Communications Associate

Organizational context and brief project description

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

The UN Women Burundi Strategic Note 2019-2023 aligns with the UN Women Global Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the National Development Plan 2018-2027, the National Gender Policy (NGP) and the UNSC Resolution 1325 2017-2021 Action Plan, the UNDAF (2019-2023), and the draft UN Resilience Framework. It translates UNW’s triple mandate to achieve lasting GEWE results, building on its comparative advantages.

The Strategic Note prioritizes three Outcomes: (i) Women Peace Mediators (WPM) and other gender advocates participate in, and influence conflict prevention and conflict resolution decision-making processes and responses in an enabling environment; (ii) Women, including those in refugees/ IDPS camps and other vulnerable situations, experience enhanced safety, security, physical and mental health, and their human rights respected in conformity with ratified regional and international instruments. (iii) Women and girls participate in and benefit from socio-economic recovery opportunities in the context of peace and resilience-building.

The recruited staff will contribute to advancing the global Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5 related to Gender Equality.

Supervision, induction and duty of care of UN Volunteers

UN Volunteers should be provided equal duty of care as extended to all host entity personnel. Host entity support to the UN Volunteer includes, but is not limited to:

·             Introductory briefings about the organisation and office-related context including security, emergency procedures, good cultural practice and orientation to the local environment;

·             Support with arrival administration including setting-up of bank accounts, residence permit applications and completion of other official processes as required by the host government or host entity;

·             Structured guidance, mentoring and coaching by a supervisor including a clear workplan and performance appraisal;

·             Access to office space, equipment, IT support and any other systems and tools required to complete the objectives of the assignment including a host entity email address;

·             Access to shared host entity corporate knowledge, training and learning;

·             Inclusion of the volunteer in emergency procedures such as evacuations;

·             Leave management;

·             DSA for official travel, when applicable;

·             All changes in the Description of Assignment occurring between recruitment and arrival or during the assignment need to be formalized with the United Nations Volunteer Programme.

1.      Description of tasks:

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Country Representative, or her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Communications Associate will:

1.      Provide coordination support in the development of a coherent Burundi Country Office communications and advocacy strategy

·         Provide inputs and background information for the development of the CO’s communication strategy;

·         Provide support to advocacy efforts and campaigns by organizing roundtable discussions, press conferences, and other publicity events and providing inputs to briefing materials and press releases;

·         Provide support to programme and other CO’s staff on UN Women corporate communications guidelines and printing norms;

·         Track and monitor print and social media and report relevant information to senior staff to inform strategy development.

2.      Provide coordination support to the development of Burundi Country Office advocacy materials

·         Identify storylines and achievements within the CO for online and print publications;

·         Draft press releases, articles, key messages and other advocacy materials;

·         Coordinate the translation, adaptation, or rewriting of information received for the local context; disseminate materials to appropriate stakeholders;

·         Coordinate the publication of materials for final approval; maintain relationships with printers/ publishers;

·         Maintain library/ database of reference materials, photos, and digital assets;

·         Follow guidelines from RO/HQ.

3.      Provide support in the management of the Burundi Country Office social media presence and website

·         Identify stories, and provide input to the development of content for the CO website hosted at the Regional Office and social media channels;

·         Update the website and social media channels, ensure consistency in branding;

·         Research, compile and produce reports on web statistics on a regular basis and electronic surveys, as required;

·         Maintain files, databases, and systems relevant to the CO’s digital presence.

4.      Provide media relations support to the Burundi Country head of office

·         Serve as a focal point on UN Women activities open to the press, as necessary;

·         Maintain and update database of relevant press in country;

·         Respond to request for information and arrange interviews, as delegated;

·         Provide substantive inputs to talking points.

5.      Facilitate knowledge management and sharing

·         Contribute to the identification of best practices and lessons learned;

·         Organize trainings and workshops on communication practices;

·         Provide/ exchange information with HQ and RO, MCO, and COs.

