Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONS Local
Target Start Date2024-03-01
Job Posting End DateFebruary 14, 2024
Terms of ReferenceGeneral Background of Assignment:
The escalation of conflict in Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, has resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, forcing people to flee to surrounding countries such as Moldova seeking safety, protection, and assistance. As of 23 October 2023, over 950,000 refugees had crossed from Ukraine into Moldova, primarily women and children, with over 111,000 refugees currently present in the country, about half of whom are children. The Government of Moldova has the primary responsibility for the refugee response, including ensuring access to services and assistance and serves as the overall coordinator for the refugee response. In the education sector, the Ministry of Education and Research (MER) leads the response, with the support of the co-leads UNICEF and UNHCR.
Currently, there are a number of challenges related to the education of Ukrainian and other refugee children in Moldova. Enrollment of Ukrainian children in Moldovan schools remains extremely low, with the majority of children believed to be studying the Ukrainian online curriculum. While recent initiatives of the Ministry of Education have made school enrollment easier, enrollment rates have not risen significantly. Children’s absence from a school setting raises concerns about their social emotional health, learning outcomes, and child protection risks. Additional challenges exist for specific groups of children, such as children with disabilities and Roma children.
According to several assessments, one of the reasons for the low enrollment of Ukrainian children in Moldovan schools is the lack of communication flow and information sharing with the Ukrainian caregivers regarding the enrollment procedures in Moldovan schools and information regarding available spaces within schools to enroll new students.
The Ministry of Education and Research has requested support in their Communications Department to support with information provision related to education for refugee children in Moldova, including outreach to Education directorates, education staff, local schools, donors, and NGOs. This consultant will work within MER’s Communications Department and report to MER for daily tasks, with overall reporting, in coordination with MER, to UNHCR and UNICEF, which will share the cost of this consultancy.
Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:
The communication consultant will be based in the Ministry of Education and Research Communications Department to support MER’s overall communications activities related to the education of refugee children. The consultant will also work closely with UNICEF and UNHCR to ensure the coordination needed for the main tasks of the consultancy including:
• Serve as a link between MER, UNICEF and UNHCR and local schools to maintain communication flow with local preschools, schools, and Departments of Education regarding education for refugee children.
• Liaise, in close consultation with MER, with donors, NNGOs, INGOs, and UN agencies on topics related to the visibility and communication, focusing on education of refugee children.
• Coordinate with humanitarian partners monitoring social media to understand challenges/issues raised by refugees regarding access to education in Moldova.
• Support MER in drafting media press-releases, FAQs, media briefs and other media materials related to the education of refugee children in Moldova , and follow-up on their delivery and receipt.
• Support MER with keeping education information for refugee caregivers and materials up to date (ex: MER website).
• Support awareness campaigns conducted by MER with other UN agencies and partners, such as the Back-to-School campaign. Support includes elaborating social media plans: identifying topics, developing key messages, selecting relevant photos and developing content, and follow-up on engaging the audience.
• Conduct informational sessions on education related topics, in locations around the country, as needed, including for, but not limited to, local public authorities, local schools, parents of refugee children, and humanitarian and development actors.
• Conduct consultations and/or participate in focus group discussions with refugee children and parents to understand their information needs and preferred modes of communication.
• Establish contact and exchange information with Ministry of Education in Ukraine as well as the education ministries in other host countries in Europe to understand best practices in communications with refugee parents and children.
• Support MER to stay up to date on the activities of education sector partners in the humanitarian and development fields.
• Other tasks, as defined by MER, UNHCR, and UNICEF
The specialist will work closely with UNICEF and UNHRC Education, Social Behavioural Change and Communication teams, who will provide guidance and feedback in the implementation of the communication activities. The consultant is expected to submit a progress report jointly to UNHCR and UNICEF every two weeks outlining their main activities during that period and their progress toward achieving the above listed activities.
The assignment envisages a full-time engagement from the consultant for six months. The consultant is expected to work 20-23 full working days per month; with a daily fee of USD 90.
Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):
• Advanced University Degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Education, Social Sciences or minimum five years professional work experience in the communication area, combined with a university degree in a related field;
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant professional experience in communications, ideally related to the field of education;
• Fluency in Romanian, good command of English, both oral and written;
• Ukrainian or Russian language skills are an asset;
• Strong experience utilizing appropriate communication methods to reach different target audiences;
• Proven experience in communicating with communities and at different levels of government;
• Experience communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds;
• Good knowledge of the education system in Moldova;
• Proven ability to effectively manage relationships with media representatives, organize public events and write clear and concise communication materials;
• Basic knowledge of video editing, design and layout tools.
• Experience working with the Government of the Republic of Moldova on education related topics
• Willingness to sign and abide by UNHCR’s Code of Conduct.
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Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
Home-BasedNo