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Background:
UNFPA Pakistan is implementing its Ninth Country Programme (2018-2022) with the goal to support Pakistan’s commitments to achieving 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Pakistan has embarked upon the agenda along with bold actions to address development issues, in which balanced population growth and fundamental change in tackling the needs of women, children and youth take a central place.

The complex nature of the issues related to population dynamics, family planning, gender-based violence and harmful practices, youth development, health and education requires engagement at all levels of government institutions, academia, civil society and communities.

In its advocacy efforts to accelerate family planning programming in the country, UNFPA in its current Country Programme continues to position FP in the national development agenda as a shared priority across all provincial development programs and strengthen national and provincial policies.

UNFPA has supported the Government of Pakistan in developing strategies and communication tools to facilitate informed advocacy and programming on population and development issues, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and gender equality. These resources include but are not limited to support to government institutions in legislative, policy and systems strengthening, evidence generation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation to; Advocacy strategy for Family Planning in Pakistan, National Narrative on population growth, Pakistan’s commitments against ICPD Nairobi Summit, Political Economy Analysis, Communication and Advocacy Strategy on Population Growth, Cost benefit Analysis on FP for Sindh and under joint programmes developed Strategic frameworks on Gender and GBV such as on Child Marriage, Gender based violence and articulating theories of change to design policy and strategic interventions that improve the lives of women and girls, including adolescents and promoting inclusive development. (The reference to some of these materials are annexed below).

In line with CCI recommendations and alignment to the National Narrative on Population Growth, the Sindh Government developed a Sindh Narrative that builds upon fundamental theme of “maternal and child health (MCH) and human rights”. UNFPA has engaged extensively in the Communication Sub-Group under Sindh FP2020 to provide its technical insights in developing this narrative to improve the family planning and reproductive health status in Sindh, contributing to sustainable social development and FP2020 Commitments.

All these strategies and studies emphasize central role of media in advancing FP issues, increasing awareness, advocacy and sensitization. Media being the crucial stakeholder has critical and important role in strengthening policy and advocacy efforts and maximizing the policy and community interventions in the area of family planning, population dynamics, gender mainstreaming, reproductive health and women’s and girls’ empowerment. There is a strong need in partnership and continuous engagement with media. It is equally important to strengthen capacity, raise awareness of media practitioners on population dynamics, GBV and women’s and girls’ empowerment.

The objective of the media engagement initiatives, as elaborated further in the ToRs, is to establish a sustained and constructive partnership with media on a continuous basis to promote debate on population issues, to encourage emerging diverse community voices, and to enhance the media reporting on impact of family planning programmes in Pakistan on sustainable development.

UNFPA Sub-Office Sindh organized a Media training in October 2019 for media personnel (print, TV and radio journalists). The aim of the training was to orient and to sensitize the journalists on population issues, including family planning, sexual and reproductive health and rights that is accurate, informed, and locally relevant and with a human-interest focus as well as to harness and expand individual commitment of media practitioners on population development issues. This experience further validates the view that a structured approach is required for media engagement and sensitization with the ultimate goal to bring population issues in the lime light and to expand the coverage on population issues.

In this respect, UNFPA Sub-Office Sindh intends to hire services of a national consultant for support in developing a Media Engagement Strategy and 2-year Action Plan that will guide UNFPA Sindh in engaging the media practitioners and development partners on working together to advance the ICPD agenda.

Scope of Work:
Under the overall supervision of the Head of Sub- Office Sindh and in close collaboration with the UNFPA Office in Islamabad, the consultant will be responsible to:

• Develop Media Engagement Framework and 2-year Action Plan in Sindh province.
• Design, organize and moderate a Media dialogue on strategic engagement of media in addressing population development issues
• Design, organize and moderate a Stakeholder consultation with policy makers and development partners on role of the media
• Design, organize and moderate a Dissemination workshop of the Media Engagement Strategy and Rollout Plan.

In execution of the agreed tasks and expected deliverables, the consultant has to ensure the Media Engagement Strategy and Action Plan is relevant to UNFPA’s mandate, mission and operations in Sindh, including humanitarian contexts and informed by the consultations with stakeholders and media practitioners.

Place where services are to be delivered:
The Consultant will deliver services at Karachi with field visits to two select districts, if required .

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements

Education

Advanced University degree in mass communications, public relations, and journalism or communication sciences.

Work Experience

At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in communication, public and media relations and institutional communication

A sound demonstrated experience/understanding of UNFPA mandate and operations, the current development matters, socio-economic and political issues in the country, particularly in Sindh.

Excellent interpersonal communication with strong analytical skills, including writing, editing and research abilities in English.

Strong communications approaches for planning, executing, and monitoring of advocacy and communications strategies.

Proven ability to develop approaches and materials for diverse target audiences, including messaging on culturally sensitive issues;

Solid knowledge of web production/social media/multimedia tools.

Functional competencies:
Results-based programme development and implementation.

Advocacy/Advancing a policy oriented agenda

Building strategic partnerships.

Innovation, visibility communications and marketing of new approaches.

Core Competencies:
Values: Integrity/Commitment to mandate, Knowledge sharing/Continuous learning, Valuing diversity

Managing Relationships: Working in teams, Communicating information and ideas, Conflict and self-management

Working with people: Empowerment/Developing people/Performance management

Personal Leadership and Effectiveness: Strategic and analytical thinking, Results orientation/Commitment to excellence, Appropriate and transparent decision making

Languages:
Fluency in English is essentially required. Working knowledge of Urdu is essential. Understanding of Sindhi and/or other local languages will be an added advantage.