Background
As Chair of the UNDG, UN Development Programme (UNDP) is currently mobilising support around an initiative that aims to:
- Build a strategic coalition of partners to shape the post-2015 development agenda through broad engagement of poor and vulnerable people, governments, NGOs and grassroots organisations, the private sector, trade unions and workers, and the academic community;
- Ensure that the post-2015 development agenda accounts for the changing development context and critical challenges of our time, builds on the momentum of and lessons learned from the MDGs, and is guided by core UN norms, values and commitments.
- To facilitate the process, the following activities are in preparation:
- Inclusive national consultation processes to stimulate the debate on the post-2015 development agenda. These outreach exercises would complement formal consultations led by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) on behalf of the General Assembly (GA), and others that the UN is supporting such as those in preparation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20);
- Thematic consultations on 11 topics to discuss key issues pertaining to the post-2015 development agenda with academia, media, private sector, employers and trade unions, civil society, and decision makers.
- Support an open interaction and information exchange between stakeholders and harness the voices of citizens around the world and connect them to the formal UN post-2015 by using social media tools and web based technologies.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Lead Author will be responsible for writing two reports that capture the outcome of the UNDG Post-2015 consultations, fully synthesizing and structuring the outputs of the various consultations. The first report will be published in early March 2013; the second in September 2013 in time for the opening session of the 68th UN General Assembly. The Lead Author will liaise with those responsible for overseeing the different consultations, and will report to the leader of UNDP’s team on post-2015.The key results have an impact on the image, reputation and public image of the UN’s work and leadership on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Successful completion of the functions will enable an effective use of the knowledge generated by UN Country Teams and UNDG agencies.
Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDG’s values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDG;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Development understanding:
- Keen understanding of issues related to sustainable human development
- A technical and political understanding of the MDGs and the UN led process on post-2015
Communications and Outreach:
- Outstanding writing and editing skills in English, preferably with experience of writing for print media
- Demonstrated ability to produce high quality outputs and in a timely manner
- Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service;
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to work independently;
- Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities;
- Ability to manage a great volume of data and synthesize it in an easily understandable written way
Partnership building and team work:
- Excellent negotiating skills;
- Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment;
- Provides constructive coaching and feedback.
Advocacy:
- Ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to a diverse audience;
- Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences;
- Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master's degree in development, media relations, journalism, publishing or related field.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in the field of development at the national or international levels in research, communications or advocacy;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, good knowledge and experience in handling of web-based management systems;
- Excellent English writing and editing skills and a demonstrated ability to clearly communicate development ideas and experiences;
- Experience in conceptualizing and managing the production of printed materials, including detailed reports;
- Experience in designing and implementing communication and/or media outreach plans in support of overall corporate goals is desirable;
- Demonstrated experience in developing content that clearly communicates development ideas and experiences for media, web, and print production
Language Requirements:
- Excellent proficiency in English (written and oral).