication, ONSA
• in content development and crosscheck under the direct supervision of the National Expert, PVE (Project Manager) and overall supervision of the Team Lead, GPS.  The consultant shall engage regularly with UNDP Team Lead for delivering on the terms and conditions of the consultancy while the Project Manager shall oversee the day-to-day work of the consultant.
• The consultants shall be accountable for the delivery or otherwise of the tasks specified under this consultancy and shall only be paid the due milestone upon satisfactory delivery of the terms.  The Project Manager shall ensure that the consultant is able to access all required support and assistance from UNDP that will help in timely delivery of the consultancy terms of reference.

Assignment Duration and Duty Station:

• This assignment is based in Abuja with travel to project workshop venue.  The consultancy shall subsist for a period of 90 days.

Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience:

Education:

• Advanced degree in Communications Science, Multi-media, Mass Communications, Arts, Development Studies with bias on strategic communication and Humanities, or other relevant fields for, at least, 10 years.

Experience:

• Candidates must also possess, at least, 10 years’ cognate experience in training, and capacity building, on Communication Skills and Strategic Communications and facilitation.
• The candidate must have a mixture of academic experience, facilitation and workshop administration.
• He/she must be fluent in written and spoken English.
• Previous assignment with UN agencies and/or government is an asset.
• Understanding of Violent extremist groups in Nigeria and previous experience in developing Training manual required

Competencies:

• Communication – Ability to listen, adapt and transform
• Team work – Ability to work with others to achieve goals
• Innovation – Ability to make new and useful work
• Delivery – Ability to get things done while executing good job
• Leadership – Ability to persuade others to follow

Language:

• Strong communication skills in spoken and written English, particularly in report writing.

Selection Criteria:
Evaluation Criteria:

• Communications Science, Multi-media, Mass Communications, Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities, or other relevant fields for, at least, 10 years. – 20 points
• 10 years’ cognate experience in training, and capacity building on Communication Skills and Strategic Communications; understanding of violent extremist groups and facilitation. – 40 points
• A mixture of knowledge on strategic planning, development of guidelines/manual and academic experience – 30 points
• Previous working experience with UN agencies or national government is an asset – 10 points

Application Closing Date
29th July, 2020.