Communications Strategy Consulant

Job Description

Sesame Workshop is seeking a Communications Strategy Consultant (individual or agency) to design and propose a 12-month messaging campaign to amplify Ahlan Simsim's impact and influence. This contract term is for 2 months.

The main purpose of this campaign is to utilize a cumulative package of content that reflects Ahlan Simsim's learnings. This will be used to elevate stories from different levels and stakeholders of the project to:
• Elevate and reinforce the importance of ECD in humanitarian settings and position Ahlan Simsim and the IRC + Sesame Workshop partnership as a groundbreaking project in increasing the awareness of ECD globally
• Highlight how effective and flexible funding and philanthropy can have an exponential impact
• Build awareness of the transformative potential of the Ahlan Simsim program among funders and implementers, and facilitate engagement with potential supports
Overview

Ahlan Simsim is a groundbreaking, innovative Early Childhood Development partnership between Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee. The project's origins are ones of ambition, creativity and innovation that come together to make a concrete difference in children's lives in the Middle East and help transform the humanitarian sector by prioritizing early childhood development in crisis and conflict setting project started in 2018 after winning the inaugural 100&Change award from the MacArthur Foundation and was followed by and additional investment by the LEGO foundation to catalyze the initial investment for even bigger impact.

The project is now in its fifth year (of six years) and has a wealth of learning, research and experience that project partners are keen to communicate broadly to fully deliver on the promise of the project to influence the Humanitarian sector at large and promote sustainability of Ahlan Simsim. In line with this objective, Sesame Workshop and IRC will organize a workstream that will allow for us to amplify our impact and influence. This workstream will draw from existing work on advocacy, research, learning and the overall experience of the Ahlan Simsim project in implementing effective and quality-driven ECD programming.

Responsibilities
Over a two-month period, this individual or entity will generate the strategy and plan for a 12-month campaign. An estimate of resources (human and financial) required to carry out the proposed plan must be provided.

The campaign designed must:
• Share Ahlan Simsim learning, impact, and stories with a variety of stakeholders
• Focus on the specific experience and success of Ahlan Simim
• Take into consideration strategic time points and intervals
• Give specific focus to storytelling, branding/marketing strategy, content development, production, and dissemination support, through communication engagement in traditional and social media

The Communications Strategy Consultancy will support engagement in:
• Communications/campaign[1] design in line with campaign requirements listed above
• Targeted recommendations on when and how to share information in creative ways, grounded in a clear assessment of why, to ensure we are maximizing resources
• Supporting the partnership to prepare for different targets and options for sharing impact research; with several Impact Evaluations set to finalize in the coming 4-6 months, we want to maximize our ability to share findings appropriate and relatable for different audiences and groups

Qualifications

Role Requirements:
• Demonstrated experience in strategic communications
• Strong understanding of the INGO, UN, and humanitarian landscape, including with existing ECDiE coalitions and partnerships such as the Moving Minds Alliance, INEE, and ECDAN
• Demonstrated strategic planning capacity
• English and Arabic fluency essential
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills
• Strict adherence to confidentiality
• Creative thinker with a demonstrated track record of out-of-the-box approaches
• Ability to work remotely and across time zones.

Preferred candidates will have:
• Possess knowledge on the MENA region.

Budget: Please also send a written proposal that includes a comprehensive rate/budget (inclusive of any travel or related expenses)

How to Apply:

Applicants should submit a proposal with a clear plan for and ways of meaningfully responding to the above points and include a topline roadmap for the work. We encourage applicants to think about this work in a way that elevates messaging and identifies proposed outcomes. Messaging and assets should be simple, user-friendly, and easily translatable between Arabic and English.

Please submit applications applying online no later than 9/31/22

Terms of Proposal Submission:

The selected service provider will enter into a professional services agreement with Sesame Workshop in accordance with the requirements, terms, and conditions of this RFP, amongst other terms. By submitting a Proposal, Service provider is acknowledging and agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

Proposal Submission Information

This RFP is not an offer to contract. Sesame Workshop is under no obligation to Service Provider until a written contract is entered into by Sesame Workshop and Service Provider. Sesame Workshop is not obligated to consider or accept any Proposal from a Service Provider even if all requirements stated in the RFP are satisfied by Service Provider. No agreement to pay any compensation shall be implied from Sesame Workshop's consideration of the Proposal or from the failure of Sesame workshop to respond after receiving the Proposal. Service Provider will retain a copy of its Proposal and Service Provider hereby releases Sesame Workshop from any liability for loss of, or damage to the copy of the Proposal that is submitted to Sesame Workshop.
Original Content in Proposal

Service Provider represents that the content of the Proposal is original with the Service Provider (other than any included materials which are based on or associated with any Sesame Workshop intellectual property) and that no person or entity other than the Service Provider has collaborated in creating the Proposal or has any ownership rights in the Proposal. Service Provider agrees not to sub-contract out any work in connection with its Proposal unless otherwise agreed to, in advance and in writing, by Sesame Workshop.

Confidentiality
Information provided by Sesame Workshop to Service Provider in connection with the RFP process, including the RFP documents, is confidential to Sesame Workshop. Service Provider will not disclose such confidential information to any third party without Sesame Workshop's prior written consent, will use such confidential information solely to respond to the RFP, and will take all reasonable measures to maintain the confidentiality of the confidential information.

Valid Offer Period
The budget and all other terms and conditions stated in your Proposal must remain valid for 90 days from the date of delivery of the Proposal to Sesame Workshop.

Right of Rejection
Sesame Workshop reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses to this RFP and to enter into discussions and/or negotiations with one or more Service Provider at the same time. Additionally, Sesame Workshop reserves the right to amend or withdraw this RFP in whole or in part, at any time prior to entering a contract with a Service Provider. Expenses incurred in the preparation of Proposals in response to this RFP are the Service Provider sole responsibility.

Work-Made-For-Hire
Any contract to be entered into between Sesame Workshop and a Service Provider will be for work provided solely as work-made-for-hire, with ownership and all rights belonging to Sesame Workshop

Equal Opportunity Employer/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-re5e98-3-14-70-203-42 in your application.