National Communication Specialist 

Organizational Setting

FAO is a recognized leader in the fight to eradicate hunger and rural poverty and in the promotion of agriculture, fisheries and livestock, while encouraging sustainable management of the environment and of natural resources for the benefit of communities and rural people.  One of FAO’s goals is to increase the visibility of good work being done at country and regional levels in the Asia and the Pacific Region, and in particular in relation to its donor-funded projects.

Reporting Lines

The National Communication Specialist will work under the overall supervision of, and report directly to, the FAO Representative (FAOR), in close consultation with the relevant project Team Leaders, project/programme team members, AFAOR (Admin and Programme) and Regional Communication Officer in FAO office in Regional Asia Pacific.

Technical Focus

The National Communication Specialist will contribute to the positioning and improved visibility of the work supported under the FAO country programme, through mass media and other outreach, and with a target audience of constituents, donors and general public. The incumbent will promote a corporate image of the FAO as an open/accessible, multidisciplinary institution capable of rapid responses and actions in support of its constituents and donors.

Tasks and responsibilities

Specifically, and in line with the corporate communication policies and plans, the incumbent will:

•    Design and implement a Communication Work Plan for the Representation, in support of the agreed CPF, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Indonesia;
•    Support public communication activities of the Representation: by preparing talking points, arranging photo coverage, drafting press releases and disseminating news through press contacts, management of interviews and/or press conferences;
•    Proactively seek out good beneficiary feature story possibilities for TV and Print journalists, based upon the good practices of FAO Technical Cooperation work in-country;
•    Support the strengthening of FAO media relations and public visibility, as well as FAO relations with other international and national development partners, institutions, donors, governments;
•    Improve a national media database;
•    Increase the number of good photos from the work of the FAO Country programme and submit them to OCC for inclusion in the corporate photo database;
•    Send regular media updates to FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and FAO HQ on the coverage of FAO Indonesia’s works;
•    Update the website of the Representation with press releases generated;
•    Track and log all media reports involving FAO at country level and send reports to both the FAO Representative and RAP Communication Officer for SOMI notification;
•    Prepare speeches, talking points and presentations in close coordination with programme team for FAO Representative for different forums;
•    Identify training requirements in communications, and develop/implement a training programme for FAO staff/consultants to support the sustainability of the communications initiatives;
•    Provide communication leadership assistance on the communication programme in programmes/-projects; assist with the review of relevant documents and reports; identifyy priorities, liaise with relevant parties and identify follow-up actions;
•    Assist with assessments of issues and trends for the implementation of communication programmes and projects;
•    Supervise the preparation of a communication strategy and work plan in each project, various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analysis, substantial sections;
•    Contribute to meetings and conferences, to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, related with good communication of the project;
•    Participate in activities, communication training workshops, seminars, make presentations on assigned projects/programmes;
•    Lead media field missions, including provision of guidance to government officials and other parties;
•    Provide communication advice on all aspects related to communication and visibility of FAO’s projects/programmes in Indonesia;
•    Accompany FAO Representatives to relevant events and field trips, as necessary;
•    Perform other duties as may be 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.

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAOSTYLE (English: https://www.fao.org/3/cb8081en/cb8081en.pdf; French: https://www.fao.org/3/AC339FR/ac339fr.pdf; Spanish: https://www.fao.org/3/ac339s/ac339s.pdf; Arabic: https://www.fao.org/3/ac339a/ac339a.pdf; Chinese: https://www.fao.org/3/ac339c/ac339c.pdf);
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm;
FAO Names Of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en;
Story guidelines http://intranet.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/occ/Quick_Guides/UPDATED-Digital-Storytelling-Guide-EN-FINAL.pdf;
Story template http://intranet.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/occ/Quick_Guides/FAO-Stories-Template-UPDATED.pdf;
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 FOLLOWINGMinimum Requirements    

•    The incumbent should have a degree in journalism, communications, public relations or other relevant post-secondary qualification.
•    A minimum 5 years of experience in working with media in-country is required as is an established contact list of media either as a journalist or specialist in public relations.
•    An excellent command of English is required, as are proven writing and reporting skills, the ability to operate under pressure and good interpersonal skills.
•    National of Indonesia.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

Considerable experience in general news field reporting, news gathering and/or writing for a major national or international news outlet will be a distinct advantage.
The position may well suit a retired or semi-retired individual who is well established within the media environment of the country.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION