MEL and Communication Manager

UNDP is the UN’s global development organization that supports countries around the world in their efforts to successfully address diverse development challenges, framed around three broad settings which require different forms of support: eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions; accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development; and building resilience to crises and shocks. Strengthening governance systems, promoting rule of law and human rights are cornerstones of UNDP’s work to achieve sustainable human development and eradicate extreme poverty. Within this broad governance mandate, the UNDP Pacific Office is implementing interventions aimed at preventing and fighting corruption and promoting integrity, transparency and accountability guided by SDG 16 (promoting peaceful, just, and inclusive societies) and in line with the planned outcomes of the United Nations Pacific Strategy and the UNDP Sub-Regional Project Document.

Pacific Islands countries (PICs) boast “big ocean” economies, with young and mobile populations and highly resilient and adaptive societies. Past and recent investments have however fallen short of developing diverse economies offering inclusive services and opportunities, resilient to external shocks and the increasing pace of climate disasters. While the scale of Pacific economies does not allow them to respond to all these challenges alone, public investment and revenues would gain from empowered officials accountable to keep basic service delivery and development priorities in mind while driving fiscal decisions.

For this reason, the “Accountable Public Finances to serve Pacific people – Vaka Pasifika” project (hereafter Vaka Pasifika project) builds on the results of the “Strengthening Public Finance Management and Governance in the Pacific” (PFM) project implemented between 2018 and 2022 thanks to the support of the European Union. The proposed overarching goal of this project is to strengthen the governance mechanisms enabling Pacific countries to deliver public services that are better calibrated to meet specific needs of the people. Its specific focus will be to ensure scarce Pacific resources are better managed and the resource base available for achieving national development goals will be increased. To achieve this goal, PIC economies require stable and reliable institutions implementing the right mix of creativity and rigor informed by ground reality. The Project will contribute to this vision by (a) supporting oversight institutions and decision makers to define and implement their priorities through leadership and institutional capacity strengthening and (b) enhancing responsiveness of service delivery and public finance management by developing institutional mechanisms for engagement and openness and strengthening civil society capacity.

The Vaka Pasifika project is implemented as part of a portfolio through a team based in Suva, Fiji in the UNDP Pacific Office. As part of the Effective Governance unit, the team is responsible for implementation of the project, its various activities and corresponding institutional processes and requirements. The Vaka Pasifika project focuses on the human and networked resources available to public finance stakeholders in the Pacific, one of the core focus of the project is to grow a pool of resources working on tailored public finance and accountability tools for the Pacific.

The MEL and Communication Manager, acts across all outputs and activities and supports the Portfolio Manager in delivering and reporting on results. The Manager is expected to be a dynamic profile, with creativity and the energy to maintain a wide network spanning over the Pacific region and multiple technical areas. The person should be passionate, constantly rethinking and proposing new activities and ideas to shape events and networks. But most importantly the person should have an affinity with words and telling stories. ICT, coms and social media skills would be a great addition for the project.

In specific, the Manager will support the project manager in the implementation of outputs related to the project multiple community of practice, including the organisation of the Community of Practice meetings. The Manager will ensure that the online platforms for the projects are updated and maintained as well as new opportunities presented to the community regularly.  The Manager will oversee activities across the project to ensure the development of a community of practice at the national and regional level. The Manager will be responsible to ensure the community of practice is provided with learning experience, exposure to global narratives and remain a value added to its members. The Manager will additionally support the team in ensuring results are communicated internally and externally, perform monitoring and evaluation activities as well as oversee the implementation of the communication strategy under the guidance of a long-term advisor. The Manager will cooperate with the UNDP MCO results-based management and communications teams to ensure project activities are delivered in line with UNDP Communication Strategy and Monitoring and Evaluation framework.

The successful candidate will directly report to the Vaka Pasifika Project Manager and will closely cooperate and support the other project team members, consultants, and project stakeholders.

The Vaka Pasifika project team is situated in the Accountability portfolio of the Effective Governance Team of the UNDP Pacific Office in Suva.

