Background
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:
- Develops and coordinates implementation of a strategic advocacy and communication plan in support of the UNCT and RC in Viet Nam
- Provides leadership and advice on strategic approaches to communicating programme activities
- Provides leadership and oversight to three sub-teams to ensure compliance with set objectives
- Oversees the interaction with the UN communications network and regularly interacts with (communications) colleagues in other UN and international agencies, with regional and global offices, and with the media
- Monitors and overall planning and disbursement of joint budget for the One UN Communications Team
Develops and coordinates implementation of strategic advocacy and communication plans, including communication assessment and analysis, development of advocacy and communication plans, strategic use of resources and involvement in key programme processes, in close consultation with the UNCT and Communication Liaison Officers, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Clear analysis and identification of the major communication objectives for the UN in Viet Nam, in the context of the One Plan
- Clear analysis and identification of UN-wide priority issues to be communicated
- Development of key messages for UN-wide issues, building on input from agency liaison officers within the team
- Development of advocacy and communication plans which achieve the identified objectives
- Recommendations on appropriate advocacy and communication strategies needed to achieve UNCT goals and support the UN's mission in the country
Provides leadership and advice on strategic approaches to communicating programme activities and coordinate planning and implementation of strategic (internal and external) communications activities. Advise senior management of participating agencies on the effective use of tools of mass communication with an attempt to strive for convergence with other agencies’ activities where appropriate, in the context of One Plan and relevant Programme Coordination Groups focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Ensures the UN Communications Team to deliver high-quality, strategic communications support services to all agencies participating in the team. Where possible, this will be strengthened further, by seeking links to other UN agency actions or issues, both inside and outside of the UN Communications Team
- Contextualize and package key messages, speeches, talking points and briefing notes for the RC and UNCT for relevant UN events in general and participating UN agencies in particular.To support the One UN Initiative in Viet Nam through the expression and promotion of a united UN and ensure regular information flow of the One UN Initiative in Viet Nam to key stakeholders in and outside of the country
- Constructive and timely advice on inclusion of communications components in programme formulations to integrate advocacy and communication strategies into all aspects of UN’s reform
Provides leadership and oversight to the sub-teams (public and policy advocacy; public relations and partnership building; UN change management and agency liaison) to ensure compliance with set objectives and ensure high quality communications support, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Conduct regular meetings, individually and in groups, with the various communications liaison officers in the team
- Establish regular exchange of information, experience and skills between team members, ensuring an integrated and joint team that makes best use of its capacities
- Develop new strategies and courses of action identified to ensure high quality communication support provided within the set mandate for the team
Oversees the interaction with the UN communications network and regularly interacts with (communications) colleagues in other UN and international agencies, with regional and global offices, and with the media, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Development of a joint UN communications and event calendar and ensuring regular exchange of information between the communication team and agency communication focal points
- Ensuring a regular exchange of information and updates on the progress of the Delivering as One initiative, as well as the development results the UN is achieving in the country
- Identify and maintaining strong networks with international and national media to enable better and more accurate reporting of the UN and its work in the country
Monitors and overall planning and disbursement of joint budget for the One UN Communications Team, ensuring they are properly administered, and utilized. Prepares and submits timely progress/status reports for the One UN Communications Advisory Board, participating agencies and donors focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Manage and oversight joint budget for the team operations as well as mobilize resources to ensure the team structure
- Monitor and oversight the team to ensure the continued success of the team responding to differences in contract, grading levels and the use of a common performance assessment system
- Ensure timely reporting and provide strategic advice to the One UN Communications Advisory Board for their oversight functions
Impact of Results:
- Contribute to communicating coherent and strategic common UN voice and clear UN advocacy messages as well as publicizing the work of UN in Viet Nam and other issues of relevance for UN in Viet Nam
- Ensure an effective dissemination and internal communication within UN in Viet Nam on Delivering as One process to inform and engage all staff in the reform process and also ensure external communication to better inform general public, development partners and donor community on progress of Delivering as One and key milestones
- Improve organisational structure and capacity of the UN Communications Team to better respond to changing needs and demands in context of the reform
Competencies
- Builds consensus concerning UNDP’s strategic agenda with partners on joint initiatives
- Dialogues with national counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen advocacy efforts, incorporating country, regional and global perspectives
- Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach
- Makes use of a variety of resources within UNDP to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments and developmental assignments, and collaborative funding approaches
- Ensures the full implementation of country programme and Financial Resources to obtain results
- Makes effective use of UNDP’s resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships
- Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations
- Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
- Conceptualizes more effective approaches to programme development and implementation and to mobilizing and using resources
- Contributes to the development of resource mobilization strategies at CO level
- Actively develops partnerships with potential donors and government counterparts in all sectors at country level
- Strengthens the capacity of the country office to mobilize resources
- Promotes UNDP as a learning/knowledge sharing organization
- Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures
- For advisors: applies a broad knowledge of best management practices; defines objectives and work flows, positions reporting relationships in such a way as to obtain optimum effectiveness for the unit/branch
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself personally
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
- Demonstrates expert knowledge of the current programme guidelines and project management tools and manages the use of these regularly in work assignments
- Advocates for increased priority given to human development issues internationally and in national planning frameworks
- Advocates for increased resources at international and national level
- Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives
- Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services
- Advises and develops strategic and operational solutions with clients that add value to UNDP programmes and operations
- Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents? Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
- Building support and political acumen
- Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
- Building and promoting effective teams
- Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
- Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
- Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
- Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master's degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, or equivalent professional work experience in the advocacy and communication areas combined with an advance university degree in a related field
Experience:
- Ten years progressively responsible professional work experience in advocacy and communication, print and broadcast media or interactive digital media, six years of which should in developing countries, and four at the management level
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English and another UN language required. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset