Communications Coordinator

Contract

This is a IPSA-9 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-9 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply Now****" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Institutional Arrangement

The Communications Coordinator will work under the overall guidance of the PVE Project Manager, with the Preventing Violent Extremism team, with the Regional Communications team, and UNDP Country Offices staff in UNDP country offices.

Travel:

UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Across Southeast Asia, violent extremism poses a direct threat to peace and security and inclusive development by fueling intolerance, forcibly displacing communities, exacerbating cycles of insecurity and armed conflict, exploiting existing inequalities, obstructing human rights, and challenging the rule of law. The access that social media provides to individuals and groups to express opinions, share ideas, and news online has led to new social pressures. Across the world, evidence points towards a link between violent extremism and the online world. Radical groups such as IS and Al-Qaeda are known to leverage online spaces and networks to promote their violent worldviews and recruit people across borders.

Communications for preventing violent extremism can be seen as having a dual function in the field of development. Across the world evidence points towards a link between violent extremism and the online world. Strategic communications, particularly counter-narratives or alternative narratives that push back against extremist messages and propaganda, has become a well-established tactic in the development sphere in recent years. In addition to operating on-the-ground through face-to-face interactions, radicalization, recruitment, and the spread of hate speech against women and minority groups in society is rising online. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to have 1.7 billion active Facebook users which makes Facebook and other technology companies important private sector partners when it comes to tackling harmful online cultures and messages.

On the other hand, communications is an important component to ensuring that states, donors, partners, civil society organizations and the wider public know of the UNDP resources open to them, the work that UNDP conducts at the government and local level, and are encouraged to consult and engage with UNDP on partnerships and programmatic activities. UNDP is currently implementing three projects in the Democratic Governance and Peacebuilding Division, funded by the European Union: Preventing Violent Extremism and Promoting Tolerance and Respect for Diversity, Phase in South and Southeast Asia region. Communications is vital to raising and maintaining the reputation of the organization and the PVE Project as a source of reliable and accountable support, as well as reinforcing UNDP as thought leaders in the development sphere.

To this end, the project is seeking the support of a communications coordinator to manage and lead in coordinating between UNDP Country Offices, Bangkok Regional Hub and donors to ensure the effective implementation of the regional and national-level communications and visibility plans, providing inputs towards donor reports with a focus on communications and visibility, ensuring quality control of different communications outputs and finally, supporting in the strategizing and ideation of communications-related programming, with a focus on Asia.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the PVE Project Manager, the Communications Coordinator will work with the Preventing Violent Extremism team, the Regional Communications team, and UNDP Country Offices to:

1. Leading the drafting of a social media dissemination strategy and messaging for the ExtremeLives Season 4 project in South Asia, a documentary video series that focuses on the drivers of extremism and the promotion behaviour change in youth audiences. Taking cues from the ExtremeLives project document, established Facebook partnership, behaviour science insights plan, and existing A/B paid social testing plan, the specialist will produce strategic social media copy to accompany video and creative assets with guidance from the PVE team.

2. Leading in the implementation of the ExtremeLives social media dissemination strategy, including analysing the digital campaign and collecting data to monitor the campaign’s effectiveness over time. The Communications Coordinatorwill be responsible for staging the digital launch of the ExtremeLives campaign with a focus on Facebook and Instagram, managing the ExtremeLives website, and disseminating and monitoring a digital survey developed by a software team.

3. Supporting in the logistics and planning of two in-person launch events for the ExtremeLives Season 4 videos, one in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Communications Coordinator will work with the PVE Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Country Office teams to arrange a dynamic event aimed at youth, supporting with hiring and briefing a moderator using a pre-existing BI workshop facilitation plan, arrange the creation of merchandise and publicity materials such as banners and posters using material supplied by a graphic designer, and support the M&E officer in the development and implementation of a pre- and post-exposure survey. He/she will also liaise with Facebook to arrange cost-sharing and hosting of the event.

4. Coordinate between UNDP offices in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as the Regional Hub to consolidate and write comprehensive communications and visibility project reports, focusing on the key achievements of content and campaigns, fortified by data and statistics and aligned with the established results framework with support from the M&E Officer.
5. Ensure quality control of communications products (including newsletters, strategies, publications, infographics, videos and related content) produced at Regional and Country Office level, including performing an advisory role to national communications strategies. Ensure political or programmatic sensitivities are taken into consideration and addressed in digital content production. Liaising with the donor to ensure content is approved and maintaining close communication with the donor of upcoming visibility opportunities, events, and campaigns.
6. Ensure knowledge products are well managed and maintained, including managing websites and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. The Communications Coordinator will be responsible to requesting for periodic news items to help populate the PVE Regional website and will support with M&E Officer with the drafting and dissemination of a bi-monthly newsletter.
7. Other ad hoc activities relating to communications and visibility, and ad hoc support to the Project Manager on programmatic activitie.

Competencies

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and 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 the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

Master’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Information management, English, Politics, Social Sciences or another closely related field.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in communications or programme management;
• Previous experience with UNDP or related UN Agencies is required;
• Previous experience in project management and/or event coordination
• Previous work experience in the Asia region

Required skills and competencies

• Proven track record of meeting deadlines;
• Creative flair and lateral problem-solving skills
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Detail orientated, with excellent organization, self-management skills and ability to take initiative;

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Experience in social media campaign management ;
• Previous experience in working on development projects in preventing violent extremism, conflict, peacebuilding or related fields;
• Experience with EU funded projects;
• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Abiliyt to interact with UN and non-UN organizations and think tanks, and good interpersonal skills;
• Knowledge of data visualization using graphic software such as Photoshop and inDesign preferred.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• English proficiency in oral and written form is a requirement.

Professional Certificates

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