Communication, Marketing and Event Management Consultant, Naqoura, Nairobi

United Nations Human
Settlements Programme

Job Opening

Posting Title: Communication, marketing and event management consultant

Department/Office: United Nations Human Settlements Programme

Duty Station: NAIROBI; UNIFIL-NAQOURA;

Posting Period: 15 July 2021 - 28 July 2021

Job Opening Number: 21-United Nations Human Settlements Programme-156781-Consultant

Staffing Exercise N/A

Result of Service

Successful dissemination and outreach of communications material during UN-Habitat’s 2021 climate change year of action (especially the Innovate4Cities conference), including achieving dynamic media coverage.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

The consultancy will be homebased for a period of 5 months on a full time basis starting 15 August 2021

Duties and Responsibilities

BACKGROUND TO UN-HABITAT

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For close to forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. One of the four focus area under the new Strategic Plan 2020-2023 is Strengthened Climate Action and Improved Urban Environments. UN-Habitat’s Global Solutions Division is overseeing the Agency’s operational work as well as the institutional and programmatic relationship with climate initiatives and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

BACKGROUND TO CONSULTANCY

UN-Habitat supports countries and cities address the climate challenge in many ways, through (i) advisory services and policy support, (ii) climate action planning, and (iii) technical assistance, and (iv) support mobilizing climate finance for investments into urban and human settlement focused climate action in three focus areas:

1. Reduced greenhouse emissions and improved air quality

2. Improved resource efficiency and protection of ecological assets

3. Effective adaptation of communities and infrastructure to climate change

The Climate Team is leading several workstreams under the subprogramme area.

UN-Habitat climate flagship programme “RISE-UP: Resilient Settlements for the Urban Poor” aims to mainstream pro-poor climate resilience in national and city climate policies, plans and commitments, enhanced capacity among all levels of government and core partners to effectively coordinate action towards building the resilience of the urban poor in order to leverages large scale investment to build urban adaptation and climate resilience in the global hotspots of vulnerability. At the same time, it addresses issues of poverty, spatial inequality and resilient settlements.

The Innovate4Cities conference will be an international gathering at the nexus of cities, climate change science and innovation, taking place 11 – 15 October 2021. This groundbreaking meeting will be co-hosted by UN-Habitat and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM). It will bring together over 1,000 city leaders, scientists, researchers, innovators, academics, youth and business people to advance pragmatic and action oriented research and science that will help cities reduce their carbon footprint and increase resilience to climate change. It will produce a revised Global Research and Action Agenda on Cities and Climate Change Science among other outputs and outcomes.

Every October, UN-Habitat and partners organize a month of activities, events and discussions on urban sustainability. This year, Urban October opens with World Habitat Day on 4 October. The theme for this year’s World Habitat Day is Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world. World Habitat Day will amplify the global Race to Zero Campaign and UN-Habitat’s ClimateAction4Cities and encourage local governments to develop actionable zero-carbon plans in the run up to the international climate change summit COP26 in November.

World Cities Day (31st October) aims to promote the international community's interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contributing to sustainable urban development around the world. The observance day ties in with Sustainable Development Goal 11, to make cities "inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable". The general theme of World Cities Day is Better City, Better Life, while each year a different sub-theme and a location for its global observance is selected, to either promote successes of urbanization, or address specific challenges resulting from urbanization. The theme for World Cities Day this year is Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience.

For more information about UN-Habitat’s climate change work, visit: unhabitat.org/topic/climate-change

Duties and responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the coordinator of the Programme Development Branch (PDB) and supervised by the Programme Management Officer, in close consultation with the UN-Habitat Communications team, the consultant will be responsible for communications, including plan development and deliverables, outputs and products. Duties include:

1. Development and oversight of implementation of an I4C conference communications and marketing strategy and action plan including key messages, target audience, communications activities and outputs

2. Leading the drafting and finalizing of content for the website, writing news stories, arranging interviews, drafting media advisories and press releases and other relevant communication content for the Innovate4Cities conference as per the I4C communications strategy and plan.

3. Overseeing the development and posting of social media content, in the lead up to and during UN-Habitat events and those of core climate partners

4. Securing traditional and digital media coverage, in the lead up and during the I4C Conference, including monitoring the extent of successful coverage

5. Event management support in the lead up to and during the I4C conference, including general team logistical and programme support

6. Delivery of communications products and social media related to other UN-Habitat climate initiatives including Urban October, RISE-Up Flagship, COP26 and Planners 4 Climate Action

7. Liaison with relevant colleagues across UN-Habitat’s sections, regional and country offices to ensure maximum usage of UN-Habitat’s communications architecture, ensure regional coverage and input into messaging and work closely with UNH HQ Communications providing materials, photos, stores and videos for corporate website and platforms, active engagement promotion of campaigns and UN-Habitat wide events

8. Under the overall supervision of Climate Change staff, represent UN-Habitat on Communications-relevant working groups & bodies of external and internal initiatives (eg Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Communications Technical Working Group, Sub-programme three, UN-Habitat Communication Focal Points)

9. Develop communications plans as required for the post conference period including World Cities Day, COP 26 and a Communication Strategy and events calendar for the 2022 climate change workstream

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: University degree in communications, journalism, media, social sciences, political science, international development, urban planning, architecture, innovation or related subjects. Advanced university degree is required.

Experience: •A minimum of seven years of experience in communications, journalism or media is required.

•Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement is desirable.

•Strong skills in writing and editing, including writing web copy, press releases, news articles and publications are an added advantage.

•Experience of project management desirable.

•Experience of graphic design desirable.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Additional Information

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to urban planning and design or sustainable development particularly to the Urban Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Sustainable Urban Development, Urban Climate Change Action and Clean Air Action Planning

• Communication: Excellent written and oral presentation skills in English. Excellent capacity to produce and manipulate graphic documents and drawings. Good presentation skills. Ability to communicate complex interventions in a clear language and convincing narratives. Sketching capabilities to effectively communicate in workshop settings and teams.

• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve agreed goals.

• Technological Awareness. Keeps abreast of available technology, understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office, actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks, shows a willingness to learn new technology.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

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