Individual Consultancy (Author) (CI/FEJ)

OVERVIEW Parent Sector : Communication and Information Sector (CI) Duty Station: Paris Job Family: Communication and Information Type of contract : Non Staff Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months Recruitment open to : External candidates Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 06-AUG-2020 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST Under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Communication of Information (ADG/CI), the authority of the Chief of the Section for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, and the direct supervision of the Project Officer and Coordinator of the Multi-Donor Programme for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP); In line with the 40 C/5 Major Programme V's Main Line of Action I and in line with the Multi-Donor Programme’s Outcome 1 (corresponding to Programme V/MLA1/ER 1 in the 40/C5), namely “Member States are enhancing norms and policies related to freedom of expression, including press freedom and the right to access information, online and offline, and are reinforcing the safety of journalists by implementing the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity”, the Individual Specialist shall develop guidelines for policy advice in the field of media reforms. Scope of work: The Individual Specialist shall, in close consultation with the MDP Coordinator, develop A Practical Guide to Media Law Reform to be used for internal guidance by UNESCO CI Programme Specialists working on media reforms in the field, within the framework of the MDP’s Outcome 1 – Output 4 : “Policy advice provided to, and capacities reinforced of duty bearers to improve legislative and institutional frameworks related to freedom of expression online and offline”. The Work shall comprise approximately 60 standard pages (320 words per page), shall be written in English at mother-tongue level, in a style corresponding to the target audience of UNESCO Programme Specialists and CI project officers. a. The Guide should provide clear, identifiable steps and procedures for staff to follow when working on providing policy advice to local authorities and identify:

Preparatory work to be conducted by UNESCO staff when undertaking policy work;
The sequence and type of actions to be taken by UNESCO, targeting duty bearers and rights holders, based on various contexts and conditions, including evidence-based policy recommendations, technical policy expertise, capacity building and advocacy, in addition to fostering inclusive and participative discussions with various levels of relevant stakeholders, policy makers and decision makers;
Typical phases and dynamics – e.g. media law reform, including advocacy, the pre-consultation stage, assessments and consultations with stakeholders, formulation of recommendations, drafting and/or law revision stage, ratification, adoption, implementation, etc;
Scenarios for media reform – e.g. post-conflict (e.g. Afghanistan and Iraq) and nation building (e.g South Sudan), transition/regime change (e.g. Tunisia and Sudan), alignment with regional/international standards/agreements, constitutional reforms, political setbacks etc.
Good practices in the field of policy advice and media law reform, as well as do/don’t;
Challenges, risk assessment, and obstacles, as well as remedial action;
Recent cases of successful media reforms in line with international standards, and creation of national mechanisms on the safety of journalist and the issue of impunity;
Useful resources such as template legislations and safety mechanisms, and international and regional standards and agreements.

b. In order to develop this Guide, the Individual Specialist will be required to:

Conduct online meetings with UNESCO Programme Specialists at HQ and in the field, to identify gaps, needs, and UNESCO’s anticipated role in media law reforms;
Review similar previous actions taken by UNESCO in this area;

c. Upon the finalization of the Guide, and its approval by UNESCO, the Individual Specialist will be required to provide an online training to UNESCO CI Specialists from HQ and the field following the guidelines produced. DELIVERABLES: The Individual Specialist shall be remunerated upon submission and approval by UNESCO of the below deliverables: a. The proposed structure for the Guide for comments b. Draft of the full Guide for UNESCO input c. Final version of the Guide d. Online training on policy review and media reforms COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial) Accountability (C) Communication (C) Innovation (C) Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C) Planning and organizing (C) Results focus (C) Teamwork (C) - For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, international relations, public policy, law, or related field.

Experience

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in the field of media legal reform, justice and rule of law, and human rights;
Experience working with UNESCO and/or the United Nations system, in areas related to legislative reform, freedom of expression and safety of journalists;
Proven track record and policy experience in the justice, rule of law, and human rights issues in conflict and political transitional contexts;

Competencies and skills

Excellent knowledge of media laws;
Excellent knowledge of international standards pertinent to freedom of expression and access to information;
Experience in creating guidelines, tools, and training material;
Excellent analytical and drafting skills;

Languages

Excellent knowledge (written and oral) of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS Work Experience Experience in drafting guidelines on policy and media reform APPLICATION PROCEDURE The evaluation of applications will be based upon the submission by interested candidates of the following elements: a. A proposal regarding the structure of the guide and a draft table of contents b. A detailed timeline and workplan for the completion of the deliverables under section 2 c. A competitive fee to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US Dollars, and disaggregated in installments fitting the submission of deliverables under section 2, not exceeding US$ 7,000 d. This Individual Consultant contract is for a period of 3 months. SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. UNESCO applies a zero tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieve and sustain gender parity among its staff members in all categories and at all grades. Furthermore, UNESCO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non-and under-represented Member States (last update here) are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. Worldwide mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. APPLY HERE

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