UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Background/Rationale

Clear and compelling writing is essential for UNICEF Kenya in fulfilling its mandate to advocate for the rights and well-being of children. To effectively address critical issues affecting children, UNICEF Kenya often leverages written communication products to raise awareness, influence policy, and mobilize resources.

To strengthen its communication, advocacy, and resource mobilization capacity, the CAP

The section requires high-quality written materials that resonate with diverse audiences, including Government, development partners, civil society, media and communities. These materials, including human-interest stories, reports, briefs, press releases, speeches, compelling donor proposals and donor reports, are crucial in shaping public perception, influencing policy decisions, and driving positive change for children.

Purpose of Assignment

Due to the high demand for writing and editing support received from programme sections, coupled with limited in-house capacity, UNICEF Kenya is seeking to establish non-exclusive Long Terms Arrangements (LTA) with writers/editors to provide writing, editing, copy editing/proofreading, and related tasks. We are seeking experienced and well-established writers/editors.

LTAs with the selected contractors will be valid for 3 years. Candidates should provide quotes as a daily rate, with examples of the time required for different types of products. Actual costs will be determined on a case-by-case basis, based on the days/hours required for the job: UNICEF will provide a brief and the contractor will provide a time estimate, which will be used to calculate the cost.

 Programme and Specific Project Area

Experienced writers and editors to provide good quality professional services according to UNICEF global standards to support development of written products including, humaninterest stories, reports, briefs, press releases, speeches, compelling donor proposals and donor reports for overall country office advocacy and communication.

Objectives

The overall objective is to set up a Long-Term Agreement to facilitate and expedite the process by which UNICEF Kenya will hire writers and editors as required for specific writing, editing, and proofreading assignments as and when the need arises in a high-demand context.

Successful consultants will provide writing, editing/proofreading services to produce quality   communication, visibility and advocacy products, including but not limited to:

• Write and/or edit, proofread and finalize a variety of UNICEF Kenya communication, advocacy and visibility products including press releases, speeches, talking points, OpEds, human interest stories, reports, fact sheets, briefing notes, knowledge products, case studies and other written products. Editing may require rewriting, abridging and restructuring text for greater readability, better logical sequence, and elimination of repetitions and jargon.
• Review, organize, copy-edit, fact-check and consolidate material for knowledge products ensuring consistency, clarity of structure and communication of key messages. Proof-read materials, including checking spelling, use of acronyms and other abbreviations to conform to the UNICEF Style Book.
• Edit programme related documents such as annual reports, donor proposals and reports, policy briefs and other documents for clarity, readability, consistency and quality.
• Develop key messages from complex reports, programme documents and other resources for public consumption. This may be in the form of compelling copy writing for public advocacy campaigns such as scripts for public service announcements (PSAs), or videos.
• If required, work in close collaboration with photographers and videographers to capture relevant powerful images for stories and photo essays and/or with graphic designers to finalize the layouts, texts and illustrations to ensure high-quality production of various printed products.
• Be available for feedback and inputs on submitted drafts of written communication products as per the requirement of the office. Be available for up to a maximum of three rounds of writing and editing of all products before final approval by UNICEF.

Responsibilities of the Consultant:

• The consultant will use their own equipment; laptop, software and other accessories and software that may be required for this task.
• The consultant will not give the content/material or any part thereof, to any third party without the written permission of UNICEF. All components will be a property of UNICEF, and the consultant will not share the same with anyone else.
• The consultant will not put their own name or logo/emblem on the content / final product.

Responsibilities of UNICEF: 

• UNICEF will provide all details pertaining to the activity and the requirements
• UNICEF will orient the consultant on UNICEF’s branding and production guidelines

Deliverables

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• University degree in journalism, communication, creative writing or similar discipline is required.
• A minimum of five (5) years of recent related professional experience in writing, copyediting and/or proofreading.
• Proven experience in writing, editing communication materials and editorial processes.
• Knowledge of UNICEF programmes and its goals. Experience in copy-editing publications on issues of child rights, particularly human-interest stories in development and humanitarian contexts. Familiarity with UNICEF’s work and children’s issues, and UNICEF’s reporting, writing and story-telling guidelines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and flexible attitude.
• Ability to meet tight timelines and deliver quality work within the required timeframe.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility un-jobs.net UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Administrative

Travel

If the consultant may be requested to travel to complete assignments, the LTA Contract Manager may request that the financial proposal include 2 types of fees:

1. Fee for remote service
2. Fee for services including travel (factoring travel costs related to travel insurance and visa).

At a later stage, when the PO is raised for an assignment including travel the office will use the Fee for services including travel and add the travel line for the estimated cost of tickets and DSA to be reimbursed on actuals.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL:

Technical Evaluation Criteria (with Weights for each Criteria)

The selection of consultants for the LTA will be based on technical evaluation and financial offers in the ratio of 75:25 The criteria for technical evaluation will be as follows:

How to apply

The application to be submitted through the online portal should contain five (5) separate attachments:

1. A Cover letter explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skillset of the candidate (to be uploaded online)
2. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (to be uploaded online)
3. Work Samples – This includes 4 previously written products including – a human-interest story, Report/Policy brief, press release, official speech or/and an OpEd/Opinion Piece. It is critical to submit work samples as you will observe from the advertisement that marks have been assigned to these criteria for arriving at the most suitable candidate.

4. A financial proposal indicating professional fee as per the above template. Please do not forget to specify your name in the file while saving. (To be uploaded under other supporting documents). 

 Without all the above 4 documents your application will be considered incomplete and invalid and will not be considered further.

• Any attempt to unduly influence UNICEF’s selection process will lead to automatic disqualification of the applicant.
• Joint applications of two or more individuals are not accepted.
• Please note, UNICEF does not charge any fee during any stage of the process.
• Female candidates meeting the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds including persons living with disabilities to apply

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements