Communication Specialist

While Samoa’s contribution to global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is negligible, climate change mitigation remains a critical government priority in light of the already felt and predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The transport sector in Samoa, which is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, is the country’s largest emitter of CO2, accounting for 27.4% of GHG emissions (based on Samoa’s National GHG inventory, 2020). Reliance on energy-dense fossil fuels is expected to render decarbonization of the transport sector particularly difficult. Transport demand has grown in parallel to economic development, and with structural changes, it grows faster than that of other sectors. Whilst some interventions to decarbonize the transport sector in Samoa have initiated, efforts remain fragmented due to a lack of investment and coordination across ministries, agencies, development partners, financial entities, private businesses, and individuals. 

In order to meet Samoa’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target to reduce national GHG emissions by 26% from 2007 levels by 2030 (equivalent to 91 Gg CO2e), the rapid decarbonization of both land and maritime transport systems is fundamental. Research-based evidence, best practices and lessons learned globally indicate that a number of interventions can catalyze the paradigm shift required 2 to decarbonize the transport sector, including electrification of transport systems, along with supportive policy and business model innovations to catalyze systemic electrification. 

The project Climate Action Pathways for Island Transport (CAP-IT): Accelerating the Decarbonization of Samoa’s Land and Maritime Transport Sectors, funded by the Government of Japan, aims to promote urgent and inclusive transformation of the land and maritime transport sectors towards decarbonization by accelerating the uptake of electrical vehicles and outboard motors in support of the achievement of Samoa’s enhanced NDCs for the energy and transport sector by 2030. This will be achieved through a three-fold approach: 

• Creating an enabling environment through strengthened and gender-sensitive institutional governance, financial, legal, and technical capacities for accelerating the decarbonization of both land and maritime transport systems.
• Accelerating inclusive decarbonization of the land transport sector with a focus on adoption and imports of electric vehicles and accessible electrification service networks targeting public transport and public service delivery vehicles.
•  Introducing and piloting low-carbon outboard motors for Samoa’s fishing fleet through a gender sensitive grant mechanism for local fisherfolk and training scheme on installation, operation, and maintenance. CAP-IT is implemented through the UNDP Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), with some activities to be delivered by national implementing entities as Responsible Parties (RPs) contracted by UNDP.

The general objective of the position is to ensure high visibility of the project, effective communication of the project to national and Japanese audience, build awareness rising, help project with knowledge building, and sharing, as well as to help MCO communication efforts. 

CAP-IT Communication Specialist reports to the Project Manager and is expected to work in collaboration with other PMU Team personnel.

Under the overall supervision of the CAP-IT Project Manager and in close collaboration with the MCO’s Communications Analyst, the CAP-IT Communications Specialist will be responsible for strategic communications, visibility, advocacy and graphic design needs. Key responsibilities include, but not limited to:

Effective communication and visibility of project:

• Formulate and implement project communications and visibility plan to ensure greater visibility and public understanding of the projects’ goals and results.
• Produce public relations materials for internal and external promotion of the project, and assist with planning and publicizing, including project-related press releases; Coordinate the presence and coverage of national and international media in project-related events and/or milestones.
• Develop project-related graphics, including logo, factsheets, banners, inter alia.
• Support the organization of public events at the regional and national level in order to achieve better project understanding, recognition and visibility.
• Ensure systematic recognition of donor (Government of Japan) support and partner involvement.
• Provide graphic standardization for project-related documents, including reports, presentations, inter alia.
• Use traditional media and social networks to share information about the project and the support it offers to, and benefits of, low-carbon development in Samoa.
• Oversee and support awareness campaigns messaging, materials and implementation to maximize advocacy impact on the benefits of low-carbon transport.
• Manage and feed the UNDP website and newsletter content with news, innovative topics, and useful content.
• Manage and feed the Organization’s social media platforms with content and news-worthy topics, including blogs, op-eds, inter alia. These include at least 1-2 social media posts per week, and at least once a month a blog, an article or an op-ed product.
• Support and coordinate the creation of promotional videos (documentary or testimonials) filming successful stories on project beneficiaries, while coordinating the entire production process (preparation, production and postproduction).
• Prepare human stories featuring project beneficiaries and how the project has impacted the sector and testimonials from local counterparts and public service providers to share experiences from the project at national and regional events.
• Ensure inclusive language, especially in the Samoan context, throughout project documentation, including speeches, reports, social media, inter alia.
• Provide inputs and drafting support to narrative and annual reports. 

Support to MCO communication efforts:

• Support the implementation of the MCO’s Partnership and Communications Strategy
• Provide coordination support to MCO events, publications and web activities, including content management, norms for photography, video production, publishing, design, and editing.
• Support the design and maintenance of the office websites, newsletters and social media platforms based on corporate requirements in cooperation with the ICT team and relevant staff members.
• Support implementation of public information campaigns on issues including UNDP activities, UN Reform, and Sustainable Development Goals, including the enforcement of inclusive language.
• Develop communication materials, including briefing materials and press releases, for MCO events in coordination with relevant staff members.
• Write, edit, and supervise speeches and public statements for senior management and programme staff; and, 

Support corporate and donor reporting requirements; Lead knowledge building, sharing and management in the MCO:

• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country goals and activities.
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice including corporate communications repositories.
• Provide, upon needs, training and advice to UNDP staff on internal and external communications for development. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Technical & Cross-Functional competencies:

Business Development           

• Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
• Human centered design: Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.

Business Management            

• Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.; Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
• Digital Awareness and Literacy: Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

Digital Innovation        

• Data storytelling and communications: Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
• Story telling: Ability to empathize with people’s perceptions, motivations, feelings and mental models and craft narratives to build an emotive argument for change accordingly.; Ability to present data, insights or information in compelling ways to mobilize resources, talent or action.; Ability to choose media and channels that is fit for purpose to reach specific target audiences.