Date of last update: 17/07/2022 2024-04-29
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
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Organizational Setting
The post is located in the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office based in Panama and is under the supervision of the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACRO). The adviser is a regional member of a global communication team. The adviser supervises a JPO Communications Analyst, and other members of the regional communications team (if any). The Regional Director gives strategic guidance and provides primary performance assessment, with inputs from the Media and Communications Branch of the Information and External Relations Division. To ensure accountability and that global communications objectives are met, Communication Adviser's performance assessment is to receive input from the Chief, Media and Communications Branch.
Main Tasks & Responsibilities
The Regional Communications Adviser post carries out hands on work and provides strategic leadership, advice and guidance for the region in the area of expertise, to ensure increased UNFPA visibility across the region, and internal communication in coordination with the global communication strategy. Responsibilities of the Regional Communications Adviser include:
To substantially enhance public awareness and positive perception of UNFPA's work in the region, ICPD core issues by intensive media and communication outreach in the region and developing, promoting and ensuring substantial media and communication regarding UNFPA, crafted to target audiences and opportunities at national, regional and global levels.
To develop and implement strategies to ensure maximum coverage of missions to the region by senior UNFPA managers.
To build the communication capacity of country offices in the region and advise them on implementation of effective strategies for positioning UNFPA as a thought and action leader, including organizational communication and visibility with the media, UN agencies, partners and the public. In this capacity, help the countries identify and promote UNFPA stories to global media networks.
To promote one-voice communication and ensure that UNFPA's branding and public messaging about its mandate and programmes are consistent across the region and reflects the Fund's global communication priorities, adapted appropriately to the regional context.
To promote a culture of communications and facilitate the sharing of information within the organization to keep global, regional and country offices informed about regional news and information and streamline internal communication within the region to ensure consistency and standardization of content and channels and frequency of publication.
Develop and implement strategies for robust UNFPA reputation management and the countering of misinformation in the region.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES/EXPECTED RESULTS:
Based on the global communication strategy and regional action plans, and in coordination with the Media and Communications Branch the adviser will, inter alia:
Establish and implement communication strategies at the regional and sub-regional level and help Country Offices formulate their national communication strategies that generate substantial coverage of UNFPA and its work;
Coordinate and lead communication and media activities around key priorities and events with a regional impact, such as visits by senior UNFPA executives, World Population Day, regional launches of UNFPA flagship annual report, The State of World Population, and UNFPA response to conflicts and natural disasters;
Provide guidance and actively support Regional Office and Country Offices in Latin America and the Caribbean in planning and implementing regional and country-level communications strategies that position UNFPA as a thought and action leader and project UNFPA's branding and work accurately and effectively, including
Developing regional adaptations on key institutional thematic communications priorities
advising on and helping to implement media outreach strategies that generate substantial media coverage;
organizing training sessions to improve and increase media/communication skills and capacity of country offices communication focal points;
writing and reviewing the content of press releases, opinion pieces and other media products;
offering guidance on key events;
facilitating information sharing among communications focal points and in general among staff;
giving guidance for the production of communications materials;
helping with the increasing role of national corporate web sites;
Advising on communication and advocacy campaigns.
Advising them on reputation management and crisis communications.
Supporting information and knowledge gathering, processing and sharing on UNFPA's best practices both internally and externally with partner organizations and key audiences;
Periodically meet with the Regional Director to assess the state of regional communication: strategy implementation, emerging needs, progress and challenges, etc.
Create and then advise the Regional Director on the best opportunities and means to strategically enhance visibility for UNFPA on its key issues, support UNFPA's capacity to advocate and build strategic alliances at the regional level. Then, work to seize those opportunities.
In close collaboration with Programme Specialists and Technical Advisers produce relevant and results-driven written, audio-visual and/or other type of communications material to increase visibility of UNFPA work in the Latin America and the Caribbean region for both internal and external use.
Establish and maintain close working relationships with senior and other relevant representatives of the media, including editors and regional correspondents of influential news organizations with a regional or global impact, as well as editors and reporters of key programme country news organizations, to generate positive reporting on UNFPA's work;
Monitor relevant global, regional and national news media to identify trends in coverage priorities and perspectives to effectively position UNFPA media outreach, and respond appropriately to misinformation or misrepresentation;
Report and disseminate news and feature stories related to UNFPA's mandate and programme in countries of the region, using various media (e.g., print, the web, radio, video news releases, social and digital media, and documentaries) with MCB/HQ assistance to reach regional audiences and constituencies in donor countries;
Oversee the UNFPA's regional web news portal, ensuring timely, accurate and comprehensive content- based on information provided by regional, sub-regional and country offices;
Implement the UNFPA's social media strategy, strengthening UNFPA's social media presence in the regional and sub-regional levels and support country offices in developing and implementing their national social media strategies;
Maintain and develop collegial relationships with media and communication counterparts from UN agencies, UN Information Centres, NGOs and other partners to enhance cooperation and ensure coherence in public information activities and messages;
With MCB/HQ, work to create synergies between regional communication activities and HQ-led efforts such as fundraising and global campaigns. Feed material in to global platforms.
Maintain digital management system (DAMS) of regional visual assets including photography, current video footage, sound bites and enter key words for searchability.
Promote effective internal communication across the region to keep staff informed about organizational changes and updates.
Support staff to identify best practices and oversee sharing of knowledge and other news and information from the region through internal channels.
Participate in strengthening information exchange and communication within the organization between and among country, regional and global offices by establishing and maintaining communication governance and standards, policies and protocols
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Knowledge and Experience:
Other Desirable Skills:
Required Competencies
WORK RELATIONS:
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Values/Guiding Principles
Developing People
Personal Leadership and Effectiveness
Building and Managing Relationships
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
Creating visibility for the organization
Global leadership and advocacy for ICPD goals
Organizational awareness
Job knowledge/Technical expertise
Internal communication and knowledge-sharing
Disclaimer
Compensation and Benefits
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, rental subsidy, education grant, home leave, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
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For Swiss nationals
Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Macro-area: Latin America and the Caribbean
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Advocacy, Media and Communication
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations