Campaign Approach Consultant at UNOPS

Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS and the ECA have partnered together to deliver on a project that will put in place the critical business systems and services to enable the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to go beyond its current regular operations and effectively deliver on its Business Plan mandate of becoming Africa’s premier think tank. Five specific outcomes are foreseen, which are the results of the implementation plans of four corporate strategies introduced for communications, publications, knowledge management and ICT for Development. When attained, the outcomes will result in a sustainable increase in the visibility and impact of the organization’s work in the areas of policy research and knowledge delivery. This recruitment initiative is carried out by UNOPS in support of ECA’s Public Information and Knowledge Management Division (PIKMD) strategic intent.  It is with this objective that UNOPS advertises these opportunities in partnership with ECA.The Economic Commission for Africa aims to adopt a sustained campaign approach to promote its key policy messages and thus maximise reach and impact among its constituents, including its member States and Regional Economic Communities.  The campaign approach is seen as a more effective means of mobilizing actors for more meaningful outcomes that are key to structural transformation of Africa’s economies. To this end, ECA seeks to engage the services of a consultant to facilitate a 2-day workshop to help map out an approach founded on a shared understanding of the path towards embedding a campaign approach in the ECA’s policy work.

The idea of a campaign – an intensive, multi-dimensional, time-bound and focused effort to achieve an outcome – is well suited to ECA’s new role as a “think and do tank” that can leverage its intellectual resources, its access to decision-makers and its partnerships with key country and regional actors to influence policy change.  A campaign is the logical continuation of the concept of a flagship publication, which represents the ECA position on policies aimed at deepening structural transformation. Achieving a meaningful outcome calls for a pro-active approach to helping countries and RECs take the concept forward, turning the convincing case made into the reality of policy changes that bring about the desired result.

While much has been done to create the infrastructure to support policy related advocacy, phase two of the ECA-UNOPS agreement requires a consensus on recasting the campaign approach with realistic long-term goals and outcomes with specific deliverables.  This process, which stems from the Theory Change, should identify the conditions, and the long-term outcome. Arriving at a common understanding is critical to ensuring all the assumptions and indicators are clear to all for ease of monitoring and evaluating impact.

Functional Responsibilities

Workshop Deliverables

• Within the conceptual Theory of Change framework, organize a 2-day workshop and ensure the discussions and outcomes address the next phase of the solutions, pathways and approaches required for the ECA campaign approach. Ultimately the workshop should yield a common understanding of the next stages of the ECA Campaign approach.
• Ensure the discussions clarify the purpose of the recasted campaign approach, based on a situation analysis that S/he would have drawn prior to the workshop;
• Drive the discussion towards clarifying stakeholders, including target audiences and the means through which to reach them.
• Ensure the integration of communications and resource mobilization strategies that are necessary for a meaningful outcome.

Deliverables – Roll out of the Campaign

• Draw up ECA’s campaign dimensions that go beyond the launch of the Economic Report on Africa 2016; African Governance Report and the Assessing Regional Integration Report, as well as the Country Profiles.
• Develop a campaign plan based on a two-track effort that would comprise a one-year short-term track with identifiable “quick wins” that have a multiplier effect and build momentum for larger successes in the longer term.  The second track would be a longer term track to amplify the short term wins by engaging more countries and producing deeper policy changes.   Ensure that country level policy change campaigns, and concurrent, consistent regional level campaigns that put in place requirements proposed by the reports are well planned and implemented.
• Working closely with Thematic Strategic Teams, identify additional members of the engagement team, with a view to ensuring the full range of perspectives and functions needed for an effective campaign.
• Identify the implementation partners, including AUC, ADB, the RCM, the RECs, think tanks and donor sponsors (foundations, multilaterals including World Bank and IMF, bilateral donors) and the media, as well as, if possible, banks, trade associations and other private sector actors.
• Prepare the Campaigns, spelling out each dimension of the campaign should be spelled out, including the campaign message, streams, elements, timeline, strategic partners, ECA staff participation, budget, and progress and performance indicators.
• Any other tasks may be assigned.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Advanced degree in social sciences, law, economics and other relevant studie
• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of work experience in the area of advocacy, campaigns, communication and facilitation of institutional retreats or processes

Language Requirements 

• Fluency in English skills required.

Competencies

• A conceptual understanding of Theory of Change and ability to design approaches to advocacy or campaigns in the context of large institutions, particularly in Africa
• Excellent analytical skills necessary for capturing the views and suggestions emerging from the campaign implementation team.
• Flexible nature and ability to adapt to changing directions/thinking that may occur during the course of implementation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Additional Considerations