Background
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UNDP Pakistan’s Decentralization, Human Rights and Local Governance (DHL) project is a multi-sector project aimed at strengthening federal, provincial and local governance in Pakistan. The core objective of the project is to ensure inclusive service delivery in all 4 provinces of Pakistan by providing capacity development support to relevant federal ministries and provincial line departments with an aim to create an enabling environment for effective local governance and rights-based development. At the policy level, the project focuses on supporting provincial governments in preparing inclusive policies; at the institutional level the project emphasizes on digitization of existing government systems and at the community level the project works towards social inclusion of vulnerable populations, especially women in coordination with provincial human rights, local government and social welfare departments. The project incorporates gender equity and gender equality as a cross-cutting theme, with specific focus on enhancing capacities and accountability on gender equal and disaggregated approach. This means developing and implementing specific measures to ensure the effective inclusion and voice of women, girls and persons with non-binary gender identities – specifically from the most marginalized and disenfranchised groups. The project has three main components: (1) human rights; (2) social inclusion and gender equality; (3) community stabilization
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and direct supervision of the Rights-Based Development Expert, the “Communications and Reporting Officer” is expected to achieve the aforementioned deliverables, working in close collaboration with the team members in projects.
The Project Officer – Communications and Reporting will provide high quality professional support to the Decentralization, Human Rights and Local Governance (DHL) Project in Pakistan. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting DHL by strengthening its communications and advocacy efforts.
The incumbent will be responsible for the following tasks:
Take part in coordination and implementation of effective and strategic project communications.
- Support the National Technical Advisor and Rights-Based Development Expert in the development of a comprehensive communications plan, ensuring coordination with the relevant focal persons in the DHL team, ensuring that the communications plan adheres to UNDP’s Communications and Gender Equality Strategy. Incorporate creative and innovatice ideas to promote gender equality, women empowerment, and the inclusion of women in leadership positions throughout the project.
- Manage coordination with the DHL team, Country Office, and any other project teams on communications products, including talking points, remarks, press releases, audio-visual materials, videos, photographs, success stories, etc, to ensure the visibility and achievement of project objectives and results outlined in the project document, with a particular focus on advancing gender equality, women empowerment.
- Manage coordination on communications with relevant donors, including the EU, ensuring that all communications materials adheres to partner guidelines and requirements. Collaborate with partner communications teams to integrate key messages and results aligned with the project objectives in communication materials, including those related to gender equality, and environmental justice.
- Ensure compliance with UNDP policy and program management procedures: Collaborate closely with vendors and graphic designers to ensure that all communications materials comply with UNDP policy and program management procedures, with a particular emphasis on incorporating a gender equality perspective, in line with the local context.
- Manage operational aspects: Oversee the operational management of the assigned portfolio, including timely procurement of goods, services, and infrastructure (if applicable), effective management of human resources, technical resources, and financial resources, with a specific focus on promoting gender equality, environmental justice, and facilitating the inclusion of women in leadership positions.
Contribute in establishing partnerships and open channels of communication.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships and strategic linkages: Establish and nurture strong relationships and strategic linkages with key DHL stakeholders, including for example the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, Access to Justice Institutions in Pakistan, Environmental Tribunals, and any other relevant institutions. Engage with government officials, businesses, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support key objectives and ensure inclusive implementation and meaningful participation of these key stakeholders in the assigned portfolio.
- Build and maintain a database of media contacts: Develop and maintain strong relationships and strategic linkages with national and international media outlets to promote DHL and key stakeholders human rights initiatives and advocacy eddorts. Regularly develop information for dissemination on key activities and initiatives of the project.
- Develop and maintain stakeholder mapping and analysis: Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify the needs of the environmental defenders. Determine the best approaches to leverage their participation and strengthen their engagement. Prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation and opportunities for joint initiatives. Make recommendations to the management team on activities with the potential for scale-up, replicability, and synergies in collaboration with these stakeholders.
- Provide technical support to implementing partners: Offer communications technical support and guidance to the National Commission on the Status of Women, National Commission for Human Rights, Access to Justice Institutions in Pakistan, Environmental Tribunals, and Women-Led Organizations. Act as a communications liaison between UNDP and these partners, facilitating effective communication and collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of project activities and the achievement of project objectives.
Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set.
- Support the M&E Officer in the review and update the results framework of the assigned portfolio and update indicators, baselines, and targets, taking into consideration the specific needs and priorities of NGOs (working on gender equality), women empowerment civil society organizations, and private sector women led groups. Develop clear strategies and an effective system for data collection, means of verification, and information sharing and reporting, ensuring alignment with UNDP guidelines.
- Closely coordinate with the M&E Officer to monitor implementation and progress: Monitor the implementation of activities and progress in achieving goals and targets, with a particular focus on access to gender justice and access to environmental justice.
- Prepare reports: Support the team in the final edits, review and finalization of corporate, donor, and other internal and external reports in line the reporting schedule and requirements set by UNDP, and other relevant donors. Ensure that the reports accurately reflect the contributions and achievements of project partners, civil society organizations, private sector stakeholders (BHR Team) and ‘women in leadership positions’ networks. Coordinate with UN Women in reporting and sharing relevant information to foster collaboration and synergy between the two organizations.
- Coordinate closely with the Operations team to support the financial management of NGOs, civil society organizations, and women led organisations involved in the project.
- Build and maintain a communications database: Coordinate closely with project colleagues to ensure a digital database of all communications materials produced by the project, including photographs, audio-visual material, talking points, reports, social media posts, success stories, and any other relevant materials.
Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic area(s).
- Organize training, workshops, and capacity building activities: Organize training sessions, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders from the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, academia, and other relevant partners. Ensure that these activities specifically address women empowerment, access to gender justice, environmental justice, environmental defenders, and the rule of law.
- Identify, synthesize, and document best practices and lessons learned: Identify and document best practices and lessons learned generated from the project and its implementing partners in the areas of women empowerment, access to gender justice, environmental justice, environmental defenders, and the rule of law. Synthesize this knowledge and share it with stakeholders, enabling wider dissemination and replication of successful approaches.
- Participate in knowledge networks and communities of practice: Actively participate in knowledge networks and communities of practice related to project issues, such as women empowerment, access to gender justice, environmental justice, environmental defenders, and the rule of law. Share insights and contribute to discussions, drawing on project experiences. Support the establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for knowledge dissemination, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and support UNDP’s engagement in these areas.
- Promote advocacy on development trends and collaboration opportunities: Promote advocacy on development trends and opportunities to collaborate in the areas of women empowerment, access to gender justice, environmental justice, environmental defenders, and the rule of law. Collaborate with project partners, stakeholders, and UNDP communications staff to raise awareness, engage in policy dialogues, and advocate for meaningful change. Utilize communication channels and platforms to amplify the project’s impact and influence.
- Perform other duties within the functional profile: Fulfill other communications and reporting duties within the functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization, specifically focusing on women empowerment, access to gender justice, environmental justice, environmental defenders, and the rule of law. This may include providing support in related project activities, contributing to policy development, and addressing emerging issues and challenges in the field.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core competencies:
- Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
- Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
- Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
- Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
- Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
- Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Communications
- Advocacy strategy and implementation. Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.
- Campaign management. Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change.
- Brand & quality management. Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality
Business Direction & Strategy
- Strategic Thinking. Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
Business Management
- Project Management. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Mass Communication, Media Studies, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services particularly for communications, reporting, and/or hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
- Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
- Prior experience in providing management advisory services related to the field of communications and reporting is desired.
- Prior experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects at national or international level is desired.
- Experience with design applications, for example Canva, Photoshop, and video editing software’s is desired.
- Good networking abilities and partnership development.
Required languages:
- Fluency in English and Urdu languages is required.
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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