Communications and Engagement Officer

Background
 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Pakistan currently faces serious development challenges due to the severe impact of unfettered climate change worsening the state of the environment and increasing pressure on its society, economy and natural resources. As per the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index, Pakistan ranks as the 8th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change. The annual mean temperature has increased by 0.5°C over the last five decades, leading to changes in the pattern of precipitation, an increase in glacial melting, rising sea levels and high intensity of flash floods and droughts. The variability in climate and weather patterns has increased the intensity and frequency of disasters which has drastically undermined development in the country. Pakistan’s society and economy remain highly vulnerable to future threats posed by climate change, therefore, making holistic multi-sectoral mitigation and adaptation measures the highest priority to manage these threats. 

Pakistan is also the fifth-most populous country in the world, with a population of over 220 million people that is growing at a rate of 2% annually (2020) while women make up nearly half of this number (48.54%). With 37% of its population living in urban centers, an urbanization rate of 2.7%, and a rapidly growing domestic market for plastics (growing at 15% per annum) the output of waste is immense. Especially in urban centers like Karachi and Lahore, the output of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) recorded is upwards of 12,000-16,000 and 7,000 tonnes daily MSW, respectively (2021). The average waste generation ranges between 0.3- 0.55kg/person/day.

The Resilience, Envrionemnt and Climate Change Unit of UNDP mainly works on the development of various thematic areas including DRR, Environment, Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity conservation Climate Resilience and Climate Risk Financing. Under RECCU, Climate Resilience Programme (CRP) aims to improve the cooperation and resilience of local and regional stakeholders to the threats and risks posed by climate change through capacity building, sustainable interventions, inclusive and equitable development, strengthened partnerships and community mobilization and awareness. The proposed project aims to provide assistance and support to the Government of Pakistan and its partners in the field of environmental sustainability and increased resilience to climate change at the national, provincial and local levels. The CRP aims to not only provide technical assistance to government counterparts for the effective implementation of climate change policies, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and compliance with international conventions, but will also contribute to enhancing the resilience of institutions and communities through the implementation of various mitigation and adaptation initiatives. The project will serve as an umbrella to park some of the bilateral funding generated through this project under multiple thematic areas under the Climate Change. The CRP will also create opportunities for advocacy and to promote awareness and regional cooperation on climate action, especially with local communities and partners by building capacities of key stakeholders in the sustainable management of vital resources and key NDC sectors, i.e., Energy, Water, Agriculture, Forestry and other Land-use, Biodiversity, Protected Areas etc. The programme is aligned with the priorities outlined in the Nationally Determined Contributions, National Climate Change Policy, National Adaptation Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, Vision 2025 Pillar IV: Energy, Water and Food Security, Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and importantly, the Country Programme Document for Pakistan 2023-2027.

The Communications and Engagement Officer will work under the overall supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative-RECCU on a shared basis between Unit and project while directly reporting to the Programme Analyst-RECCU and Program Officer-CRP. The Communications and Engagement Officer will work closely with internal and external partners working on climate change mitigation, adaptation and the plastics infrastructure in Pakistan including organizations, alliances, the private sector and others.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

The key responsibilities for the position are listed below.

Provide support and advice to the planning and design of internal and external communication strategies and outreach.

