Head of Knowledge Development and Sharing

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over USD 500 million (over the last 15 years) to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. WEC effectively operationalizes partners’ agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country-specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements,  such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development.

Functional Responsibilities:

Summary of Key Functions:  

• Provide technical guidance, expertise and support to the knowledge development and sharing activities of the ICAT Secretariat and manage the sharing of learnings among ICAT partner countries;
• Design, develop and oversee the implementation of ICAT’s communications and partnership strategy and related products; and
• Supervise the further development of ICAT’s toolbox and its training programme.

Provide technical guidance, expertise and support to  the knowledge development and sharing activities of the ICAT Secretariat:

• Develop and keep up to date a Knowledge Management (KM) strategy and action plan in coordination with the ICAT Secretariat’s technical personnel, reflecting annually updated work plans; and
• Deliver the KM strategy in line with the approved action plan with the aim to enhance the capacity of ICAT partners, as well as informing/interacting on issues of interest nationally and regionally.

This includes:

• Coordinating  the planning for ICAT knowledge sharing activities to maximize the reach of learnings and experiences from ICAT’s country and regional activities, ensuring good understanding of ICAT’s approach and objectives, and giving good visibility to ICAT’s tools and methodologies;
• Engaging ICAT’s implementing partners to leverage their support and collaboration in implementing ICAT knowledge sharing activities, ensuring consistency in message and approach across all ICAT activities;
• Organizing regular knowledge exchange events to build the capacities of the ICAT partner countries. Modalities of exchange may include face to face, virtual meetings, webinars, communities of practice, per-to-peer events, etc. covering all topics that form part of ICAT’s mandate;
• Designing and rolling out of ad hoc knowledge exchanges and trainings for presentation at regional/international fora on selected topics taking inspiration and practical lessons learned from implementation of the ICAT projects;
• Compiling knowledge, best practices and emerging issues of relevance to ICAT partners both from global processes and from ICAT projects;
• Leading  the knowledge management activities for ICAT publications, outreach material and partner engagement, and propose tools for implementing it; and
• Managing ICAT’s tools and systems used for  knowledge sharing and creating new ones as needed for activities to engage communities of practice at global level and with thematic focus.

Design, develop and oversee the implementation of ICAT’s communications and partnership strategy and related products in support of ICAT’s strategic priorities, ongoing activities and the implementation of the KM Strategy with a view to promoting the implementation of effective communication processes that inform and engage stakeholders, partners, and all categories of audiences. This includes:

• updated work plans and the global climate calendar further to consultations with ICAT’s stakeholders; and
• Roll out the communication strategy in line with the approved action plan with the aim of sharing experiences and enhancing visibility of ICAT’s offers, activities and impact.

This includes:

Communications strategy:

• Leading on the development of the ICAT communications and partnership strategy to ensure coordinated, targeted and coherent communications with existing partners, future prospects and external audiences in line with ICAT’s strategic objectives, covering all relevant components and action areas, and coordinate its implementation;
• Leading and coordinating the ICAT communications group with a view to engaging representatives of the ICAT Implementing Partners; and
• Developing ICAT’s web and social media strategies to support and strengthen work by partners and initiatives in order to promote ICAT activities and objectives.

External communications:

• Managing  all ICAT external communications;
• Leading  the content preparation for ICAT website ensuring quality and uptodate content for its overall structure, and main messaging, and sound drafting of ICAT case studies to clearly communicate ICAT success stories and impact;
• Managing  ICAT external communications to ensure that key messages and content used in outreach material, statements by the ICAT Director and presentations highlight ICAT offers, achievements and impact;
• Managing and providing creative inputs to ICAT communication activities and events, including follow-up with partners through the planning and execution of integrated multi-channel communication (website, social media, email marketing, webinars, side events to global climate conferences, etc.);
• Leading the preparation of outreach material, such as flyers, brochures, power-point presentations, regular newsletters etc.;
• Leading the preparation of ICAT webinars to promote ICAT tools and methodologies;
• Specifying appropriate communication channels, dissemination methods and media such as video, print, web/online media, traditional media, and social media, among others, to effectively communicate key messages to specific stakeholders;
• Developing and maintaining ICAT branding guidelines for ICAT partners ensuring these are in line with the ICAT donor agreements and UNOPS corporate requirements;
• Managing timely response to external information requests;
• Preparing media releases and liaising with media for interviews, identifying opportunities and pitching stories as needed;
• Liaising with communications colleagues in the United Nations, especially the UNFCCC secretariat, UNRIC, UNEP, UNDP, and UNOPS to keep aligned with system-wide communications and campaigns and exchange information;
• Supporting partnership and relationships management with other initiatives and organizations; and
• Supporting donor relationship management, by developing proposals for a donor outreach and fund-raising strategy and support its implementation.

Internal communication:

• Supporting the ICAT Director in ensuring effective ICAT internal communication flows, in particular with the Donor Steering Committee, the Advisory Committee and the Initiative Coordination Team;
• Developing the preparation of project and programmatic documents for expanding ICAT;
• Guiding and advising Secretariat colleagues on knowledge management and communications to ensure overall consistency and effectiveness of outreach activities; and
• Providing any additional support as required.

Supervise the further development of ICAT’s toolbox and its training programme:

• Oversee the development of a strategy and action plan in coordination with the ICAT Secretariat’s technical personnel for the ICAT’s toolbox expansion and training activities.

This includes:

• Managing the development of the ICAT toolbox in line with ICAT’s strategy, including the necessary evaluation of tools and methodologies with a view to identifying priority gaps and needs that ICAT should address, including through updates of what is already in the toolbox;
• Overseeing the development of ICAT’s capacity building approach and guiding colleagues in the ICAT Secretariat and among implementing partners to maximize effectiveness and ensure coherence in ICAT’s approach;
• Overseeing ICAT’s training activities to ensure the develop in line with ICAT’s strategy, build on experience gained and reflect a state-of-the-art approach; and
• Guiding the organization and roll out of the ICAT’s training programme ensuring integration with knowledge sharing and communications.

 Education/Experience/Language requirements:

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Relations, Environmental Management, Communications or any other relevant subject is required;
• A Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields with additional two years may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (9 years if combined with a Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience with knowledge management and communication activities is required.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in climate change is required.
• Experience related to climate policy is also required.
• A deep understanding of national and international climate policy processes and the role of climate transparency is required.
• Experience of working within the international development sector is a significant asset.
• Experience in web design and of working with social media and website management (including content creation) is desirable.

Language Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=29180#2