Senior Strategic Advocacy & Communications Advisor
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gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.
Job Title: Senior Strategic Advocacy & Communications Advisor
Type of Contract: Consultant
Division: PRO – Programme, Humanitarian and Development Division /Global Network Team
Duty Station (City, Country): Remote Working Arrangements
Duration: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The Global Network against Food Crises was launched at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit by the European Union, FAO and WFP with the objective of tackling the root causes of food crises and promoting sustainable solutions through shared analysis and knowledge and strengthened coordination in evidence-based responses. One of the foundational principles of the Network is that responses in food crises need to address immediate humanitarian needs, link the short-term interventions with a medium to long-term vision, and invest in targeted development assistance to reduce needs, risks and vulnerability as well as in early preparedness and anticipatory actions.
The Network operates at national, regional and global level along three interlinked dimensions (3×3 approach):
1. Understanding food crises – Generating evidence-based information and analysis.
2. Strategic Investment in food and nutrition security – Leveraging strategic investments to prepare, prevent and respond to food crises.
3. Going beyond food – Fostering political uptake and functional coordination across clusters/sectors to address other dimensions driving the food security crisis scenarios.
The vision of the Global Network Against Food Crises is to prepare and respond to food crises and support the collective outcome related to Ending Hunger (SDG 2); reducing needs, risks and vulnerabilities associated with acute hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture and food systems.
A set of principles inspires the Global Network’s efforts:
- The need to prepare, anticipate and respond at the local, regional and global levels, building on and strengthening local systems.
- The centrality of resilient and sustainable food systems in preventing food and nutrition crises, mitigating their impact and boosting recovery and rehabilitation for its transformation.
- The need to inform policies and actions to fight food and nutrition insecurity with evidence-based understanding of the complex dynamics and drivers of risk and vulnerability, such as conflict and insecurity, climate change, environmental degradation, and demographic change.
- The need to address the risk, vulnerabilities and priorities of local rural communities involved in agriculture by adopting a territorial approach that is supported by national policies.
- The need to align with and build on major existing initiatives and coordination mechanisms in order to deliver collective outcomes and meet the 2030 Agenda.
- Ensuring conflict sensitive programming and principled approaches.
The overall strategic guidance of the Global Network is entrusted to a Senior Steering Group – the decision-making body of the Global Network providing strategic and policy guidance. The operational body of the Senior Steering Group is the Global Network Technical Support Unit designed to support country and regionally-led initiatives.
ROLE OF THE CONSULTANT:
As part of the Global Network’s Technical Support Unit, under the guidance of the SSG, and under the supervision of the WFP Global Network Director and her senior staff,
The Global Network Against Food Crisis (GNAFC) recently developed a communications plan for 2022 and requires the services of a senior communications expert to help to oversee and lead the implementation of that plan (attached).
In the course of helping to oversee the implementation of the communications plan, the Senior Communications Advisor will also provide strategic advice and direction to the network secretariat and principals on an ongoing basis, as opportunities or challenges arise.
The Advisor will be supported by the required expertise including consultants, within the Secretariat, and, to some extent, its supporting UN agencies of WFP and FAO.
The Senior Communications Advisor’s responsibilities will include;
- Lead the update (or re-design) of the Global Network’s visual identity;
- In line with the updated visual identity, oversee an upgrade (or re-design) of the global networks website and social media presence;
- Lead the development of a core public narrative and top line messaging for the network;
- Lead on developing, core communications related materials, including for example, press release, opeds, social media content and other public facing materials;
- Support/advise secretariat colleagues in identifying and prioritizing key audiences and supporting the outreach to these audiences;
- Support/advise secretariat on engagement with governments and civil society partners;
- Identify experts and staffing and/or other potential communications needs for implementation of agreed 2022 communications strategy and oversee tangible deliverables of the strategy;
- Develop implementable (sub) communication strategies specifically related to the uptake of evidence in particular through the use of social media;
- Identify opportunities to elevate the work of the Global Network Against Food Crises.
- Build, manage and engage necessary expertise and capacities to build and elevate the work of the Global Network Against Food Crises;
- Help the Secretariat devise a means for coordinating its communications work with its core partner governments;
- Advice and assist the Secretariat in the development and implementation of communications activities around key GNAFC events identified in the 2022 Communications Plan.
KEY DELIVERABLES:
Laying the foundation and delivering on key components of the attached Communication and Visibility Strategy, in particular in relation to the website and its alignment with key for a related to the Global Food Crises.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced university degree in agricultural or development economics, international relations, social science, political science or a related field.
Experience:
More than 12 years of relevant experience in communications in relation to the humanitarian and/or development sector.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Work experience in more than one location of area of work, particularly in field positions.
- Understanding of food security and development, including the SDGs;
- Understanding of climate change related policy and impacts is a plus;
- Experience in advocacy and government engagement;
- Experience in working with senior UN and senior Government officials and advising on communications and outreach;
- Experience in leading teams to build and position plans, coalitions or organisations
Languages:
Being this a global support position working knowledge of English if required and working knowledge of French, Spanish and Portuguese is appreciated
Terms and Conditions
WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.
http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.
Deadline for applications: 30 October 2022
Ref.: VA No. 174684
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an
inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority.
Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International
Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the
United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
