Project Officer

Under the overall authority of the Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, and direct supervision of the Advisor and Chief of Communication and Information Unit, the incumbent will support UNESCO’s mandate on freedom of expression, access to information and safety of journalists and will be responsible for providing support to the administrative and programme elements and components of Bangkok Office projects, activities and initiatives. S/he will continually invest in professional learning in respect of programme development activities, project administration, trends and issues specific to the Bangkok Office and broadening knowledge of other communication and information specialities and UNESCO Sectors represented in the Bangkok Office and of relevance to the country served.

Major Responsibilities

Programme and Project Support  (60%)  :

Plan, organize and provide logistical and administrative support to meetings, consultations, events, network and partnership initiatives, projects and missions in Thailand and the Mekong region countries. 

• Develop and implement activities for strengthening media and information literacy (MIL) education, in particular towards youth, and capacity of journalism education institutions in the Mekong countries to fight against disinformation.
• Explore and propose partnerships with media, private sector, government institutions and help to mobilize support for media development and freedom of expression
• Assist in facilitating working relationships and exchanges with national and other stakeholders.
• Upon instruction, undertake research, preliminary analysis, and compile background information to assist with the development of projects and programmes reinforcing national capacities.
• Coordinate the preparation of routine elements of new projects, options and proposals.
• Draft project implementation and reporting schedules and prepare or generate tables, graphs, charts and other data and statistics for the preparation of reports, briefings, budget expenditure and other monitoring tools.
• Collect, review and verify project documents, actions and data in close collaboration with project staff.
• Check project documents and bring to the attention of the supervisor issues regarding consistency or completeness for follow up action with project staff or thematic teams.
• Monitor project activities against work plans and schedules, prepare descriptions of project progress and highlight gaps and bottlenecks.
• Analyse specific project activities and propose alternative methods for project management, implementation and problem resolution.

Research and Knowledge Management (15%) : 

• Undertake specific research and analysis to produce well defined aspects or segments of work products expected from the work unit or Field Office including documents, reports, conventional and on-line publications, news releases, and social media and website content.
• Update and maintain knowledge management systems to ensure adequate and accessible documentation including all extrabudgetary projects and activities.
• Upload to automated systems such as SharePoint and other platforms the institutional memory of own office.
• Analyse best practices, current trends and programme and country specific issues to acquire, broaden and increase knowledge and technical/thematic expertise.

Major Responsibility

Partnership (15%) : 

• Analyze and compile background data for potential partnerships and fundraising opportunities.
• Arrange outreach activities, briefings, visits, consultations, meetings and other related visibility activities.
• Compile information for the Field Office’s input to UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), Common Country Assessment (CCA), Country Programme Document (CPD), Country Action Plan (CAP) and to other relevant national planning exercises.
• Liaise with colleagues within the Sector and in other Sectors, in own and other Field Offices, and Headquarters to discuss developments and to archive information on CI initiatives, baselines and impact measurements.

Advocacy and Programme Visibility (5%) :

• Prepare communication materials such as articles, flyers, videos, PPT, infographics, etc. in close coordination with the Public Information and Outreach Unit of UNESCO Bangkok, and support public information campaigns, including online;
• Additional activities that may be required to ensure the success of the work team. (5%)

Factor Description

Nature of work

• The work requires the regular provision of support and defined inputs to more senior Field staff, basic research and analysis of work activities and their interrelationships with project phases and programme development and objectives, the application of subject matter techniques and standards, and the understanding of Field Office dynamics and communication requirements under close supervision and guidance. S/he gathers, drafts and provides preliminary content for reports, documents, proposals, events and publications. S/he maintains situational and country context awareness, and researches current best practices, trends and issues and synthesizes findings, bringing areas of concern and opportunities to the supervisor’s attention.

Enabling environment

• The work is carried out in a team environment, with layered review and work control, under the overall authority of the ADG/CI and the close direct supervision from the Director or Head of Office or more senior staff if delegated by the Director or Head of Office. Particular areas of research and analysis will be assigned and as an apprentice opportunities and work tasks provide practical exposure to programme development and implementation activities, facilitating rapid professional development. All deliverables will be reviewed by more senior Field staff, thereby greatly reducing exposure to risk, but still allowing exposure to a range of stakeholders, activities and issues concerning the Field Office.

Partnership

• Internal organizational contacts in the Field Office and at HQ are required to effectively and successfully carry out the work and ensure professional growth and development. S/he will acquire and exchange information and data to support individual work assignments, discuss trends, developments and requirements, and facilitate initial communication with staff members and peers within and outside the Field Office in the same field of work (Communication and Information). External contacts are limited but s/he will provide logistical and administrative support to meetings, consultations, events, projects and missions in the particular area of assignment.
• Typical communities of interest include, but are not limited to, project staff and managers within the Field Office, and counterparts in the same thematic area.

Result

• As the work is geared toward the professional development of the post holder, work tasks illustrate and reflect suitability for more independent tasks and the assumption of greater responsibility over time. Close supervision and guidance minimize the impact of work but facilitate learning and professional growth. The post holder serves as a team member, offering discrete and individual contributions and analysis to more senior Field staff and the Sector on specific project activities or assignments.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (equivalent to Masters or Post-graduate studies) in communication, journalism, information sciences, law or related fields.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 4 (four) years of experience in applying theoretical knowledge in the specific area related to this job description.
• Previous experience in planning and implementation of development programme and projects with governmental and/or non-governmental institutions, preferably in the field of communication and Information.
• Experience in managing technical cooperation projects’ activities and expenditures, at national and international level, preferably at multilateral agencies.

Languages

• The position requires proficiency in Thai and English.

Source: https://careers.unesco.org/job/Bangkok-Project-Officer-(Communication-and-Information-Unit)/794258102/