• Provide overall overarching support to RECCU unit in defining a clear communication approach and communication support for all projects under RECCU including CRP.
• Provide input to the implementation of UNDP Pakistan’s communications strategy to position UNDP as a thought leader and partner of choice for NPAP.
• Provide input in undertaking thematic campaigns that highlight success stories as well as nation-wide and localised impact of UNDP’s work.
• Work closely with RECCU and related projects including CRP key stakeholders and partners to identify potential awareness-raising and advocacy opportunities through media campaigns, publicity materials including documentary plans, social media content and human-impact stories highlighting UNDP’s on-ground impact under CRP and NPAP.
• Provide communication input during the project and programme formulation stage to integrate communication needs and strategies in all aspects of UNDP development program.
• Ensure the development of a wide series of multimedia Products (including microsites, photo essays, narrative features, videos, and infographic materials).
• Develop a schedule of content production and distribution across various platforms.
• Provide input in the production of key communications digital products, such as policy briefs, project publications, NPAP Annual Report and, maintaining all updated progress under the CRP in the quarterly and annual reporting cycles.
• Ensure all external and internal communication, including knowledge products (reports, blogs, presentations, brochures etc.,) follow UNDP guidelines, editorial guidelines and guidelines for gender-sensitive communication. 
• Maintain regular contact collaborating and co-creating, with innovative media partners, to develop creative briefs for products such as gifs, illustrations, animated videos and other digital content. 
• Identify key messages for target audience, and maintain a schedule of content production to ensure timely distribution across various platforms.
• Develop and implement a crisis communication plan, if needed.
• Manage communication during critical situations and ensure timely and accurate information dissemination.

Knowledge Management & Reporting 

• Provide support with quarterly, annual and donor reporting of NPAP objectives and outcomes under UNDP’s internal processes and ensure timely approvals of the reports. 
• Maintain and update lists of traditional and non-traditional media partners and key stakeholders for NPAP activities and events.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communication and engagement activities, using metrics and feedback to inform continuous improvement.
• Prepare regular reports on communication and engagement efforts for senior management and stakeholders.
• Develop and implement a communications strategy aligned with the project’s goals and objectives including knowledge products (Articles, Blogs, Stories etc.,), while bringing innovative ideas, and ensuring that insights from measuring digital engagement are addressed.
• Maintain a repository of key documents on shared spaces like Teams or SharePoint. 
• Orgnize the events at subnational and national levels as per the RECCU workplan. 
• Prepare and distribute press releases, manage media inquiries, and organize press conferences. 

Engagement, Partnerships, Coordination and Administration

• Engage with project teams/personnel in identification, documenting and drafting of best practices and lessons learned. 
• Identify and engage key stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, and partner organizations, to build and maintain strong relationships.
• Represent the organization at meetings, conferences, and other events to promote its mission and objectives.
• Plan and execute community engagement activities, including events, workshops, and public meetings, to foster strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Develop and implement project engagement strategy to increase community participation and feedback.
• Support in providing content for project Results and UN’s website. 
• Maintain a repository of key stakeholders and partners on shared spaces like Teams or SharePoint.
• Support in organizing donors’, partners and media visits on thematic campaigns and documentaries. 
• Support in the launch of key publications under the RECCU.
• Provide administrative support for event management etc. to the project.  

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:

Business Direction & Strategy

• Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome
• Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks

Business Management

• Working with Evidence and Data : Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
• 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
• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.

Partnership management

• Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Digital & Innovation

• Digital Inclusion: Knowledge of how digital inclusion works, opportunities and challenges for governments and society
• Ethnography: Ability to build rapport and empathy with people and vulnerable communities to learn about their everyday lives, experience and context. Being able to identify and understand patterns of relations, and their meaning, between different entities (i.e. of people, objects, animals etc.)
• Being able to immerse deeply in the context of a community and look at it from an “insiders perspective”to understand how realities are socially constructed and understand and appreciated these realities; explore perceptions, motivations, preference, needs, rituals to understand ""why people do things the way they do"

Required Skills and Experience
 
Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Communications, Journalism, International Development Studies, Sustainable Development, Social Sciences or related field is required, or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the area above mentioned with additional 02 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 in handling communications and reporting of donor-funded projects
• Experience in the use of computers, and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.). 
• Knowledge and experience in partner engagement and coordination.
• Demonstrate experience in working on engagement and reporting and communication with UN agencies, donor-funded project, the development sector, national and provincial governments and civil society organizations including community organizations;
• Experience in managing knowledge management database systems for projects and programmes;
• Experience in developing communication strategies and managing publicity, advertisements and national media campaigns.
• Professional experience at the project and Portfolio level on reporting of Project implementation by ensuring gender Inclusion
• Experience in developing donor reports, success stories, case studies of the projects and programmes;

Required Language(s): Fluency in English and Urdu

Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
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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