6.      Other

•        Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor;

•        Provide support on special web/digital/media projects undertaken by the CO/ MCO.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

·             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 self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.  

·             Contribute 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 Volunteers;

·             Promote 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.

2.      Results/expected outputs:

·         As an active [insert name Host Agency] team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UN Women and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

o   Timely inputs to communication and advocacy materials

o   Timely organization of discussions, conferences, briefings and other events

o   Timely provision of relevant background information

o   Accurately edited and well written contents

o   Timely delivery of high quality communication and advocacy materials

o   Webpages are regularly maintained, updated and relevant

·         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 during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

·         Professional competencies:

·         Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

·         Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

·         Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;

·         Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;

·         Sound security awareness;

·         Have affinity with or interest in Gender Equality, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

b)   Competencies and values

·         Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UN Women; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to [UN Women procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

·         Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and [UN Women in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

·         Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

·         Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

·         Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

·         Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

·         Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

·         Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UN Women’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

      Living Conditions :

Burundi covers 27,834 km² of which 25,200 are land-based. Without access to the sea, however, it borders Lake Tanganyika (32,600 km² of which 2634 km² belong to Burundi), in the axis of the Great Western Rift. The lake and the Rusizi River border it to the West, the Malagarazi River to the South East. The western and south-eastern borders (11,817 km²) belong to the Congo Basin, the rest of the country (13,218 km²) is the southern end of the Nile Basin. Neighboring countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo in the West, the Republic of Rwanda in the North and the United Republic of Tanzania in the East and the South. Administratively, Burundi is subdivided into 18 provinces and 129 communes.

The difficult economic and social context in the country has a direct impact on living conditions. According to the results of the 2008 population and housing census, 63% of the population had no level of education. This population lives more and more difficult from the ground, seriously crumbled.

In addition, the socio-political conflict of 2015 did not spare the social and economic sectors. On the economic front, per capita income has fallen sharply: from $ 210 in 1992 to $ 135 in 2008. The poverty rate is very high: it was 67% in 2010. Burundi is thus ranked among the 10 poorest countries in the world in 2012 (178th out of 186 countries ranked). This high level of poverty combined with rapid population growth is undermining economic growth. In addition, access to basic social services is still difficult for the victims of the conflict (returnees, displaced persons, widows and orphans...)

On the security front, Burundi is a non-family duty station. Caution is recommended at all times in the capital Bujumbura as well as in the interior of the country. Although since 2000, the country has taken the path of peace and reconciliation consolidated by the signing of the Arusha Accords, the 2015 elections have plunged the country into an environment of insecurity. Nevertheless, according to UNDSS recommendations, volunteers can work throughout the national territory observing the security measures recommended by UNDSS. Thus, UNDSS recommends safety standards that United Nations Volunteers must adhere to.

In Bujumbura and the provincial capitals, hospitals and pharmacies, hotels, shops, restaurants, gyms and entertainment are available. The supply of water and electricity is regular.

  Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

Moving travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of 1.005. 011 FBU (amount and currency of payment) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Well-being Differential of 15% (WBD-A) or 30% (WBD-B) of the VLA will apply, paid on a monthly basis, depending on the ICSC classification of the duty station.

Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as return travel of (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

 Qualifications/Requirements (including competencies, values and skills):

a)      Qualifications, skills, experience:  

·         Required Degree Level: Bachelor's degree

·         Required Experience: 2 years

·         Required Experience: At least two years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in providing support to the formulation and implementation of internal and external communications and advocacy strategies and related plans;

·         Experience in collecting and documenting stories from the field;

·         Experience in the use of social media and digital communications·         Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

·         Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;

·         Computer skills: Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Access and MS. Excel.

·         Valid national driver’s license: no

·         Language skills:

      Fluency in spoken and written English and French is required;

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.

United Nations Volunteers reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this opening for other openings with United Nations Volunteers with similar assignment description, experience and educational requirements.