Communication, Outreach and Gender Analyst (NPSA-8)

One of Tajikistan’s main development challenges is the lack of a modern effective Civil Registry System (CRS) and its integration with other E-systems that record the population’s vital life data. In fact, Tajikistan is the last country in the region to shift from paper-based registration to digital one. To support the Government in implementing reforms, UNDP, with the support of Swiss Development Cooperation, launched the ‘Civil Registry System Reform Project in Tajikistan’ project in 2015. The project was designed and focused to contribute to goals and activities of National Civil Registry Reform Programme 2014-2019 and seeks to address some of the gaps and challenges in the CRS. The project consisted of two phases Phase I 2016-2019 and Phase II 2020-2023. Despite remaining challenges, constraints and issues Phase I of the project covering the period of 2016-2019 was completed with key achievements such as free birth registration (within the first 3 months), piloting a so-called One-Stop-Office service delivery model with front and back-office division in 2 CR offices, introducing electronic system of Civil Registration in 74 Civil Registration Offices in all cities and districts of the country including equipping with necessary ICT equipment and infrastructure, capacity building of more than 350 staff on basic computer skills and using information system, awareness raising campaigns covering several districts and cities. Phase II started in 2020 covering the period of 2020-2023. For improving Civil Registration services and achieving ambitious goals of Civil Registration Reform UNDP is mobilizing additional funds from European Union for project “Improved Access to Public Services (IAPS) through Civil Registry Reform”. The project Management structure is merged for both SDC-funded and EU-funded projects.

External Communications and Visibility:

• Implement the Civil Registration Reform (CRR) project’s communications and outreach strategy in complementarity with UNDP Tajikistan Country Office broader strategic priorities as well as its External Communications Action Plan.
• Undertake period review and updates of the CRR project communications and outreach strategy in consultation with the programme team to ensure its relevance to emerging priorities and needs on the ground.
• Implementation of CRR project communication and outreach strategy.
• Undertake quarterly assessments and analysis to identify the programme’s external communications and visibility priorities in close consultation with the CRR Project Manager.
• Lead the design and implementation of external communications and outreach interventions for the purpose of developing new project proposals and programme’s overall resource mobilisation efforts.
• Develop advocacy, visibility and promotional material that are necessary for the CRR project in compliant with UNDP cooperate guidelines and donor visibility policies and procedures where appropriate. 
• Lead the design and development of necessary communications and awareness material/ documentation for wider dissemination and information sharing in coordination with programme beneficiaries and target communities as guided by the CRR Project Manager. 
• Build partnerships and collaborate & engage with the media to improve programme’s external communications and visibility corresponding to its external communications and visibility strategy. 
• Draft press- releases, case studies/ human stories, policy briefs, video/ documentary scripts to highlight and improve UNDP CRR project’s visibility on its achievements/ activities while also ensuring wider dissemination of these materials amongst like-minded audiences within Tajikistan and beyond.  Maintain and regularly update the programme repository/archive of all communications material including photos videos and audios.
• Draft and design content for UNDP’s social platforms for the CRR project.
• Provide constructive feedback to programme’s progress reporting and related activities on lessons learned and best practices resulting from external communications and visibility activities. 
• Conduct orientation/ training sessions on external communications and visibility to programme partners where needed.
• Act as the CRR project focal point for day-to-day coordination and collaboration with the UNDP Tajikistan Country Office Communications team and programme teams where appropriate.
• Any other relevant tasks assigned by the CRR Project Manager.

Internal Communications:

• Develop/prepare content material for the UNDP Tajikistan Country Office website in close coordination with the CRR team and the Country Office Communications Team.
• Develop/prepare content for social media platforms relevant to the CRR projects activities in close consultation with the project team and the Country Office Communications Team.
• Draft and prepare internal communications material including blogs, newsletters, and related activities in close consultation with the project team and the Country Office Communications Team.
• Act as the CRR focal point for all internal communications related tasks.
• Any other relevant tasks assigned by the CRR Project Manager.

Programme Support:

• Assist CRR project team in the drafting of programme updates, development of advocacy/ awareness raising material and related material.
• Assist CRR project team and the M&E Analyst of the project to design and implement baseline surveys, public perception surveys, impact assessments/ tracker surveys including in the development of survey report templates, design and layout of reports and related tasks.
• Assist CRR Project Manager in coordinating comments/ feedback from rest of the project team to prepare donor progress reports, donor review meeting presentations, meeting minutes and related documentation.
• Assist in the preparation of write-ups/ presentations and related documents including meeting minutes for CRR Project Board / Steering Committee meetings under the overall guidance of the Project Manager.
• Any other tasks related to project support assigned by the Project Manager.

Institutional Arrangement

The Communication, Outreach, and Gender Analyst will report to the Project Manager and will work in close coordination and cooperation with the project team.

Under the guidance of the Project Manager of the “Civil Registration System Reform in Tajikistan” the Project Analyst is responsible for all project activities and services related to communications and visibility. In addition, the Project Analyst will identify critical project areas for gender-based interventions and contribute to planning, monitoring, and reporting of the project and integrate gender in all the processes, explore the baseline data on the gender dynamics and the status of women and poor/marginalized communities in the context of the project and relating to civil registration, which will constitute the project’s base for a monitoring and evaluation plan for gender.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross- Functional and Technical competencies:

• Communication - Business Management: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• Digital Awareness and Literacy- Business Management: Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.
• Knowledge Generation- Business Development: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need.
• Communications- Campaign Management: Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change.
• Communications- Creative direction and copywriting: Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an engaging and simple way.
• Communications- Media Relations: Ability to develop media relations across all aspects of media work including relationships with media and preparing media materials such as messages.
• Communications- Multimedia writing/editing: Ability to create and/or edit written content for multimedia.

• Master's degree in Gender Studies, Communication, Public relations, Sociology, Human Rights, Law or relevant fields.
• Bachelor’s degree in combination with 2 years of relevant experience may be taken into the consideration in lieu of the Master’s degree.

• Relevant experience (with Master's degree) in the area of gender equality and mainstreaming communication, public relations and Human Rights is desired.
• Minimum 2 years (with Bachelor's degree) of proven professional experience in the area of gender equality and mainstreaming communication, public relations and Human Rights is required.

Required skills:

• Computer literate, with proficiency with office software packages, experience in handling web-based management and knowledge management.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting/ writing content for press releases, policy briefs, website/ social media in a clear and concise manner is essential.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English, Tajik and Russian (both verbal and written).

Desired skills:

• Previous experience in working with Government and a wide range of donors, international organizations, INGOs and experience in communication, public relations and gender is an asset.
• Good knowledge of Government structure and gender issues, including the elements of public awareness framework.
• Proven experience in communication, marketing or media.
• Previous experience in the area of civil registration is a strong advantage

Required documents:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
• Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.