Background

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationships:

The position will be located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York. The Communications and Advocacy Officer will report to the Strategic Planning and Outreach Team Leader for the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS).

The World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) is an initiative by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to improve humanitarian action. Through the two-year consultation process, the aim is to build a more inclusive and diverse humanitarian system by bringing all key stakeholders together to share best practices and find innovative ways to make humanitarian action more effective. The process will culminate in a global summit in 2016.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Communications and Advocacy Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Takes the lead in strategy, planning, development and implementation of a large, complex communications campaign; works with various partners – UN entities, NGOs, private sector, and affected communities -to implement the campaign and incorporate the campaign and themes of the World Humanitarian Summit into all relevant events and products across the UN and wider humanitarian community.

Develops strategic partnerships with key constituencies to elicit support for and maximize impact of promotional objectives; serves as a spokesperson/principal communications and advocacy liaison to media organizations, governmental bodies, national groups, private sector organizations, educational organizations, international organizations, etc.

Takes the lead in organizing media outreach; arranges all media contacts, press briefings, and interviews; provides talking points and other materials as needed for senior staff; responds to media inquiries quickly and effectively.

Coordinates production of a diverse range of information products (including audio/visual communications) in support of the World Humanitarian Summit.

Provides advice and expertise to managers, senior officers and other public information staff on a range of advocacy and outreach issues, methods, and approaches; anticipates and resolves communications/ public relations issues/problems.

Drafts communications and advocacy material for WHS, including newsletters, reports, promotional materials, and talking points for senior managers.

Evaluates results and impact of communications activities; reports on developments, trends and attitudes regarding the World Humanitarian Summit. Establishes metrics for gauging impact.

Builds information networks; plans and oversees maintenance of publicly accessible information materials on the WHS; plans and develops outreach activities.

Coordinates and directs public information staff and volunteers, including off-site staff.

Coordinates with Online Consultation Manager to ensure streamlined and coherent messaging between web-based and non-web content.

Facilitates and leverages the contributions of an advisory group of UN and non-UN communications professionals in order to support the overall outreach and communications objectives of the WHS.

Work implies frequent interaction with the following: 

Senior and junior public information officers, operations staff and other specialists and managers throughout UN OCHA, and senior officials of organs and agencies of the entire UN system. 

Translators, designers, printers.

Bureau Chiefs, editors, journalists for major news media.

Senior officials of international, regional and national organizations, senior officials in government bodies and agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, academia and other areas of civil society.

Provides sound advice and services in dealing with substantive matters concerning public information operations. Develops and implements a creative approach to major communications campaigns and ensures effective design and delivery of information products in accordance with overall objectives and policies. Serves as an effective spokesperson, and forms strong partnerships with relevant parties involved to engender support for and advance the World Humanitarian Summit’s objectives.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Professionalism:

• Knowledge of different aspects of public information and communication;
• Ability to address a range of issues in the context of humanitarian action, political developments, public attitudes and local conditions;
• Ability to conceptualize, design and implement major information campaigns;
• Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources;
• Ability to diplomatically handle sensitive situations with target audiences and cultivate productive relationships;
• Ability to produce a variety of written and visual communications products in a clear, concise style;
• Ability to deliver oral presentations to various audiences;
• Shows pride in work and in achievements;
  
• Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter;
  
• Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges;
• Remains calm in stressful situations;
• Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately;
  
• Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;
• Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;
• Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise;
• Is willing to learn from others;
• Places team agenda before personal agenda;
• Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position;
  
• Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning& Organizing:

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;
  
• Identifies priority activities and assignments;
  
• Adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;
  
• Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Accountability:

• Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments;
  
• Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards;
• Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules;
  
• Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments;
  
• Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Creativity:

• Actively seeks to improve programmes or services;
  
• Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs;
  
• Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas;
  
• Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas;
• Thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things;
• Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches; able to navigate bureaucratic obstacles.

Client Orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions;
  
• Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects;
• Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Commitment to Continuous Learning:

• Keeps abreast of new developments in own occupation/profession;
  
• Actively seeks to develop oneself professionally and personally; contributes to the learning of colleagues and subordinates;
  
• Shows willingness to learn from others; seeks feedback to learn and improve.

Technological Awareness:

• Keeps abreast of available technology;
  
• Understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office;
• Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks;
  
• Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Informed and transparent decision making. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:         

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field;
• A first-level university degree in combination with 9 years qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Language:

• Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (both oral and written) is required;
  
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.