Communication Officer (OCB-GEF)

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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting
The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on issues related to climate change, biodiversity and the environment and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Office also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing (such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF)). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards. FAO is one of the top GEF partner implementing agencies worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300 projects valued at more than USD 1.7 billion. FAO supports eligible countries in accessing resources from the GEF family of funds comprised of: GEF Trust Fund (TF), the Least Development Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF).
FAO brings to the GEF partnership extensive knowledge and expertise in sustainable agri-food systems transformation, including sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, ecosystem restoration. It draws on its strong field presence and in-depth understanding of GEF policies and procedures to assist Member Nations in accessing GEF financing. The synergies between GEF and FAO priorities and the importance of FAO’s technical expertise in the above areas have resulted in more countries choosing to work with FAO and the subsequent growth of the FAO-GEF portfolio and partnership (FAO-GEF webpage).
OCB-GEF leads FAO’s engagement and collaboration on communications with the GEF Secretariat and across the 18 GEF Agencies and environmental conventions to build working relationships, advance joint communications, participate in GEF Partnership communications initiatives, provide regular updates on FAO-GEF communications, and raise visibility of FAO-GEF projects. A key area of work for OCB-GEF is to communicate and advocate for the strengths that FAO brings to the GEF Partnership. This includes sharing information across multiple platforms and communicating the results of our FAO-GEF portfolio effectively related to all GEF priority areas, including biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, chemicals and waste, international transboundary waters. With a large and maturing portfolio of GEF projects yielding significant results and stories of impact, OCB-GEF is prioritizing effective outreach to our country, agency and GEF partners.
The purpose of this position is to provide communications support and serve as liaison to the GEF and within FAO, including being the focal point for internal and external communications activities for the OCB-GEF Unit.
The position is located in the GEF team within OCB at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Communication Officer reports to the Senior Coordinator in the OCB-GEF Unit and will work in coordination with the FAO Office of Communications (OCC) through OCB.

Technical Focus
External and internal communication, outreach, advocacy, and partner liaison focused on GEF-related activities, programmes and projects in support of FAO’s Strategic Framework and the GEF Partnership.

Key Results
Contribute to the development and strengthening of internal communication, web publishing and media-relations activities of the Organization.

Key Functions
• Researches and analyses technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology-related information, data and statistics and/or related policy issues to support internal and/or external communication.
• Produces a variety of information and reports as well as input for communication-related documents and web pages.
• Collaborates in the development of improved/updated tools, systems, processes and databases.
• Participates in multi-disciplinary teams and/or leads working groups/teams; collaborates with other divisions/offices and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.

Specific Functions
• Contributes to effective oversight, delivery, and strategic direction setting of OCB-GEF’s corporate communications activities, including print and web-based publishing, social media, media outreach, and multimedia production in compliance with FAO’s corporate communications policies, branding and operational guidelines.
• Prepares compelling articles, speeches, key messages, presentations, publications and advocacy products from FAO-GEF project outcomes, portfolio insights, and programmatic priorities.
• Pitches, develops, and coordinates events and outreach at international fora and partner platforms, and contributes GEF-content and messaging to FAO’s corporate participation in global events and advocacy campaigns.
• Identifies opportunities and coordinates the design and execution of engagements between the GEF Secretariat, FAO, and Member States, including FAO and GEF consultations, bilateral meetings, and field visits.
• Serves as the focal point on communications with the GEF Secretariat and across the GEF Partnership to represent FAO in GEF communication initiatives and support FAO engagement in joint outreach campaigns.
• Develops and maintains briefing notes to inform engagements, advocacy, and relationship-building between FAO and partners within the GEF Partnership, including the GEF Secretariat, GEF Agencies, and Member States.
• Assists in organizing briefings, events, and workshops for FAO offices and divisions related to the FAO-GEF Partnership.
• Develops and maintains internal platforms for effective communication and access to information across the FAO-GEF community.
• Contributes to the execution of the GEF Strategy for Knowledge Management and Learning and the related components of the FAO-GEF Strategy and Action Plan, including synthesis and dissemination of results from FAO-GEF projects and programmes.
• In coordination with OCC, liaises with the network of communications specialists in FAO’s regional, sub-regional, and Country Offices to maintain an effective network on GEF activities for success stories and provide guidance, support, and backstopping for project communications.
• Ensures compliance with GEF’s Communications and Visibility policies, including branding guidelines aligning with FAO communications standards and guidelines; supports communications and visibility of FAO-GEF projects and programme events and initiatives at country and regional levels.
• In coordination with OCC, supports the development of press releases and supports staff in interviews, op-ed placement, and other forms of media outreach.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in social science, journalism, political science or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in communication, public information, journalism, international relations, web publishing, and/or social media.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the field of communication, outreach, advocacy, and partnerships for international/intergovernmental organizations, including GEF Agencies.
• Extent and relevance of experience in drafting high-quality written materials for a wide variety of audiences, such as middle and senior level management, national governments, and broader public audiences.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation and dissemination of communication, promotional or technical materials.
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing complex events and prepare a full range of communication materials for high-profile international events.
• Understanding of FAO policies and programmes and GEF’s structure, operations, and programmes is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated experience with and understanding of global environmental issues is considered a strong asset.
• Demonstrated experience in writing and editing in a deadline-driven environment is considered an asset.

Liaison with the Office of Communication (OCC) will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with FAO standards, appropriate review and clearance processes.

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:

• FAOSTYLE (English: https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/f72a5741-af74-401c-a4a7-70f41ca1bb4a)
• FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm
• FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en
• Story guidelines and template, Web policy, Social media guidelines, Publications policy and guidance, UN map standards, FAO branding and Logo guidelines (available internally).