Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :

• democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
• peace, stability, and security ;
• climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
• health and human development ;

In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results. 

General objectives 

The objective of this assignment is to support communication and visibility efforts of C4CA, following the EU and Global Gateway strategies, and in line with Expertise France communications guidelines.

The expert will also support coordination of the consortium communications actions and help ensure harmonised and coherent messages in the project events, activities and visibility materials.

Specific objectives and main duties 

As part of the assignment, the expert will carry out the following activities:

1.     Reviewing and Editing the Presentations, and Reports

Review and edit the presentations, and reports, including:

·       Reviewing and editing the draft Inception Report;

·       Reviewing and editing the draft Annual Report;

·     Reviewing and editing the presentations for the project components and activities implemented by the Expertise France;

·       Providing templates for presentations to other C4CA project partners and checking consistency of the project branding policy with the EU Delegation requirements.

2.     Develop the C4CA Communication & Visibility Strategy

Develop a comprehensive communication and visibility strategy aligned with the C4CA project objectives and EU guidelines to maximize its visibility and outreach, including:

·       Defining the desired outcomes and objectives of the communication efforts.

·       Identifying and analysing the target audiences for the communication campaign.

·   Creating clear, engaging and tailored key messages and contents that resonate with the target audiences that highlight the programme goals, achievements and impact, directed to diverse audiences.

·       Identifying the most appropriate communication channels (e.g., social media, email, press releases) to reach the international and local/national target partners/audiences.

·       Overall approach for communication efforts.   

·       Ensuring that the relevant C&V activities are formulated and rolled-out to reach the objectives set in the project logframe and work plans.

·       Ensuring consistency and alignment with the project’s overall goals and values.

·       Defining metrics and methods to measure the effectiveness of the communication strategy.

3.     Develop the C4CA Communication & Visibility Action Plan

Develop the project communication action plan and its budget, outlining the specific activities, tasks, timelines, responsible parties, and resources required to implement the communication strategy, in consultation with the project PMU and component teams, the Expertise France et EU communication focal points.

A communication action plan will include:

·      Listing specific tasks and activities that need to be completed to execute the communication strategy.

·       Establishing milestones and deadlines for each task or activity to ensure timely execution.

·       Assigning individuals or teams responsible for carrying out each task.

·      Allocating necessary resources, such as budget, manpower, and tools, to support the communication efforts.

·     Establishing monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track progress, assess performance, and report on the outcomes of the communication activities.

4.     Support and coordinate communication and visibility actions

·       Support the operational teams with developing or updating ad-hoc communications materials for the project activities (press releases, social medial posts, articles, flyers, etc.).

·       Support events organization, in particular by identifying communications needs for action, identifying and managing relevant service providers for external services (video production, photography, graphic design, etc.).

·       Produce and regularly update the C4CA C&V materials kit (project leaflet, web page, roll-ups)

·       Coordinate and support communications efforts by the implementing team, including the consortium members.

Coordination arrangements

The Communication Expert will report to the Deputy Team Leader (Expertise France), based in Astana, Kazakhstan.

In order to draft a well-informed Strategy and Action Plan fully reflecting the spirit of the project, the Expert will work closely with the C4CA team members.

The expert will also have to coordinate with the EU and Expertise France in-house communication focal points to ensure alignment with existing guidelines, as well as with stakeholders and partner organizations in partner countries should that be necessary to gather any relevant additional information.

The timeline for this assignment is six months from October 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026. Indicative deadlines for the deliverables (subject to adjustments):

Expertise France is the French public international cooperation agency. It designs and implements projects which aim to contribute to the sustainable development of partner countries, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of France’s external action.

The Digital Connectivity for Central Asia (C4CA) action, implemented by Expertise France alongside a consortium of four European cooperation agencies, funded by the European Union, aims to support digitally-driven socio-economic inclusion in Central Asia, by fostering safe and inclusive satellite connectivity access and use, particularly for women youth and further marginalised groups.

Launched in January 2025 for a duration of four years, with a total budget of 20 million EUR, C4CA offers to collaborate with Central Asian stakeholders on four key priorities:

1.  To foster the development and use of ICT connectivity through the development of policies and regulations.

2.    Improve transparent and inclusive access to connectivity services, focusing on rural areas, gender equality and marginalised right-holders.

3.    Promote the use of satellite-enabled technologies to foster local digital innovations.

4.    Build cybersecurity capacity and awareness, and establish comprehensive cybersecurity frameworks

Ensuring effective communication and visibility of the project's activities is a critical component of the project's success.

Qualifications and skills required

·      Master's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, international cooperation, or a related field.

·  Proven experience (10+ years) in communications, public relations, or marketing, preferably in the context of development projects or international organizations.

·     Proven record of developing successful communication strategies and action plans for complex projects funded by the EU and other development agencies.

·       Proven knowledge of the area of STEM, digitalization, or similar.

·     Strong understanding of audience segmentation and ability to tailor messages to different stakeholder groups.

·       Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail.

·       Fluency English (read, written and spoken).

·       Proficiency in utilizing communication tools, platforms, and technologies.

·       Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to multitask and meet deadlines.

·       Creative problem-solver with a results-oriented mindset.

·       Familiarity with digital marketing, social media, and content creation is advantageous.

·       Familiarity with the Central Asian ecosystem would be an advantage.

·       Strong writing skills with the ability to craft compelling and clear messages for different audiences.

·       Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment.

The contract will be signed for approximatively 60 workdays not to exceed 39 999€ (excl. VAT), depending on the unit price agreed between the expert and the Expertise France.

The contract duration is 6 months, subject to availability of funds. It could be extended upon mutual agreement of the parties, subject to availability of funds.

Tasks will be assigned based on needs and launched through purchase orders.

Desired start date of the service: October 1, 2025.

Type of contract: service contract

Documents to be supplied:

·       CV

·       Technical and financial offer including:

ü  An implementation schedule

ü  Fees

Candidates interested in this opportunity are invited to submit their application as soon as possible. Expertise France reserves the right to pre-select candidates before the deadline for applications. If you do not receive a reply from us within 3 weeks after deadline, please consider that your application has been unsuccessful.

A shortlist will be drawn up by Expertise France. If needed, the shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.