Job Posting 

Basic Job Information

Job Title: Senior Communications Consultant                          Location: Prishtina, Kosovo
Position Type: Consultant                                                             Job Stage: Currently Open
Category: N/A                                                                                  Number of positions available: 1
Employee Status: N/A                                                                    Close Date: 10/24/2024

Senior Communications Consultant 

Democracy International (DI) is seeking to hire a Senior Communications Consultant to work with 15 partner municipalities – hereinafter the Consultant – for the Social Contract Activity in Kosovo. This position is open to citizens of Kosovo only. The USAID/Kosovo Social Contract Activity introduces sustainable practices for public participation to improve Kosovo citizens’ quality of life and strengthen their partnership with the municipal government. The Activity encompasses a system’s thinking approach to lower behavioral, institutional, and environmental barriers and amplifies existing facilitators for public participation while bridging the communication gaps between communities and municipalities. Further, the Activity enables municipal officials and community members to collaboratively identify key problems facing their community, craft action plans to address the identified issues and work side-by-side to implement them and improve the existing mechanisms for public participation. The USAID Social Contract Activity is divided into three phases.

During Phase 1 in Years 1-3, the team worked with five pilot municipalities and respective community stakeholders to codevelop, test, and evaluate Public Participation Action Plans, also called Social Contract Agendas. During Phase 2 in Years 2-4, the team works with the first five scale-up municipalities and their respective community members to develop Social Contract Agendas by employing successful practices and lessons learned from the five pilot municipalities. Lastly, during Phase 3 in Years 3-5, the Activity will further scale up the same activities to five additional municipalities (the second scale-up). During Years 3-5, the team will provide limited support to and monitoring of the progress made by the five pilot municipalities. Finally, by the last year of the Activity, it is anticipated that the municipal government officials and community members (1) have established successful practices for public participation, (2) can collaboratively engage with each other through the strengthened public participation mechanisms, and consensus building, and as a result (3) identify and solve problems in their respective communities effectively.

The Consultant will assist in promoting community issues related to the Social Contract Agenda, the nomination process for non-financial awards and the subsequent awardees, the participatory budgeting process and associated projects, as well as to familiarize citizens with the work of Nudge Units. The recently completed mid-term learning assessment in September 2024 has highlighted the achievements and recommendations of the Social Contract Activity. The assessment indicates the necessity for the Activity to involve mayors, municipal officials, and citizens in each partner municipality in an extensive media campaign. This campaign aims to showcase successful interventions and cultivate a sense of cooperation between citizens and local governments. By promoting the community issues outlined in the Social Contract Agendas through television and radio programs and municipal social media platforms, those involved, particularly those who have pledged their commitment, can emphasize their accomplishments and illustrate the positive changes resulting from their endeavors. Additionally, the Activity should urge municipalities to adopt a similar approach to highlight the successful execution of projects chosen through participatory budgeting. This will further reinforce community involvement and transparency. he Activity works in the following municipalities:   Pilot Phase: Pristina, Prizren, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Suhareka/Suva Reka, and Obiliq/Obilić   First Scale-Up Phase: Ferizaj/Urosevich, Gjakova/Ɖakovica, Vushtrri/Vučitrn, Viti/Vitina, Kamenicë/Kamenica   Final Scale-Up Phase: Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje, Rahovec/Orahovac, Gračanica/Graçanica/, Klokot/Kllokot, Shtime/Shtimlje

Key Tasks and Responsibilities: 

The Senior Communications Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks: 

