Organization Mission

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuilding, and climate and disaster resilience.

UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

Context

The Communications Officer, working under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, will assist in executing the corporate communications strategy. He/she will also provide input for designing, managing, and implementing the Country Office’s communication and publication strategies aimed at influencing the development agenda, enhancing public and media outreach, and securing political and financial support for UNDP.

This role involves close collaboration with Programme and Operations teams, staff from other UN Agencies, UNDP Communications at Regional and Headquarters levels, government officials, international and local media, subject matter experts, donors, and civil society to ensure effective delivery of UNDP’s communication strategy within the Country Office.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Implement internal/external communication strategies and outreach, and contribute to their development
o Conduct communications needs assessments for the country office (e.g., for projects, the country programme, and corporate change initiatives)
o Draft and edit the country office communications and outreach strategy based on country office strategic priorities and the UNDP External Communications Action Plan
o Provide communication input during the project and programme formulation stage to integrate communication needs and strategies in all aspects of project development
o Maintain increased coverage and understanding of the UNDP’s work in the country or practice area through local and global media stories as guided by the UNDP External Communications Action Plan.
• Implement the country office publications strategy and plan based on the corporate publications policy
o Identify and develop storylines for publications, and draft substantive articles that contribute to and generate conversations on key development issues
o Coordinate and manage the country office publication activities, such as content management in line with corporate guidelines (including Newsletters)
o Liaison with and maintain a database of contact details for journalists.
• Provide technical support to UNDP digital communications in the country office, that includes social media, website, and the Country Office web-based knowledge management system
o Provide support in implementing the country office digital communication strategy
o Generate content for the website and other social media platforms to ensure consistency and better outreach
• Implement UNDP’s campaign initiatives to engage different stakeholders (i.e., government, donors, media ,and public) and increase awareness of UNDP’s mandate and goals
o Promote and maintain public information campaigns on UNDP activities
o Collect and package information for donor review in collaboration with programme staff and supervisors to support campaign and advocacy initiatives
o Organize roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, interviews, launches to engage stakeholders
o Support “One UN” agenda in line with UNDP’s Campaign and Advocacy agenda
o Ensure access of journalists to subject-matter experts and UNDP spokespeople; and provide newsworthy information to the national public
• Assist in leading the effort of the country office’s knowledge management and dissemination
o Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country goals and activities
o Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice, including corporate communications repositories
o Provide training, consultancy, and advice to UNDP staff on internal and external knowledge management
o Maintain UNDP’s Intranet on country office activities for internal knowledge sharing, and share relevant knowledge products with external stakeholders through the corporate website
o Work with the Programme teams to ensure all knowledge products are captured, updated, readily available, and in the right order, as and when necessary

Required Skills and Experience

• Analytical, coordination, and communication skills, including documentation/reporting
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
• Advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP
• Ability to prepare publications, reports, and presentations

Core Competencies

☒ Accountability
☒ Adaptability and Flexibility
☐ Building Trust
☒ Client Orientation
☐ Commitment and Motivation
☐ Commitment to Continuous Learning
☒ Communication
☒ Creativity
☐ Empowering Others
☐ Ethics and Values
☐ Integrity
☐ Judgement and Decision-making
☒ Knowledge Sharing
☐ Leadership
☐ Managing Performance
☒ Planning and Organizing
☐ Professionalism
☒ Respect for Diversity
☒ Self-Management
☐ Technological Awareness
☐ Vision
☒ Working in Teams

Living Conditions

Climate: The climate along the coast is relatively warm hot year-round with an annual average temperature of 30°C. There are two distinct seasons: the north-east monsoon season, which runs from November to March, constitutes the rainy season throughout the country. The southeast monsoon season, which runs from March to October, constitutes the dry season with some rain on the southern coast but otherwise dry and windy conditions in the rest of the country. The climate inland with its high mountains can be very cold with an annual average temperature of 15°C.
Health: Public hospital and private clinic provide services to community. Stamford clinic in Dili serves as a recommended medical facility for UN staff. There is a national hospital with some international staff and a limited number of other private clinics in Dili (such as Dili Medical Centre). For more complex medical treatment and assessment, it is necessary to evacuate to neighboring cities/countries such as Darwin or Singapore.

Diet, Food and Water: Most staple foods can be found in the markets such as rice, meat, vegetables, cooking oil, salt and sugar. There is a variety of food ranging from Western to Southeast Asian fare. You can also find several local restaurants with less expensive meals. The price range for a meal can range from $3 to $14+.

Telecommunications: There are three telecommunication providers in country, Timor Telecom and Telcomcel and Telemor. The SIM cards cost $2-3 and pre-paid/pulsa cards range from $1 to $50. Further, depending on UN Agency, you may receive a PIN code to make international phone calls that will be charged to your VLA.

Hotels: The UNV Field unit in Dili will help arrange your initial accommodation in a hotel, at your expense.