Communication Officer (NPSA9)

The establishment of strong institutions and capacities at all levels to ensure the delivery and quality of public services has been at the focus of the government and political agenda of Timor-Leste since 2002. Since then, significant progress has been made towards enhancing the process of governance and public service delivery through improved efficiency, accountability, and transparency. At the same time, a lot of challenges and opportunities lie ahead. 

The Constitution of Timor-Leste envisages that the State will be territorially organized in a decentralized manner and the local units will have a status of corporate bodies vested with representative organs and their organization, competence, functioning and composition of the organs will be defined by law. In this line, since the independence of the country, administrative decentralization has been considered a useful tool to promote national identity, territorial cohesion, and socio-economic development.

An initial policy towards administrative decentralization was laid out in early 2006. However, the process could not take momentum due to several political and administrative reasons. Nearly ten years ago, a new impulse to this process was given with the new administrative division of the country followed by the Implementation Strategy of the Administrative Decentralization and the Setting up of the Representative Bodies of the Local Power in Timor-Leste which envisages a gradual but progressive decentralization. Recently, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to decentralization through Government Resolution n.º 45/2020 (Implementation of Administrative Decentralization Strategy and Installation of Representative Organs of Local Government) and aims at developing and approving the necessary legal framework for the implementation of the decentralization process and preparing for the municipal elections in 2022.

To the support the Government of Timor-Leste in its decentralization endeavor, UNDP Timor-Leste, in 2020, launched the Project “Strengthening Integral Local Development by Building the Capacities of the Municipal Authorities in Timor-Leste”, in partnership with the European Union. The Project activities were designed around three different components which will contribute to three main expected results:

• Result 1: Strengthened capacity of the National Parliament in Timor-Leste.
• Result 2: Improved capacity of municipal public servants to deliver services at local level.
• Result 3: Improved capacity of local institutions to collect, analyse and use reliable and timely socio-environmental disaggregated data (development of a Municipal Portal).

In this context, UNDP Timor-Leste is hiring a Communication Officer to ensure effective and efficient communication of the Project. This Terms of Reference (ToR) describes scope of work, institutional arrangement, minimum qualifications etc. of the incumbent.

The incumbent is responsible for the Project’s communication and visibility strategy, including support for the designs, publication, and public communication as per EU and UNDP communication procedures ensuring effective and efficient communication about decentralization and local governance to maximize the overall impact of the Project, representing the EU and UNDP.

Specific responsibilities of the position include:

I. Raising Awareness and promoting education:

• Raising the awareness among the beneficiaries and stakeholders about decentralization and local governance processes,
• Inform stakeholders about the objectives and progress of the Project

II. Ensure that media, including social media, outreach of the Project is conducted effectively

• Produce online and offline communication materials in different formats with internal and external partners to enhance the visibility of the Project
• Conduct analysis of the social media using Project platforms, and measure audience engagement, do content planning, and content management
• Lead in moderating social media platforms, engage with the Project’s social media audience, and respond to online queries

III. Produce and documenting communication materials, including best practice documents and reports

• Prepare press releases, newsletters, speeches, briefings, leaflets, videos, notes, talking points, presentations, press kits
• Design and produce banner display boards and public information material (fact-sheets, brochures, infographics)
• Prepare best practice documents and reports
• Prepare and publish human-centered stories with the beneficiaries
• Ensure effective channels for dissemination of all information products to relevant target audiences
• Archive all the materials in an organized fashion ensuring access to the Project and country office staff

IV.  Ensure that all the Project events are planned and organized effectively

• Take the lead in organizing the Project events such as board meeting, workshops, training etc.
• Prepare minutes and notes from the meeting, as appropriate and share with the team
• Manage media and press relations in relation to the events
• Pay field visit in and outside Dili, as required, during the delivery of the work and consult with the Project beneficiaries

V. Perform any other tasks assigned by the National Project Manager (NPM) and the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA)

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
• Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and project
• Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery
• Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change
• Strong IT skills, knowledge of ATLAS system desirable
• Excellent knowledge of financial rules and regulations, accounting
• Excellent knowledge of Results Management Guide and Toolkit

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Min. Academic Education:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent in development communication, journalism, political science, international relations, development studies, and or related field.  

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

• A minimum of two years for bachelor’s degree and zero (0) year for master’s degree of progressively responsible experience in communication, reporting,
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience produces online and offline communications materials.
• Has experience prepare press releases, newsletters, speeches, briefings, leaflets, videos, notes, talking points, presentations, press kits
• Experience design and produce banner display boards and public information material (fact-sheets, brochures, infographics)
• Proficiency in using computer applications (Microsoft Office, email/internet, other IT applications)

Required Language(s) (at working level):

• Fluency in oral and written Tetum and English is required.
• Knowledge of Portuguese will be an asset  

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NATIONAL PERSONNEL SERVICE AGREEMENT (NPSA) CONTRACT WITH LEVEL NPSA8 BAND4

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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