Communications Officer GCF and CAWEP

Volunteering Communications & PR

Overview

Support implementation of climate adaptation projects and stakeholder engagement.

You have:

• Demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP and technical capabilities
• Demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP
• Ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries and establish effective partnerships
• Willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments
• Effective organizational and problem-solving skills
• Good spoken and written communication skills, ability to prepare clear reports
• Ability to live and work in challenging environments and adaptability
• Excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills
• Familiarity with Adobe multimedia products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in MS Office applications

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

UNDP Zimbabwe is working with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Zimbabwe to support the Government of Zimbabwe attain its climate goals through the Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP). The CAWEP programme aims to support vulnerable communities and institutions’ adaptation and resilience capacity to climate shocks. Through this programme UNDP and FCDO is supporting the development of climate resilient, multiple use water and renewable energy infrastructure in vulnerable communities of Zimbabwe to enable (i) continued access to water for productive and household use, including during droughts and floods, and (ii) improved access to clean and affordable energy to support economic activities with the intention of supporting more sustainable livelihoods’ outcomes. The project will align and contribute towards the Government of Zimbabwe's (GoZ) climate change priorities outlined in various strategies, such as its National Development Strategy, Nationally Determined Contributions, National Climate Change Policy.

The Government of Zimbabwe received funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the project, “Building climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural livelihoods in southern Zimbabwe.” The objective of the project is to strengthen resilience of agricultural livelihoods of vulnerable communities, particularly women, in southern Zimbabwe in the face of increasing climate risks and impacts. The project will contribute to the following GCF Fund-level impacts for adaptation: 1.0 “Increased resilience and enhanced livelihoods of the most vulnerable people, communities and regions” and 2.0 “Increased resilience of health and well-being, and food and water security” for vulnerable smallholder communities in southern Zimbabwe. The project outcome will strengthen the adaptive capacities of vulnerable smallholder farmers, especially women, to climate change induced impacts on their agroecosystems and livelihoods through revitalization of irrigation schemes, upgraded water and soil moisture management and water use efficiency, climate-resilient agriculture, improved access to climate information and markets, and partnerships with public and private sector actors. To achieve these outcomes the project proposes to overcome the identified barriers through implementation of the following three interlinked Outputs, using GCF and co-financing resources: (i)Increased access to water for climate-resilient agriculture through climate-resilient irrigation systems and efficient water resource management; (ii)Scaled up climate-resilient agricultural production and diversification through increased access to climate-resilient inputs, practices, and markets; and (iii) Improved access to weather, climate and hydrological information for climate-resilient agriculture. Implemented through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development (MoLAFWRD) in partnership with UNDP for 7 years from June 2020 to May 2027, the project intervention builds the climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural livelihoods initially with 6,900 dryland and 630 irrigation lead farmers in 15 districts across three provinces of Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South.

Under the direct supervision of The Project Managers, with oversight support from the Poverty Reduction, Environment and Climate Change (PRECC) team leader. the UN Volunteer will provide support to the implementation of the projects Climate Adaptation, Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP) and the Building climate resilience of vulnerable agricultural livelihoods in southern Zimbabwe Project. The UNV will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the projects to raise their profiles, and the results they generate, nationally, regionally and internationally. • Contribute to communicating project results and ensure that key stakeholders are kept regularly informed of project outcomes and outputs, and that this awareness is used to encourage and maintain active stakeholder participation and support and nurture a sense of national and local ownership of the project outcomes; • Support in capturing and disseminating project stories and lessons learnt, using a diversity of media formats, in ways that contribute to the development of best practices and knowledge management locally. • Assistance at public events such as roundtable discussions, seminars, press conferences, briefing sessions, and interviews, conferences, publicity/outreach events, campaigns and promotional opportunities, especially UN events. • Contribute to creating and packaging key messages and communication products according to the Communications Strategy and Action Plan, and in response to emergent opportunities; • Contribute to the development and maintenance of a communications and knowledge management system for the projects; • Support social media portfolios, including at least monthly releases via UNDP global social media platforms; • Support publications of at least two human interest photo-stories annually on national or international platforms • Support the development of communications materials for Technical Committee Meetings and Project Board meetings; and • Support project site M&E and learning missions. • Participation in training for the communications personnel from the Responsible Partners on effective communications and advocacy. • Closely work with donor(s) communication experts for cross-learning • Arrangement of briefings and regular meetings with other UN agencies in the CO and with national and international media. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

 Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNDP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

 Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

 Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

 Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

 Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

 Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

 Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

 Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNDP mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Value

Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills. Experience in working with Adobe multimedia products (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, etc) Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unv.org