Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The FAO Coordination Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) Programme implements the Country Programming Framework for Palestine to enhance the wellbeing of Palestinian people by making the agrifood system more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable in alignment with national policies and strategies and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF).
Reporting Lines
In close collaboration with Office of Communications (OCC) branches and appropriate Communication focal points, the Reporting and Communication Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) Head of Office, the direct supervision of the Operations Officer and in close consultation with the Head of Programme and, as appropriate, the Communication Officer in the Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (RNE), Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) and the Resource Mobilization and Private Sector Partnerships Division (PSR) Units.
Technical Focus
Reporting and communications work serving specific projects and the FAO country programme.
Tasks and responsibilities
Communication/Outreach:
• Develop visibility products for FAO WBGS (i.e. signage at project sites, posters, videos, flyers, brochures, etc.) to enhance and promote messaging to external stakeholders, including donors, humanitarian agencies and the general public, in line with OCC guidelines for multimedia production and corporate publishing standards, including FAOSTYLE, and with donor communications and visibility strategies for projects.
• Develop informational products (lessons learned documents from monitoring and implementation, presentations, brochures, infographics, speeches, etc.) and talking points for different audiences and fora, including workshops, events, donor consultation meetings and regional and international events.
• Capture and develop human interest stories in the field on beneficiaries and other FAO WBGS activities.
• Maintain media relations in the WBGS, including through the drafting and circulation of press releases among the in-country humanitarian networks (LACS), as well as drafting media talking points.
• Support donor relations and create content packages for donors.
• Represent the Office in UNSCG and HCT-AWG meetings (in person and online) in oPt to communicate FAO priorities, provide updates on advocacy efforts, and ensure alignment with UN system-wide communication initiatives.
• Perform as FAO WBGS Communications Unit lead, providing day-to-day supervision and tasking, guidance, and specialist communications advice to team members to ensure high-quality, timely, and aligned communication outputs.
• Act as the Office’s main Communications focal point for FAO divisions and units, UN agencies, donors, media partners, and local stakeholders.
• Liaise directly with OCC-OER, LOG, and LON communication focal points, as required, providing updates on planned communications, sharing publications, and updating on Country Office advocacy messages for internal coordination and the wider UN system.
Social Media:
The objective of the role is to create the digital space for engaging with the public, civil society, the international community and other relevant stakeholders on topics related to agrifood systems and shaping the discourse around the four betters, leaving no one behind
• Collate information and develop appropriate digital assets, in line with global FAO key messages, terminology, standards and guidelines, and day-to-day management of thematic/regional/country social media channel(s), {add account handles and/or URLs}, as per the FAO social media guidelines and in support of country/regional/global strategies, liaising and coordinating with the relevant technical officers, Regional Communication Officers (RCO) and OCC, as appropriate, and relevant supervisor for clearance.
• For videos intended for use on social media channels, liaise with RCO and OCC to review scripts, formats and final clearances.
• Produce and develop outreach messages for social media plans and campaigns (including radio messages, television-spots, etc.), as well as exploring more potential digital outreach initiatives to raise offline and online visibility.
Reporting:
• Contribute to the final preparation, consolidation and review of progress/terminal reports and the Country Annual Report, ensuring quality and alignment with the organization’s editorial policy and individual donor requirements.
• Contribute to preparing/editing/revising programme/operational documents such as policy papers, assessment reports, notes for the file, internal memoranda, publications, etc.
• Create and maintain templates (Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.) and provide technical support for staff to use them.
Multimedia:
• Provide photography and video coverage in the field, when required, in line with FAO Office of Communication technical specifications and guidelines on video and photographic production.
• Create and manage effective storage solutions of images using Flickr and other internal platforms such as OneDrive.
• Work with external designers to ensure their deliverables come with high quality and follow OCC’s and development partners’ branding and visibility guidelines.
• Provide visual and graphic editing and production services using tailored software to develop visual information management Products, when required.
• The officer-in-charge of the video production should liaise with OCC at the appropriate stages for distribution and publication of the video products. Videos should follow the FAO Video production guidelines: https://www.fao.org/3/cc5308en/cc5308en.pdf.
• For videos intended for use on social media channels, liaise with the Regional Communication Officer (RCO) and OCC to review scripts, formats and final clearances.
• Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
• All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE (https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en)
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names Of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).
• Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.
Other:
• Supervise Affiliate Workforce in administrative systems (GRMS) and in day-to-day activities as needed.
• Participate in interview panels as a Panel member for International Affiliate Workforce when requested.
• Perform other related duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Communications, Social/Political Sciences, International Relations or a closely related field. Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
• At least five years of professional experience in performing similar functions.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Working experience with UN agencies/International organizations is desirable.
• Excellent ability to write for different audiences using different communication media.
• Very good command of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of FinalCut Pro and Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign and Photoshop, is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and prioritize tasks.
• Ability to travel across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
• Extent of familiarity with the geographical region.