Crisis Communicаtions Expert

Chemonics International Inc. is looking for a qualified professional to fill the position Crisis Communicаtions Expert

Estimated Period of Performance/Level of Effort

25 days.

Background:

The USAID Democratic Governance East Activity (DG East) aims to strengthen the connection and trust between citizens and their government in eastern and southern Ukraine by promoting an inclusive civic identity, common civic values and a unified Ukraine by addressing the divisive impacts of the ongoing unjustified war against Ukraine through increased citizen participation, improved service delivery and more responsive governance. DG East works to (1) develop greater acceptance of a shared civic culture based on common values and understandings, and to (2) increase participation to improve Ukraine’s governance and reform processes and help to resolve community problems. DG East provides opportunities for citizens to engage with their government, provide government with resources to support their citizens, and create opportunities for citizens of Ukraine to create hope in their future and positive changes in their daily lives. DG East activities are implemented across four regional portfolios and a physical office located in Kyiv.

In April 2022, Kherson State University (KhSU) relocated to Ivano-Frankivsk, due to restrictions imposed by Russia on the use of the Ukrainian language and Ukrainian curriculum in educational institutions in Kherson City.  This made it impossible to continue teaching at the university’s premises. Teachers, and students, who did not support the occupation authorities, feared for their lives and had to leave Kherson. Additionally, academic courses could not take place due to a ban on group gatherings and lack of Internet in the city. Therefore, in April, some of the university’s staff and students left the occupied city. while others who couldn’t leave participated in classes, remotely. 

At  early November 2022, Kherson was liberated. Currently, residents are facing daily power outages, water shortages heating issues. communication problems and lack of internet access. The university’s premises were not suitable for work or study as equipment, and furniture were stolen or lost during the occupation. As a result, the university plans to continue operating from Ivano-Frankivsk until the situation in Kherson improves. It is currently unsafe to live in Kherson as the Russian military forces remain on the other side of the Dnipro River and the city is under constant fire from Russian artillery and rockets. 

As of December 2022, KhSU is conducting the educational and scientific activities in Ivano-Frankivsk. Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University has provided the university with accommodation and premises for educational purposes. In July and August, the university successfully recruited students for bachelor’s and master’s courses. During the past 9 months of occupation, the university lost most of its educational materials and equipment, and the administration needs to restore academic work. Additionally, teachers and students are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and need to adjust to a new cultural environment and adapt to new living conditions under martial law. 

KhSU in partnership with USAID/DG East will create an Educational and Cultural Hub called “Interesting Ukraine”. The hub has two goals: 1) Create a public space for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the history and culture of Ukraine, and 2) Assist IDPs from the south of Ukraine in adapting to their new living conditions and fostering dialogue between representatives of south and western Ukraine.  

Purpose of Assignment:

The purpose of the activity is to improve the capacity of KhSU staff’s to manage resources efficiently, develop new soft skills to handle new tasks effectively and enhance their knowledge in crisis management communications.

The selected expert will be expected to provide support and expertise to KhSU specifically in developing a communication plan and offering guidance on crisis communications. They will also conduct training for  20 staff members on the following topics:

• Crisis Communications Strategy
• Developing an Information Campaign
• Social Media Marketing (SMM)

The task can be divided into several stages as follows:

1. Evaluate KhSU capacities, tasks performance and engagement with the public and constituencies.
2. Develop methodical materials for conducting an informational and educational event including three modules as follows: Crisis Communications; Developing an Information Campaign and Social Media Marketing (SMM).
3. Conduct thematic training after the approval of pre-developed materials.
4. Provide mentor support to train personnel.
5. Develop the Communication Plan and Guidance on Crisis Communication.
6. Write a report based on the work completed.

Detailed Tasks:

The Crisis Communication Expert will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Consult closely with the KhSU and DG East team – The consultant will meet with representative of KhSU and the DG East team. The aim of the meetings is to understand KhSU’s needs and goals and come up with a specific list of topics to include in each training course. The consultant shall propose a training curriculum, devoted to building the university staff’s capacity in each training topic.  
2. Develop the training plan for each session – The consultant will develop a detailed content of the training including: an abstract of the theoretical part of the training, a Power Point presentation and a list of recommended resources for each training. The final content for trainings must be approved by KhSU’s vice-rector for international, social-humanitarian and scientific-pedagogical work.
3. Conduct a three-day online training for 20 KhSU employees. The training course consists of three modules as follows: Crisis Communications; Developing an Information Campaign and Social Media Marketing (SMM).

The first training day should cover the following aspects:

• Crisis communication for universities
• Internal and external communication
• Organization of the crisis communication system
• Peculiarities of communication with different target audiences during a crisis, and cooperation with the mass media
• Content development
• Combating fake information and strategies to counter information manipulation

The second training day will cover the following aspects:

• Effective communication campaign
• Target audience, structure, and key elements of a successful communication campaign
• Media planning and press releases
• Content development

The third training day will cover the following aspects:

• Main communication methods and channels
• The role of social media in universities operations and benefits
• Communication content

Methodology of the Training course:

• Theory – Approximately 50% of the time.
• Practice – Approximately 50% of the time.

4. Develop a communication plan. It will be an internal document for KhSU staff.
5. The document should include the following chapters: Introduction, Communication Plan Objectives, Situation Analysis, Target Audience and Stakeholder Analysis, Communication Campaign. Recommendations.
6. Develop Guidance on Crisis Communication6. Provide mentor support for the trained personnel.
7. Provide the final report.

Deliverables

The expected deliverables of the assignment include the following:

1. Activity program and timeline.
2. Analysis report that includes evaluation of the KhSU capacities, tasks and duties performance and engagement with the public and constituencies.
3. Methodology of the interactive training with a detailed program.
4. Training materials for the trainings – Power Point presentations, training evaluation forms, list of participants, including screenshots.
5. Three-day training for 20 participants.
6. Communication Plan
7. Guidance on Crisis Communication
8. Expert’s final report, which should include description of all stages of work with recommendations to DG East on how to use the results obtained by the trainings and any improvements and modifications needed in the future to address issues of gender equity more effectively.

Supervision and Reporting:

The Crisis Communication Expert will report to the Regional Director and will work closely with DG East’s Governance Specialist.

Level of Effort:

A total of 25 days of Level of Effort.

Place of Performance 

The assignment will take place remotely.

Timeframe:

The timeframe for this assignment will be on/about May 2024 – June 2024.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to [email protected]  with Crisis Communications Expert listed in the subject line by May 1, 2024. Candidates must ensure that CV does *not* include a photograph, date of birth, and/or marital status information.

No telephone inquiries, please. Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and only finalists will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.