Public Information Officer

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.

This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. This position is located in the OCHA Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa (ROSEA), in Nairobi, Kenya, which supports humanitarian preparedness and response in 25 countries in the region. Under the overall supervision of the Communications Team Leader, OCHA ROSEA, the Public Information Officer will join the Communications Unit, which provides frontline surge and support on humanitarian advocacy and strategic communication to countries in the region, prepares daily media briefings, and produces country-specific and regional information products highlighting key humanitarian issues.

Description of tasks • Monitor and analyze current events, public opinion, and press to identify issues and trends in relation to the humanitarian situation and response in the region. • Prepare drafts, collect inputs, and gather/organize information in a contribution to the development of regular products on the humanitarian situation in Southern and Eastern Africa, including snapshots, dashboards, situation reports, and others. • Prepare draft inputs for reports and analysis on humanitarian issues in the region, for both internal and external use. • Provide surge missions or remote support to eventual humanitarian crises, OCHA offices, and Resident Coordinator’s offices in the region on communications, including production of information and audio-visual materials. • Support the development of communications products (e.g. press kits, press releases, key messages, human-interest stories, audio-visual materials, social media content, etc.), including through proposing topics, undertaking research and interviews, writing drafts, editing copy, designing the composition and layout, and coordinating distribution. • Undertake activities to promote media coverage (e.g. press conferences, press releases, interviews, background briefings, and other special activities), including film and photo coverage, of priority issues and/or major events. • Prepare, on the basis of official UN documentation and other sources, drafts of content for inclusion in global OCHA products (e.g. Global Humanitarian Overview, Annual Report, etc).

Results/Expected Outputs: High-quality and timely support provided to the development of compelling communications materials regarding the humanitarian situation and response in countries in Southern and Eastern Africa. Support provided both in country and remotely to emerging crises or other issues, as requested. Regular public information products are produced on time. OCHA ROSEA online presence including the corporate website and social media is strengthen, including through the production of innovative human-interest stories. Humanitarian partners and media are updated on the humanitarian situation in the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

Accountability Adaptability and Flexibility Client Orientation Commitment and Motivation Communication Creativity Ethics and Values Integrity Planning and Organizing Professionalism Respect for Diversity Technological Awareness Working in Teams

communications, content creation, reporting, journalism, social media. Experience in writing and editing communication articles and pieces is required. Knowledge of digital media and experience with production of social media content is required. Knowledge of graphic design software is desirable. Knowledge of and experience with photography and video production and edition will be an asset. Work experience in humanitarian organizations will be considered an asset.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 45 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO).

Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country desti-nations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is mod-est. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.