• Develop and present a thorough communication plan to municipal leaders. This plan will emphasize essential messages, target audiences, and channels to effectively promote their work and accomplishments supported by the USAID Social Contract Activity. Additionally, the plan should outline how communication efforts will foster positive relationships between municipalities, citizens, and media outlets.
• Create a comprehensive timeline outlining the communication activities for each partner municipality. This timeline should include key milestones, events, and media opportunities. It is essential to coordinate the schedule to guarantee that all municipalities maintain a consistent media presence and receive adequate coverage.
• Establish and maintain robust relationships with media outlets to secure regular coverage of municipal activities supported by the USAID Social Contract Activity across the 15 municipalities. Proactively identify significant topics and success stories within the municipalities to showcase in the media. Continuously monitor media trends and adjust the communication approach to sustain positive engagement with local and national media.
• Develop and tailor articles, press releases, and news updates for each municipality, emphasizing the specific influence of USAID Social Contract Activity supported initiatives. Guarantee prompt dissemination of articles to pertinent media platforms and pursue further coverage to maximize outreach.
• Coordinate with local government representatives to strategize and publicize significant USAID Social Contract Activity-supported events and accomplishments, including organizing public gatherings, seminars, and community assemblies. Organize media updates, press briefings, and interviews to generate interest and media coverage for noteworthy municipal endeavors.
• Arrange interviews with municipal officials to review USAID Social Contract Activity-supported accomplishments, ensuring that the officials are thoroughly briefed to communicate the key messages effectively. Facilitate interviews with local, national, and online media platforms to provide widespread coverage.
• Develop clear and engaging communication materials, including press releases, Q&A documents, articles, and fact sheets, to promote USAID Social Contract Activity-supported programming. Collaborate closely with municipal officials to guarantee the accuracy and alignment of all materials with the overall communication strategy.
• To convey key messages effectively, create visually engaging communication materials such as videos (including “reel videos” for social media), infographics, podcast stories, and digital content. Ensure the content is disseminated through various channels, including social media, traditional media, portals, and municipal websites.
• Deliver at least three coaching and training sessions for municipal spokespersons and public information officers on effective communication, public speaking, and media engagement. Additionally, arrange workshops covering crisis communication, message framing, and handling media inquiries. The goal is to improve their skills in drafting press releases and social media content and ensure consistent messaging aligned with USAID Social Contract Activity goals.
• Collaborate with other STTAs contracted by the Social Contract Activity and DI’s Home Office Communications Team to support municipal efforts as needed/relevant. 
• Perform other similar tasks as required by the Social Contract Activity and agreed with municipal authorities. 

The Senior Communications Consultant will report to the Senior Communications Officer. The expected level of effort (LoE) for this commitment will be a maximum of 160 days until June 30, 2026. 

Key Deliverables: 

The Consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:

• Develop a comprehensive work plan encompassing a customized communication strategy and plan for each partner municipality, including key messages and a timeline of activities following the commencement of the engagement.
• Coordinate media coverage and interviews for the key municipal officials and citizens in all 15 municipalities to highlight USAID Social Contract Activity-supported programming. Ensure at least five media appearances per municipality, featuring the mayor, citizens, and municipal officials, showcase the Social Contract Agenda community issues, participatory budgeting process and projects, and nomination/award process for non-financial awards.
• Draft and disseminate at least four articles or press releases per municipality to various media outlets.
• Develop a Final Consultant Report. The Report will provide a comprehensive summary of the consultancy’s purpose, outline the progress made during its duration, and include any other notable observations. It will detail the progress achieved during the consultancy, including a thorough assessment of the issues and problems encountered and the expected follow-up actions. Additionally, it will outline the actions to be performed by counterparts and the lessons learned throughout the process.

Qualifications: 

• This position is open to Kosovo nationals.
• Experience and technical expertise in media, communications, and public consultations.
• A strong background and expertise in communication strategies, campaign planning, and coaching techniques.
• Experience supporting municipal-level government officials/institutions
• Professional fluency in English and Albanian is required.
• Serbian preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience working with USAID preferred. 
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders.

Reporting:

• This position reports to the Chief of Party and Senior Communications Officer.

ApplicationProcess

Interested applicants should submit their CV and a cover letter by October 24, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. DI will only contact candidates of interest.

Democracy International maintains the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

 About the Organization

DI provides technical assistance, analytical services and project implementation for democracy, human rights, governance and conflict mitigation programs worldwide for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department and other development partners. Since its founding in 2003, Democracy International has worked with civil society organizations, political parties, election-management bodies, government agencies, legislatures, justice-sector institutions, and others in 80+ countries.

DI welcomes and supports a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) for all applicants seeking employment and for DI employees. DI makes employment decisions based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, personal appearance, military status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, political affiliation, educational status, unemployment status, place of residence or business, source of income, or reproductive health decision making. Additionally, harassment or discrimination based on these characteristics will not be tolerated at DI. To perform the essential functions of this position, reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities.

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