United Nations – Office for Outer Space Affairs

Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2024-2-53

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. General Information

Title: JPO in Information and media management

Sector of Assignment: Humanitarian Affairs, Programme management support

Organization/Office: United Nations / Office for Outer Space Affairs / UN-SPIDER

Country and Duty Station: Bonn, Germany

Duration of assignment: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance

Please note that for participants of the JPO-Programme two years work experience are mandatory! Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

II. Supervision

Title of Supervisor:

Head, UN-SPIDER Bonn Office

Establishment of a Work Plan: During the first month of the assignment, the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will work jointly with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed upon work plan. The final work plan will be discussed and mutually agreed to by the JPO and his/her supervisor.

Initial introductory briefing on background and work of the Office and of UN-SPIDER; discussion and direction on assignments, including regular follow-up consultations and feedback (as often as needed); continuing work-related interaction with other professional staff of Office through staff meetings and ad hoc meetings; periodic evaluations with the Head of the UN-SPIDER Bonn Office

Evaluation: The United Nations Performance Evaluation System (e-performance) will serve as a primary platform to evaluate of the JPO’s performance.

III. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

Within delegated authority, the Junior Professional Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

The JPO shall be involved directly in the activities of the work being carried out by the UN-SPIDER Bonn Office in the implementation of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER). The duties of the JPO would include inter alia:

• Compiling, managing and disseminating the information content of the UN-SPIDER programme (40%).
• Compiling and managing the information content of the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal, including the technical management of the modules of the Content Management System as needed; in line with the user requirements/expectations and with the objective of sharing and storing relevant experiences, knowledge and documents.
• Contributing to the implementation of the content management guidelines, in line with the UN-SPIDER Plan of Work, and support their implementation.
• Contributing to the drafting and editing of technical documents.
• Supporting the UN-SPIDER team in the acquisition, analysis and dissemination of information and knowledge-based resources.
• Acting as an editorial interface between external sources of information and UN-SPIDER.
• Supporting the UN-SPIDER Bonn Office in the provision of technical advisory support to selected African countries (30%).
• Contributing to the preparation and implementation of advisory missions to selected African countries.
• Contributing to facilitate the use of space-based information, services, and products by national disaster management agencies and other government agencies and stakeholders with a focus on African countries.
• Supporting the organization of in-house conferences, expert meetings, workshops and training on relevant topics related to information compilation and knowledge management (20%).
• Carrying out other specific activities in support of UNOOSA as required (10%).

IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, international relations, information/ knowledge management, geography, geographic information systems.

Work experience:

A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in information/ media management, website content management, Earth observation or geographic information systems, advisory support to developing countries.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Other skills:

• Knowledge or experience in geographic information systems, remote sensing, or other space-based tools and applications such as satellite telecommunications or global navigation satellite systems.
• Experience in database administration and content management.
• Experience in the provision of technical advisory support to developing countries on the use of communication and information technologies or geospatial information.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural organization.

UN competencies:

PROFESSIONALISM: Shows pride in work and in 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.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; Places team agenda before personal agenda; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Workforce Diversity

The United Nations believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural or religious backgrounds, to apply.

V. Learning Elements

On completion of the assignment, the JPO will have/be able to:

• Have gained a substantive knowledge and understanding of the benefits of the applications of space science and technology for disaster management, as well as the numerous activities undertaken to promote such applications under the auspices of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response.
• Have gained substantial experience in organizing and managing content management systems and communication platforms to support applications of space technology and geoinformatics to disaster risk management and emergency response.
• Have become familiar with relevant space-based solutions for disaster risk management and emergency response.
• Be able to confidently interact at an international diplomatic level with representatives of Member States, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and national space-related agencies, associations and industry.
• Be able to research, draft and edit official United Nations studies, technical reports, conference proceedings, articles and statements relating to activities in outer space.

VI. Background Information

The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its resolution 61/110, of 14 December 2006, decided to establish a programme within the United Nations to provide universal access to all countries and all relevant international and regional organizations to all types of space-based information and services relevant to disaster management to support the full disaster management cycle. In that same resolution, the Assembly agreed that the programme should be named the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) and be implemented as a programme of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The General Assembly also indicated that the programme would operate with offices in Bonn and in Beijing.

The programme has benefitted from the support of JPOs in the past years, several of which have become staff in UN agencies and other international organizations.

In June of the year 2019, the Office for Outer Space Affairs began a joint effort with the Centre for Remote Sensing for Land Surfaces (ZFL) of the University of Bonn to facilitate the use of space-based information in disaster management applications through the project entitled Spaceborne Earth Observation Applications for Emergency Response and Disaster Risk Reduction (SPEAR).  The 5-year long project allowed the continuous improvement of the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal as a gateway to space-based information, the provision of technical advisory support to national disaster management agencies and other stakeholders in selected African countries, the identification of ways to facilitate the uptake of scientific results in practical applications, and the strengthening of the international network of organizations that contribute to the efforts of UN-SPIDER. Considering the successes achieved through this project in terms of results and outcomes, efforts are underway by ZFL of the University of Bonn and UNOOSA to implement a second phase of the SPEAR project, to start in the second half of the year 2024.  This new phase is again foreseen to be implemented in a period of five years, from 2024 to 2029.

The JPO will be involved in the implementation of the second phase of the SPEAR project and to contribute to the activities being carried out by the UN-SPIDER Office in Bonn, and those conducted by the programme and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2024-2-53 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

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