Consultant – Communications Specialist At International Organization for Migration

Position Title: Consultant – Communications Specialist

Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Classification: Consultant, Grade Other

Type of Appointment: Consultant, eleven months

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 30 March 2023

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

Context:

Project Context and Scope

The IOM Business Transformation aims to completely modernize the business methods, processes and technology solutions of IOM’s Support functions, principally project management, finance, budget and accounting, fundraising, human resources, supply chain, contracts, risk management, and other general services. The Change Management team is a critical part of this project to ensure the organization is ready, willing and able to work in the new ways to be delivered through the BT initiative. Communications, along with 1. Training & Adoption and 2. Organizational Alignment & Readiness, will be one of the key means by which change is managed effectively.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:

The consultant shall work within the Change Management team of the Business Transformation unit. The Consultant will work under the Change Management Lead but will have frequent direct interactions with the BT Programme Leadership team, including the BT Director.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

Tasks to be performed under this contract

A. Develop and oversee the delivery of BT’s Communications strategy and plans

1. Working with BT Programme and Change Management team, develop a comprehensive communications strategy, that supports BT objectives and covers the full lifecycle of the initiative, through “hypercare” support in the final quarter of the project, currently planned for Q1 2024, with consideration given to 1. BT’s messages; 2. Audience; 3. Channels; 4. Cadence and 5. measurement.
2. Develop quarterly “telescoping” communications plan (overall structure with rolling detail), based on the strategy, that indicates communications activities and events throughout the lifecycle of the project.

B. Develop and deliver content

1. Manage and in most cases directly develop the content of the communications activities/events working with inputs from BT Streams and Change Management team as well as subject matter experts (SMEs).
2. Manage and in most cases produce the communications artifacts required to deliver the communications plan, including but not limited to stakeholder status updates, SharePoint content creation and maintenance, news updates, videos, presentations, Microsoft Sway presentations, etc.
3. In cases where the content is produced by others (e.g., graphic designers or video production experts), plan and manage the creation of those contents.
4. Manage the translation of BT communications content into French and Spanish as required.

C. Manage communication channels

1. Oversee internal social setups and communities (e.g., using Yammer or similar) and ensure feedback is collected, questions responded to with the support of BT SMEs, and any issues are flagged for BT management action.
2. Working with BT Streams, set up functional communities of practice using Yammer as main forum.

D. Measure effectiveness of BT’s communications

1. Track the effectiveness of the various communications methods (e.g., through surveys and other consultative processes) and make adjustments as needed.
2. Support the delivery of the communications plan as needed, including by providing briefings to IOM’s departments, regional offices, and country missions.
3. Any other related communications tasks as required by the BT initiative.

Performance indicators for evaluation of results

• Developed and BT-approved communications strategy and plan.
• Demonstrated awareness of the BT and its objectives and timing by IOM’s key stakeholders, through periodic surveys and other mechanisms.
• In the stages of the project where departments and field units will need to perform tasks in collaboration with the BT team (e.g., staff preparation, data cleaning, training, cutover support), demonstration that these units are aware of what they need to do in advance and are prepared to support their requirements.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education, experience and/or skills required

• Master’s degree in Humanities or a related area with five years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• At least seven years (five years for Master’s degree holders) of progressive experience in the areas of technical communications, public relations, change management, or similar, in a multinational environment.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to work well in teams but have the ability to lead the delivery of work.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.

For this consultancy, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Fluency in French or working knowledge of Spanish is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Notes

The consultant must adhere to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Data Protection Principles (IN/138) and maintain confidentiality.

The consultant will be responsible to follow IOM writing guidelines and latest glossaries in all given assignments for accurate translation.

Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database (https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.pdf

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

• The appointment is subject to funding confirmation.
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required for individuals hired on or after 15 November 2021. This will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.
• Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.