Mission and objectives

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) derives its mandate from the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 33/147 of 20 December 1978. Called upon by United Nations Member States in that year, UNDP was requested “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”. UNDP/PAPP is a responsive development agency that works together with the Palestinian people to fulfil their aspiration for sustainable human development based on self-determination, equality and freedom.

Context

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) derives its mandate from United Nations General Assembly Resolution 33/147 of 20 December 1978. Called upon by United Nations Member States in that year, UNDP was requested “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”. UNDP’s Palestinian Programmatic Framework (PPF) 2023-2025 sets out a vision of “a world in which all Palestinians can enjoy a dignified life and fulfil their own vision of a unified, peaceful and free society”. The PPF is centered around the concept of “Transformative Resilience” and its three elements: a cohesive Palestinian identity, self-reliance, and ownership and leadership. Over the next three years, UNDP/PAPP will build on its experiences and achievements to make critical contributions to the priorities defined by the Palestinian national development plans and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), through interventions in three programmatic priority areas: i) democratic governance and quality services; ii) inclusive economic opportunities; iii) sustainable natural resources management. This UNV assignment is part of UNDP’s Investment Programme for Resilience (IPR). The overarching objective of IPR is to enhance the socio-economic resilience of marginalized Palestinian communities, including greater self-reliance, enhanced ownership and leadership and cohesive identity, with a specific focus on women’s empowerment and gender equality at the community level (impact). To do so, the programme has embedded community engagement throughout the life cycle of the project, thus building leadership and ownership of the community. In its first three phases, IPR addressed community needs through: enabling the health sector to respond to COVID-19 and strengthening local service delivery and enhancing social cohesion in marginalized communities (phase 1); expanding its investments in community infrastructure linked to stronger community resilience (phase 2); and further expanding the community infrastructure component, strengthening access to socio-economic services and enhancing social engagement in marginalized and disadvantaged communities (phase 3). In its fourth phase, IPR is integrating a focus on gender equality as a means to further advance its work and contribution to community resilience. Overall, IPR IV seeks to ensure inclusive and more resilient access to gender-responsive and, whenever possible, gender-transformative socio-economic opportunities, supported by community engagement and addressing environmental sustainability. A key strategic approach of IPR is the engagement of men as allies for women’s socio-economic empowerment and agents of change towards gender equality.

Task Description

The Communications Specialist will support the Investment Programme for Resilience (IPR) programme team by developing, implementing, and monitoring communication strategies, and ensuring high visibility of the programme’s activities in line with UNDP’s and donors’ external communication guidelines. The Specialist will ensure effective outreach, dissemination of key messages, and support the organization of events and external activities. The Communications Specialist will be responsible for supporting the overall communication efforts for the IPR programme, including content development, and coordination with various stakeholders. The tasks include: Summary of Key Functions: 1. Programme Communication Support: • Assist the programme team in planning, developing, implementing, and monitoring communication strategies and communication plans. • Conduct communication needs assessments for the IPR programme, aligning with programme goals and UNDP’s communication standards. 2. Coordination with UNDP Communications Unit: • Liaise with the UNDP communications unit on IPR communication products, outreach activities, and events. • Ensure alignment with UNDP and donor communications guidelines for all programme-related communication materials. 3. Development of Communication Materials: • Develop a wide range of communication materials, including project packages, factsheets, presentations, and media materials, in collaboration with the communication unit. • Create briefing materials, project feature stories, photo-based stories, storylines and other visual content for project publications and reports. 4. Event Support and Management: • Provide communication and logistical support for the organization of programme activities such as workshops, roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, seminars, and interviews. • Assist in the technical supervision of event management service providers, ensuring high-quality communication deliverables. 5. Public Information and Messaging: • Assist the programme team in identifying and developing key messages and public information packages to highlight programme impacts. • Support high-level donor visits and events, ensuring smooth communication and media presence. • Develop and implement a social media plan to enhance programme visibility and engagement. • Ensure consistent use of branding and messaging across all communication materials and platforms. • Oversee the production of branded items, such as banners and brochures. 6. Outreach and Visibility: • Coordinate communication and outreach activities with implementing partners, ensuring adherence to IPR branding and communication guidelines. • Identify opportunities for positive media coverage and develop strategies for increased public engagement. 7. Documentation of Best Practices and Lessons Learned: • Collect and document best practices and lessons learned from different projects within the IPR programme. • Develop comprehensive reports, case studies, and visual materials that showcase the impact and success stories from various projects. • Ensure the lessons learned are disseminated to relevant stakeholders and incorporated into future programme planning and communication strategies. 8. Monitoring and Follow-Up: • Monitor communication activities and follow up on the daily communication needs of the IPR programme in close coordination with the programme team. • Assist in preparing responses to internal and external information requests and queries from partners. • Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation framework for communication activities to assess effectiveness and impact. • Prepare regular reports on communication performance and provide recommendations for improvement. 9. Other Tasks: • Provide additional technical and communication support as directed by supervisors. • Ensure compliance with UNDP communication protocols and best practices.

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

The UN Volunteer will be living in Jerusalem which is a family duty station. It is currently at UNDSS security level MODERATE. As is the case for UN staff and partners, the volunteer will make his/her own arrangements for housing and transportation to and from work. A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of ILS 8,950.06 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as Exit allowance for satisfactory service. You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”