UNDP Jobs - 65369- Project (Portfolio) Specialist, PR and Communicati

Project (Portfolio) Specialist, PR and Communication, Water Transformed: “Sustainable Water Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and DRR” Projects

Location :

Astana, KAZAKHSTAN

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

15-Apr-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Climate variability and change impacts (including climate-related disasters) and their inherent complexity are likely to pose considerable risks to important economic drivers, human welfare and the environment in Kazakhstan as well as Central Asia. Climate change itself, adaptation to it and efforts to halt it by implementing agricultural best practices have far-reaching benefits for the economic and social development of a country. In the long term for countries liable to the adverse effects of climate, development of measures to avoid the negative impact of climate change should be an additional element in decision-making mechanism to ensure food security in the region.

The Water Transformed: Sustainable Water Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation and DRR” Programme of UNDP in Kazakhstan is implemented under the overall aegis of the Energy and Environment Unit within the context of the CPAP and UNDAF. It is the first year of the CPAP 2016-2020 implementation and it covers a broad range of interventions. The current UNDP CC and DRR portfolio of projects seeks to improve the resilience of the multilateral environmental sector, including the recommendation to the different legal and policy documents and the support to mainstream the concept of DRR into the legal normative and regulatory document. Besides, it acts as focal point for the national and Central Asian projects to pursue the concept of sustainable development, applied research, training, and advocacy in government reinvention. Its activities includes the production of applied research publications on emerging governance issues; knowledge management; electronic library maintenance; network formation with international partners to facilitate the exchange of practical experiences between governments at the central, regional, provincial, and local levels, as well as with civil society organizations and the private sector; public relations materials to advocate for good environmental resource governance and improved public administration over the natural resources; and the organization of capacity development workshops for senior government officials and representatives of civil society and the private sector. Its functions will be oriented toward addressing disaster risks and climate change as part of informed worlds. The portfolio also includes fruit and forest tree plantations as well as the establishment of tree nurseries in target communities to achieve environmentally sustainable livelihoods in productive landscapes as well as transboundary river basin management and resilience development. Recently, this programme also supported the establishment of a national extension centers based at the three target grain research institutes of the Northern Kazakhstan regions and one extension center at the bases of the Rice Research Institute of Kyzylorda region aiming at enhancing the resources for environmental education. Within the newly launched Agro-incentive project, it is planned to deliver a huge amount of the resources and hence a huge results are expected to achieve and deliver. Thus, the utmost support from the PR and communication specialist would be required to provide support to the projects manager in implementation of the below mentioned Key-End Results;

Communication strategy: The main goal of this strategy is to bring coherence to CC and DRR Programme’s internal and external communications through the establishment of a common communications framework and implementation mechanisms. The CC and DRR Programme’s Communication Strategy is intended to provide guidance to the programme staff and implementing partners in order to formalize their commitments with respect to information exchange and communications pertaining to the implementation of the programme. In line with CC and DRR programme’s communication strategy and associated work plan in line with the UNDP E&E Unit priorities ensuring that awareness of the vulnerable and marginalized group of targeted communities as well as the actions taken by UNDP to address them come to light to advocate for resource conservative solutions, increase support for the response and, where necessary, assist with fundraising.
Media relations: The CC and DRR Programme is envisaged to develop and further maintain contact list of journalists and media outlets covering all media – print, TV, radio, web, photo etc. – and a successful process of communicating and maintaining regular contact and close collaboration with the media to communicate the story of CC and DRR cooperation.
Networking and partnerships: The CC and DRR Programme needs to develop and further maintain contact list of individuals, groups, organizations and fora whose support is essential to/can assist in achieving the advocacy and communication objectives. Effective working relationships with the UN Country Team and UN communication counterparts have to be developed, maintained and enhanced.
Celebrities and special events: The CC and DRR plans to develop and maintain contact list of appropriate, nationally-known personalities who have been identified, engaged and support CC and DRR effort and who actively participate in special events and activities.
Monitoring and evaluation: Communication baselines are established against which the achievement of objectives of the communication strategy are regularly evaluated; analysis is undertaken to continuously improve the effectiveness of communication strategy and activities in regards the collecting of data information for development of numerous best practices, lessons learnt, success stories, results and reports are prepared and shared.
Capacity building and support: The CC and DRR programme team is provided with professional expertise and advice on all aspects of external relations communication as required.

