Communication and Outreach Specialist

Organizational Setting

Upon request from the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will provide technical assistance for the improvement of livelihood of farmers of selected districts (Anuradhapura, Hambanthota, Vavuniya and Kurunegala) through increasing productivity of paddy while diversifying a sizable quantity of paddy lands with legumes and other field crops (OFC) using Climate Smart Good Agriculture Practices (CSGAP) with increased cropping intensity, efficient water and fertilizer management systems which leads to increase overall land productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the system. 

The above will be accomplished through the 4-year Project OSRO/SRL/205/USA “Rice Rethink; Enhancing Paddy Farmer Resilience and Return through Crop Diversification”.  

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will provide technical leadership and backup in order for the project to communicate the project components, achievements, learning and visibility and appropriate branding. He/ She will be under the overall supervision of the AFAOR (Programme) and will work closely with the guidance of the Project Management Specialist and the Communication Analyst.

Technical Focus

Specifically, the Communication and Outreach Specialist will be responsible for developing the outreach/communication strategy of the project by taking into consideration the objectives outlined in the project document. 

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Development of a communication and outreach plan for the wider outreach of Crop Diversification and CSGAP strategy; 
•   Development of training material and related communication products and tools in partnership with technical experts and communication and outreach service providers;
•    Design and sharing training and communication material over e-platforms;
•    Ensuring adequate visibility to the project through appropriate branding;
•   Development of training materials and related communication products and tools in partnership with technical experts and communication and outreach service providers;
•    Ensure effective and timely communication among stakeholders including relevant public and private institutions;
•    Strategies to ensure that lessons learned during project implementation are captured and communicated amongst project partners and key audiences;
•    Strategies to enhance general understanding of ‘“Rice Rethink; Enhancing Paddy Farmer Resilience and Return through Crop Diversification” amongst farmers;
•    Strategies to ensure adequate visibility of the project interventions and donor requirements of publicity;
•   Strategies to communicate with the beneficiary farmers and non-beneficiary farmers on necessary messages and information; 
• Strategies to coordinate publication of relevant posters, articles, and reports and sharing among relevant parties;
•    Ensure human interest stories are captured with good-quality photos and videos to highlight the impact of the project;
•    Draft media releases and other promotional material to communicate the impact of the project;
•    Any other task assigned by FAOR;
•    Liaison 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;
•    All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:

•    FAOSTYLE (English: French: Spanish: Arabic: Chinese: FAO terminology    FAO Names Of Countries   
•    Story guidelines    Story template    UN map standards (available to staff);
•    FAO Brand and policy book (available to staff).

•    Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in communications, media relations, journalism, international development, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience in the development, communications and/or media field.
•    Working knowledge of English Language and working knowledge of Sinhala and/or Tamil.
•    A Sri Lankan national.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Experience of working with UN agencies and familiarity with UN rules and regulations will be considered an asset.
•    Experience in preparing press releases, op-eds, news articles, interviews and advocacy messages for relevant media houses and outlets, including publishing, newspaper, online news, radio and television mediums.
•    Excellent communication, reporting and presentation skills in English, Tamil/Sinhala.
•    Experience in Web content management, Photoshop software and tools related to web and desktop publishing is an advantage.
•    Experience in content creation for social media. 
•    Experience with photography and photo editing; and knowledge of photo editing software is an advantage.
•    Experience of working in the context of the project would be an added advantage
•    Ability to work efficiently with minimal direct supervision and to coordinate and supervise the communication and outreach requirements of the project.
•    Ability to work under pressure and efficiently manage competing deadlines.
•    Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams is essential.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION