MEL week 2026 Digital Advocacy, Communications and Awareness raising

Host entity: UNRCO

Application deadline: 09/09/2026

Mission and objectives

MISSION OF UNRCO IN ZIMBABWE & OVERVIEW OF FUNCTIONS :

The Resident Coordination (RC) system aims to bring together the different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level. It comprises a series of global, regional and country-level working mechanisms that provide guidance and support the work of UN Resident Coordinators around the world.

The UN Resident Coordinator (RC) leads the Resident Coordinator System at the country level and represents the UN Secretary General to the Government of Zimbabwe. The RC, as the highest-ranking senior UN official in the country, is the primary interlocutor for the UN Development System with the Head of State and Government.

In Zimbabwe, the RC is responsible for coordinating and providing leadership to the UN Country Team (UNCT) in strategy setting, planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of development programmes at the country level as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2022-2026, which will direct the country’s development priorities over the next years.

The RC also provides leadership on joint communications, advocacy, and resource mobilization efforts. In Zimbabwe, the RC is also the Humanitarian Coordinator, Designated Official for Safety and Security, and Director of the UN Information Centre.

Assignment context

The United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO) Zimbabwe is supporting the second edition of the Zimbabwe Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Week 2026 organized by the Office of the President and Cabinet, National Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Department. The event seeks to promote evidence-based decision making, strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, advance digital transformation, and facilitate learning for improved public sector service delivery and sustainable development outcomes.

The MEL Week brings together government institutions, United Nations agencies, academia, evaluation associations, development partners and practitioners to share experiences and innovations that contribute towards Vision 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063. The Online Volunteer will support advocacy, awareness creation, stakeholder engagement and visibility efforts before, during and after the event.

Task description

We are looking for two Online Volunteers to support digital advocacy, communications, visibility and knowledge management activities for MEL Week 2026.
The Online Volunteers will work closely with the MEL Week Secretariat and communications focal points and will undertake the following tasks:
Before MEL Week (August 2026)
1. Draft promotional messages for Facebook, X, LinkedIn and WhatsApp.
2. Prepare awareness messages on MEL, evidence-based decision making and SDGs.
3. Develop social media hashtags and engagement strategies.
During MEL Week (31 August to 4 September 2026)
1. Produce daily event highlights and summaries.
2. Draft social media posts highlighting key messages from plenary and breakout sessions.
3. Support live digital coverage and stakeholder engagement through online platforms.
4. Compile quotes, success stories and lessons emerging from presentations.
5. Prepare end-of-day communications briefs for publication.
6. Monitor online engagement and compile analytics on reach and engagement.

Special Focus: 2 September 2026 (Official Opening Ceremony)
The official opening ceremony includes the arrival of the Guest of Honour, exhibition tour, keynote address, launch of the KPI Handbook, awards presentations and high-level panel discussions.
The Online Volunteer should specifically:
Before the Ceremony
1. Prepare opening ceremony social media kits.
2. Draft pre-approved posts for senior speakers and dignitaries.
3. Prepare key facts and messages on MEL Week theme.
4. Develop exhibition spotlight content for the UNCT Zimbabwe.
During the Ceremony
1. Provide live updates from the opening proceedings.
2. Produce real-time social media content on:
o Exhibition stand tour especially the UNCT Stand
o Opening remarks with a focus on the UN Resident Coordinator remarks
o Keynote address
o KPI Handbook launch
o Awards presentations
3. Capture and compile key quotes from keynote speakers.
4. Produce rapid success stories highlighting government and UN collaboration.
5. Draft same-day press release content for review by communications teams.

Deliverables
The volunteer is expected to submit:
• MEL Week photo story.
• Stakeholder engagement report.
• Event visibility report.
• Social media analytics report.
• Final MEL Week knowledge and communications package.

Skills and experience

• Communications, media, public relations, M&E knowledge management, journalism, digital marketing or related field.
• Experience producing social media and digital content.
• Graphic design skills (Canva, Adobe Express or similar) are an asset.
• Excellent English writing and editing skills.
• Experience supporting conferences, workshops or development events is desirable.
• Strong interest in monitoring, evaluation, learning, SDGs and development programming.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.