Practice Area – Job Family: HIV and Health – COMMUNICATION
Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA)
18/08/2018
Duty Station: Harare, Zimbabwe
Education & Work Experience: G-Bachelor’s Level Degree – 5 year(s) experience
Languages
Required:
Desired:
English
Grade: GP
Vacancy Type: National Regular UN Volunteer
Posting Type: External
Bureau: Africa
Contract Duration: one year
OPEN TO ZIMBABWE NATIONALS ONLY
Background
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;
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Since the first cases of HIV were reported more than 35 years ago, 78 million people have become infected with HIV and 35 million have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Since it started operations in 1996, UNAIDS has led and inspired global, regional, national and local leadership, innovation and partnership to ultimately consign HIV to history;
UNAIDS is a problem-solver. It places people living with HIV and people affected by the virus at the decision-making table and at the centre of designing, delivering and monitoring the AIDS response. It charts paths for countries and communities to get on the Fast-Track to ending AIDS and is a bold advocate for addressing the legal and policy barriers to the AIDS response;
UNAIDS provides the strategic direction, advocacy, coordination and technical support needed to catalyse and connect leadership from governments, the private sector and communities to deliver life-saving HIV services. Without UNAIDS, there would be no strategic vision for the AIDS response. The UNAIDS 2016–2021 Strategy aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals sets the framework for global development policy over the next 15 years, including ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030;
The Advocacy and Communication Officer will work under the direct supervision of the UNAIDS Country Director (UCD) in Zimbabwe and is expected to work within the UN system and externally with all partners to ensure effective internal and external communication on the work of UNAIDS in Zimbabwe and its links to regional and global dynamics in the HIV and AIDS response. The Officer is expected to interface with her/his equivalent focal point persons in UN agencies, Government partners, Civil Society partners, development partners and the media in this respect and to do so in line with clearly laid out UNAIDS’ policies on communicating effectively, accurately and coherently;
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of UNAIDS Country Director (UCD) and as a member of the UN Joint Team on AIDS, the Advocacy and Communication Officer will support UNAIDS to implement the advocacy and communication agenda on HIV. The Advocacy and Communication Officer will specifically undertake the following tasks (keeping an HIV/SRHR integration angle in all activities):
- Develop and implement an HIV/sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) advocacy strategy and action plan to lobby critical leaders and amplifiers, including the Office of the First Lady and other HIV, women and girls’ champions;
- In collaboration with the UNAIDS Country Office (UCO) team, support the preparation of advocacy materials, including policy briefs, position papers, key messages, statements and any other material relevant to ongoing campaigns and programs on SRHR and HIV;
- Assist the UCD, in collaboration with other UCO staff, to prepare for visiting regional and global missions and events by preparing and coordinating briefing packs, speeches and talking points; arranging meetings and organizing site visits as required; and preparing feature stories and web updates on related key issues and events;
- Act as the UNAIDS Zimbabwe media liaison officer in coordination with UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern and Southern Africa and headquarters on a wide range of advocacy and communication issues. This entails monitoring national media; initiating and responding to media contacts and inquiries with required speed and skill; developing and disseminating press kits on important events; organizing media outreach and arranging all media contacts, press briefings and interviews; liaising with local and locally based international media to encourage and facilitate coverage of activities and events on SRHR and HIV in the country;
- Develop and/or manage social media platforms, including but not limited to email lists, Facebook and Twitter, to maximise the use of UNAIDS’ regional and global websites and social media channels to further UNAIDS’ advocacy objectives and maintain and increase the visibility of HIV and UNAIDS work.
- Participate in the UN Communication Group (UNCG) on behalf of UCO and assist in the management and dissemination of UN material on AIDS through the UNAIDS resource centre and at key events; contribute to the UNCG newsletters, website, and other joint communication materials to promote a coherent image of joint UN support to the HIV response;
- Coordinate UNAIDS engagement in various events including collaboration with relevant partners to organize events (e.g. World AIDS Day) and launch of important documents; representing UNAIDS and promoting its work at various meetings, conferences and events organized by cosponsors and/or other stakeholders; developing and maintaining an internal calendar of UNAIDS and Joint UN Team on AIDS activities and events;
- Identify and document country best practices and other publications as required, including audio-visual products such as short video clips and photographs as required, and coordinate input to the UNAIDS Global Weekly Preview, production of quarterly briefs, feature/web stories and a UNAIDS country newsletter;
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;
- Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
- 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.
Results/Expected Outputs:
- SRHR-HIV advocacy strategy and action plan developed and implemented;
- Advocacy materials—policy briefs, position papers, communication messages and statements developed in a timely and strategic manner;
- High-level country visits and missions supported effectively;
- Internal communication materials and documents such as briefing packs, speeches and talking points, feature/web stories, prepared timely to support missions and events;
- UCO social medial platforms and interactions with the media managed effectively;
- Effective UCO participation in UNCG, UN joint events and national events ensured;
- UCO communication products (UNAIDS Global Weekly Preview, quarterly briefs, feature/web stories, UNAIDS country newsletter etc) produced;
Competencies
Inter-Personal and Organisational Skills
- Demonstrated planning and organizational skills: ability to coordinate the work of others (working in teams), to work with tight deadlines and to handle multiple concurrent projects and activities;
- Strong presentation and interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Management and Leadership
- Focuses on impact and results for client and responds positively to feedback;
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive constructive attitude;
- Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
- Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- An advanced university degree or its equivalent from a recognized university in the fields of Information, Communication and Journalism; or in Social Sciences, Public Health or other related field with extensive professional experience in advocacy, information and communication;
Work Experience
- Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in advocacy, communication, social work, public information, journalism and /or public health or related area;
- Strong background in the field of advocacy, communication and public information; and the ability to address a range of issues related to information requirements, including taking a lead on major public HIV information campaigns;
- Experience and/or ability to conceptualize, design and implement advocacy and communication plans and successful campaigns;
Language:
- Fluent in written and spoken English.
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.
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.
More Information
- Job City Harare
