Consultant on Strategic Communications and Institutional Positioning

Result of Service

The Consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables: 1. Draft a report on Strategic Landscape and Forward Positioning, mapping the institutional, regional and intellectual terrain ESCWA will speak into, identifying the openings created by UN80, UN 2.0, Arab Vision 2045 operationalization, and the lead-in to the SDG Summit 2027, with recommendations on where ESCWA should claim leadership. 2. Prepare an Institutional Positioning Framework document (2026 to 2030), on ESCWA’s distinctive voice, signature themes, and value proposition under the new Executive Secretary, built with contemporary place and nation branding methods (competitive identity, reputation over promotion, narrative-led positioning), anchored in UN80, Arab Vision 2045, and the 2030 Agenda. 3. Draft Editorial Line materials for the Executive Secretary (reference documents) setting out voice, key messages, recurring framings, and intellectual anchors across the term. 4. Design the Road Flagship, a practical roadmap covering the build-up to the flagship convening, with strategic communication priorities, narrative arc, and key milestones. 5. Prepare the AI Flagship and Communications Blueprint. The regional AI position and Just Financing for AI connected to the strategic narrative and to the fast-moving regional and global AI agenda; a practical plan for AI-enabled communication, multilingual production, and capacity across the 21 Member States; and a measurement layer that benchmarks reputation and narrative reach so positioning rests on evidence. Includes one finished pilot output. 6. Develop the Communication Design System. An evolution of ESCWA’s look and feel into a coherent design system that works across Arabic, English and French, meets accessibility standards, and stays within the UN visual identity guidelines, applied across the Commission’s reports, digital channels, and the Executive Secretary’s outputs. Attribution of Authorship The intellectual property of the outputs delivered from this consultancy remains the property of UN ESCWA.

Work Location

Hybrid: UN-House/Remote

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Background and Objective The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is entering a new strategic phase, taking place within a rapidly evolving multilateral and regional context. In this regard, ESCWA seeks to strengthen its strategic communications, institutional positioning, and regional narrative coherence to reinforce its leadership role and amplify impact across its 21 Member States. The Commission’s communications need to position ESCWA to lead through this window. The region is navigating compound transitions (climate adaptation, post-conflict recovery, fiscal stress, demographic change, and digital and AI transformation) that cross every line of policy and every Member State. Key institutional and regional developments in...