The Digital Citizenship and Media Education Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Terms of Reference. The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.
Home based
Five (5) months
Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. Since 2017, the project Urban, Sustainable, and Inclusive Prosperity in the State of Alagoas – An Integrated Initiative (known as “Visão Alagoas 2030”), a partnership between the State Government and UN-Habitat, has strengthened institutional capacity to plan and implement state public policies aimed at sustainable urban development. Among its initiatives implemented between 2022 and 2023, the programme Digaê! – Youth, Communication, and the City stands out, which trained around 80 young residents from the grotas of Maceió in topics related to the right to the city, communication, and community projects. Through workshops and mentoring, the group of participants collaboratively developed various multimedia contents and organized cultural events reflecting their memories, histories, and narratives related to the grotas. As a record of this process, the publication “Coletânea Memórias e Narrativas das Grotas de Maceió — pelo Olhar das Juventudes” was launched, giving visibility to the voices and experiences of young people in their communities. As a continuation of this initiative, in 2025, the Filmaê project was launched by the State Secretariat of Communication, expanding the training of 24 young participants from the Digaê! programme in specialized areas of audiovisual production and digital communication, which resulted in the creation of promotional materials for the institutional actions of the Government of Alagoas. This project forms part of the actions of the Information Integrity Centre, led by the State Secretariat of Communication and aimed at tackling disinformation and promoting public trust through media and civic education. The Centre is structured into five thematic sub-units, including the Digital Citizenship sub-unit, which builds upon the previous experiences of Digaê! and Filmaê. In this context, the Government of Alagoas intends to establish a State Public Policy on Digital Citizenship. UN-Habitat’s role is to provide specialized support to define the normative framework of the policy and to develop an initial five-year Action Plan, initially structured around axes related to the following themes: digital inclusion, media literacy, civic engagement, strengthening public communication, information integrity, and combating disinformation, among others. To properly implement this initiative, a consultant in Digital Citizenship and Media Education is required to provide technical support in the normative development and initial planning of this policy. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Digital Citizenship and Media Education Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Digital Citizenship and Media Education Consultant will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Develop the consultancy work plan, detailing the stages, methodology, timetable, stakeholders involved in the product’s development, interim deliverables, and other elements necessary for monitoring implementation. b) Conduct a mapping of state initiatives related to digital citizenship, media literacy, and information integrity, including a survey of key concepts and national and international best practices, covering relevant public policies, projects, and programmes. c) Draft the normative document (ordinance, decree, or equivalent) to establish a State Policy on Digital Citizenship in Alagoas, including general guidelines, governance structure, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. d) Formulate a five-year Action Plan for the policy’s implementation, including objectives, indicators, responsibilities, timelines, and other elements necessary for the effective execution of the actions. e) Participate in meetings with UN-Habitat, the Government of Alagoas, and other relevant stakeholders, contributing to technical discussions and formal presentations on the progress and results of the consultancy. f) Conduct technical meetings and other essential activities for the development of the outputs, such as workshops or stakeholder interviews, ensuring dissemination, visibility, and the sharing of lessons learned. g) Deliver all documentation used in the preparation of the report in a detailed and organized manner. h) Systematize and consolidate the outputs into a final synthesis document, to be validated by UN-Habitat and the Government of Alagoas. The Consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The Consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The Digital Citizenship and Media Education Consultant shall assist the implementation of the project, according to the stated responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 – Work Plan Description: The Work Plan must contain: (i) detailed stages, methodology, timetable, stakeholders involved in the product’s development, interim deliverables, and other elements necessary for monitoring implementation; (ii) mapping of state initiatives related to digital citizenship, media literacy, and information integrity, encompassing relevant public policies, projects, and programmes; (iii) identification of key concepts to be addressed; and (iv) compilation of national and international good practices in the field of communication and digital citizenship. Expected delivery date: 15 days after signing the contract. Product 2 – Normative Document of the State Digital Citizenship Policy Draft Description: The Normative Document of the State Digital Citizenship Policy Draft must contain: (i) legal basis with a draft decree, ordinance, or similar normative instrument; (ii) scope and target audience; (iii) overall vision and strategic objectives; (iv) areas of action; (v) governance, monitoring, and evaluation structure; (vi) strategic partnerships and implementation mechanisms, among other elements necessary for its structuring. Expected delivery date: 45 days after signing the contract. Product 3 – Action Plan for Policy Implementation Description: The Action Plan for Policy Implementation must contain: (i) ongoing and planned state initiatives to be carried out by the State Government; (ii) institutional responsibilities; (iii) implementation schedule with phased milestones; (iv) expected outputs/results; (v) mapping of strategic partnerships; (vi) detailed description of at least one strategic initiative, among other elements necessary for its initial implementation. Expected delivery date: 90 days after signing the contract. Product 4 – Consolidation of Digital Citizenship Policy and Action Plan Description: The Consolidation of the Digital Citizenship Policy and Action Plan must contain: the draft policy (Product 2) and Action Plan (Product 3) in a unified document, ready for presentation and official approval by the State Government. Expected delivery date: 120 days after signing the contract.
Education Required
Travel details: The Consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. Remuneration LICA 1
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.