Kenya: Communications Officer (Youth)

UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

Assignment Details

Established in 1991, under General Assembly resolution 16/182, UNOCHA coordinates humanitarian action to ensure crisis-affected people receive the assistance and protection they need. It works to overcome obstacles that impeded humanitarian assistance from reaching people affected by crises, and it provides leadership in mobilizing assistance and resources on behalf of the humanitarian system.

This UNV assignment is in OCHA’s Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa (ROSEA) based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Office supports humanitarian preparedness and response in 25 countries in the region through three core activities: Emergency Preparedness and Response; Information Management and Communications. The UN Volunteer will join the Communications Unit, which provides frontline surge and support on humanitarian advocacy and strategic communication to countries in the region, prepares daily media briefings, and produces country-specific and regional information products highlighting key humanitarian issues.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Public Information Officer, the UN Youth Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Prepare high-quality reporting and analysis on humanitarian issues in the region for both internal and external use.
• Draft contributions to regular products on the humanitarian situation in the region.
• Monitor and analyse current events, public opinion and press to identify issues and trends in relation to the humanitarian situation and response in the region.
• Support the development of information communications products (e.g. press kits, press releases, feature articles, key messages, brochures, backgrounders, audio-visual materials, social media content, etc.), including through proposing topics, undertaking research, determining the appropriate medium and target audience, preparing production plans, writing drafts, editing copy, designing the composition and layout, and coordinating distribution.
• Undertake activities to promote media coverage (e.g. press conferences, press releases, interviews, background briefings and other special activities), including film and photo coverage, of priority issues and/or major events, including World Humanitarian Day, including supporting the development of a media strategy and action plan and analysing and reporting on the impact of coverage.
• Contribute content for, and maintenance of, appropriate and timely web and social media outreach, including production of visuals.
• Prepare, on the basis of official UN documentation and other sources, drafts of content for inclusion in global OCHA products (e.g. Global Humanitarian Overview, Annual Report etc).
• Provide frontline surge in the Southern and Eastern Africa region and beyond in response to new emergencies, the escalation of existing emergencies and/or fill critical gaps.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day)- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country- Provide annual and end of assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting ApplicationContribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.- Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN VolunteersPromote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/Expected Outputs

• High quality and timely support to the development of compelling communications materials regarding the humanitarian situation and response in countries in Southern and Eastern Africa, including through surge and support missions as and when required.

• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

  Qualifications/Requirements

  Required Degree Level Bachelor degree or equivalent - Bachelors Degree in Communications, Media relations, Journalism or Publishing.

Language Skills English (Mandatory) , Level - Fluent AND - French (Optional) , Level - Working Knowledge

Area of Expertise

• Journalism, mass media and broadcasting Mandatory
• Public information and reporting Mandatory
• Other communications related experience Mandatory

Area of Expertise Requirement

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages is required.
• Knowledge of digital media and experience with production of social media content is required.
• Knowledge of graphic design software packages is required.
• Knowledge of and experience with photography and video will be an asset.
• Knowledge and experience in handling of web-based management systems will be an asset

Competencies & Values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Commitment and Motivation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Planning and Organizing
• Respect for Diversity
• Working in Teams

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink. Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to apply

Disclaimer

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.