Communications Analyst (Open to Rwanda Nationals Only) at United Nations Development Programme: (Deadline 11 February 2025)
In Rwanda, UNDP has been working as a key development partner of choice since 1977, to achieve sustainable human development in economic, social and environmental fronts. Working closely with the Government, civil society, the private sector and communities, UNDP aims to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion to protect both people and the planet.
This job description is a direct response to UNDP’s new Country Program Document (CPD) that will run from 2025 to 2029. It is to current and future needs of the country, underpinning its advisory and programmatic offer while at the same time delivering solid implementation support. It also promotes a more collaborative approach to work across the office and with external partners. It strengthens UNDP´s role as a learning organization ‘fit-for-purpose’ to deliver on Agenda 2030. It is designed to provide the foundation for the whole public policy life cycle with a special emphasis at sub-national level that, as an engagement strategy, is expected to allow new areas of joint work and resource mobilization.
The role of the Country Office Communications Unit is to adopt UNDP’s global communication strategy to a local context and the Country Office development priorities. Through the production of high-quality communication materials and innovative use of relevantly targeted communication channels (internal and external), the communications team works collaboratively to position UNDP as a leader in the development arena, promote visibility of UNDP program outcomes/development results, mobilize support for Sustainable Development Goals in the country, and practice delivery as one UN.
The Communications Analyst maintains a working relationship with the Regional Communications Adviser. The Head Communications/ Analyst works in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations teams, staff of other UN Agencies, and the UNDP Communications Group staff (Regional Communications Adviser and HQ), ensuring the successful UNDP internal and external communication strategy implementation.
The Communications Analyst supervises the Communications Team and endeavors to facilitate and provides capacity to programme staff on communication strategies that benefit and promote their thematic interventions and activities and enhances the visibility of UNDP.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Incumbent is expected to display managerial innovation, initiative, and a strong client orientation that encourages and rewards the timely delivery of financial services for all clients and partners. S/he might be required to undertake emerging tasks and additional duties as requested by direct supervisor or senior management.
- Conduct of communications needs assessments for CO (projects, country programme and corporate change initiatives, etc.);
- Analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals, including service infrastructure and analysis of strategic positioning, analytics, and equipment, for elaboration of the CO communications and outreach strategy based on corporate strategic priorities and the UNDP External Communications Action Plan;
- Analyzes and understands trends pertaining to the political and social landscape and reports to RR in weekly sessions in cooperation with the Senior Management Team. Assesses leadership on weekly messaging and ensures that main message is maintained;
- Understands the needs of different crucial national and local audiences and knows how to adapt the substantive work to the communication needs of UNDP’s clients;
- Development/production of communication and advocacy instruments and materials for marketing and awareness-raising campaigns, including briefing materials and media materials in coordination with the supervisor;
- Develops and synthesizes proposals for project formulations to integrate advocacy and communication strategies into all aspects of UNDP’s development programme;
- Implementation of the internal communication strategy to allow for an uninterrupted flow of information while reinforcing UNDP’s high-performance culture and values;
- Represents and leads UNDP’s contributions to the UN Country Team’s communications strategies
- Reinforce the linkages between partnerships and resource mobilization through the use communication tools and strategies;
- Create and implement a new plan of a new team of communication team to give cross-unit guidance on how to communicate, tap new resources and partnerships.
- Effective implementation of the CO publications strategy and plan;
- Provision of support to programme teams in publishing;
- Management of CO publication activities, such as drafting articles, content management, norms for publishing, design, maintenance of regular contact with printers and other suppliers to ensure production and publications dissemination;
- Ensures the use of innovative tools and resources for the dissemination of UNDP programme products and the promotion of the organization’s value proposition.
- Management of the office websites based on corporate requirements in cooperation with the ICT staff;
- Preparation of the content for the websites and social media platforms to ensure consistency of the materials and messaging;
- Draft and or/ edit a range of materials, including speeches, press releases and advisories, news briefs, fact sheets for inclusion in media kits and further public outreach;
- Supervision of the design and maintenance of the office web sites based on corporate requirements in cooperation with the ICT staff;
- Develops social media platforms and oversees the maintenance and updating;
- In collaboration with HR and MSU, be key enabler for the design, implementation and maintenance of a functioning knowledge management system used across all units.
- Promotion and dissemination of corporate advocacy materials for launching flagship initiatives and publications, such as the Human Development Report;
- Helping to promote the outcomes of the Accelerator Lab within UNDP and with stakeholders in the country, as well as HQ and the wider AccLab community;
- Promotion and maintenance of public information campaigns on issues including UNDP activities, Sustainable Development Goals, and UN Reform;
- Provision of support to programme teams in reporting;
- Preparation/Review and dissemination of newsletter to donors, donor reports, and civic education and community awareness, where appropriate, to support projects.
Launches and campaigns
- Promotion and maintenance of public information campaigns on results of SDGs;
- Packaging and submission of programme initiatives for donor review in collaboration with programme staff and supervisor.
Outreach
- Maintenance of increased coverage and understanding of the UNDP’s work in the country or practice area through regular media contacts and provision of newsworthy information to national public and, where possible, donors;
- Organization of roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, interviews, launches, etc;
- Ensured briefings of journalists in collaboration with the governance cluster. Ensured access for journalists to subject matter experts on other thematic areas within the country office;
- Forging of a “One UN” image through publicizing the significance of local UN reform efforts, joint programmes, common services. Organization and implementation of joint UN information campaigns (UN Day, World AIDS Day, etc.);
- Drafting/production of regular newsletter to donors;
- Preparation of donor reports, civic education and community awareness where appropriate to support projects;
- Effective responses to inquiries for public information materials.
- As the Communications and partnership unit, to allow for and nurture a culture of debate and knowledge sharing within the office, especially fostering discussions on relevant, cutting-edge development issues;
- Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country goals and activities;
- Contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice including corporate communications repositories;
- Provision of training and clinics for UNDP staff on internal and external communications for development, with a focus on photography, video, blogging, op-ed writing, managing social media, working with press, etc;
- Professional growth through active learning;
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Core Competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.
Functional/Technical competencies
Communications
- Creative direction and copywriting: Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an engaging and simple way.
Communications
- Brand & quality management: Ability to position a UNDP brand and uphold it to a high level of quality.
Digital & Innovation
- Data storytelling and communications: Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
Business Direction and Strategy
- System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
Business Management: Portfolio Management
- Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity;
- Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
Communications
- Multimedia writing/editing: Ability to create and/or edit written content for multimedia.
Communication
- Crisis and reputational risk: Ability to prepare for and respond to potential issues that may negatively impact UNDP’s reputation.
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration, or related field is required.
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in public relations, advocacy, or communications;
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.). and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP is an advantage;
- Prior experience of good command and awareness of language dynamics is desired;
- Design thinking experience an asset;
- Proven analytical and strategic thinking required;
- Advanced knowledge of and experience with photography and video will be an asset;
- Advanced knowledge of and experience with blogging and social media will be an asset.
- Fluency in English and national language of the duty station is required for local staff.
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