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.As such, UN Women is mandated to lead the UN system-wide coordination of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, as elaborated inter-alia through UN Security Council resolutions—1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, 2122, 2242, 2467, and 2493. To this end, UN Women works with governments, UN partners, and civil society around the world to support women’s participation and influence at all levels of decision-making to prevent and resolve conflict, to protect their rights during and after conflicts and to ensure that their specific needs are addressed during repatriation, resettlement and for rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict reconstruction.
In 2005, at the request of the General Assembly and the Security Council (through Resolutions A/60/180 and S/RES/1645 (2005)) the Secretary-General of the United Nations established a multi-year standing Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) with the objective of ensuring release of resources needed to launch peacebuilding activities and the availability of appropriate financing for recovery. PBF continues to be the organization’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict. The PBF invests with UN entities and other international organizations, governments, and non-governmental organizations, either through direct funding or through national or regional multi-donor trust funds. The PBF works across thematic pillars and supports integrated UN responses to fill critical gaps; respond quickly and with flexibility to political opportunities; and catalyse processes and resources in a risk-tolerant fashion. The objective of PBF is to support “countries recovering from conflict or considered to be at risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict, while also supporting efforts to address immediate needs in countries emerging from conflict at a time when sufficient resources are not available from other funding mechanisms that could provide support to peacebuilding activities.”
In October 2023, the project \"Women Lead the Way Towards Peace and Security in Bosnia and Herzegovina\" (Project) began its implementation. Carried out by UN Women, IOM, and UNFPA, this strategic program operates under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, with a collaborative focus on advancing the WPS agenda in the country. The project is crucial for addressing the significant gaps in implementing the WPS agenda in BiH through its localization at the community level, while also supporting and promoting its advancement on a national scale.
The objective of this consultancy is to support UN Women in the planning, coordination, and execution of WPS media related activities in BiH. This includes raising awareness about importance on local and national level of the WPS Agenda. The consultant will develop and implement a comprehensive communication plan for cross-collaborative projects, create engaging content for social media and traditional media outlets, support campaign events of UN Women and the partners, monitor creative industries activities to ensure broad visibility and effective advocacy and contribute to overall reporting.
Under the direct supervision of the WPS Programme Specialist and overall supervision of the UN Women Representative, the Communications Expert will work in close collaboration with the UN Women WPS Outreach Officer and Communications Analyst, as well as the WPS programme team consisting of UN Women, IOM and UNFPA staff.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
1. WPS Communication planning and coordination
Develop a detailed WPS communications implementation plan aligned with relevant programme outputs per project document, covering partnerships with non-traditional stakeholders, arts and culture initiatives, youth engagement, media campaigns, and national and local dialogues. Ensure communication planning supports the localisation of the WPS agenda and the promotion of inclusive narratives addressing women’s leadership, peacebuilding, social cohesion, and human security. Monitor progress against the communications workplan, identify risks, sensitivities, or and propose mitigation measures. Provide regular updates and draft inputs for internal progress reports, briefs, and donor reporting related to WPS communication and visibility.2. Communication support to partnerships and non-traditional stakeholders
Support communication and visibility of partnerships between women-led CSOs, non-traditional stakeholders and institutions contributing to the WPS agenda. Develop messaging and communication materials that strengthen partners’ capacities to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory WPS narratives and women’s contributions to peacebuilding. Provide communication guidance and templates to partners to ensure alignment with WPS principles, Project branding, and ethical storytelling standards. Support visibility of partnership-based initiatives such as exhibitions, performances, community dialogues, networking events, and exchanges across entities and communities.3. Content development and media Engagement for WPS Narratives
Develop and coordinate the production of WPS communication products, including: Social media content (visuals, quote cards, short videos); Human-interest stories highlighting women peacebuilders, youth, and community actors; Factsheets, briefs, and advocacy materials linked to programme activities and milestones. Support and amplify WPS media campaigns and public outreach actions, including digital campaigns, festival-based visibility, and coordinated media moments. Liaise with media partners, journalists, and content creators to promote responsible, gender-responsive reporting on WPS themes. Support the dissemination and visibility of documentaries, exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms developed under the programme.5. Monitoring, reporting, and visibility Results
Track and document communication outputs, outreach efforts, and engagement metrics related to WPS activities under relevant Project outputs Prepare concise monthly progress reports summarizing communication activities, outputs delivered, challenges encountered, and recommendations. Contribute to a final consolidated visibility and communications results report documenting reach, media coverage, partnerships supported, and lessons learned.Financial arrangements
Payments will be disbursed on a monthly basis upon submission of the monthly progress report and timesheet by the Consultant and their endorsement by UN Women. Expected workload is approximately 5 days per month and additional 6 days for workplan development and final consolidated report. The level of remuneration will be established based on the UN salary scale.
Inputs
UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials related to the assignment. The Consultant is expected to work using her/his own computer.
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
The assignment might require some presence at UN Women premises in Sarajevo. The consultancy will require some travel to field locations, as per agreed workplan. Any travel to field locations for meetings and events will be pre-arranged and approved in consultation with the supervisor, with all travel expenses covered by UN Women.
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:
Knowledge Management and Learning
Shares knowledge and experience Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside UN Women Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills Development and Operational Effectiveness Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills. Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies Demonstrates very good understanding of and experience in communications and outreach/advocacy Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded and reported Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems Uses Information Technology effectively as a tool and resourceLeadership and Self-Management
Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure Proven networking skills and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate Identifies opportunities and builds strong partnerships with clients and partnersEducation and Certification:
A Master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or a related field such as international development, gender studies or social science; or a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted. Pass/FailExperience:
At least 5 years of demonstrated work experience in communications, including experience in media relations. 30 points At least 2 years of experience in managing media campaigns, online outreach and use of multimedia; 25 points At least 3 years of experience in producing communication materials (print and online); 20 points At least 2 years of experience in using web editing tools and social media platforms; 10 points Experience in delivering communications services to promote activities of international development organizations will be considered an asset. 5 points Experience in promotion of gender issues and working with women is an asset; 5 points Previous experience within the UN System is an advantage; 5 pointsLanguages:
Fluency in English is required. Professional writing sample (e.g. from previous project/work/campaign) must be provided Pass/Fail Fluency in B/H/S. Pass/FailStatements :
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:
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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.