Furthermore, this post has responsibility for developing, managing, co-coordinating, networking, implementing and monitoring an advocacy and communication strategy and associated products and activities on on-going basis with public audiences, with the objective of promoting awareness, understanding, support and respect for targeted projects communities both at national, sub national and district levels, and support for CC and DRR's mission and priorities within the context of the emergency.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of CC and DRR Projects Manager, CTA, PR and communication specialist is responsible for effective, timely and quality day-to-day project support and determined project’s framework results works in close collaboration with the projects staff to ensure consistent service delivery. A PR and communication specialist will be responsible for provisioning of informational outreach campaign support, development and updating Internet based information outreach, preparation and development of information and distribution materials and provision of administrative and organizational support in Project implementation related to PR and communication issues.

Communication strategy

Develop, maintain and update the CC and DRR advocacy and communication strategy and associated work plan. Strategy and work plan include: an environmental and stakeholder assessment; objectives; target audiences; messages and media mix; resources; specific actions, activities and products; monitoring and evaluation of impact; success and opportunity for improvement; ongoing refinement of the strategy.
CC and DRR results-based programming approach, especially the portfolio’s long term priorities are appropriately reflected in the communication strategy, work plan and products.
Maintain close collaboration with CTA and UNDP Communications Associate for effective overall coordination.

Media relations

Promote a better understanding of, respect and support for targeted project communities and stakeholders and issues by carrying out media, information and education activities in support of CC and DRR assisted development programmes efforts in the country.
Develop, maintain and update media relations contact list/database.
Establish, document, review and refine process of communicating with media contacts, including press conferences and events, issuing of media materials etc.
Ensure rapid and accurate information dissemination to the media, National Committees, NGOs, the field and other appropriate audiences.
Identify, develop, distribute and evaluate variety of media materials in multiple, appropriate formats (Press releases, feature stories etc). Ensure or enhance the quality, appropriateness of country specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages transmitted to the press, partners and public.
Collaborate with mass media through activities such as organizing project site visits, facilitating photo coverage and TV footage and utilizing both web-based and traditional media as appropriate.
Monitor and evaluate the use and effectiveness of media materials and share results and findings.
Maintain close collaboration with CTA and UNDP Communications Associate for effective overall coordination.

Networking and partnerships

Develop, maintain and update partners contact list/database.
Help establish, document, review and refine process of working collaboratively with partners, including meetings, joint projects, information sharing etc.
Ensure or enhance the quality, consistency and appropriateness of country-specific communication materials, activities, processes and messages shared with partners.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment and through knowledge sharing.
Monitor, evaluate and share results and findings with partners.

Global priorities and campaigns

Support the CC and DRR communications objectives and strategies through development of complementary country specific and local community materials and activities. Work plan should anticipate the inclusion of work on UNDP CC and DRR priorities and campaigns.
Develop and deploy CC and DRR office communication capacity to gather/facilitate the content and coverage of relevant country efforts.
Use the opportunity to identify/highlight effective programme activities and results.
Ensure regular communication and co-ordination with relevant communication focal points in regional offices and country office divisions.
Advice CC and DRR management, colleagues and staff on media strategy and implications for action and policies proposed.
Support communication activities through knowledge management, information exchange and building capacity of the country communications team.
Enable appropriate advocacy and communication training, access to information, supplies and equipment, and developing training and orientation material.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the capacity of partners through appropriate advocacy and communication training.

