Purpose of Consultancy

The consultant will support UNFPA APRO’s Humanitarian Team to deliver high-quality humanitarian communications in 2026, with a focus on consolidating and showcasing results, impact, and learning from Phase III of the Regional Prepositioning Initiative (RPI) and other humanitarian responses. The consultancy will strengthen advocacy, donor visibility, and partnerships through compelling, ethical, and evidence-based communications on SRH, GBV, and inclusive humanitarian preparedness and response across Asia and the Pacific.

Scope of Work
APRO seeks a consultant to produce communications and advocacy materials highlighting UNFPA’s humanitarian preparedness, response, and resilience-building work across Asia and the Pacific. In 2026- the final year of the DFAT-funded flagship initiative, the Regional Prepositioning Initiative (RPI) Phase III (2021-2026) - communications will place particular emphasis on consolidating achievements, documenting good practices and lessons learned, and demonstrating value for money and impact. This is aligned with the UNFPA-DFAT Joint Humanitarian Communications and Visibility Strategy for the RPI, agreed with the donor as a core priority for the regional initiative.

Continuing the Regional Prepositioning Initiative into this final phase further strengthens humanitarian preparedness and response across the region, while advancing innovative practices in cash and voucher assistance (CVA), anticipatory action, and accountability to affected populations (AAP). The RPI empowers civil society organisations, women-led organisations, disability organisations, and national governments to strengthen preparedness and response capacities amid increasing climate-related shocks, conflict, and intersecting vulnerabilities faced by women, girls, and marginalised populations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Key deliverables under the 2026 consultancy will include multimedia content (including video, digital, and social media products), human-interest stories, and publications that aim to:

• Raise awareness among key target audiences that investing in SRH and GBV services in emergency preparedness and response is critical and lifesaving. 
• Advocate for sustained and forward-looking prioritisation of SRH and GBV in emergencies, including risk-informed and anticipatory approaches, with partner governments, donors and other partners and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the value, impact, and learning from investments in UNFPA’s humanitarian work, including the Regional Prepositioning Initiative and other donor funded humanitarian initiatives.
• Highlight innovative practices related to CVA, anticipatory action, AAP, and inclusive preparedness. 
• Increase visibility of UNFPA’s humanitarian leadership and partnerships across preparedness, response, and resilience-strengthening.

Background
Asia and the Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world. Climate-related hazards, protracted crises, and conflict continue to affect millions of people each year, with women and girls disproportionately impacted. UNFPA provides lifesaving SRH assistance and prevents, mitigates, and responds to GBV in emergencies, working across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

Through a strong focus on preparedness, disaster risk reduction, inclusive partnerships, innovation, and health system resilience, UNFPA supports governments and partners to ensure that women, girls, and marginalised populations affected by emergencies have access to protection, dignity, and essential services. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of hazards across the region, there is an increasing need for strong, strategic communications that highlight effective preparedness, anticipatory action, and inclusive humanitarian responses.

To increase readership, engagement, and visibility of humanitarian content—both internally and externally—APRO will continue to develop and disseminate compelling communications products through UNFPA digital platforms, social media channels, UNFPA Asia Pacific website, the internal Asia Pacific Humanitarian Community Site, and relevant regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms.

Expected Deliverables

By the end of the consultancy, it is expected that the consultant will deliver:
Humanitarian Preparedness, Response, and Learning

•  Documentation of good practices, lessons learned, and innovations from RPI Phase III and other responses,  including preparedness, rapid response, and system-strengthening efforts across selected countries and thematic areas. (22 days)
• Human-interest stories and case studies demonstrating how preparedness and response investments empower national governments, civil society organisations, women-led organisations, and disability organisations. (10 days)  
• Documentation and storytelling highlighting accountability to affected populations (AAP), gender equality, disability and social inclusion, cash and voucher assistance (CVA), and anticipatory and risk-informed action. (20 days)

Multimedia and Digital Content

• At least 20 social media and digital assets (e.g. cards, infographics, short videos) aligned with key humanitarian milestones, events and international days in 2026 (such as World Humanitarian Day, Menstrual Hygiene Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities). (12 days)
• Visual assets (photo essays, short videos, infographics) showcasing good practices on prepositioning, last-mile delivery, and inclusive humanitarian action. (10 days)
• Visual assets (photo essays, short videos, infographics) showcasing “hero stories” of humanitarian leaders, frontline responders, national partners, and women and girls affected by various crises across the region. (10 days)

Surge and Rapid Communications Support

• Communications, advocacy, and donor-facing products for sudden-onset or large-scale humanitarian crises, as required. (8 days)
• Editorial and messaging support for regional advocacy moments, events, and partnerships. (10 days)

Field Documentation and Capacity Strengthening

• Photo and/or video mission(s), subject to access and security considerations, to document humanitarian action and support in-country communications capacity strengthening.
   

The specific deliverables will be developed in discussion with the selected consultant and may be adjusted depending on programmatic needs. The number of days per payment instalment will be certified by the APRO Humanitarian Team based on deliverables submitted.

Duration and working schedule

January to December 2026. The retainer contract will be valid throughout the period and will include up to 102 working days.

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline

While some of the deliverables are identified in advance, others are identified on an as-needed basis, due to the unpredictable nature of sudden onset emergencies in the region. A workplan and delivery monitoring schedule will be agreed at the outset of the consultancy. Progress will be tracked against agreed deliverables, with regular check-ins with the APRO Humanitarian Team.

Supervisory arrangements

The consultant will report to the Regional Humanitarian Advisor, UNFPA APRO, in close coordination with the Humanitarian Project Coordinator and the APRO Communications team.

Expected travel

The assignment is home-based with the possibility of mission travel, subject to security conditions and UNFPA travel policies.

Inputs to be provided by UNFPA

UNFPA APRO will provide strategic guidance, editorial feedback, UNFPA branding guidelines, and access to relevant documentation and focal points. The consultant is expected to provide all necessary equipment and software to deliver the outputs.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

● Master’s degree or higher in communications, journalism, international affairs, or a related field. 
 

Knowledge and Experience: 

● A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience, including demonstrated expertise in humanitarian communications and multimedia production. 

● Strong understanding of UNFPA’s mandate areas of SRH and GBV, and humanitarian preparedness and response. 

● Proven ability to produce compelling, ethical, and human-centred storytelling.

● Strong writing, editing, design, and multimedia skills, with a professional portfolio. 

● Experience working with the UN or international organisations, particularly UNFPA, is preferred.

● Experience communicating climate-related, disaster risk, or preparedness issues is an asset. 

● Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and meet tight deadlines.

● Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.

Languages: 

English proficiency is mandatory.
 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.