Create added value, energy and passion to the project partners and network as a community manager:

• Deliver workplan activities across outputs as per division of workload with the rest of the team. This could include but is not limited to liaising with institutional partners, coordinating consultants, coordinating events.
• Develop, execute and monitor progress of strategic Community/Fellowship strategy and workplan for both the online and offline activities to maintain and grow communities of institutional and non-government members engaging with and benefiting from the project, management budget and pool of consultant, adapt to deviation and propose corrective measures.
• Create value, dynamics, energy for the community/fellowship: Organize events, activities, conduct research and compile data and knowledge to benefit the community, ensure the network benefit from latest information and constantly is aware of opportunities (learning, funding, showcasing results…), keep track of important milestones, events and dates and support the community in taking advantage of them.
• Take responsibility for the successful delivery of the community fellowship events every year – ensure smooth operational running and proper visibility, feedback and exposure, maximize the use of this events for network and coalition building.
• Maintain and manages online tools (e-learning platform, mailing lists, knowledge repository …) and produce content for the benefit of the community of practice (knowledge products, database of opportunities …) in line with the CoP workplan.
• Deliver and document results: ensure that the network grows every years and provide evidence of delivering value to the network through an ME system (survey/assessment and regular feedback from the network);
• Constantly adapt and ensure the effective handover of the network: identifying individuals with the potential to lead and ensure that they are given the opportunity to drive changes and take over the community management at the end of the project.
• Constantly liaise with other project team members to ensure the community is delivering value for their activities and notably to the fellowship participants, network of technical experts, CSO and media partners. Ensure each activity of the project is maximized to provide value and learning to the project community, constantly seek improvement and learning for the team and the network.

Ensure the portfolio not only documents and evaluate results but constantly learns from its partners, activities and the larger community of practice (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning):

• Take overall responsibility for the portfolio’s reporting and knowledge management activities: draft, compile inputs, finalize, ensure design and synthetic infographics for all ad-hoc and corporate reporting requirements. Ensure filing system and knowledge products are readily available for the right audiences. Coordinate with UNDP focal points for corporate requirements (RMU, EG teams);
• Take overall responsibility for the monitoring and update of risks, results and adaptive action in the workplan, log frame and on quantum.
• Support wit the reporting requirements and needs of partners in collaborating with activity Manager and grants officer (generate templates, provide training, review and ensure quality of, support drafting where necessary);
• Capture lessons learnt and facilitate regular learning sessions for the portfolio team and support the Portfolio Manager and Activity Manager in monitoring and documenting results, risks, emerging opportunities and developing annual workplans, draft internal and external reports;
• Design systems to constantly improve data collection notably disaggregated data, coordinate the baseline assessment and other feedback mechanisms, support project evaluation (drafting, contracting, operational facilitation);
• Develop learning plan for the team and the project and ensure all reporting feeds into learning process. Support preparation of the regular board meetings (documentation, reflection, presentations);
• Contribute to the strategic thinking, design and revision of workplans by team on monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Constantly seek exposure to global and regional communities of thinking and learning, bring back ideas and proposals to the project.

Ensures Communication as follows:

• Develop and deliver the project’s communication strategy and workplan in line with project documents – manage budget, contracts, potential grants and good and services, ensure timelines and corrective measures where necessary, align with UNDP corporate guidelines and quality assurance requirements for all communication activities.
• Constantly seek and propose new activities and ways of communication for development, connect with global and regional community of thinkers, movers and shakers in that areas and bring learnings to the project.
• Manage the creative support of the project: coordinate design of all project outputs, recruit and oversee pool of consultants’ link to communication (senior communication advisor, graphic designers, illustrators, videographers, IT consultants, etc.);
• Draft press release, invitations, blogs, communication pieces on behalf of the project and partners and provide templates, guidance and training where required.
• Organize and where appropriate supports the project’s technical team on events, knowledge generation, trainings, engagement strategy as well as reporting.
• Maintenance of database and tracking of visibility outputs and production of communication and media reports.

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