Provision of informational outreach campaign support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Execution of information campaign aimed for increased awareness and support of climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable land management principles, applying best practices and technologies.
Development and realization of concept and plan on information outreach amongst different target groups for the successful implementation of project’s,preparation of media review.
Development and distribution of information materials amongst government authorities and mass media regarding best international practices on formation of incentives and legal policies to mainstream the SLM, CC and DRR best practices in the agro-environmental policy and legal papers.
Preparation and execution of PR campaigns, presentations and distribution of info-methodical materials amongst different target groups of the project (administrative authorities, research and extension centers, universities, farmers, land users and other land use practitioners, etc.).
Collection, processing and analysis of materials for the information outreach of project’s activities on all components.

Development and updating Internet based information outreach, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Preparation and continuous update of information material with regard to project’s activities on partners’ web-site (continuous collaboration and partnership) on three languages (English, Russian, Kazakh).
Create and maintain the projects web page on the different social information sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other web portals.

Preparation and development of information and distribution materials, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Organization and preparation of media-meetings for journalists and interested parties.
Development and publishing of booklets, leaflets, infographics, stands, posts, articles, webinars, video and movies and all other information materials in cooperation with project’s experts.
Preparation and execution of articles publication in international, national, subnational and district level mass media with regard to project’s theme and its activities.

Provision of administrative and organizational support in Project implementation related to PR issues, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Upon recruitment, as first starting point, a PR and communication specialist is expected to develop monthly based annual individual strategic work plan with tangible deliverables and milestones with possibility to be dynamically updated and approved by the CC and DRR Projects Manager. (The outline and template of the monthly based annual work plan will be provided by the CC and DRR projects manager upon completion is yet to be approved by the CC and DRR Projects Manager).
Participation in organization and execution of different seminars/round tables/meetings (in particular, development of press-releases, media advisory papers, work with mass media, preparation of information reports on events, etc.).
Organization of interviews, TV programmes, radio, etc.
Trips within Kazakhstan based on necessity for the participation in project’s events under agreement with CC and DRR Projects Manager and UNDP standard operating procedures.

Preparation of required reports and accomplishment of other tasks based on the CC and DRR Projects Manager’s requests aimed for delivery of the project’s targets and activities together with UNDP head office requests.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Functional competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Shares knowledge and experience;
Provides helpful feedback and advice to others in the office;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;

Leadership and Self-Management

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Responds positively to critical feedback and different points of view;

Managing correspondance and reports

Edits, formats and provides inputs to correspondence, reports, documents and/or presentations using work processing, spreadsheets and databases meeting quality standards and requiring minimal correction;
Shows sound grasp of grammar, spelling and structure in the required language;
Ensures correspondence, reports and documents comply with established UN standards;
Ability to produce accurate and well documented records conforming to the required standard;

Operational Effectiveness, Planning, Organizing and Multi-tasking

Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints;
Ability to operate and maintain a variety of computerized business machines and office equipment in order to provide efficient delivery of service;
Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
Plans, coordinates and organizes workload while remaining aware of changing priorities and competing deadlines;
Demonstrates ability to quickly shift from one task to another to meet multiple support needs;

Responsibilities

Provide on-time and quality performance of the requirements under ToR.;
Provide absolute fulfillment of the requirements stated in the Service Contract;
Provide all the materials of accomplished work for Project Management Committee (addressed to Project Manager) for comments and agreements.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: University degree (Master’s Degree would be considered as an advantage) in the field of journalism, PR management and/or communications.

Work experience:

Minimum 6 years of relevant work experience in the sphere of journalism, PR and communications in government, public or commercial structures;
Good computer skills, including MS Office applications (Word, Power Point, Excel, Outlook Express), Internet explorer as well as other software required for the work delivery, including excellent skills within web-sites development.

Language requirements:

Proficiency in Russian and Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English languages.
Knowledge of Kazakh would be an asset.

NB! How to apply:

Interested and qualified candidates should apply on-line through this site by clicking "APPLY NOW" button. Please ensure that you upload your UN Personal History Form-P11 (on the 2nd page of the applicatoin by selecting "UPLOAD RESUME" option) Incomplete applications will not be given consideration.

Please note that only short-listed applications will be contacted.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.