Communications and Reporting Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) - An intergovernmental organization, FAO has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Communications and Reporting Specialist

Ref No: 2301190
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Organizational Unit: FRNIR
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Duration: 6 months, with possible extension

Organizational Setting

• The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
• The incumbent will work in the FAO Representation in Nigeria and will be expected to support the implementation of FAO Nigeria Country Programme Framework

Reporting Lines:

• The Communications and Reporting specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) and direct supervision of the Head of the Northeast sub office.

Technical Focus

• The incumbent will deliver a range of communications and advocacy materials and ensure that donor reports are prepared and submitted in a timely manner.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Participate in the assessments to establish the baseline and food security assessments to monitor the improvement of beneficiary’s household food consumption, resilience, business development, markets enhancement, etc.
• Develop and produce communication products to highlight donors support and including but not limited to key messages, briefs, brochures, talking points, success stories and presentations; also travel to affected areas, as necessary, to ensure collection/production of stories, interviews, photos and videos.
• Liaise closely with the Emergency Programme Coordinator and project focal points to ensure coherence and accuracy of information used in communication products;
• Assist media relations, including: drafting press releases, media-style briefs, talking points and Q&A; developing and maintaining a network of media contacts in country; and organizing press conferences/briefings and field visits;
• Support liaison with FAO HQ and FAO RAF media relations colleagues to facilitate exposure of the Joint Project’s and FAO’s work and needs in the agriculture sector, ensuring accuracy/relevance of content developed and disseminated by them;
• Assist in the dissemination – at country, regional and global levels – of communication products, including publication on FAO or partner Web sites, liaising closely with outreach and web teams at FAO-HQ (both OCC and TCS Outreach Team) and making full use of web and corporate social media channels (fao.org, intranet, fao.org/emergencies, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in line with FAO guidelines;
• Liaise with the communication team of the Regional Office for Africa (RAF) for sharing of information and guidance on communication activities.
• Support donor websites monitoring and assist in the preparation of resource mobilization materials
• Provide content and materials such as photos and videos to RAF to highlight stories on the ground.
• Participate in the OCHA Humanitarian Communications Group and other relevant fora/meetings (e.g. UN Communication Group) and work in close collaboration with OCHA Reporting and Public Information teams and UN Communication teams to ensure sectoral priorities, the needs of affected populations and FAO are well represented;
• Undertake travel to affected areas, as necessary, and ensure collection/production of stories, interviews, photos and videos;
• Compile progress information and assist the Project Coordinator in outlining monthly progress statements and quarterly and annual progress reports including activities undertaken, distributions of inputs lists of actual beneficiaries, problems encountered and recommendations relevant to FAO and government (MOA, SEMA, NEMA) requirements;
• Contribute to the preparation of programme and project documents and new proposals, briefs, evaluation reports, and correspondence for internal use and for recipient governments and donors;
• Facilitate, prepare, participate and respond to donor missions and reporting requirements
• Assist in the preparation of publication documents as required;
• Provide communication support for events organized by FAO and in which FAO is participating;
• Assist in undertaking assessment of the project impact on the beneficiaries through activity assessments and end-of-project assessment
• Prepare and submit the draft final report, including all project activities, impact assessment, and lessons learned, and make recommendations for follow-up assistance in the agricultural sector.
• Perform other related duties as required.
• Liaise with the Office of Communication (OCC) will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, appropriate review and clearance processes.

Minimum Requirements
Candidates will be assessed against the following:

• University Degree (Bachelor's or Post graduate) in Journalism, Mass Communications, Communications for Development or relevant Social Science.
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in humanitarian and agricultural/rural development sectors communication, promotion or advocacy including work experience with national and international NGO’s, UN agencies, governments and donors.
• Working knowledge of English both verbal and written.
• National of Nigeria.

FAO Core Competencies:

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement.

Technical/Functional Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and Team spirit
• Experience of projects involving multiple and diverse stakeholders including
• Governments, private sector, civil society and end users.
• Working knowledge of the local language in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.
• Experience and competences in working with women and youths groups will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of UN system policies, rules, and regulations;
• Work experience within United Nations System or an international organization is an asset.

Application Closing Date
10th May, 2023.