Communication and Engagement Officer - Thailand Policy Lab

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The UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to help countries to find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and rising inequalities pose significant challenges to achieve the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP has begun incubating several strategic initiatives aimed at ensuring UNDP is ‘fit for purpose’ to deliver a new generation of solutions in line with the challenges the world faces. One such key strategic initiative is the Country Accelerator Lab Network. The initiative is a recognition that increasingly interrelated development challenges require going beyond “business as usual” and single point, linear and silver bullet responses in development. Instead, they call for interdisciplinary approaches and non-linear solutions that crowd in the collective efforts of a variety of partners and tap into local insights and the knowledge of people closest to the problem and the solutions.

The initiative is also a recognition and investment in the emerging momentum among a growing number of UNDP Country Offices to adopt disruptive, cutting edge methodologies with contextual, country-based insights and expertise to accelerate impact and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

As an upper-middle-income country, Thailand has advanced far beyond having many of the more basic development challenges affecting other nations. However, several challenges remain.  Even in areas where Thailand has advanced and even become a model for other countries, improvements are possible. Those challenges are no longer best solved by conventional approaches and innovation is better suited.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences highlight the irrelevance of traditional ways of formulating public policies and delivering public services that are not sufficiently agile, efficient and effective to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

In Thailand, for many years UNDP has been investing in exploring innovation by providing seed-funding to initiatives with the belief that innovation happens through practical explorations of new ways to address old development problems.

To accelerate innovation in public policy and services, UNDP and the Royal Thai Government through the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) see an opportunity to accelerate innovation for policies and public services in Thailand and have entered in an agreement to establish a policy innovation platform “Thailand Policy Lab”  or “TPLab” to connect and build capacities of various stakeholders in Thailand including government; academic; private sector; and citizen, to accelerate the impact of innovation in public policy and services in Thailand, and exchange knowledge and experience with other countries in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. 

The Thailand Policy Lab (TPLab) will provide 3 core capacities to partners in Thailand as follow:

a. Exploration

• Exploring the strategic risks under uncertainties, horizon scanning in Thailand and to identify under-the-radar trends and outliers and spot future trends that are relevant for policy formulation and public service development.

b. Portfolio Options & Experiment

• Articulating the possible strategic options against the strategic risks
• Designing and running multiple policy experiments to build Portfolio Options & Experimentation for accelerating impact in selected priority areas
• Experimenting evaluation (e.g. RCT, real-time monitoring, big data, lean impact measurement)

c. Learning 

• Accelerated learning, capacity building, and regional/global positioning for Thailand (e.g. On-the-job learning opportunities for government officials at different levels (line ministry level, local government, and public administration)

To implement various initiatives under the TPLab, UNDP is looking for a Communication and Engagement Officer – Thailand Policy Lab. The Communication and Engagement Officer is responsible to develop and implement communication strategies of the TPLab. He/She will work closely with government agencies, civil society organizations, academia, NGOs and citizen and will report directly to Head of Thailand Policy Lab (TPLab). He/she will work closely with the team of UNDP programme and operation teams in Thailand and NESDC.

Under the direct supervision of Head of Thailand Policy Lab, the Communication and Engagement Officer will be in charge of formulating and implementing communication and engagement strategies of TPLab, He/she shall work closely with TPLab team, communication team of UNDP and NESDC to ensure smooth implementation of communication strategy. 

1. Planning and design of internal and external strategies for communications and outreach

• Planning and elaboration of communications needs assessments for TPLab and innovation work of UNDP and NESDC.
• Elaboration of the TPLab’s communications and outreach strategy based on strategic priorities.
• Constructive and timely advice on the inclusion of communications components in the formulation of initiatives under TPLab to integrate advocacy and communication into all aspects of TPLab.

2. Formulation and implementation of the TPLab online publications strategy and plan

• Formulation and implementation of the TPLab publications strategy and plan based on the corporate publications policy.
• Identification and development of storylines for publications and substantive articles contributing to debates on key development issues and contribution of policy innovation to address the development challenges.
• Coordination and management of all TPLab publication activities, including content management, norms for publishing, design, liaison with the graphic designers, printers, and other suppliers to oversee production and supervision of publications dissemination.
• Supervises the design and maintenance of the TPLab virtual platform social media platforms, and web-based knowledge management system.

3. Supports the outreach of the TPLab towards national and international partners

• Creation and promotion of campaigns that position the TPLab with local and international media and influences the innovation agenda to address development challenges.
• Management, promotion and dissemination of materials for launching flagship initiatives and publications.
• Creation, promotion and maintenance of public information campaigns on issues including policy innovation activities, Sustainable Development Goals.
• Promotional activities to position the TPLab as a leader within the policy innovation space.
• Increased coverage and understanding of the TPLab’s work in Thailand and practice area through the development and maintenance of media contacts and providing newsworthy information to national public and partners.
• Development and maintenance of close contacts with government officials, multilateral and bilateral partners, civil society and private sector for implementation of the communications strategy.
• Organization of roundtable discussions, press conferences, field visits, briefing sessions, interviews, launches, etc.
• Ensuring access for journalists to subject-matter experts and UNDP and NESDC spokespeople.
• Advocacy and promotion of UNDP mandate, mission and purpose.

4. Facilitation of knowledge building and management

• Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to innovation for policy and public services.
• Organization and provision of training, consultancy and advice to TPLab staff on internal and external communications.

Education:

• Master’s degree in media relations, journalism, publishing, or related fields.
• Or Bachelor’s degree with two additional years of experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with Bachelor’s) or up to 2 years (with Master’s) of relevant experience in public relations, marketing, or communications at public sector, private sector, or international organizations.
• Hands-on experience in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating communication strategies to achieve results.
• Excellent judgement and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision, producing quality results.
• Demonstrated ability to provide support in projects with multiple funding sources and project sites.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent written and spoken English and Thai.

Other:

Describe any additional qualifications:

• Proficiency in English.
• Working knowledge of other UN languages desirable
• Non-Smoking environment 

Important applicant information

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

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Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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