Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s Global Development Network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in over 170 countries, employing participatory approaches to developing local solutions to national and global development challenges. UNDPs core vision is to help countries achieve simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion.

The UNDP Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) works to enhance the development effectiveness of UNDP to help people build a better life. IEO strengthens accountability and learning through evaluation and partnership. The Independent Evaluation Office conducts strategic, thematic, programmatic and country level evaluations. To enhance the utility of its evaluations and raise awareness amongst its target audiences, the IEO’s communications team are responsible for implementing a comprehensive communications strategy, including all aspects of digital media channels with cutting-edge multi-media and social media approaches, products, and platforms.

Within this structure and due to the increasing demand for evaluation products, assets and platforms and to engage audiences across multiple dissemination platforms, the IEO communications unit seeks a consultant to support communications and dissemination activities. During the last couple of years the IEO produced over 70 publications and products including evaluation reports, annual reports, infographic briefs, national evaluation capacity proceedings and other advocacy products.

Under the supervision of the P4 Communications Specialist, the IEO is seeking a Communications Assistant to support the editorial production, design, layout, printing, and global distribution of IEO publications. He/she will be responsible for the quality and timely completion of all aspects of the reports production processes, as well as other coordination tasks related to the reports as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision and overall guidance of the Communications Specialist, the Communications Assistant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

Implementation of IEO's production and publishing strategy:

  • Implement IEO’s existing strategies, policies and procedures and timelines relating to all aspects of the IEO's web, electronic and print production and publishing.
  • Report to the Communications Specialist consistently on the status of projects, and proactively identify, communicate and mitigate production challenges.
  • Maintain and update status of production activities to monitor workflows, budgeting and monitoring in the publishing project management software.
  • Perform post-production assessment and evaluation, and identify areas with bottlenecks to improve productivity.
  • Keep up to date with good practices and the latest technological developments in the area of electronic and web publishing and development.

Support the production and printing of IEO’s publications:

  • Develop and ensure compliance with the IEO’s reports production schedule and related procurement plans.
  • Secure service providers’ services for editing, copy-editing and proofreading, typesetting, graphic design, printing and global distribution, and manage the respective contracts.
  • Coordinate the activities of the editorial, graphic design, and printing contractors by transferring materials, and serving as liaison between these contractors and the IEO evaluation managers.
  • Support the finalization of publications (keep track of comments, errors, fact-checking needs, research, and technical writing. Fill in any other gaps liaising directly with service providers and IEO teams).
  • Assist in developing terms of reference, requests for quotes, requests for proposals, and other as needed to support the implementation of the publishing production plan.
  • Provide support on procurement activities as required, and assistance in management of LTA contracts.

Quality assurance of IEO publications:

  • Monitor and perform quality control of the editorial, graphic design and printing services, ensuring timely delivery and professional quality.
  • Ensure adherence to the UN editorial standards, UNDP publications policy, IEO style manual and IEO’s branding guidelines for all publications handled.
  • Ensure quality assurance for publications and other publishing products prior to release and distribution, including technical specifications of print publications and concordance with other official language versions to ensure substantive and typographical conformity.

Undertake global distribution of IEO publications:

  • Handle global digital distribution of the IEO materials, ensuring timely delivery.
  • Liaise with UN Publications and ensure compliance with agreements for digital library, global and regional commercial distribution, as needed.

Support other IEO communications initiatives:

  • Provide support to the production of IEO’s written and digital products and online events targeting external audiences, as required.
  • Engage with communities of practice and other external networks to increase IEO’s visibility and share of voice.
  • Actively seek out ways to expand the IEO’s visibility in the public sphere, in coordination with the Communications Specialist.
  • Develop and undertake the setup of quarterly newsletters and maintain the contact/subscriber database.
  • Keep abreast of digital developments and new platforms that could enhance IEO’s visibility and public image.
  • Oversee the web graphics and infographics produced by the Communications Analyst. Act as first point of liaison for new content for publications, events, launches and campaigns and ensure continuity of visual themes.
  • Support the Communications Specialist on other tasks, events, launches and campaigns as required, including the National Evaluation Capacities Conference.

Competencies

Technical Competencies:

Report Production and publishing

  • Ability to produce quality reports, documents and publications.

Quality Assurance

  • Ability to perform quality assurance processes to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled.

Core Competencies:

Innovation

  • Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Delivery

  • Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Professionalism

  • Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date though self-directed study and other means of learning. 

Planning and Organizing

  • Ability to plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and work under pressure of tight and conflicting deadlines. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.
  • Uses time efficiently.

Teamwork 

  • Organized, resourceful and a team player.
  • Works collaboratively with colleagues.

Creativity

  • Takes and interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; thinks outside the box.

Client-Oriented

  • Ability to work under pressure in a stressful environment.
  • Demonstrates problem solving and an action-oriented approach.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, international politics, communication, business or marketing, or Bachelor’s degree and equivalent work experience.

Required Experience

  • Minimum five years of relevant professional work experience in publication production and project management.
  • Demonstrated experience in editing, proofreading and quality assuring technical documents or reports is required.
  • Knowledge of and familiarity with global development issues/trends is required.
  • Familiarity with evaluation terminologies is required.
  • Experience within the UN System is required.
  • Experience with project management software and tools (MS Project, Wrike, Asana or similar) is desirable.
  • Experience with social media platforms is desirable.

Language Requirements

  • Proficiency in English is required.
  • Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish is desirable.

 

Application Instructions

The following documents should be uploaded to the UNDP Jobs site as one document:

Please ensure that all required documents are combined and uploaded as one file as the system does not permit multiple uploads